Ethiopian Review

Addis Ababa – Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 30 million USD in grants to 24 think Tanks in East and West Africa, according to CNW Telbec.

The Think Tank Initiative (TTI) will support independent policy think tanks in developing countries, enabling them to provide sound research that informs and influences national policy. The three donors have committed a total of US$90 million to the initiative.

The partners made the announcement during the annual meetings of the African Development Bank and were joined by executive directors of two think tanks from Senegal and Tanzania.

“The value of providing think tanks with enduring, long-term support cannot be overstated,” said Rohinton Medhora, IDRC’s vice president, Programs.

“Predictable core funding gives institutions the certainty and continuity they need to build skills that can lead to path-breaking work and constructive public policy influence.”

The initiative received nearly 300 proposals from a wide range of African think tanks that focus on broad national, social, and economic policy issues.

Following a thorough and rigorous review process, 24 think tanks were selected from 11 East and West African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The Think Tank Initiative is envisioned as a long-term investment over at least 10 years. For the first five years, IDRC has made a commitment of 10 million USD, while the Hewlett Foundation has committed 40 million USD and the Gates Foundation has committed 40 million USD.

“We believe good national development policy decisions are best made when informed by robust research and analysis grounded in local realities,” said Mark Suzman, director of policy and advocacy for the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The Think Tank Initiative marks an important step forward in helping forge stronger partnerships between researchers and policy-makers in the developing world. We believe it is a powerful model for achieving change and hope that other donors will join us in this initiative to help improve the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.”

“The Hewlett Foundation has made a total commitment of 100 million USD over 10 years to strengthen research in the developing world because we believe that public policies work best when they are informed by the research of local scholars, and that good local research requires strong local institutions,” said Paul Brest, president of the Hewlett Foundation.

“Today’s announcement is a central part of that commitment, and we are confident that this approach will go a long way toward helping advance policies that will reduce poverty in the developing world.”

Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI) and Ethiopian Economic Association/Ethiopian Economic Policy Research Institute (EEA/EEPRI) are among the 24 African think tanks receiving grants.

- WIC