Bridging Evidence and Action: Key Insights from the EPA Forum 2024
In a world increasingly defined by complex challenges, the role of evidence in shaping impactful decisions has never been more critical. The Evidence-Policy-Action (EPA) Forum 2024, held in Abidjan from November 6-7, provided a unique platform for stakeholders across Francophone Africa to engage in dialogue, share experiences, and envision a future where data and evidence drive transformative change. This year’s forum shed light on persistent gaps in the evidence ecosystem while offering actionable pathways to bridge them.
Opportunities and challenges in mapping the evidence ecosystem
One of the forum's highlights was the mapping session, where participants explored the state of evidence ecosystems across the region. Representing producers, intermediaries, users, and facilitators, participants painted a vivid picture of both progress and persistent challenges.
A common thread was the lack of coordination between actors in different countries. While there is notable political will to integrate evidence into policymaking, systemic issues like inadequate capacity for data analysis and security-related hesitations around data sharing remain obstacles. Additionally, countries vary in their readiness, with some having legal frameworks for public policy evaluation and others grappling with security and operational constraints.
These disparities underscore a key point: while data production has grown significantly, its utilisation remains inconsistent. The forum participants echoed a call for harmonisation—standardising processes, fostering regional collaboration, and ensuring data is translated into actionable insights.
Governance as a lever for data-driven decisions
Data governance emerged as a pivotal topic, with countries sharing varied experiences and solutions. Benin’s approach, centred on the introduction of statistical visas and a national methodological guide, offered an example of structuring evidence governance for credibility and accessibility. Côte d’Ivoire highlighted its efforts to build partnerships with civil society and academia to bridge the gap between evidence producers and decision-makers.
However, challenges persist. The fragmentation of data systems and weak coordination mechanisms undermine efforts to create a unified evidence ecosystem. The forum underscored the need for strong legal frameworks, dedicated institutional support, and robust infrastructure to govern data effectively while safeguarding privacy and ensuring accessibility.
Addressing the financing gap for evidence-based policies
A recurring theme was the underfunding of research in Africa, where less than 1% of resources are allocated to evidence production and mobilisation. This financial gap limits the ability of governments and institutions to generate, disseminate, and utilise high-quality evidence.
Participants proposed innovative strategies to address this issue, including building global partnerships, engaging philanthropists, and advocating for national governments to allocate a dedicated percentage of GDP to research. These approaches are vital to reducing reliance on external donors and ensuring sustainable funding for evidence ecosystems.
Bridging knowledge production and policy translation
While data production has gained momentum, translating this knowledge into formats policymakers can use remains challenging. The forum emphasised the importance of operationalising recommendations and adapting them to decision-makers' realities.
Practical solutions included using simplified formats targeted capacity-building initiatives, and fostering dialogues between data producers and users. Several participants called for regional platforms to standardise and share best practices in knowledge translation, ensuring that evidence is not just produced but drives measurable action.
Strengthening regional collaboration for evidence use
Perhaps the most compelling outcome of the forum was the consensus on the need for a regional approach. By pooling resources and expertise, countries in Francophone Africa can overcome shared challenges and amplify the impact of evidence-based policymaking.
Creating a regional community of practice is a step in this direction. This platform promises to sustain the momentum generated at the forum, enabling stakeholders to continue their collaboration, share lessons learned, and address emerging challenges collectively.
A Call to Action
The EPA Forum 2024 highlighted both the promise and the urgency of strengthening evidence ecosystems in Francophone Africa. As the conversations move beyond Abidjan, the challenge is clear: translating the forum’s insights into tangible actions that drive development outcomes.
For the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED) and its partners, this means synthesising the forum’s discussions into actionable strategies and working collaboratively to implement them. With a commitment to fostering regional collaboration and bridging the gap between evidence and policy, the forum has laid the groundwork for a future where data is not just produced but drives real-world change.
The journey from evidence to action is a long one, but forums like EPA 2024 remind us that, together, we can build the bridges needed to make it a reality.
About the author: Fréjus Thoto is the Executive Director of the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED), a think-and-do tank that operates in West Africa. ACED combines research, policy and local action to reduce poverty and hunger in the most vulnerable communities. Fréjus Thoto also works for the World Bank on establishing and facilitating knowledge management platforms in the Gulf of Guinea and Sahel countries. His work is about supporting countries and institutions in generating and sharing knowledge about relevant development issues. In his career, Fréjus has worked for various institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the European Union’s Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Union’s Specialised Agency for Capacity Building. Fréjus has a PhD in Agricultural Economics.
About the author: Dr Rodrigue Castro Gbedomon is a data enthusiast and versatile scientist focusing on ecological civilisation, human development, digital transformation, food systems, and evidence-informed policymaking. His career is driven by a passion for translating scientific knowledge into actionable policies and practices that support sustainable development and enhance community resilience. Over the past decade, he has worked with research, policy, and philanthropic organisations in West Africa and Switzerland, effectively bridging the gap between research, policies, and practices. He has led the development of tools and frameworks that improve the integration of evidence into policymaking. He is the Research and Learning Director at the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED). Since 2023, he has been co-coordinating the Evidence-Policy-Action Excellence Center in West Africa, contributing to advancing the use of evidence in decision-making processes.
About the author: Ariel Hardy HOUESSOU (Msc) is an agronomist with extensive experience in environmental and food security consultancy. His expertise spans project evaluation, social vulnerability analysis, capacity building, and the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and gender mainstreaming. He has collaborated with several organisations, including the Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP AO), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Oxfam Benin, TechnoServe, Enabel, and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. His significant contributions to SDG implementation in Benin include his role as an expert for the Ministry of Planning in Benin. His background in systemic and prospective sustainability analysis led to his implication as an expert in developing the first continuing education program dedicated to the SDGs at the National School of Administration in Benin.
Acknowledgements: The authors are solely responsible for the content of this article, including all errors or omissions; acknowledgements do not imply endorsement of the content. The authors are grateful to Charity Chisoro for her guidance in preparing and finalising this article and her editorial support.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in published blog posts, as well as any errors or omissions, are the sole responsibility of the author/s and do not represent the views of the Africa Evidence Network, its secretariat, advisory or reference groups, or its funders; nor does it imply endorsement by the afore-mentioned parties.
Suggested citation: Thoto, F. & Gbedomon, R.C. & Houessou, A.H. (2024) Bridging Evidence and Action: Key Insights from the EPA Forum 2024. Blog posting on 19 November. Available at: https://www.africaevidencenetwork.org/en/learning-space/article/376/
