This session is linked to Plenary 1: EVIDENCE FOR AFRICA: How evidence is changing communities across one continent 

Both researchers and policy makers will interested in this session. It is likely that most African participants will attend this session, but those from elsewhere interested in learning more about experiences in the use of evidence may also attend.

The session will appeal to participants at all levels of knowledge.

Objectives:
This session will share African experiences of different channels through which different types of evidence are being used for better social and economic policies and practice. Recent years have seen greater institutionalisation of the use of evidence in African countries. This session presents diverse experiences from Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. The session highlights different forms of evidence - monitoring data, process evaluation and impact evaluation - and different actors such as line agencies, programme managers and politicians.

All four countries have established national M&E policies, the adoption of which provides a framework for the institutionalisation of the use of evidence. The Office of the Prime Ministry produces a Government Annual Performance Report (GAPR) reporting monitoring indicators across the causal chain. GAPR is discussed twice a year at a cabinet retreat in which Ministers are held to account for sectoral performance. The Government Evaluation Facility supports studies to analyse issues identified from GAPR. In addition to having a similar monitoring system to that in Uganda, South Africa has an annual programme of both process and impact evaluation, and has developed an approach of working with programme managers from line agencies to tailor evaluation reports to evidence needs. Politicians are important policy stakeholders who are frequently ignored. Ghana has recently created a Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation. The African Parliamentarian Network on Development Evaluation was founded in 2014 to enhance the capacity of African Parliamentarians to improve their oversight, policy making and national decision making by ensuring it is evidence based. The presentation will draw on experiences from the network on engaging politicians in the evidence agenda.

There will be a general Q&A for the audience.