Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing has challenged researchers and policymakers to bridge the gap between research and government action, saying Ghana’s development must be driven by evidence and effective implementation.
He said too many research findings remain on library shelves while policymakers continue to grapple with problems that have already been studied.
The Minister made the call in an address delivered on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, Mummuni Shaiku Damma, at the opening of the 6th University for Development Studies (UBIDS) Research and Development Conference in Wa.
The conference is being held on the theme: “Research for Policy: Strengthening Evidence-Informed Policymaking for Ghana’s Development.”
Mr Puozuing said research must go beyond academic publications to provide practical solutions to challenges facing farmers, jobseekers, entrepreneurs and local authorities.
He urged researchers to translate their findings into policy briefs and clear recommendations, while encouraging policymakers to involve researchers earlier in the policy development process.
The Minister also called for greater investment in monitoring, evaluation and data systems to ensure that government programmes are based on what is known, what available evidence shows and what needs to be done differently.
“Research gives us knowledge; evidence gives us direction; policy gives us action; and implementation gives us results,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of UBIDS, Prof. Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile, said research would only achieve its full value when it influences decisions at both national and continental levels.
“Research will earn its full value when it informs the decisions that shape our country and the continent of Africa,” he said.
Prof. Derbile said the university’s research culture was growing, with postgraduate students accounting for about 60 per cent of the 125 registered participants at this year’s conference.
He reaffirmed management’s commitment to strengthening research funding and urged participants to use the conference to share knowledge, build capacity and establish research collaborations.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
