The 2019 PEP Best Practice Award for the Macro-micro Policy Modelling Group was presented to Abdul Malik Iddrisu, Maliha Abubakari and Dede W. A. Gafaa from Ghana, for their project “Identifying key policy options for growth and gainful employment in Ghana”. Abdul Malik Iddrisu and Maliha Abubakari received the award on behalf of the team (pictured).
2019 PEP annual conference - South Africa
The 2019 PEP Annual Conference in South Africa brought together more than 130 researchers, practitioners, international experts, representatives of donor and international organizations, and policy actors from 44 countries for a highly successful event.
Research teams at different project stages participated to present their findings or new proposals for discussion and peer review. PEP staff provided a one-day Research Communication Workshop for the teams beginning to disseminate their findings, and the conference concluded with a high-level Policy Conference on the theme "Evidence use in policymaking: How to integrate policy evaluation into policy design".
The 2019 conference was organized as part of two PEP multi-country research initiatives:
Presentations of final reports & new proposals
Representatives of 28 teams receiving PEP support under the PAGE II initiative, and nearing the end of their projects, participated to present their findings.
In early 2019, PEP had also launched competitive calls for expressions of interest and proposals under the new program for Impact Evaluation Mentoring for Governments in East and West Africa (IEM-Gov). Eight teams shortlisted as part of these calls' selection process were invited to present their proposals at the conference.
All teams discussed their presentations with an audience of their peers and PEP-affiliated international experts. These sessions provided valuable feedback to the teams to improve their reports or proposals.
Building capacity for policy research and outreach
A key part of PEP’s mission is to build and improve the technical knowledge and communication skills of developing country researchers. PEP provided researchers with an intensive (one-day) workshop reviewing best practices for communicating research. The workshop aimed to complement the scientific training that PAGE II teams received earlier in their projects and to ensure the outreach of PEP research findings.
During this workshop, PEP's Communication and Monitoring & Evaluation staff discussed key guidelines and practical tips to help grantees with concluding projects prepare the effective dissemination and communication of their findings. Download the presentation
2019 Best Practice Awards
The PEP Best Practice Awards reward PEP-supported project teams who have made outstanding efforts to engage and link their research with policy and decision-making at home, while pursuing the highest standards in terms of scientific and technical quality.
The 2019 prizes were awarded to the highest-achieving team in each of PEP’s four methodological groups. Chair of the PEP Board of Directors, Mustapha Nabli, presented the awards to each team.
2019 Award winners - per PEP Research Group
Macro/Modelling Group
Micro Group
The 2019 PEP Best Practice Award for the Microeconomic Analysis Group was presented to Chitalu Miriam Chama Chiliba, Hilary Chilala Hazele, Kelvin Chileshe and Mwimba Chewe from Zambia, for their project examining “Occupational Preferences and Labour Market Skills Mismatch among Youths in Zambia”. Hilary Chilala Hazele and Mwimba Chewe received the award on behalf of the team.
CBMS Group
The 2019 PEP Best Practice Award for the Community-Based Monitoring System Group was presented to Esso-Hanam Atake, Yevesse Dandonougbo, Djinta Litaaba-Akila, Dede Kouevidjin and Mazignada Sika Limazie from Togo, for their project analysing “Gender disparities with regards to agricultural investments, labor productivity and rural poverty reductions in Togo”. Yevesse Dandonougbo received the award on behalf of the team.
Experimental Group
The 2019 PEP Best Practice Award for the Experimental Research Group was presented to Marcos Agurto, Brenda Liz Silupú Garcés, Carolina Triveli and Javier Torres from Peru, for their project evaluating the impact of “Academic ambassadors and the diffusion of digital financial services among the Peruvian poor”. Marcos Agurto and Brenda Liz Silupú Garcés received the award on behalf of the team.
2019 PEP Policy Conference
Evidence use in policymaking: How to integrate policy evaluation into policy design
To conclude the 2019 PEP Annual Meeting, PEP hosted a high-level policy conference on the theme “Evidence use in policymaking: How to integrate policy evaluation into policy design”. More than 140 people from 44 countries attended, including researchers, international experts, stakeholders, donors, and decision makers, to discuss how researchers can contribute to facilitating the integration of policy evaluation and research-based evidence into policy design.
The event featured a keynote presentation by Dr Santiago Levy on Integrating Policy Evaluation into Policy Design, and two panel discussions. The first panel discussion led on from the theme of the keynote presentation. The second discussed the experience of PEP researchers in promoting the use of evidence to Inform policymaking. The audience had an opportunity to ask questions and add comments at the end of each session.
Find out more about the outcomes of the 2019 PEP Policy Conference or watch the full video on YouTube.
