STRENGTHENING STI SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
Project Detail
Within UNESCO’s global framework for monitoring, policy support and advocacy for the UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RS|SR), the project “Strengthening STI systems for Sustainable Development in Africa” aims to ensure that governments and national science institutions in six African pilot countries (Congo, Ghana, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zimbabwe) are taking measures to strengthen their national and regional STI policies, governance of STI, and institutions in research and innovation in accordance with the RS|SR. Under this Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) funded project, UNESCO is assisting the Government of Ghana, notably through the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-STEPRI) to undertake and implement activities related to the SIDA project.
- Duration:2 Years
- Funding source (donor): Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) SIDA through The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Participating scientists (with PI)
Dr (Mrs) Wilhemina Quaye
Chief Research Scientist, PI
Dr. George Owusu Essegbey
Chief Research Scientist
Dr. Gordon Akon-Yamga
Research Scientist
Dr. Adelaide Agyeman
Chief Research Scientist
Nana Yamoah Asafu-Adjaye
Research Scientist
Dr. Nana Kofi Safo
Research Scientist
Dr. Selorm Ayeduvor
Research Scientist
Dr. Roland Asare
Senior Research Scientist
Crystal Bubune Letsa
Assistant Research Scientist
Objectives
- Draft country-specific policy briefs on STI systems, including guidance for developing inclusive and gender-equal STI policy frameworks. In accordance with the RSSR, this is based on themes/key areas that had been identified as gaps/needs where policy guidance is required.
- Develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process and methodology tailored to the requirements of the RS|SR and GO-SPIN indicators; taking full account of national circumstances, needs and priorities (referencing the country’s STI4SDGs roadmap and needs assessment report).
- Organise capacity-building activities to transfer technical expertise on the monitoring framework to the government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure their contribution to the monitoring process for the implementation of the 2017 Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RS|SR) in Ghana.
Results Achieved
The Knowledge Products finalized derived from the project include:
- Ghana’s science, technology and innovation (STI) system in the context of the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers: baseline report https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382916.locale=en
- Science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem in Ghana https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382917.locale=en
- Capacity and needs assessment of Ghana’s science, technology and innovation (STI) system for the implementation of the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383143.locale=en
The project has also developed five policy briefs. They are as follows:
- Policy brief 1: guidance for developing an inclusive and gender-equal STI policy https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383084.locale=en
- Policy brief 2: Strengthening national STI policies and governance in accordance with the UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RS|SR) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383088.locale=en
- Policy brief 3: the role of policymaking organisations in implementing the UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RS|SR) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383089.locale=en
- Policy brief 4: STI human resource development: options for effective strategies and policy implementation https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383091.locale=en
- Policy brief 5: STI capacity building in Ghana: the urgent need for research infrastructure https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000383092.locale=en
Way forward for the Project in 2023
The project team at CSIR-STEPRI and the Consultative Group (CG) members of the project have developed the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. This would be used to Organise capacity-building activities to transfer technical expertise on the monitoring framework to the government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure their contribution to the monitoring process for the implementation of the 2017 Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RS|SR) in Ghana.
