What is, and why AKNF?

Africa Knowledge Networks Forum is an initiative led by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to facilitate knowledge- sharing and research partnerships between professional networks, and between them and key knowledge end- users, including policy- makers, trainers at institutions of higher learning, civil society organisations and the private sector.

Judged by many indicators, Africa’s economic performance has improved over the last five years, but it remains fragile, and poverty is becoming deeper and more widespread. The challenge of attaining and sustaining higher levels of growth to reduce poverty remains overwhelming. The recovery since the mid- 90s can be largely attributed to policy reforms and increased utilisation of installed capacity, from the low levels typical of the decades of stagnation before the mid- 1990s. Sustained growth in the future will depend on new capacity being created; focused particularly on institutional development, skills enhancement, knowledge-production and application, enhanced by modern information technology (IT), an area where Africa must make quantum leaps.

There are currently some IT-related initiatives sponsored by private and non-private organizations in different parts of Africa. But the lack of an effective networking mechanism to bridge those activities, inadequacy of institutional arrangements to link various research institutions and organisations and centers of higher learning and public policy decision- making entities, have led to a number of shortcomings including:

  • Absence of a portal, or gateway to the best researched information generated by the various knowledge sources in the region and Africa- focused research centers abroad;

  • Duplication;

  • Isolation of research from the training of future policy leaders at institutions of higher learning;

  • Limited local content in training programmes at all levels;

  • Limited policy impact of research and programmes on public policy;

  • Limited enrichment of civil society programmes from contemporary research;

  • Limited local research in the search for solutions to private sector industrial and commercial problems.

Increased knowledge and more local content are needed to solve public policy problems, enrich the teaching curricula, stimulate the private sector, invigorate civil society, foster good governance and strengthen the integration of African societies and economies, especially in the context of the intensely competitive global environment. The linking of knowledge- generating entities to knowledge end- users is critical to achieving this objective.

The Africa Knowledge Networks Forum will "federate" existing networks with the aim of strengthening indigenous policy-oriented research and analysis for more effective use by African decision- makers. The Forum provides a continuous link between African research networks, policy- makers and training institutions (mainly Universities) and supports centers of African expertise and African think- tanks-- tasks which are critical to the pooling of resources for effective knowledge production and use. The Forum will be particularly important for providing technical support for the African Development Forum (ADF) process, the ECA partnership launched in 1999 to promote consensus building among Africa's development stakeholders around key challenges, and to set priorities on which development assistance should focus. By creating feedback loops between knowledge- production and knowledge- use, AKNF will strengthen applied research and advisory services to African policy makers, civil society organisations and private sector entities. The Forum’s comprehensive database of expertise across disciplines will be pivotal to linking the supply and demand for knowledge- types in the continent.

Through technical support for IT- enhanced networking as well as participation by the knowledge networks in regular programs of ECA (including research, advisory services, statutory policy conferences, the ADF process, seminars and workshops) the Forum will facilitate continuous and effective interaction between research networks and policy- makers. It will thus generate demand-driven research relevant to practical policy issues. The Forum will be supported by activities around a central node in the networking landscape, the ECA’s new Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA). ITCA would initially focus on setting up various databases (using data provided by the existing networks); setting up a web-based directory of African originated web sites to promote networking activities; as well as creating and moderating discussion lists.

The Forum will meet annually to review progress in implementing the business plan for the previous year in the context of a medium term plan, and to approve the work plan for the following year. As the first forum, the Forum will draw up and agree on a medium- term strategy (2000-2003).