A law backed by evidence is a tool for progress
In Accra this week, African policymakers, researchers, and development partners have gathered around a question that is simple to ask but difficult to answer: what actually works in governance, and how do we know? The 2026 Evidence-to-Action Conference is examining forty-seven real policy cases from across the continent, seeking not grand theory but tested understanding — the kind that can be handed to a government and put to use. At its heart, the gathering reflects a quiet but significant conviction: that Africa already holds its own solutions, and the urgent work is to see them clearly, learn from them honestly, and share them widely.
- Too many African policies have collapsed not from bad intentions but from weak foundations — built on guesswork rather than data, and assumptions rather than genuine citizen need.
- Forty-seven policy cases are now under surgical examination in specialized innovation labs, each one pressed to reveal whether it actually shifted outcomes and why it succeeded or failed.
- Leaders from The Gambia to Ghana are making the case that evidence-backed decisions directly reduce corruption, improve accountability, and distribute public resources more equitably.
- The conference is deliberately pushing past dialogue toward documented results — the best-performing cases will be isolated, their success factors extracted, and their lessons prepared for replication.
- What emerges will be published as a practical guide for governments across the continent, transforming tested African examples into actionable blueprints rather than abstract models.
In Accra this week, forty-seven policy cases from across Africa are being examined in what organizers call evidence innovation labs — a focused attempt to answer a deceptively simple question: what actually works in African governance, and why?
The 2026 Evidence-to-Action Conference has brought together policymakers, researchers, and development partners around a shared frustration. Too many policies on the continent fail not because the ideas are wrong, but because they were never grounded in reliable data or genuine citizen need. The conference theme — reimagining the evidence-informed policy ecosystem in Africa — signals an ambition that goes beyond discussion. These forty-seven cases, drawn from governments and institutions across the continent, are being examined with precision to identify which ones have genuinely moved the needle on policy and public service delivery.
Dr. David S. Ameyaw of the International Centre for Evaluation and Development framed the work plainly: the conference exists to move past conversation into demonstrable results. The best-performing cases will be studied further to isolate what made them succeed, with the intention of scaling or adapting those approaches for use elsewhere — not as abstract models, but as tested blueprints governments can actually implement.
Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, articulated why this matters. Many African policies rest on weak foundations — guesswork instead of data, assumptions instead of evidence about what citizens need. When governments rely on credible data to guide decisions and public spending, he argued, accountability improves, corruption becomes harder to hide, and resources distribute more fairly. Evidence-informed policymaking, in his view, can reduce inequality, strengthen public trust, and create conditions for stability.
The conference represents a broader shift: African governance being addressed not by external experts, but by African institutions learning from African examples. The forty-seven cases under review are proof that the continent already contains its own solutions. The work now is to recognize them, understand them, and make them available to others.
In Accra this week, forty-seven policy cases from across Africa are being dissected in what organizers call evidence innovation labs—a deliberate attempt to answer a deceptively simple question: what actually works in African governance, and why?
The 2026 Evidence-to-Action Conference has assembled policymakers, researchers, and development partners around a shared frustration. Too many policies on the continent fail not because the ideas are wrong, but because they were never grounded in reliable data or genuine citizen need. The conference theme—"Reimagining the Evidence-Informed Policy and Decision-Making Ecosystem in Africa"—signals an ambition that goes beyond another round of talking. These forty-seven cases, drawn from governments and institutions across the continent, are being examined with surgical precision. The goal is to identify which ones have actually moved the needle on policy, which ones have influenced real programs and public service delivery, and which ones contain lessons worth spreading.
Dr. David S. Ameyaw, president of the International Centre for Evaluation and Development, framed the work plainly: the conference exists to move past discussion into demonstrable results. "We are focused on results," he said. "We want to see clear examples of where evidence has led to change." The best-performing cases will be studied further to isolate the specific factors that made them succeed. The intention is to scale these approaches or adapt them for use in other countries—not as abstract models, but as tested blueprints that governments can actually implement.
What emerges from this work will be documented and published as a practical guide, available to governments and institutions across Africa. This is not a theoretical exercise. The cases being reviewed represent real decisions made by real governments, with real consequences for citizens.
Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, articulated why this matters. Many African policies fail because they rest on weak foundations—guesswork instead of data, assumptions instead of evidence about what citizens actually need. "A law backed by evidence is a tool for progress," he said. When governments rely on credible data to guide decisions and public spending, the effects ripple outward: accountability improves, corruption becomes harder to hide, resources distribute more fairly. Evidence-informed policymaking, he argued, can reduce inequality, strengthen public trust in institutions, and create conditions for peace and stability.
The conference represents a shift in how African governance is being approached—not as a problem to be solved by external experts, but as a challenge to be addressed by African institutions learning from African examples. The forty-seven cases under review are proof that the continent already contains its own solutions. The work now is to recognize them, understand them, and make them available to others.
Notable Quotes
We are focused on results. We want to see clear examples of where evidence has led to change.— Dr. David S. Ameyaw, President of the International Centre for Evaluation and Development
A law backed by evidence is a tool for progress. Governments must rely on data to guide decisions and public spending.— Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that these forty-seven cases come from Africa itself, rather than being imported models from elsewhere?
Because a policy that works in one African context has a better chance of working in another. The problems are similar—weak data systems, limited resources, the gap between what citizens need and what governments deliver. When you see a case that succeeded in Ghana or Kenya or Senegal, you're not just seeing theory. You're seeing something that had to navigate the actual constraints of African governance.
But isn't the real problem that governments don't implement evidence-based policy even when they have it?
That's part of it. But this conference is trying to solve a different problem first: identifying which evidence actually matters, which cases show clear cause and effect. Once you have that clarity, implementation becomes possible. Right now, there's so much noise—so many competing claims about what works—that policymakers don't know where to start.
The Speaker mentioned that evidence-based policymaking reduces corruption. How does that work exactly?
When decisions are tied to data, they become harder to hide. If you're allocating resources based on evidence of need, you have to show your work. It's much easier to justify a corrupt decision when it's wrapped in vagueness. Evidence forces transparency.
What happens if one of these forty-seven cases turns out to be a failure?
That's valuable too. Understanding why something didn't work—what assumptions were wrong, where the implementation broke down—is as useful as knowing what succeeded. The conference is looking for patterns, not perfection.
Who actually reads these guides once they're published?
That's the real test, isn't it? The guide is only useful if governments actually pick it up and try to adapt the cases to their own context. The conference can create the conditions for that to happen, but implementation depends on political will.