Repoa ranked 18th leading think tank in SSA

By Lydia Shekighenda

Research for Development (Repoa) former Executive Director Prof. Wangwe

 The government has been urged to continue supporting national think tanks and allocate funds for policy research and research capacity building so as to contribute effectively in shaping the country’s development.

The call was made in Dar es Salaam over the weekend by Policy Research for Development (Repoa) Executive Director Dr Donald Mmari at the launch of the 2015 Global Go To Think Tank Index report.

According to the report, Repoa has been ranked as the Top Think Tank in Tanzania and number 18 of the 92 leading Think Tanks in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mmari said that it is high time the government allocated more funds for research in the country since planning for the country’s development is crucial.

 “We call upon the government to continue emphasising on research by allocating 1 percent of its national budget for research,” he said.

He said that Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) was ranked the top think tank in sub-Saharan Africa followed by IMANI Centre for Policy and Education of Ghana and BIDPA of Botswana respectively which are both among the top five in the region. 

Mmari noted that the two institutes have direct funding from their respective governments.

“It is important to recognise that Think Tanks contribute in shaping the country’s development by critically examining and providing evidence on the outcomes of various policy options and by informing relevant policy makers, development partners and the public in general on the global development trends,” he said.

He said that in many parts of the world, most governments play a crucial role in funding think tanks.

According to him, a global survey conducted by Think Tanks and Civil Societies Programme (TTCSP) in the University of Pennsylvania contacted over 6,000 think tanks in the TTCSP’s  Global Think Tank Database and over 20,000 journalists.

The survey also contacted policy makers, public and private donors, think tanks and functional and regional area specialists to nominate and rank public policy research centres of distinction.

The 2015 Global Go To launch was scheduled for January 27 and 28 at the World Bank (Washington DC), University of Pennsylvania and the United Nations (New York). 

The launching coincided with events in 75-80 countries including Tanzania.