26 – 30 September 2022, Kampala Uganda

Evidence to Action Conference

Theme: Adapting and innovating evaluation practice for evidence-based decision making within and beyond COVID-19.

Background and Motivation

The adoption of the Agenda 2063, having 20 goals with 174 targets, and Agenda 2030 with 17 goals with 169 corresponding targets by African governments has committed them to act together towards achieving these global goals. The need for more and better evidence from research and evaluation of development programs has never been more crucial as Africa directs its efforts towards accomplishing its commitment in this regard. Sound evidence is essential to inform policy making, development actions, and citizenry perception of the impact of the agendas.

This year’s event, shines a spotlight on the conduct of practitioners and professionals in Monitoring and Evaluation, dwelling on learned experiences of adapting and innovating evaluation practice for evidence-based decision making within and beyond the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic, thus, challenges practitioners and professionals in monitoring and evaluation to focus direction on emerging lessons from the available data at local, regional and global levels which would enable more effective operational planning and budgeting to support recovery plans and evidence-based policy making that would positively impact on livelihoods choices among communities.

Besides hosting a controlled physical setting, the event will also maximize virtual audience participation.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES What to expect from the Event.

General Goal : The conference aims to nurture the use of evidence-based policy decision-making and action in Africa, especially in the drive towards the realization of Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda goals within the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Innovation

To generate innovative insights for supporting recovery plans in the face of the Covid disruption, using evidence and evaluation.

Integration

To provide a platform that integrates and optimises cutting-edge innovation, research, and evaluation.

Research

To enhance opportunities for researchers and evaluators to contribute to demand-driven research and evaluation activities in the context of Africa.

Policy

To examine approaches for infusing evidence into policy making and program development.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

What type of content are we looking for?

The 2022 Evidence to Action Conference and Exhibition will include keynotes addresses, breakout sessions, policy dialogue, and workshops. In addition, there will be two days pre-conference training sessions, exhibitions and side events by partners and sponsors

Expected Outcomes

Dialogue

Increased dialogue and communication amongst stakeholders to drive the research and evaluation agenda and priorities towards recovery in Covid-19.

Accessibility

Increased availability and accessibility of evaluation and research findings for policy-making and program development.

Financial sources

Existing sources of and approaches for harnessing both domestic and international financial resources to support local research and evaluation capacity.

Relationship

Improved linkages and adoption of demand driven evaluation and research findings for policy, development programs and constitutional governance in Africa.

Our Approach Making evidence-based policy relevant and impactful in Africa

The Conference will be an exciting forum for renowned research and evaluation professionals and development practitioners from national, regional and international organizations and of diverse disciplines to promote the use of evidence for policy-making and practice in Africa through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will promote and ensure dialogue and exchange of experiences and chart a way forward for making evidence-based policy relevant and impactful in Africa.

The aim is primarily to provide a platform for African researchers and evaluation professionals, development partners, and users of evidence to interact, share experiences and plan for future work together.

Pre-conference workshops

To facilitate professional development training for interested participants.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions of branded items, publications and evidence for innovation and development.

Short paper presentations

Intended to generate dialogue around the use of evidence for policy making and propose new and innovative evaluation paradigms.

Panel discussions

Round table and panel discussions centred on the general theme and sub-themes of the conference

Poster presentations

Depicts an evaluation study including key questions asked, methodology, data, findings, recommendations and conclusions.

Blog posts

Blog posts providing information, updates, relevant materials about the E2A, Uganda Evaluation Association (UEA), Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and Makerere University Kampala (MUK).