VakaYiko Strategy for Policy Dialogues and Knowledge Cafes in Zimbabwe
VakaYiko works with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment
Abstract
In Zimbabwe, VakaYiko works with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce; The Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment and the Parliament of Zimbabwe to improve the use of evidence in response to departmental priorities. In order to enable a wider range of voices (including the media, civil society, academia and think tanks) to contribute to the policy-making process, VakaYiko will conduct policy dialogues (PD) and knowledge cafes (KC).
PDs are organized together with the ministries. They focus on policy issues and each one debates a particular policy problem. The event convenes the relevant stakeholders, i.e. people affected by the problem and/or people who are in a position to change it. The aim of PDs is to open discussions and have balanced engagement around key national policy issues, bringing government together with relevant members of the society such as the private sector, journalists, researchers, social leaders, etc.
KCs are conducted independently by VakaYiko consortium member ZeipNET (Zimbabwe Evidence Informed Policy Network) and/or in cooperation with the Parliament of Zimbabwe. KCs are targeted at the general public. These events aim to discuss the importance of using evidence in policy making. They can either discuss evidence-informed policy making (EIPM) in general or focus on a specific topic. KCs are informal events where content and language is made relevant for anyone interested in civic/public issues. Held in an informal setting, these events are open to everyone and will usually have approximately 40-70 participants.
This document is a general strategy for PDs and KCs that will help guide the planning process and preparation of the events as well as the communication with partner ministries.
Citation
Liebnitzky, J.; Richards, C. VakaYiko Strategy for Policy Dialogues and Knowledge Cafes in Zimbabwe. INASP, Oxford, UK (2014) 4 pp.
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