As part of efforts to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world policy, the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana has announced it will host the 2026 Evidence to Action (E2A) Conference.
The conference, organized in partnership with the International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED), the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), and the Research and Evaluation Center (REC), aims to fundamentally reshape how decisions and policies are made across the continent.
Scheduled to take place from June 22 to 26, 2026, at the ISSER Conference Facility in Accra, the conference comes at a critical juncture for Africa.
In a statement released by ISSER in partnership with ICED, the organizers noted that while the continent possesses a rich tradition of knowledge production, much of the evidence currently informing policy remains fragmented or disconnected from local realities.
Under the theme “Reimagining the Evidence-Informed Policy- and Decision-Making Ecosystem in Africa, E2A 2026 seeks to put African-led research at the center of development.
What the Conference Entails
The five-day event is designed to encompass various activities. The activities are structured to ensure that participants leave with actionable insights:
June 22–23: Two days dedicated to pre-conference workshops and side events, allowing for deep dives into specific technical skills and networking
June 24–26: Three days of plenary sessions, technical presentations, and exhibitions
According to the statement, a defining feature of this year’s edition is the interactive breakout labs. These labs will focus on sharing “what works, how it works, why it works, and how it can be scaled” across vital sectors, including government systems, financing, civil society, and private sector decision-making.
Centering African-Led Evidence
The organizers maintain that the long-standing status quo, where African research often plays a marginal role in the global ecosystem, must change
Dr. David Ameyaw, Executive Director of ICED, emphasized that Africa’s contribution to global research remains disproportionately low. “E2A 2026 seeks to shift that dynamic by creating a space where African-led research evidence is placed at the centre of policy dialogue, where researchers and practitioners share what genuinely worked and why,” Dr. Ameyaw stated.
He noted that the ultimate goal is for the conference to advance Africa’s ownership of its own development story.
On his part, Prof. Robert Darko Osei, Director of ISSER, echoed this same sentiment, noting that hosting the conference for a third consecutive year reflects ISSER’s commitment to “ensuring that research and evidence are effectively translated into solutions for society’s challenges.”
A Collaborative Ecosystem for Ghana and Africa
The conference is expected to draw a diverse group of stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, evaluators, civil society actors, and funders from across Africa and beyond.
By bringing these groups together, E2A 2026 fosters a “knowledge intermediary” culture where data doesn’t just sit in reports but moves into the hands of those who can implement change. For Ghana and the wider continent, the expected includes more effective use of limited resources, policies that are grounded in local data, and a strengthened investment climate driven by evidence-led private sector decisions
For those interested in participating or submitting abstracts, further information is available at the official conference website: https://www.iced-eval.org/e2a
