The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has called for a realistic assessment of how research findings influence public policy, warning that although many academic studies contain policy recommendations, only a limited number are translated into practical interventions, a gap it says continues to weaken Ghana’s long-term development planning and human capital outcomes.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the NDPC, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, at the Evidence to Action 2026 Conference, Chief Planning Analyst Mr. Peter Porekuu said many academic theses include “policy recommendations” but few progress into “actionable interventions,” stressing the need for stronger institutional mechanisms and incentives to bridge the divide between research production and policy implementation.
Addressing the conference, themed Transforming Systems for Evidence for Policy and Practice, Porekuu said evidence-informed policymaking must become central to Ghana’s development agenda if the country is to effectively address persistent human capital challenges and improve long-term planning outcomes.
He pointed to continuing mismatches between education, skills training and labour market demands, arguing that questions such as “How many doctors do we need in Ghana?” and “How many professors do we need?” require evidence-based workforce planning and closer collaboration between academia and policymakers to generate research that is credible, relevant and responsive to the needs of young people.
Porekuu also highlighted the District Development Database Platform, developed by the NDPC in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other collaborators, as a key national repository for development data covering all 261 districts. However, he questioned the absence of adequate incentives for data entry and utilisation, cautioning that without stronger institutional commitment and motivation, the platform could remain underutilised despite its strategic value for planning and decision-making.
Delivering the keynote address on From Evidence to Impact: Understanding the ‘How’ and ‘Why’, finance and public policy expert Dr. Julius Muia said the gap between research and policymaking across Africa continues to be driven by weak connections between researchers and decision-makers, limited research funding and inadequate systems for translating evidence into practical formats.
Muia called for stronger incentives for evidence use, improved access to research outputs and wider dissemination through digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, while urging greater engagement with the media to ensure research findings are better understood and effectively applied in policymaking. He also noted that frequent political transitions continue to disrupt long-term development planning across the continent.
The Evidence to Action 2026 Conference served as a platform for policymakers, researchers and development partners from Africa and Asia to exchange ideas on improving the generation, translation and use of evidence in policymaking.
