Targeting Citizens in Research Uptake
When a tender was issued by the Kenyan government to airlift reams of Presidential speeches across the country, the public responded with outrage.
This had been the administration that had promised to be the “digital government” - to give laptops to 1.3 million school children and to install CCTV cameras to improve security.
The irony was not lost to Kenyans online, especially to Kenyans on Twitter, who identify themselves with the hashtag #KOT.
Providing a steady stream of criticism comprised of equal parts mockery and anger, Kenyans made the airlift a trending topic on Twitter and then on the airwaves. Amidst the public pressure, the government eventually caved in and cancelled the tender, which would have cost the taxpayers upto KES 12M a year.
To quote one #KOT @DickensOlewe, “It is unbelievable how much sway the vocal minority citizens have on policy.”
Missed opportunity for Researchers?
Whilst the power of the citizen is evident in this example and many others, most think-tanks continue to target their research uptake efforts exclusivelyat policymakers, with very little research findings (if any) - reaching the ordinary people we in Kenya like to call the wananchi.
This reminds me of an interesting discussion I had a few weeks back with Kenya’s TTI Mentor, Nicholas @Benequista, at an informal meeting over coffee.We were both concerned about arising group of influential citizens who can swaypolicy yet are unable to access or even understand policy research; they represent a tremendous untapped opportunity for think-tanks like the Institute of Economic Affairs, where I work.
Most researchers and research institutions tend to be elitist, targeting policy makersand ignoring the public, yet the citizenry too needs a clear understanding of policy implications, since they are directly affected by these decisions that policy makers pass. Getting research to the grassroots is now more important than ever, as Kenya embarks on the process of devolving government authority to the counties, where informed citizens will make the difference as to whether this transformation cures our long-standing ills, or simply allows them to spread.
The promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 contemplates a radical change to the policy process, especially through devolution, bymandatingfor active citizen participation. Both parliament and county governments have duties under the constitution, to actively solicit citizen participation in the public policy process, and if properly implemented, should result in a significant influence of the public in the decision-making process, by providing oversight and input into government plans.
It is a critical requirement of the law, that the citizens are involved in the development of policies and plans, and there are different mechanisms available for citizen participation in the counties and the national government. These forums include the County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF), County Budget Committee Hearings, Citizen Fora, County Planning Units and County Communication and Platform Strategy.
This is a radical change when one considers how Kenya’s public policy process has functioned in the past. A recent desk review by IEA-Kenya, on the Changing Public Policy Process in Kenya, found that Kenya’s policy process is historically driven by neo-patrimonialism and rent seeking, a policy logic that leaves no space for evidence-based policy making.[1]This study was a pre-cursor to a stakeholder analysis that IEA sought to carry out, to understand the main stakeholders who wield power and influence in various sectors.
Media and Civil Society as Partner
The 2010 Constitution’s emphasis on public participation suggests a need for think tanks in Kenya to make greater effort to get their knowledge to the public at large.
This points to the importance of working closely with the media outlets that can feature commentary by researchers and summarize research studies and their policy implications.
The Civil Society organizations are also expected to be more effective at the local level at mobilizing citizens to ensure effective citizen participation through avenues such as public hearings, citizen report cards, social audits and citizen action groups.
Think tanks can also partner with civil society networks with grassroots members to ensure research is inserted into the constant effort to train and capacitate local citizens.
Adopting “citizen-friendly” research communication channels
The inability of research findings to reach relevant practitioners and policymakers, in a form that is accessible, understandable, and encourages use, is an obvious barrier to research uptake and use in policy and practice.
Think tanks and policy researchers should therefore seek to package research information for the citizenry as well, so that they can collectively engage the policy makers and other stakeholders from a point of information. An informed citizen can make informed decisions, based on findings from policy research.
Think tanks will have to use all available means to ensure their research studiesand policy recommendations reach the public, who are beginning to wieldimmense power in the public policy process, as enabled by new communication technologies and as granted by the constitution if increased public participation is to succeed.
Some of the communication tools and channels that IEA-Kenya is currently using to reach the public include: radio and TV, infographics, blogs, Op-Eds, public forums, trainings among others.
Placing research in the hands of citizens
Evidence-based policy making has become a buzzword in international development, but IEA’s study found that rent Kenya’s public policy process, is rarely – if ever – informed by evidence, but rather by greed, nepotism and politics.
Think tanks however are not in the business of lobbying, and in order to ensureevidence-based policies, it will be important for researchers to avail the citizen groups the research evidence. Such groups can help put pressure for policy change, and they can also use the research to inform more effective strategies for influence.
Zilper C. Audi – IEA-Kenya
[1]Based on a private literature review of documents on the public policy process in Kenya commissioned by the Think Tank Initiative.