The Public Policy Hub (PPH) at the University of Pretoria (UP) will play a pivotal role in bridging critical gaps in the field of public policy in Africa. It will address the research-practice gap by facilitating the application of evidence-based research in policy formulation and implementation. 

Additionally, it will focus on bridging the policy implementation gap by offering practical insights and support to enhance the effectiveness of policy execution. It will also focus on identifying implementation bottlenecks, proposing strategies for effective execution, and evaluating policy outcomes to enhance policy impact and delivery. 

The hub aims to fill the knowledge and capacity gap by providing training and educational programmes to equip policymakers and practitioners with the necessary skills. Moreover, it seeks to bridge the localisation gap by contextualising policies to address Africa’s unique challenges and needs. Through these efforts, the PPH will contribute to more effective and impactful policy development and implementation in Africa.

Nara Monkam, an associate professor of economics offers more detail."

What are the challenges related to current public policies in Africa?

While Africa is not short of policies, the implementation of these policies often falls short of expectations. One significant issue is the tendency to adopt policies developed elsewhere without adequate localisation, leading to reduced relevance and effectiveness. 

The opportunity cost of poorly adopted policies is high, as it can hinder development and negatively impact the lives of millions. Poorly adopted policies in Africa incur high opportunity costs, including wasted resources, missed development opportunities and persistent societal challenges. Moreover, decisions in policy-making processes are often influenced by intuition, gut feeling or political expediency, rather than being evidence-based, further exacerbating the challenges faced by African countries. 

In Africa, decision-making often prioritises intuition, ad hoc case studies and political expediency over evidence-based approaches. This can lead to policies that do not effectively address the needs of the population, hindering progress and development outcomes.

Why are evidence-based policymaking and policy-for-action approaches important for Africa?

These play a crucial role in achieving better development outcomes in Africa. These approaches ensure optimal resource allocation by prioritising interventions with demonstrated effectiveness and cost-efficiency. 

Additionally, evidence-based policymaking enhances implementation success by designing policies that are practical and feasible, while also identifying and addressing potential barriers. This approach fosters accountability, transparency and trust in the policy process by justifying decisions with objective data and research. Continuous learning from policy outcomes allows for necessary adjustments, promoting adaptive and responsive policies. Ultimately, evidence-based policymaking and policy-for-action approaches support sustainable development by addressing root causes and promoting long-term solutions.

How will the PPH contribute to UP’s Destination 2026 and Beyond strategic plan?

The value proposition of the PPH is aligned with UP’s vision and will address some of UP’s key priorities as reflected in its strategic plan – 2025: embedding community engagement and civic commitment in its academic mission; harnessing its strength as a large residential university to steer its research‐intensive identity; and strengthening the University’s impact on economic and social development. 

How will the public sector, policymakers and key stakeholders benefit from the PPH?

Establishing meaningful partnerships with UP through the PPH will bring significant benefits to the public sector. Policymakers and practitioners engage in participatory and transdisciplinary research from design to implementation, co-producing knowledge that informs their policy mandates. This collaboration enables the sharing and transfer of knowledge, skills and techniques between academia and the civil service, reducing government spending on consultants and strengthening in-house capabilities. In addition, the public sector will have access to extensive academic networks, which will widen research opportunities and subsequently contribute to evidence-based policies and enhance the legitimacy in policy decision-making.

Government leaders and policymakers, particularly those seeking evidence-based solutions for pressing public policy issues, can also strategically address their research needs by endorsing university Research Chairs and funding bursaries. By enabling researchers' access to essential resources such as quality data, real-time institutional insights and knowledge products, robust data management systems, expert insights, and relevant government research tenders, they will ultimately enrich the research landscape, strengthening the groundwork for informed decision-making.

What sort of services will be offered at the PPH?

The PPH is dedicated to supporting evidence-based policymaking and effective policy implementation in Africa. It will offer a wide range of services, including:

• rigorous research and analysis on key policy issues;​developing and designing context-specific policies through stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches and by using research findings;

• conducting training programmes and capacity-building initiatives to enhance the skills and knowledge of policymakers and other stakeholders;

• providing support and guidance for effective policy implementation, including the development of strategies and frameworks; and

• engaging in policy advocacy efforts to promote evidence-based approaches and an enabling environment for policy reform.

How can the UP community get involved with the PPH?

The PPH encourages active participation and engagement from both the public sector and the UP community. The University community can engage with the PPH by contributing their expertise and knowledge through collaborative research projects and policy analysis, and by providing insights on policy issues. 

Academic staff and researchers from across all nine of UP’s faculties can also participate in knowledge exchange activities organised by the PPH, such as seminars and workshops, to share their research findings and engage in policy discussions. Students interested in public policy can explore internship opportunities through existing PPH-public sector partnerships and engage in research initiatives conducted by the PPH.

For more information about the Public Policy Hub, email Prof Nara Monkam at [email protected]

About Prof Monkam

Professor Nara Monkam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP). She joined the Department of Economics in August 2022. She is responsible for establishing the Public Policy Hub, which was launched in April 2023 and also conducting research and lecturing on public economics. Prof. Monkam is a fiscal policy specialist and public policy expert with more than 16 years' worth of experience in public policy and public economics.

Prior to joining UP, she was Director of Research at the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) from February 2014 to April 2022, where she was responsible for fostering and maintaining strong relationships with members, establishing and strengthening relationships with development partners and donors, as well as implementing ATAF’s research agenda on taxation and related matters to inform tax reforms and policy formulation in Africa. She previously also served as Deputy Director of the African Tax Institute (ATI) and a member of the Davis Tax Committee.

Prof. Monkam holds a Masters in Economics from the Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix de Namur (University of Namur) in Belgium and a PhD in Economics from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, in the United States. Her research interests are in public economics, domestic resource mobilisation, tax policy and tax administration (TADAT Assessor), fiscal decentralisation, and property taxation.