Page 37 - AERC Strategic Plan 2 July2020

THE AERC 2020–2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

consolidate AERC networking activities. Country-specific capacity-building initiatives,
like the one initiated with the GoK under the National Treasury, will create a critical mass
of high-level qualified policy analysts in a sustainable manner in key priority sectors of
the country.

As an anchor institution, AERC will take the lead to coordinate national think tanks within
SSA to enhance the impact of the network to influence economic policymaking on the
continent. National think tanks will be supported in building their long term capacities so
that they remain independent in setting their research agendas for the socio-economic
transformation desired within their nations and for the region.

Institutional support is provided to network universities to acquire teaching-related
equipment (library materials, computer equipment, and relevant analytical software)
to strengthen capacity to mount quality graduate training of economists. Retooling
workshops and faculty-exchange programmes keep teaching faculty abreast of advances
in their fields and provide scholars with opportunities to visit other network universities
and research institutions to collaborate in teaching, supervision of students, and research
directed at strengthening the policy environment.

The Approach

AERC will reach out to more African governments to adopt the GoK Capacity Building
Project for Economic Policy Analysis model. Engagement with the AERC Central Bank
Governors Forum will be extended to initiate specialized technical training, visiting
scholars programmes, and research mentorship to boost internal research capacity of
member banks. In addition, a new initiative is the creation of a coordinating platform of
ideas for Africa’s national think tanks, with similar mandates to provide a clearing house
for frontier economic-policy research, analysis, and policy dialogue.

The potential risks may possibly be: (i) political and economic instability; (ii) institutional
bureaucracies and reluctance to partner with AERC; (iii) capacity of AERC to accommodate
the diverse needs of partnering institutions; and (iv) early career researchers and scholars’
lack of requisite qualifications to be successfully trained and mentored.

The Activities

This outcome will be achieved by:

» Creating a coordinating platform for Africa’s national think tanks to provide a
clearing house for frontier economic policy research, analysis, and dialogue;

» Conducting research mentorship and specialized short-term technical training
for policy-research analysts and researchers in institutions of government,
national think tanks, and policy research institutes;
» Establishing partnerships with governments for country-specific capacity-
building projects for policy analysis;

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