IPPR gets global thumbs-up

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has been rated 35th out of an estimated 664 think tanks in sub-Saharan Africa. The IPPR was further ranked 55th in the world in terms of quality assurance, integrity policies and procedures.These results were published in the 2017 edition of the 'Global Go To Think Tank Index' report released by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies programme.The results are based on a global peer and expert survey of more than 1 950 scholars, policymakers, journalists and regional experts.The IPPR is the only Namibian institution featuring in the 100-strong list of African think tanks. Most of the think tanks ranked higher than the IPPR are based in Africa's most populous countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. A nod for good work Graham Hopwood, executive director of the IPPR, said the rankings indicate that the work being done by the IPPR team “is being taken seriously beyond our borders”.Since the IPPR's founding 17 years ago, the policy watchdog has “become one of the first ports of call for academics, researchers, policy analysts and investors from around the world when they want to find out more about Namibia from an independent source”, Hopwood said. The IPPR was founded in 2001 with a mission to deliver independent, analytical, critical yet constructive research into social, political and economic issues that affect development in Namibia. The IPPR remains the only independent think tank of its kind in Namibia. Impact where it matters “We have been able to influence legislation, sometimes by contributing to the consultation processes and sometimes by stepping in and contributing when a bill is in parliament,” Hopwood said.Examples include legislation on statistics, public procurement, local authorities and whistleblower protection.The IPPR team also influenced policy debates and continues to do so. “Our ideas on transparency, such as on the budget, are taken seriously by the ministry of finance and others in government, while many of the issues we have stressed over the last decade in our anti-corruption work have either been taken up or become topics of hot debate.”On some occasions, the think tank's findings have irritated some Namibian officials and politicians.A recent example was the heated response of former information minister Tjekero Tweya, who lashed out at the findings of the transparency report, Access Denied, published by the IPPR in December. Overwhelmingly, however, Namibians have welcomed the IPPR's legwork and contributions to public debate. “In any country, it is important that there are independent voices that give their input into government policies,” Hopwood said. He said Namibians “want their government to pass well-thought-out laws and policies. When people hear about our work they usually appreciate it.”The IPPR provides two important functions in the Namibian context. It provides feedback on proposed government plans and this “constructive critique can lead to better performance of government, if it is taken on board,” Hopwood said.Secondly, its research “creates new knowledge and often suggests new ideas and solutions for existing problems”.Hopwood stressed there is a need for more independent think tanks in Namibia and said universities could help by setting up specialist policy units. Usual culpritsFunding and access to data are some of the hurdles the IPPR faces, like think tanks around the world. Hopwood said sometimes government bodies are unresponsive to requests for information, and at other times, the data is not collected at all, which can make it hard to conduct research. The Think Tank Index found that around 30% of Africa's think tanks are facing funding crises and are in danger of closing down. “An urgent effort is needed to raise awareness of the think-tank sustainability crisis in Africa,” the report read.The report noted that many African think tanks survive on small staff complements and low budgets due to insufficient and irregular funding, high staff turnover because of low and inconsistent salaries, and financial instability. It proposed that African think tanks need to come together to collaborate, to create a unified African voice, and to show donors how crucial they are to the success of their countries. Hopwood confirmed that the IPPR must be creative and innovative if it is to be sustainable.In this regard, the IPPR has increasingly sought partnerships in the private sector and has also worked on creating new revenue streams, “which do not undermine our fundamental mandate to publish freely accessible research”.JANA-MARI SMITH

IPPR gets global thumbs-up

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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IPPR gets global thumbs-up

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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