The African Centre for Development Impact Initiative, led by Professor Charles Amoatey, on Monday, 13 April 2026, engaged the Director-General to brief her on the recently concluded impact evaluation training organised for researchers and policymakers. The training brought together policymakers from 10 Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Ghana, as well as researchers from Ghana and other countries.

The Director-General, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, welcomed the team and expressed appreciation for the work being done to strengthen evidence informed policymaking and impact evaluation within the country.

As part of the discussions, the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between researchers and policymakers, particularly through a structured matchmaking process. Professor Charles Amoatey indicated that all project proposals submitted by policymakers have been successfully compiled, and efforts are underway to match them with suitable researchers to undertake impact evaluations.

Building on this, ACDI further presented its Impact Evaluation Matchmaking Initiative, which connects policymakers and researchers to co create evaluation projects. The initiative has already generated several proposals, with fieldwork expected to commence within the next two months using ACDI trained researchers.

Key areas of collaboration discussed included the alignment of research with national priorities, with ACDI expected to share proposals for NDPC’s input. Capacity building for NDPC staff was also highlighted, particularly through refresher training on impact evaluation and policy brief writing. The meeting further explored the identification of priority programmes, including those under the Ministry of Agriculture, to guide evaluation work.

Both institutions also discussed joint dissemination of findings to improve evidence uptake across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise the partnership.

ACDI further indicated its intention to engage Parliament to promote stronger coordination between research, policy, and national planning processes.