AGRA

There is a growing need for better and more timely use of data and evidence to improve the quality of policy making and implementation by African governments that helps to overcome policy constraints and structural blockages to inclusive agricultural transformation.

The initiative will focus on two interventions: Consolidation and Translation of data and evidence

AGRA, with support from its partner the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has created the Hub for Agricultural Policy Action (HAPA), which is designed as a distinct service offering by AGRA to provide evidence consolidation and translation advisory services to governments seeking to reform, refine or develop a more clearly defined policy direction. This will strengthen policy implementation, improve public investments, and leverage more broadly the work of AGRA.

The HAPA approach recognizes the urgent need for timely policy support to the agriculture sector, which plays an important role in ensuring inclusive growth. It recognizes the demands for political expediency and the need to ensure that a particular policy direction is anchored in evidence. HAPA will partner with local research actors in participating countries to collate existing data and evidence, expertise and best practices that respond to a government request for policy support and package these into a set of actionable policy recommendations. As HAPA is designed as an on-demand service, government commitment to using the evidence generated by HAPA to improve the enabling environment for agriculture will be required prior to engaging with the initiative.

HAPA will help governments make informed policy choices that reduce the distortionary effects and related costs from implementing incorrect policies and therefore enhance progress towards Inclusive Agricultural Transformation (IAT).

Impact

The HAPA investment will help African governments make data-driven policy choices that improve agricultural sector performance and contribute to inclusive agricultural transformation.

Outcome

There are two main outcomes:
Outcome 1: Improved policy environments for enabling Inclusive Agricultural Transformation (IAT) in participating countries.
Outcome 2: Timely and more responsive processes for improving Inclusive Agricultural Transformation (IAT)-relevant policies in the participating countries.

Geographic coverage

Under its 2017-2021 strategy, AGRA is supporting the development of an effective enabling and regulatory environment for building agricultural input supply, extension and output marketing systems in 11 target countries. They include Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. Three additional countries (Ivory Coast, Togo and Zambia) were approved to receive light touch support as and when resources are available. HAPA will work across these 14 AGRA-supported countries.