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Our work

We support African policymakers and practitioners in designing and implementing policies and programs for better jobs, gender equality and well-being by making development knowledge relevant, accessible, and applied.

Our RAU Model

  • Relevance (R). We work with policy stakeholders to ensure research addresses real-world challenges by aligning it with local priorities and translating it into practical, usable insights.

 

Research agendas. We co-develop current and future research priorities with policy stakeholders to address the potential knowledge needs.

Solution briefs. We create actionable solution briefs that translate research findings into practical recommendations, ensuring they are applicable and context-specific.

  • Accessibility (A). We break down barriers to knowledge by simplifying outputs and delivering them to the right people, in the right formats, at the right time.

 

Innovative formats. We transform complex research into clear, actionable formats.

Polinexa. We leverage innovative dissemination channels to deliver knowledge to the right audience, at the right place, and at the right time.

  • Use (U). We support policymakers and practitioners in integrating knowledge into policies and practices through tailored knowledge services, capacity building, and system strengthening.

 

Helpdesk. We analyze where policy actors are in the policy cycle and deliver timely, tailored knowledge to meet their specific needs and challenges.

Implementation. We support implementers and funders in designing and scaling effective and impactful development programs.

As a think and do tank, we deploy the RAU model on tangible development programs for better jobs, gender equality and well-being.

We work with different stakeholders

Knowledge producers
We collaborate to generate knowledge with real-world impact and provide knowledge translation services to ensure findings are accessible and actionable.
Policymakers
We support decision-making with data and evidence, help design and institutionalize evidence-informed policies, and co-develop sectoral research agendas.
Practitioners
We provide evidence to inform the design and implementation of interventions and strengthen knowledge management systems to improve effectiveness.
Funders
We deliver knowledge translation services to grantee cohorts, help map and understand development ecosystems, and co-design evidence-based programs.

We also support knowledge use at the systemic level in our region, in Africa and globally.

Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Development of an ecosystemic framework for analysing evidence-informed policy systems for agricultural transformation

The production and use of evidence for agricultural policy are critical to prioritizing and targeting effective agricultural transformation reforms in African countries. International development organizations such as FAO have supported programs that promote evidence-informed policies. Researchers from ACED and FAO have developed a framework to map agricultural evidence-policy systems and assess their sustainability.

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Partners: African policymakers and practitioners

Forum EPA

Launched in 2019, ForumEPA is ACED’s annual cornerstone event that fosters collaboration and exchange among all parties involved in Africa’s evidence ecosystem. This gathering is crucial for nurturing a culture that values demand-driven research and evidence-informed policymaking and interventions, ensuring a holistic approach to addressing development challenges.

More about the ForumEPA

Publications

Knowledge products
2025

A guide to understand, collect, analyze, and integrate gender and youth data in food security and nutrition interventions

Gender Equality
Research Reports
2025

Assessing the capacity of African implementers to integrate gender and youth data in food security and nutrition interventions

Gender Equality
Research Reports
2025

Challenges in integrating gender and youth data into food security and nutrition interventions: barriers and strategies for improvement

Gender Equality
Research Reports
2024

Evidence ecosystem and development policies : Francophone West Africa Regional Profile

Digital Economy Food Systems Human Development Nature Economy
Research Reports
2024

Evaluating Urban Tree Cover Capacity and Gaps in Abomey-Calavi Municipality, Southern Benin

2024

Evidence-informed policy-making in Benin’s agriculture, food security and nutrition ecosystem

Our Impact Stories

More from ACED

Who we are

We think and do. We implement real programs to create tangible change and simultaneously generate practical knowledge, combining action with research.
More about us

Our ideas

Cultivating innovative solutions, ACED is able to unlock new perspectives and generate insights, growing into strategies that address Africa's complex challenges.
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Our impact

Our impact is about how our work meaningfully contributes to changes in policy and practice, tangible development outcomes and systemic changes.
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