The Policy Studies Institute(PSI) hosted its annual performance evaluation and 2017 plan orientation, bringing together researchers, management, and administrative staff to assess the Institute's accomplishments, address challenges, and chart a course for the coming year.
The two-day event, which took place on 15 and 16 August 2024 in PSI's main meeting hall, provided a platform for open dialog and critical reflection on the Institute's research activities, organizational structure and future direction.
H.E. Prof. Beyene Petros, Director General of PSI
Each of the Institute's research departments presented their individual reports outlining their performance over the past year and their plans for the coming year. These reports were presented using a standardized template.
The presentation was structured to provide a concise overview of each research center's activities within 15 minutes and with no more than 10-15 slides. The report covered key areas such as research progress, financial management, dissemination of results, capacity building and future plans.
Dr. Netsanet Jote, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of Research Development and Data Management Centre at PSI
The presentation highlighted research projects completed, ongoing and carried over from the previous year. It also detailed the financial resources received and utilized, including government funding, external grants and internal funding sources. The presentation outlined the Center's efforts to promote policy research and disseminate research findings through publications, presentations and workshops.
Dr. Tewolde Girma, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of the Macro, Finance and Trade Policy Study and Research Center at PSI
In addition, training initiatives, challenges and their solutions, best practices and future plans for the coming financial year were presented. The presentation concluded with a detailed discussion of the previous year accomplishments and 2017 plan, including potential challenges, proposed solutions and the Center's monitoring and evaluation system. The Center's coordinators were available for further explanation of the report and plan.
The morning session continued with presentations from various research centers, including Macro, Finance and Trade Policy Study and Research Center, Industry, Urban and Infrastructure Policy Study and Research Center, and Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Study and Research Center. The afternoon session included presentations on Social Development and Inclusiveness Policy Study, Good Governance Policy Study and Research Center, Environmental and Climate Change Policy Study and Research Center, and Research Development and Data Management Center. The day concluded with a general discussion and conclusion on the report, finalized by top leaders.
Dr. Amare Matebu, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of the Industry, Urban and Infrastructure Policy Study and Research Center at PSI
The focus of August 16 was the presentation of PSI's institutional plan for 2017, followed by a discussion among participants, presenters and top leaders. The program also included a briefing on civil service reform by Dr. Girma Teshome, head of the technical team, as well as work briefings and instructions from top management.
Dr. Tadesse Kuma, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Study and Research Center at PSI
During the opening session of the Annual Report and Performance Report for the coming year, H.E. Professor Beyene Petros, Director General of the Institute, highlighted the achievements of the Institute in the past year and acknowledged that the Institute had overcome several challenges and achieved important milestones.
Dr. Desalegn Anshiso, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of the Social Development and inclusiveness Policy Study Center at PSI
H.E. Professor Beyene emphasized that the Institute had provided extensive consulting services and completed numerous major projects. He also emphasized that a research project is not considered complete until it has undergone both internal and external validation workshops, which is standard for many of the Institute's projects. H.E. Professor Beyene also reminded researchers that all consultancy work they carry out for external bodies must be reported to the Institute.
Dr. Girma Teshome, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of the Environmental and Climate Change Policy Study and Research Center at PSI
H.E. Professor Beyene emphasized that the PSI's primary task is to create evidence-based knowledge. He emphasized that all projects carried out by the institute must have a direct policy link, even if they are funded by external actors. He also reminded the researchers that every research project must be turned into policy briefs so that they are easily accessible and understandable for the Institute's clients.
Mr. Robel, Researcher at the the Environmental and Climate Change Policy Study and Research Center at PSI
H.E. Professor Beyene addressed the external challenges facing the Institute's office building. He explained that PSI had written an official letter to the Deputy Prime Minister's Office (copied to the Prime Minister's Office) expressing concern about the proposed use of the building. The letter emphasized that the building was specifically designed for research purposes and that any claim to use it for other ministries would be unacceptable and costly to the government. H.E. Professor Beyene said the letter urged government officials to reconsider their preliminary decision regarding ownership of the building.
Dr. Tilahun Teferra, Lead Researcher and Centre Head of the Good Governance Policy Study and Research Center Center at PSI
H.E. Professor Beyene also mentioned that the institute's land for the office building had been taken by the government for the development of the corridor. He urged the government to provide an alternative site where the Institute could construct its own office building.
H.E. Professor Beyene highlighted another major achievement of the past fiscal year. The successful obtaining of IRB approval from the Ministry of Education was a great achievement. H.E. Professor Beyene mentioned that the Institute's IRB is now operational. He also addressed the issue of VAT, emphasizing that the question of whether the Institute's consultancy services are subject to VAT deduction or not has become a critical issue. This issue needs to be clarified so that both the Institute and its clients have a clear idea of the services provided.
Mr. Molla Abrha, Strategic Issues Executive at PSI
H.E. Professor Beyene advised the heads of research departments to ensure the timely submission of information and copies of commissioned work to the relevant bodies. He emphasized that the delay of information is unacceptable to the institute and urged all research managers and researchers to submit reports and plans to the Institute's Budget and Planning Department in a timely manner.
The Institute management also admonished the researchers to give equal priority to government-funded and donor-funded research projects and ensure that both projects are completed on time, and instructed the Institute's planning department to ensure that minutes are taken on both meeting days.
H.E. Professor Beyene also reminded researchers to consider their research fees when providing consultancy services and urged them to offer their services at a reasonable price. Indeed, researchers pointed out the high costs associated with nationwide research, especially in collecting data from all regions for demanding high research price.
H.E. Professor Beyene also emphasized the importance of providing insightful comments on Ethiopia's current macroeconomic policies, including the floating and devaluation of the currency. He urged researchers to take a leadership role on these issues instead of remaining silent.
The researchers pointed out the need to clearly identify the funds allocated to each research project. They emphasized the importance of being transparent about the amount of funds allocated, spent and remaining for each project. They called on the institute's finance department to be transparent when allocating budgets for research purposes. In addition, the researchers emphasized the importance of completing research projects on time and avoiding carryovers to the following year.
The researchers expressed concern that some government agencies withhold data and suggested that Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) be concluded to ensure access. However, Professor Beyene countered that signing MOUs isn't a solution, as the Institute has the right to access information from any government agency. The researchers also emphasized the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to research and argued for a focus on the quality of research rather than simply increasing the number of research projects.
The Institute top officials acknowledged the researchers for securing funding, but emphasized the need for a balance between government-funded and externally funded research projects. The researchers expressed concern that it was difficult to obtain information about previous research projects, such as titles, funders, funding years and amounts, when applying for grants. They called for the Institute to keep well-documented records of previous research projects and make this information easily accessible on the Institute's portal.
The researchers also pointed out for wider participation in government policy consultations and suggested that all research members should be involved in the formulation of research policy, not just a select few. They also emphasized the importance of formal invitations and communication for such consultations. Some researchers pointed out that the government invites them on merit and that consultation services should not be seen as a "turn-taking".
The Institute's leadership emphasized the importance of linking TVET research findings to ongoing civil service reform in order to better understand the skills of the workforce. H.E. Professor Beyene also stressed the need to carefully review any research agreement with grant providers before signing and to ensure that all research reports are approved before funds are released.
One centre head reported that the mining sector needs to be strengthened. Another researcher also raised concerns about the need for critical evaluation of letters addressed to individual research departments to ensure that they are relevant to the work of the department.
The researchers also expressed difficulties in running workshops and other events. They suggested that researchers should focus on their research, while the communications department should take a more active role in media relations, follow-up, hotel arrangements, invitations for guests and participants, and other event logistics. The Institute officials agreed that this responsibility should be taken on by the communications department.
The researchers pointed out several challenges, including budget constraints for conducting research, staff shortages in departments, and other obstacles that hinder research activities. Some participants emphasized the importance of including gender-specific data in all research and specifically called for the inclusion of children, women, girls, older people and people with disabilities in research projects. Participants also urged researchers to align their research agendas with the interests of line ministries.
The researchers recognized the website as the public face of the Institute and emphasized the need for rigorous editorial review of all research uploaded to the website. They called for the Institute to establish an editorial board to review and monitor all research findings before they are published online.
The Institute's management admitted that the promise to reward best staff members had not been kept, despite annual plans to motivate and award prizes to the Institute's best employees. H.E. Professor Beyene assured that this would be addressed in the coming year. He also emphasized the need to modernize and digitize the Institute's reporting mechanisms.
As the two-day event concluded, the Policy Studies Institute emerged with a renewed focus on its core mission of generating evidence-based knowledge and contributing to informed policymaking. The discussions highlighted the need for continued commitment to research excellence, transparency in operations, and collaborative engagement with stakeholders. With a clear roadmap for the year ahead, PSI is poised to build upon its successes, address challenges head-on, and continue to play a vital role in shaping Ethiopia's policy landscape.