Policy Research and Policy Analysis
Policy research ideally provides critical analysis, valuable information and empirical knowledge that illuminate policy options. Good-quality research and analysis are paramount to promoting the links between research and policymaking. End-users need to feel and know that the findings of policy research are responsive, credible, legitimate and reliable. APRNet will facilitate the conduct of policy research by exposing researchers to research funding opportunities, networks and affiliations. APRNet shall identify policy research topics to support the agricultural development efforts in the country. Such research topics will be identified with the active inputs and participation of policymakers and research end-users. Since peer review is a critical factor for ensuring good-quality policy-relevant research, APRNet will set up mechanisms for the conduct of scientific peer reviews of members’ research outputs. The facilitative role of APRNet entails finding and inviting peer reviewers for research outputs of members and providing a catalytic channel for feedback.
Specific programmes and projects
- Budget analysis and public spending reviews: This will involve the analysis of federal government and state government budgets and resource allocation priorities – pre-budget and budget analysis to make input into the budget process. It will also involve the reviews of agricultural sector public spending at the federal and state government levels – budget analysis will be accompanied with reviews of public spending in preceding fiscal year.
- State of Nigerian Agriculture Benchmarking Series: This will be an independent assessment of agricultural sector health against historical and current performance. It will take the form of research-based policy and agribusiness benchmarking and monitoring initiative. The product will be the State of Nigeria Agriculture Report (SONAR) Series. The elements of the programme will include:
- Define the variables and construct the derivative indicators – policy frameworks, services, institutions, public sector funding and spending, technology, agribusiness environment, value chain linkages, etc
- Find and assemble the required data to fit the indicators
- Analyse and situate indicator values to national and international benchmarks
- Draft the reports
- Disseminate the reports through stakeholder forum, policy briefs, media tools, seminars, etc
- Promote the report as advocacy tool
The SONAR will be APRNet’s flagship research-based publication and will stand out as the first-ever independent agricultural sector observatory in the country. The State of Nigeria Agriculture Report (SoNAR) will elicit, collate and pool agricultural sector information and statistics from relevant national and state-level agencies including NBS, CBN, FMARD, SMARD, ADPs, WB, etc. and synthesise them into reporting frameworks that show the situational assessment (performance, challenges and outlook) of the agricultural sector in the country. The indicator framework will align with the KPIs of the National Planning Commission and the M & E parameters of the CAADP/ECOWAP/NAIP process. The information will cover macroeconomic and sector level indicators and trends including input markets, commodity outputs, agricultural investments and financing, postharvest developments, technologies and innovations. The publication will provide stakeholders (domestic and international) with snapshot reference material on the performance, challenges and outlook for the Nigerian agricultural sector. So far, there is none of this kind of agricultural sector monitoring and reporting in the country and APRNet is poised to blaze the trail.