The IPPR has been rated 35th on the list of the top think tanks in sub-Saharan Africa for 2017 – recently released by the University of Pennsylvania’s Thinks Tanks and Civil Societies Program. The IPPR is the only Namibian institution featuring in the 100-strong list. Most of the think tanks ahead of the IPPR are based in Africa’s most populous countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.
Ranked think tanks are regarded as “excelling in research, analysis, and public engagement on a wide range of policy issues with the aim of advancing debate, facilitating cooperation between relevant actors, maintaining public support and funding, and improving the overall quality of life in the relevant country.”
The IPPR is ranked 55th in the list of think tanks worldwide that have the best quality assurance, integrity policies and procedures. The results are based on a global peer and expert survey of more than 1 950 scholars, policy-makers, journalists, and regional and area experts.
The report released with the new rankings, states that around 30 percent of Africa’s think tanks are facing funding crises and are in danger of closing down. The report says: “An urgent effort is needed to raise awareness of the think-tank sustainability crisis in Africa.”
Many African think tanks survive on small staff complements and low budgets due to insufficient and irregular funding, high staff turnover due to low and inconsistent salaries, and financial instability. African think tanks also need to come together to collaborate, to create a unified African voice, and to show donors how crucial they are to the success of their respective countries, according to the report. For further details click here.
