Data for Policy Sub-Saharan Africa Programme: Consultation Reports

Data for Policy Sub-Saharan Africa Programme: Stakeholder Consultation Reports Data for Policy CIC (DfP) has worked to address the underrepresentation of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) researchers and practitioners in global research, policy, and public service delivery dialogues. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, DfP engaged key stakeholders in SSA to explore local successes, constraints, and opportunities at the intersection of data science, AI, and public policy. Initiatives included a desk review of SSA's data science and AI use, key informant interviews, and strategic convenings.  These efforts culminated in a series of regional dialogues, including the inaugural strategic consultation in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2023, titled Maximising Sub-Saharan Africa’s Impact in the Global Data for Policy Dialogue, which focused on enhancing African connectivity and international contributions to data-for-policy, with a spotlight on climate action and advancing data science capabilities. This was followed by the second regional dialogue in Accra, Ghana, in October 2023, titled Advancing Data and AI Competency for Effective and Trustworthy Decision Making in Sub-Saharan Africa, where participants from academia, governance, and industry shared perspectives on West Africa's role in data science and AI for public service delivery. The third consultation, held in July 2024 at Imperial College London, titled Understanding, Facilitating, and Connecting AI and Data Science Futures in Sub-Saharan Africa's Public Sector, further deepened DfP’s engagement with SSA by facilitating knowledge sharing and fostering collaborative discussions. As a result of these initiatives, SSA representation at the Data for Policy conference increased significantly, from 2% in 2022 to 13.45% in 2024, reflecting the success of targeted engagement and community-building efforts.  This report provides the following documents related to the Data for Policy SSA Engagement Programme:1-   SSA Engagement Programme Summary Slides2-   Stakeholder Consultation Report - Maximising Sub-Saharan Africa’s Impact in the Global Data for Policy Dialogue (Kenya, March 2023)3-   Stakeholder Consultation Report - Advancing Data and AI Competency for Effective and Trustworthy Decision Making in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Ghana, October 2023)4-   Stakeholder Consultation Report - Understanding, Facilitating, and Connecting AI and Data Science Futures in Sub-Saharan Africa's Public Sector (London, July 2024) These documents collectively highlight the programme's achievements, stakeholder engagement, and contributions to advancing data and AI competency in Sub-Saharan Africa. *** Cite as: Data for Policy Sub-Saharan Africa Programme: Consultation Reports, November 2024 doi.org