Policy decisions must be based on research

Policy makers at all levels have been asked to make sure that their decisions are based on research, to aid smooth and effective implementation.

Mr. Ibrahim Inusah, General Secretary of the Ghana Information Network for Information Sharing (GINKS), said policy decisions could better work when these were based on accurate and relevant information, facts and figures.

Ignoring this, he noted, would make the implementation of such decisions struggle.

He was contributing to discussions at a policy dialogue held in Koforidua under the theme “Decentralizing development in Ghana, the use of research evidence in development and project planning”.

It was organized by “Vaka Yiko”, a consortium of NGOs, which focuses on building the capacity of decision makers for effective policy formulation.

It brought together, development planning officers, heads of decentralized departments and community leaders.

Mr. Inusah spoke of the need to encourage stronger grassroots participation through consultation.

He said it was important to involve people to be affected by the decisions in what he termed “an inclusive and participatory environment”.

Mr Kwabena Kusi Okyere, the New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, underlined the need for increased use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the gathering of information to assist decision making.

He pointed out that “decision making in every establishment” required reliable data - statistics and background information.