Strengthening the National Research and Innovation Funding Agencies in West Africa (SRIFA)REPORT ON VALIDATION, CO-DEVELOPMENT AND CO-DESIGN OF TRAINING
PROGRAMME AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT WORKSHOP IN GHANA
Event Dates:
23rd -24th April, 2024
Prepared by:Prof. Nicholas Ozor
Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS),
and SRIFA Principal Investigator,
Chancery Building, 8th Floor, Valley Road,
P. O. Box 10081-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: executivedirector@atpsnet.org
Submitted to:
Dr. Matthew Wallace
Senior Program Specialist,
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada.
mwallace@idrc.ca

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background and Justification
The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in sub-Saharan Africa recognizes the critical role ofnational agencies in charge of funding of research and innovation referred to as Science Granting Councils(SGCs). The SGCs are responsible for driving research and innovation (R&I) for social and economic
development. In West Africa, efforts are underway to strengthen existing SGCs where they exist as well as
to establish new ones where they do not exist to bolster R&I capacities in the sub-region. With support
from the SGCI, the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) in partnership with the African
University of Science and Technology (AUST), is working to provide training and technical support to
SGCs in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Preliminary studies
conducted through desk reviews, surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions haveinformed the development of draft reports on each of the participating countries. With a 2-day validationand co-development workshop, the training needs and technical support is refined and finalised for
subsequent delivery of tailored training and technical support to the Councils in the respective countries.
The landscape of R&I funding, policy, and practice is dynamic, requiring Councils or their equivalent inWest Africa to continuously evolve and build their capacities. Despite their dedication to R&I, theseCouncils or their equivalent encounter challenges such as limited resources, policy inconsistencies, andknowledge gaps among staff. Existing training programmes often lack regional specificity and fail toaddress the unique needs of West Africa. Worse still is that some countries in the sub-region are yet toestablish a research and innovation funding Council. Therefore, the proposed workshop aims to validate
and refine training programme content by engaging the Council staff or its equivalent in the participating
countries in reviewing and providing feedback on designed modules; prioritizing topics relevant toemerging R&I trends. Additionally, to build capacity of the Councils and/or establish a new Council where
it does not exist, the workshop seeks to co-develop and tailor technical support delivery approaches incollaboration with the relevant stakeholders; integrating innovative methods such as blended learning andpeer-to-peer exchange. It aims to foster ownership and commitment among participants through active
participation, open discussions, and shared decision-making, while developing strategies for long-term
engagement and knowledge sharing. Furthermore, the workshop aims to strengthen regional collaborationand partnerships by facilitating networking and communication between Council representatives andidentifying opportunities for joint research projects, policy initiatives, and resource mobilization within the
sub-region.
1.2 Goal of the Validation and Co-Development of Training Programme Workshop
The goal of the workshop was to validate the preliminary results on policy and institutional landscape,comprehensive stakeholder mapping and analysis, and needs assessment of the research and innovation
funding ecosystem in the participating countries and co-develop a tailor-made training and/or technicalsupport programme for each of the Councils/funding agencies. Specifically, the Workshop seeks to:a) Validate the content and structure of the training programme designed to strengthen Science
Granting Councils in West Africa.
b) Facilitate collaborative refinement and prioritisation of needs in order to develop the training
programme through inputs from key stakeholders.
c) Foster knowledge exchange and peer learning among participants to enhance the effectiveness of
capacity-building efforts.

d) Generate actionable insights and recommendations to ensure the relevance and impact of the
training programme.
1.3 Methodology for the Workshop
The two-day workshop was held in Ghana on April 23rd -24th, 2024, at the African Regent Hotel in Accra.
The project team members that participated physically include:Dr. Cynthia Nwobodo (Project Officer,
ATPS), Dr. Chukwuemeka Uwanaka (AUST), Dr Joel Nwakaire (Team member, ATPS) and Susan Mburu,(Communication and Outreach Officer). The workshop involved engagement sessions with the Council
and other relevant stakeholders, including ministries and agencies involved in research and innovation
funding.
The first day focused on the validation of results and the prioritization of training needs and technicalsupport requirements. The second day concentrated on the co-development of tailored training andtechnical support programs with the Councils. Two groups were formed to discuss the issues relating to 1)
training needs identified to help strengthen the Research and Innovation Funding Agency in Ghana and 2)
Co-developing tailor-made training and technical support programmes.
The workshop employed a highly interactive and collaborative approach, including,
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Presentations to share preliminary findings and proposed training content.
Group discussions to gather feedback and refine the training program.
Brainstorming sessions to co-develop tailored training delivery methods.
Breakout sessions for stakeholder groups to prioritize needs.
Cross-group discussions and insight sharing

The focus was on fostering open dialogue, shared decision-making, and strategies for long-term
engagement among participants. Networking opportunities were provided to facilitate regional
collaboration and knowledge exchange.
1.4 Expected Outputs and Outcomes of the workshopa) Validated and refined training programme tailored to the needs of Science Granting Councils inWest Africa.
b) Enhanced collaboration and mutual learning among stakeholders involved in research andinnovation funding.
c) Actionable recommendations for the effective implementation and sustainability of the training
programme and technical support.
DAY 1: UNDERSTANDING POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE,COMPREHENSIVE STAKEHOLDER MAPPING OF THE RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONFUNDING ECOSYSTEM
The meeting kick-started with a presentation and review of the report arising from the online survey, key
informant interview (KII), and focus group discussions (FGD). The policies and institutional frameworks
supporting research and innovation funding were discussed and the gaps identified. The meeting had
discussions to further probe these policy and institutional frameworks at which it came to light that the
Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) serves as the country's Science
Granting Council (SGC), responsible for overseeing and funding research and innovation activities. The
SGC is already operating with a few grants already awarded. It sends out calls and receives funding
support from the government through the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Education Trust Fund

(GETFund). A bill is currently in Parliament to institutionalize the activities of the SGC as an independent
institution.
The policy and institutional framework documents supporting research and innovation funding in Ghana
were assessed and upgraded with information from participants. The following policy documents wereidentified as being directly or indirectly related to research and innovation funding in Ghana:
S/N Policy
Year of
Objectives
Gazette1.

Food and Agriculture
Sector Development
Policy (FASDEP II)

2007

Aimed to provide a coherent framework for agriculturaldevelopment in Ghana by addressing the challenges of low
productivity, weak linkages with industry, low application oftechnology, land degradation, inadequate financing, weak
institutional coordination, and ineffective monitoring andevaluation.

2.

Ghana Education
Service (GES) Strategic
Plan (2018-2022)

2018

Aims to improve the quality of education and provide relevant
skills for Ghanaian youth to prepare them for the job market. The
plan has had a significant impact on the creation of jobs for youth
and support for skill acquisition.

3.

Ghana Education TrustFund (GETFund) Act(Act 581)

2000

This trust fund was established to support primary and tertiary
Ghanaian learners. It accomplishes this through dynamic
financing policies that guarantee an equitable supply of vital
resources for every level of education to all sections of the
Ghanaian community. It receives funding from the Government,
GETFund dedicated tax, and donor support

4.

Ghana National
Research Fund Act (Act1056),

2023

The main source of funding for the development of Ghana’s
Innovation Ecosystem. To be operationalised by the Ministry ofEnvironment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) withcollaboration from the Ministry of Education

5.

Ghana National Service
Scheme (NSS)

2022

Provides opportunities for Ghanaian graduates to offer national
service to the country. The scheme's mandate includes facilitating
the acquisition of practical skills, promoting national unity, andenhancing youth employment prospects.

6.

Ghana Skills andTechnology
Development Fund(STDF)

2011

Provides funding for the development of skills and technology in
Ghana. The fund's mandate is to promote the acquisition of skills
and technology among Ghanaian youths, leading to job creationand economic development.

7.

Ghana Strategy Support
Programme (GSSP),
2024-2028

2023

This was a policy framework that guided the national
development planning and budgeting process in Ghana from 2003
to 2009.

8.

Ghana’s Industrial
Policy2011

Aims to promote increased competitiveness and enhanced
industrial production, with increased employment and prosperity
for all Ghanaians.

9.

Ghana Scholarships
Secretariat

1960

The Secretariat was established as an extra- ministerial bodyunder the Office of the President and mandated to administer all
government scholarships both locally and abroad. Its main
programmes and activities fall under the thematic areas of Human
Resource Development and Employment and Productivity under
the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA)

10.

Ghana’s STI for SDGs
Roadmap in Ghana

2021

This is a roadmap that provides STI solutions for SDG 2 (Zero
Hunger) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) in thearea of agriculture.

11.

Medium-Term
Agriculture Sector
Investment Plan
(METASIP)(2014-2017)2015

This was a plan that operationalized the Food and Agriculture
Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II) by implementing
projects and activities in six thematic areas of food security andemergency preparedness; increased growth in incomes; increased
competitiveness and enhanced integration into domestic andinternational markets; sustainable management of land andenvironment; science and technology applied in food andagriculture development; improved institutional coordination.

12.

National
Entrepreneurship andInnovation Plan (NEIP)

2017

Provides incubation services to Ghanaian start-ups andentrepreneurs, offering training, mentorship, and funding to create
sustainable businesses and jobs.

13.

The National Gender
Policy2015

Aims to promote gender equality and empower women and girls,
including in the areas of education, employment, andentrepreneurship. The policy recognizes the importance of
creating equal opportunities for both men and women tocontribute to the country's economic growth and development.

14.

National Intellectual
Property Policy andStrategy

2015

Aims to promote the creation, protection, utilization, andcommercialization of intellectual property (IP). It seeks toenhance the IP awareness and culture, improve the IP legal andinstitutional framework, foster IP-based innovation andentrepreneurship, facilitate IP-based technology transfer anddiffusion, and integrate IP into national development policies andprogrammes.

15.

National Medium-Term 2021
Development Policy
Framework (2022-2025)

This is a policy framework that guides the national development
planning and budgeting process in Ghana. It outlines the vision,
goals, objectives, strategies and programmes for achieving thenational agenda of "Ghana Beyond Aid".

16.

National Science,
Technology andInnovation Policy

2017

Provides a framework for stimulating innovation in the economy
and society. This policy aims to promote innovation and aknowledge-based economy, create jobs and economic growth bydeveloping Ghana's science and technology capacity.

Participants identified the Institution set up to facilitate research and innovation funding in Ghana includes
the following among others:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●

Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)
Ghana Education Service (GES)Ministry of Finance (MoF)
Universities and Tertiary Educational Institutions of Ghana
Ghana National Service Scheme (NSS)
Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA)Business Advisory Centre (BAC)
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC)
Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MESTI)
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP)
Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
Registrar General’s Department
National Development Planning Commission (NDPC)
Ministry of Justice and Attorney General Department (MOJAGD)
The Presidency

Prioritization of Training needs and technical support
The participants were shared into two groups to prioritize the training needs and technical support required
to strengthen the Council in Ghana. Group 1 was tasked to prioritize the training needs while justifying
each of the priority areas. Following in-depth discussion and input by the Group members, the training
need areas were collaboratively refined, re-ordered with justifications as presented in the table below.
Priority training need areas

Level ofPriority

Justification

Fundraising and Grantsmanship1stFundraising and grantsmanship forms the coremandate of the SGC, thus, the need to equip staff
with requisite skills in this area.

Grant administration, including online
management and equitable disbursement ofgrants2nd

To build capacity of SGC staff to effectively
coordinate, administer and manage grants in an
efficient and equitable manner.

Quality assurance and ethics in research

3rd

To ensure compliance with ethics of research andquality assurance.

Training in Financial reporting systems

4th

To promote transparency and accountability in
grants allocation, management and reporting.

Monitoring and evaluation of allocated grants

5th

To ensure the process of granting and research
project implementation timelines are adequately
met.

Gender responsive data collection, management,
reporting and archiving

6th

To obtain representative views of all gender andage groups (diversity and inclusiveness).

Safeguarding intellectual property rights andcommercialisation of research outputs

7th

To help move research from the laboratory tomarket and to ensure that the researcher’s work is
protected.

Upon further deliberation, the training need areas on monitoring and evaluation of allocated grants, andgender responsive data collection, management, reporting and archiving, which were ranked 5th and 6th
were considered very critical and cross-cutting and therefore integrated into all the other areas in order toensure that gender issues and monitoring are deliberately incorporated into all the identified training needareas. This placed the training need area on Safeguarding intellectual property rights andcommercialisation of research outputs at the 5th position, from its 7th position that it initially was placed.
The working Group Two was tasked with the prioritization of the Technical Support to strengthen theCouncil in Ghana. Following in-depth discussion and input by the Group Two, the Technical Support Need
Areas were collaboratively refined, prioritized and re-ordered with justifications as presented below.
Priority Technical Support

Level of Justification
Priority

Benchmarking/Learning
visitsto 1ST
successful and well performing Councils
in Africa

To work in the best standards and practices, there is aneed for SGC Staff to be able to have learning visits towell performing Councils on the continent.

Support on advocacy for increased 2nd
research and Innovation funding in the
country
frompolicymakers
andparliamentarians

The SGC will need technical support to advanceadvocacy for increased R & I funding in the country.

High level policy and stakeholder 3rd
engagement workshops to advocate fordeveloping institutional frameworks forestablishing councils

These stakeholder engagements allow for lobbying ofgovernmental officials to get their backing to support
advocacy and high-level policy making.

4th

International collaborations and partnerships serve as
good models for stakeholders and institutions/organizations with funding to use as funding
alternatives.

Creation of physical and online platforms 5th
for knowledge sharing among critical R&I
funding stakeholders in the countrya) The current management of our country’s
knowledge product is not the best. There is a needto build a repository.
b) Accounting/financial, evaluation, M&E, reporting
wings/review aspects.
c) Potential exists to upgrade online platform systems.
d) Synergize platforms and make them usable forvaried institutions.

Development of strategic STI documents 6th
such as policies and policy implementation
strategies

Engage high level policymakers with practical andbest practices to let policy makers know of the
impacts of the projects and development of policy
briefsDeveloping International collaborations
and partnerships

DAY 2: CO-DEVELOPMENT OF TAILOR-MADE TRAINING PROGRAMMES ANDTECHNICAL SUPPORTThe participants co-designed a training programme and technical Support to strengthen the Council in
Ghana. This was conducted and critiqued by all participants and comments incorporated to enrich, ensure
relevance and impact of the training programmes. For each of the identified training need areas andtechnical support identified and prioritized, further brainstorming of proposed content for the training,
gender mainstreaming, anticipated challenges, possible solutions as well as emerging issues were exploredto assist in the execution of the prioritized training needs and technical support. The outcome of thisexercise is presented in the co-development of tailor-made training and technical support programmes inthe table below for Group One and Two respectively.
Co-Developed Tailor-Made Training Needs of the Research and Innovation funding Council in
Ghana
Priority

Content

Fundraising 1. Call identification.
and2. Understanding
Grantsmanshi
calls for proposals,ppreparation ofcalls, format,
information fact
sheet on funder'srequirements andconditions.

Gender equality
and inclusion
strategies

Challenges

Solution

Emerging
IssuesSelection ofa) Budgetary
Digital dividea) Postparticipants andallocation from andproject
training modules
government,
accessibility.
funding forshould consider theconscious
training.
unique needs ofeffort by SGC Adapting togender, diversity,
to secure funds crisis andand inclusivity.
for training
uncertainty
from othersources,
allocation of

3. Proposal Writing _Sourcing for fund,
Anatomy of a grant
proposal.
4. Budgeting andfinancialsustainability.
5. Work plan andaction plandevelopment.
6. Building right
networks andrelationships withfunders/donors.
7. Strategic planningfor fund raising
success.
8. Peer review
mechanism andfeedback.
9. Monitoring and
Evaluation (M& E)
of grants e.g.
success rates,
outcomes.
Grant
1. Introduction toadministratio
grant managementn, including
systems and online
onlineplatforms.
management
and equitable 2. Understanding
grant regulation,
disbursement
compliance andof grants
reportingrequirements.
3. Establish fair andtransparent grant
review process.
4. Financial reportingand grant tracking.
5. Legal andregulatory
considerations inb) Delay inrelease ofcalls.
c) Resistanceto change.

overheads
from grants to
supporttraining
programmes,
delivery of
institutional
training on afee-paying
basis.

b) Timely releaseof information.
d) Bureaucracyc) Incorporatechangemanagement
strategies.
d) Institutemeasures tominimisebureaucracies.
e) Case studies ofsuccess stories.

Introduce strategies
that promote
diversity, equity
and inclusion in
grant allocation andmanagement
decisions.

a) Internet
connectivi
ty andstability.
b) Infrastruct
ure (e.g.
servers)c) Reliabilityof grants
management
software.

a) Outsourcing _Purchase
dedicatedinternet
facility.
b) Outsourcing _Purchase
dedicatedservers on thecloud.
c) Dedicatedsoftwaredeveloper.

d) Confidentiality andData
privacy
issues.

d) Put in place
non-disclosureagreements,
compliance inline with theData

New andemerging
grant
managementadministrativ
e tools.
Impactmeasurement
andevaluation.

grant management
and administration.
6. Monitoring andevaluation Developing M& E
frameworks totrack grantoutcomes andimpact.
7. Knowledge on
tools andtechniques toassess grantee
performance andprogress.
8. Analysis ofreal-world
examples ofsuccessful grantmanagement andcase studies.
Quality
1) Introduction toassurance andquality assurance
ethicsofand ethics ofresearch
research.
2) Data integrity(accuracy,
consistency, andreliability) andresearch ethics.
3) Identifying andmitigating
potential ethicalissues in fundraising and grant
proposaldevelopment.
4) Strategies for
ensuring research
integrity andreproducibility.
5) Best practices inpeer review andquality assurance
processes_
Regulatorye) Conflictof interestf) Power
outage.
g) Transparency grant
application,selectionofreviewers,
andreview
processes

Protection Act
andregulations(local andglobal).
e) Declaration of
conflict ofinterest /Optout of review
process.
f) Explore
alternative andemergency
powersources.
g) Blindallocation of
grant
applications toreviewers.

Incorporatea) Fundinga) Budgetary
New
tools
strategies toconstraints
allocation from that mask or
promote diversity,
government.
cloud
equity andgenuineinclusion in quality b) Timeb) Continuous
research
assurance andconstraints
education
ethics of researchc) AI - may c) Introduce topics
affecton responsible
responsibl
use of AI ine conduct
qualityofassurance andresearch.
ethics ofresearch.
d) Plagiarism

compliance andethical review
processes.
6) Handlingmisconduct
allegations andestablishingaccountability
measures.
7) Responsible
conduct of research(including researchusing AI).
8) M& E on
appreciation andapplication of
ethical research.
9) Ethical leadershipand organisational
culture - Ethicalguidelines, code of
conduct,
whistle-blower
policy, SOP
Financialreportingsystems

1) Introduction to
Include strategies
financialthat promotetransparency anddiversity, equity,
accountability.
and inclusion in2) Regulatory
training onframeworkand financial reporting
compliance.
systems3) Designing and/or
adhering
tofinancial reporting
standards.
4) Financial
data
collection
andmanagement.
5) Financial reporting
to donors.
6) Internal controls
and audits.

a) Fundinga) Budgetary
constraints
allocationsb) Resistant b) Training into changechange_ cultural
management
andmechanisms
organizatio
nalbarriers.
c) Interpretati
on andcommunic
ation offinancialinformation.
d) Technicaland/orfinancial

Ethicsprotocols
Softwareupdates
Unexpectedchanges todonorreportingrequirements7) Monitoring
andevaluationoffinancial reporting
systems.

Safeguarding 1) Introduction to
intellectualIntellectual
property
Property (IP) andrightsandIntellectualcommercialis
ationofProperty Rights
research
2) Intellectual
outputs
Property
Application andgrant processes.
3) Technology
transfer andcommercialisation
models.

skills andtools.
e) Software
compatibili
ty (internal
softwareversusdonor
reportingformats).
f) Procureme
nt matters_manipulati
on ofquotations,time lagsincommunic
ating
information.
Incorporatea) Funding
Budgetary
Emerging IP
strategies that seek
protocols
constraints allocation
topromotediversity,
equity, b) Complexit Partnerships withWorld Intellectual
y in IPand inclusion in
Property
safeguardingIP
laws
Organisationrightsandc) Navigating (WIPO),
Africacommercialisation
RegionalIPof research outputs
Intellectual
application
Property
processes Organisation(national, (ARIPO), Ghana
Industrial Property
regional,
Office (GHIPO),
internation Copyright office,
al)
etc.

4) Negotiating
licensingagreements.
5) Legal and ethicalconsiderations in
IP management
6) Building
collaborations andpartnerships.
Monitoring
andevaluationofIP
applications, grants,
and commercialisation
activities.

Co-Developed Tailor-Made Technical Support Programmes to strengthen the Council
Technical Support

Content

Gender Equality Challenges&
Inclusion
strategies

Solutions

Emerging
IssuesBenchmarking/TanzaniaCurrently, the core Possibilities
of Hybrid Exploring how
Learning visits totechnical council inadequate
training
successful
Robust systems
successful and wellstaff
is
not funding from the programme
SGC’stomanageperforming Councils
proportionately
funderATPS tofacilitate
the
grant
in Africabalanced in gender. (assuming
the accommodate transfer
and
Thus,
the
fundercanothertrainees
commercializat
Knowledge
personalities with accommodate only who
could ion of researchsharing:
theexpertskills7people,
if
the
not
visit
outputs
canSuccessful
council has more
help promote
Grant process will be trained
than
7
participants,
innovation andmanagement- Conscious efforts
it
will
be
to
the
highlighting
Learning economic
will be made to
detriment of the visitation to development.
theneedmainstream gendercouncil).
intellectual
another
where feasible.
property
council with
Possibilities of thethe strengths
host institution notlaunching of
required, say
thecall, awarding Gender policy on meeting
Zambiagrant, M&E, grants
towards learning needs ofGhanaianetc.
female researchers thecouncil
Human- Adding on
capacity
resource
person from

Technical Support

Content(well-staffedwith experts)
Identifying
gaps in thesystem to build
a robust system
To build thecapacity of the
Ghanaian
council staff

Gender Equality Challenges&
Inclusion
strategies

Solutions

Emerging
Issuesdiversecouncil withexpertise- Alternative
sourcesoffundingtopursueadditional
training
needs

Support on advocacy Engage
1) In engaging Lack of funding 1)
ATPS 1) Upcoming
for increased R&I parliamentarian parliamentarians in fromthe budget
2024 election
fundinginthe s on present thecouncil government,
allocation for may
disrupt
country
from needs of the programmes
and ministry, ATPS
engaging
decisiononpolicymakers
and SGC.
activities, we willpolicymakers advocacy due
Changesinparliamentarians.
begenderandto2)
Involve
Governanceconscious
andParliamentari governmental
Parliamentaria
affects the passage
sensitive.
ans
to changes
andnsof policies.
participate in new committee
projects for formation.
SelectNational
Committee ondevelopment.
STI members
to buy into
2) Inability tosolutionsengageprojected forpolicymakers
problems.
efficiently.
3) Involving
sub-committee
members
incouncildecision-making, 4) Undertake
activeinterventions

Technical Support

Content

Gender Equality Challenges&
Inclusion
strategies

Solutions

Emerging
Issuesfrom the sector
minister,
5)
Involve
policy makers
from start tofinishindecision-makingprocesses,
activities, andprogrammes
High-level policy & Engage high In
engaging 1) Lack of funding 1)
Early N/A
stakeholder
level
parliamentarians in fromthe engagement
engagement
policymakers thecouncil government,
is keyworkshops
to with practical programmes
and ministry, ATPS
2)
Moreadvocate
for andbest activities, we will
2) Changes in dialogue with
developing
practices…let be
genderGovernancepolicymakers
institutionalthem know of conscious
andaffects the passage
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for the impacts of sensitive.
3)
Createofpolicies
establishing Councils the project.
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using social
Development consider all factors changes
impactmedia
ofpolicy including
the previously passed
engagements
briefs.
MMDAS.
policies
3) Get the policy
makersto becooperative
Developing
International
collaborations
partnerships

Capacity and Build capacity to Managing
Education of 1) Developing
needs
do GEI assessment intellectual
staff
to sustainable
and assessments toproperty rights in consider
modelsfor
identify
international
genderinternational
appropriate
collaborations can inclusive
collaborations
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andparticularlyinpartnerships
Finding
To
be
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where
that
can
collaborators
sensitive
different
continue
North-South,
towards thejurisdictions andbeyondtheandpoliciesoflegal frameworks
initial funding
South-south
the grantor
are involved.
periodon
issuesTechnical Support

Content

Bi/multi-lateralcollaborative
partnerships

Gender Equality Challenges&
Inclusion
strategies

Solutionsrelatedgender.

Emerging
Issuesto

Equitable
partnerships
Creation of physical Server
Build capacity to Request for a 1) Seek out a N/A
and online platforms acquisition as do GEI assessment. software
consultant
forknowledge thecouncildeveloper, based basedonsharingamong currently useson the recruitment allocation ofcritical R&I funding the
NITA
process.
financialstakeholders in the server.
resources tocountry
engage the
Capacity
specialist
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insoftwaredevelopment
based on thecurrent system
in use, as thecurrent
procedure is torely on the
Ugandan who
designed thesoftware for allcouncils.
Inclusionofaddition
modules suchas the reporting
system,financialmanagement,
M & E etc.
Developmentof Identification 1)
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1) Hire a N/Astrategic
STI ofkey targeted
consultant
Changeindocuments such as stakeholderinterventions
to
based
on
government.
policies and policy mapping/engag address
genderallocation of

Technical Support

Content

implementation
strategies

ement
experts

Gender Equality Challenges&
Inclusion
strategies

Solutions

Emerging
Issuesof disparities in the Acceptanceof financial
STI sector, such as policy by the MPs resources toprovidingengage the
Capacity andOverlapping
scholarships
and
STI
needs
interests
bytraining
ecosystem
assessment ofGovernment
opportunities
forstakeholders.
gaps, for the
Agencies.
women in STEM
policiestofields.
addresskey
issues.
Engage highlevel
policymakers
with practicalandbestpractices…letthem know of
the impacts ofthe project.
Developmentof policy briefs

Conclusion
After a two day active stakeholder interaction with the project team, the training needs and technicalsupport required to strengthen the Ghana Council were prioritised into five main areas each. The
prioritised training needs are: fundraising and grantsmanship, grant administration, including online
management and equitable disbursement of grants, quality assurance and ethics in research, financial
reporting systems, safeguarding intellectual property rights and commercialization of research outputs.
However two important training need areas were identified as cross-cutting and should be mainstreamed ineach of the already identified areas. These are monitoring and evaluation of allocated grants, and gender
responsive data collection, management, reporting and archiving.
With respect to technical support needs, the following areas were prioritised with justifications:benchmarking/Learning visits to successful and well performing Councils in Africa, support on advocacy
for increased R&I funding in the country from policymakers and parliamentarians, high-level policy &stakeholder engagement workshops to advocate for developing institutional frameworks for establishingCouncils, developing international collaborations and partnerships, creation of physical and online
platforms for knowledge sharing among critical research and innovation funding stakeholders in the
country. The Ghana Council unanimously agreed to visit either COSTEC Tanzania, NRF South Africa or
NRF Kenya for a Benchmarking/learning visit.

References
References to the relevant frameworks, policies, and Acts of Parliament relating to Science and Technology
Innovation funding were sourced from the following.
1. Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II), 2007
2. Ghana Education Service (GES) Strategic Plan (2018-2022), 2018
3. Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Act (Act 581), 2000
4. Ghana National Research Fund Act (Act 1056), 2023
5. Ghana National Service Scheme (NSS) Act, 2022
6. Ghana Skills and Technology Development Fund (STDF), 2011
7. Ghana Strategy Support Programme (GSSP), 2024-2028, 2023
8. Ghana’s Industrial Policy, 2011
9. Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, 1960
10. Ghana’s STI for SDGs Roadmap in Ghana, 2021
11. Medium-Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan (METASIP) (2014-2017), 2015
12. National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP), 2017
13. National Gender Policy, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, May 2015
14. National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, 201515. National Medium-Term Development Policy Framework (2022-2025), National Development Planning
Commission, Government of Ghana, December 2021
16. National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, 2017

A Group photograph of participants during SRIFA validation workshop in Ghana

Workshop Programme
Day 1: Understanding the Research and Innovation Funding Landscape

23rd April 2024

Morning Session: Opening and Overview
9:00 - 9:30

Registration

Dr Chukwuemeka
Uwanaka/Susan
Mburu

9:30 – 9:40

Welcome Remarks.

Dr Frederick
Amu-Mensah

9:40 – 9:45

Introduction of participantsALL

9:45 -10:00

Opening Remarks.

Dr Cephas Mensah

10:00-10:20

Introduction to Workshop Objectives and Expected Outcomes.

Dr. Joel Nwakaire

10:20 - 10:30

Group photographALL

10:30 – 11:00

Tea BreakSession 1: Presentation of Preliminary Results

11:00 – 11:45

Presentation of Ghana report

Dr. Joel Nwakaire

11:45 – 12:45

Interactive Q&A Session.

Dr Cynthia Nwobodo

12:45 – 2:00

Lunch BreakAfternoon Session: In-depth Stakeholder Engagement

2:00 – 3:30

Breakout Sessions: Stakeholder Group Discussions on
Prioritization of Training Needs and Technical Support.

3:30 – 4:00

Group Presentations on Identified Challenges and Opportunities.

4:00 – 4:30

Plenary Discussion: Key Themes Emerging from Stakeholder
Engagements.

4.30 – 6.00

Networking
SessionDay 2: Co-Developing Tailor-Made Program

Dr. Cynthia
Nwobodo/Dr. Joel
Nwakaire24th April 2024

Morning Session: Recap and Objective Setting
9:00 - 9:30

Registration

Dr Chukwuemeka
Uwanaka/Susan
Mburu

9:30 – 9:45

Recap and review of Day 1.

Dr. Cynthia Nwobodo

9:45 -10:30

Introduction to Co-development Process.

Dr. Joel Nwakaire

10:30 – 11:00

Tea BreakSession 2: Co-Development Workshops

11:00 – 11:40

Workshop 1: Designing Tailor-Made Training Programs.

ALL

11:40 – 12:20

Workshop 2: Identifying Technical Support Needs.

ALL

12:20 – 1:00

Cross-Group Discussions and Insights Sharing.

ALL

1.00 – 2.00

LunchbreakAfternoon Session: Implementation Planning

2:00 -2:30

Presentation of Co-Developed Program.

Council
Representative

2:30 – 3:30

Feedback and Iterative Refinement.

ALL

3:30 – 4:15

Roadmap for Implementation: Timelines and Responsibilities.

Dr. Cynthia Nwobodo

4:15 – 4:30

Closing Remarks and Next Steps.

Dr. Joel NwakaireList of Participants
No

Name

Organization

1.

Rev Dr Patrick Nomo

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

2.

Mr Cephas Adjei Mensah

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

3.

Mr Kwamena Essilfie Quaison

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

4.

Ms Cecilia Nyadia

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

5.

Dr Naa Dedei Tagoe

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

6.

Ms Ellen Kugblenu Dugbakuor

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

7.

Mrs Gloria Holm-Graves

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation8,

Ms Judith Awo Semabia

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

9,

Mr Prince Charles Ababio Aggrey

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

10,

Ing Dr Frederick Amu-Mensah

African Technology Policy Studies Network, Ghana
National Chapter Coordinator

12.

Dr Diana Amoni Ntewusu

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research –Science, Technology and Policy Research Institute13.

Mr Sefakor Kwaku Heloo

Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology andInnovation

14.

Mrs. Diana Adobea Owusu Antwi

Office of Research, Innovation and Development(ORID), University of Ghana

15.

Professor Firibu K. Saalia

Department of Food Process Engineering, University of
Ghana

16.

Mr Richard Nartey

Heritors Lab

17.

Dr Roland Asare

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research –Science, Technology and Policy Research Institute18.

Mr Paa Kojo Sam

Ministry of Education

19.

Dr Marian Amu-Mensah

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research –Science, Water Research Institute20.

Dr Mavis Akuffobea-Essilfie

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research –Science, Technology and Policy Research Institute21.

Dr Gordon Akon-Yamga

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research –Science, Technology and Policy Research Institute

22.

Dr Pennante Naa Ayikailey Bruce-Vanderpuije

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research –Science, Water Research Institute23.

Ms Adelaide Asantewaa Asante

UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

24.

Ms. Ruth Issambo Nyarko

Association of African Universities

25.

Mr Albert Oppong Ansah

Ghana News Agency (GNA)