In July 2016, INCLUDE launched its ‘Policy Question’, a new online knowledge forum to discuss policy questions related to inclusive development. The forum serves as an arena for lively debate between policymakers, researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders. It provides an opportunity to raise questions, share knowledge and interact with peers.
In its first year, 31 questions were launched, covering themes ranging from the introduction of a universal basic income to the relation between youth employment and irregular migration policies. The questions resulted in an overwhelming number of contributions from a wide variety of actors across the world.
The INCLUDE secretariat thanks you for your participation in these discussions, thereby helping INCLUDE achieve its mission: improving evidence-based policymaking on inclusive development in Africa. This July and August, no new policy questions will be raised. Instead, you are kindly invited to take a look at the previous discussions (see the tables below for an overview) and send in new insights.
Overview of Policy Questions
Theme: social protection
- To what extent are cash transfers effective in promoting women’s employment in Africa? 11 answers
- What are promising examples of the design and implementation of social protection legislation in African countries? 6 answers
- How can social protection programmes promote entrepreneurship and how can they best benefit informal sector workers? 15 answers
- What are promising examples of improved employability as a result of social protection programmes? 5 answers
- What are promising examples of impact assessments of social protection programmes that also cover cost-effectiveness? 7 answers
- How do political economy factors explain differences in the integration of social protection programmes in national social and development policies in African countries? 8 answers
- How can a universal basic income contribute to poverty alleviation and other elements of inclusive development in Africa and what are its limitations? 4 answers
- What are promising examples of cash transfer programmes that improve employment opportunities for youth? 3 answers
Theme: agricultural transformation
- To what extent should agricultural transformation policies in Africa focus on entrepreneurship? 2 answers
- What are the 3 major investment opportunities in small-scale agriculture that could promote agricultural growth and increased farmer income? 13 answers
- In African cities, are urbanization and a growing middle class creating sufficient demand to enhance productivity through agribusinesses and, if so, what are promising examples of such agribusinesses? 4 answers
Theme: informal sector
- How can we ensure that informal female traders in African countries do not lose out in formalisation processes (including labour market formalisation, trade formalisation, regional integration processes)? 7 answers
- How can social protection programmes promote entrepreneurship and how can they best benefit informal sector workers? 15 answers
- Which actors can play a key role in improving the awareness of informal workers’ legal rights? 7 answers
- What should governments and the private sector do to move forward in recognizing and validating skills acquired in the informal sector? 10 answers
- How can the strength of informal segments be captured to contribute towards inclusive economic growth? 9 answers
- What are promising examples of development policies and programmes based on recognition and equitable participation of informal workers’ organizations? 8 answers
- Under which conditions can government-driven formalization initiatives be beneficial for informal sector workers and what are promising examples of such initiatives? 4 answers
Theme: youth employment
- What should governments and the private sector do to improve education opportunities for young people aiming to start a business? 9 answers
- How, and in which sectors, can formal wage employment for higher-educated youth in urban areas be promoted — and what are some promising examples? 1 answers
- What are some promising examples of youth employment programmes that effectively deal with the specific constraints on private sector involvement, such as lack of financial incentives for companies? 2 answers
- What are promising examples of programmes that enhance productive jobs for youth in conflict sensitive regions? 4 answers
- What are promising examples of cash transfer programmes that improve employment opportunities for youth? 3 answers
- How can European policies for youth employment in Africa be better aligned with irregular migration policies? 1 answers
Theme: other
- How can targeted finance schemes be promoted to stimulate businesses oriented towards inclusiveness? 6 answers
- How can the embeddedness of multinational organizations within local economies be improved to promote inclusiveness beyond job creation? 4 answers
- What can be done to create more, and more high-skilled, jobs in the ICT sector in Africa? 11 answers
- What are good indicators for assessing the inclusiveness of businesses, particularly for the inclusion of youth? 6 answers
- What are successful examples of integrated approaches that support women entrepreneurs to become more economically empowered? 15 answers
- To what extent is industrial sector development needed to provide large-scale and high-quality employment for youth and women, and which subsectors are most amenable to this transition? 7 answers
- What are the roles of government and private sector actors in enhancing productive employment, and how can they best be stimulated to do so? 4 answers
- How can the African private sector best be represented in policy dialogues on private sector development? 9 answers
- If a Marshall Plan were to be installed for development cooperation between Africa and Europe, what would be required to make this plan inclusive? 8 answers
