Building a center of excellence in EIDM
Every successful innovation eventually reaches a crossroad where it must decide whether to stay specialized or to scale. Following the success of our initial work in the health sector, we asked a question: Could the same rapid evidence model that transformed health policy do the same for education, climate action, and gender equity? Phase II of the African Center of Excellence for Rapid Evidence Syntheses (ACRES) project was our answer; a deliberate pivot from a health-specific project to a multi-sectoral evidence service for regional, national and sub – national policymakers.
Scaling impact required us to move beyond individual interventions and focus on transforming systems. We recognized that for evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) to stick, it couldn't just be an extra step; it had to be embedded into the gears of government.
By training over 89 officials and establishing specialized operational units within ACRES’ structures, we helped move the needle from individual learning to institutional habit. A primary example of this systemic shift was our work with the Office of the Prime Minister, where we helped embed evidence into the Public Expenditure Review. This ensures that the National Development Plan isn't just a list of aspirations, but a roadmap funded by what actually works.
Breaking out of the health silo allowed us to prove that our methodology is sector-agnostic. During this phase, we delivered 35+ rapid briefs to more than 16 different departments. We found ourselves at the table with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to co-create the city’s first-of-its-kind Air Quality Management Policy, proving the model works at the municipal level. We also ventured into fiscal policy and social equity, using Citizen Panels to bring the lived experiences of mothers in the informal sector directly into national regulations for breastfeeding at work. This ensured that even the most technical policies remained grounded in human equity.
We transitioned from a university-hosted project at Makerere into a fully autonomous, legally independent non-profit institution. By activating a formal Board of Directors and strengthening our own financial and administrative systems, we engineered our own resilience. We also pioneered a first-of-its-kind impact index to move the conversation from anecdotes to accountability—providing a clear framework to measure the concrete return on investment for every dollar spent on evidence synthesis.
We used the met objectives as a blueprint to build a stronger, more relevant institution. The partnerships we forged saw us invited We were invited to co-lead the development of Uganda’s Essential National Health Research (ENHR) Agenda, a direct result of our strengthened credibility and institutional capacity.
