ABSTRACT
Connecting science with policy has always been challenging for both scientists andpolicymakers. In Ghana, Mali and Senegal, multi-stakeholder national science-policydialogue platforms on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) were setup to use scientificevidence to create awareness of climate change impacts on agriculture andadvocate for the mainstreaming of climate change and CSA into agriculturaldevelopment plans. Based on the platforms’ operations and achievements, we usedsemi-structured questionnaire interviews and reviewed technical reports producedby the platforms to analyse how their modes of operation and achievementsimprove understanding of the science-policy interfaces between agricultural andclimate change decision making. Results showed that these platforms constitute aninnovative approach to effectively engaging decision-makers and sustainablymainstreaming climate change into development plans. Effective science-policyinteraction requires: (a) institutionalizing dialogue platforms by embedding themwithin national institutions, which improves their credibility, relevance andlegitimacy among policymakers; (b) two-way communication, which contributessubstantially to the co-development of solutions that address climate changevulnerabilities and impacts; and (c) relevant communication products andpackaging of evidence that aligns with country priorities, which facilitates its uptakein policy-making processes. We conclude with a framework of sustainable operationfor such platforms based on lessons learnt in the three countries.
