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African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) - Kenya


Table of Contents

[top] [end]Contact details

Physical address: ICRAF Complex, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
Postal Address: P.O. Box 45917, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.
Telephone: +254 20 524711/3
Fax: +254 20 524701
Email: e.kituyi@... or acts@...
Website: www.acts.or.ke

[top] [end]Main contact person

Contact Person: The Executive Director
Project contact: Dr. Evans Kituyi

[top] [end]Background, mission and goals

[top] [end]Description of Organisation

ACTS was established in 1988 to fill the void in science and technology research for sustainable development in Africa. The Centre has since emerged as a leading independent African policy research and analysis institution working on issues of natural resources management, science and technology. The Centre has over the past 13 years or so demonstrated the feasibility and importance of independent policy research in Africa and is making major contributions to national, regional and international policy processes.

Through its Climate Change Policy Program, energy issues are tackled from a policy perspective. The driving force guiding ACTS' interest in energy development is 'how can communities/corporations be assisted to convert their energy resources more efficiently using environmentally sound technologies, at minimum cost, while contributing to the country's commitments to international treaties such as the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol.'

[top] [end]Mission Statement

ACTS mission is to enlarge the range of policy choices for Africa's sustainable development.

[top] [end]Objectives

  1. Contribute to the building of national capacity in public policy analysis in Africa in the environment and technology by offering training to government, private sector, and NGO officials, and through providing affiliation and fellowships to researchers;
  2. Undertake public policy research in international environmental agreements, technological change, industrialisation and the environment, economic reform and environmental management and local/community natural resource management systems;
  3. Initiate and provide inputs into policy reform processes to facilitate national efforts to implement global and national environmental agreements and programmes; and
  4. Disseminate research findings through publication, public forums, and other means.

[top] [end]Examples of past successes and experience

ACTS Programmes have evolved over the years in response to shifting challenges. In 1988-1993, the Center concentrated its work on helping African Countries get better prepared for the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. The second phase (1994-1997) of ACTS programme development was marked with the formulation and implementation of programmes and projects on Agenda 21 and related conventions on biological diversity and climate change. In the subsequent period 1997-2002, there was a further evolution of the programmes drawing on the foundation laid before.

Also during this period, ACTS released a wide range of publications, which have become the intellectual base for policy reform processes in a number of African countries. More recently ACTS has been involved in developing and promoting the concept of environmental governance with greater emphasis on the role of national institutions in enlarging ecological stewardship in the region. In addition, the Center is engaged in policy research and promotion of policy implementation to ensure sustainable management of transboundary natural resources in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA).

[top] [end]Overall institutional structure

Overseen by an internationally constituted Governing Council and headed by the Executive Director, ACTS employs 18 persons in its two divisions: Programmes and Support Divisions. The programmes division is headed by the Director of Policy Research & Outreach to whom all Programme and Project Heads report. Research fellows, research assistants and occasionally, interns from universities support these. The Director of Finance & Administration, to whom the IT Manager, PR officer, Publications, Accounts, Library, Procurement, and Administrative officers and the Driver report, heads the Support Division.

The main sources of funds are grants and consultancies. Grants have mainly been project based and core, unrestricted funds from agencies such as Sida, NORAD and USAID-REDSO, McArther Foundation, Ford Foundation, etc. Consultancies (less than $50,000) have been linked to institutions such as UNEP or our partner institutions in the est wishing to have us implement project components on their behalf. ACTS is part of major global knowledge networks.

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Page created: 05 April 2004; Last edited: 05 April 2004; Version: 0
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