The methodological approach used to identify the suitable stakeholders for engagement in the Utafiti Sera house was round table discussions and a stakeholders’ mapping conducted by PAMOJA prior to the discussions. ‘Utafiti Sera’ a Swahili word for research policy is a combination of many things that ensure and enhance policy outcomes – a process, place, forum, platform or a vehicle for transforming empirical research evidence for policy uptake. It is a joint project hosted by Pamoja Trust and PASGR that aims to create and sustain a vibrant research policy community that frequently convenes around key policy issues in need of intervention. Utafiti Sera is therefore a house that brings all relevant stakeholders together including but not limited to, research organizations, think tanks, external organizations, central and local government, media, policy makers, CBO’s, NGO’s and interest groups. Through the Utafiti Sera Model, policies, stakeholders and existing research evidence around a specific issue is mapped and synthesized, packaged it into policy briefs, video documents and newspapers and then channelled into communication platforms such as policy debate, meetings, forums, and social media. The expected longterm outcomes are more informed policies and communities of practice.
