Franklin Cudjoe
IMANI Africa has been ranked the third best think tank in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2017 among several other accolades by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP), University of Pennsylvania.
In 2007, the TTCSP developed and launched a global index of think tanks called Global Go To Think Tank Index, which serves as a framework for publishing the Global Go To Think Tank Index Reports annually.
The Index and Reports are designed to identify and recognize centers of excellence in all the major areas of public policy research and in every region of the world. It is the result of an international survey of over 1,950 scholars, public and private donors, policymakers, and journalists who helped rank over 6,500 think tanks using a set of 18 criteria.
The rankings have in the past been co-launched with the Foreign Policy Magazine, the United Nations University, other top-rated Universities and think thanks.
Out of 90 think tanks ranked across the sub-region in the 2017 Report, IMANI came third whilst occupying the first position in Ghana.
Also, IMANI featured in 11 Ranking Categories, details of which are as follows:
Top Think Tank in the World (Non- US)
Position: 72 out of 142 globally
Top Think Tank in the World (US and Non-US)
Position: 111 out 173 globally
Top Think Tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa
Position: 3 out of 90 across Sub-Saharan Africa
Top Domestic Economic Policy Think Tanks
Position: 59 out of 140 globally
Top Education Policy Think Tanks
Position: 57 out 61 globally
Best Think Tank Network
Position: 68 out 85 globally
Best Use of Social Media and Networks
Position: 51 out of 84 globally
Think Tank to Watch in 2018
Position: 17 out of 105 globally
Think Tanks with the Best Use of the Internet
Position: 38 out of 60 globally
Think Tanks with the Most Significant Impact on Public Policy
Position: 36 out 60 globally
Top Think Tanks with Annual Operating Budgets of:
Less Than $5 Million USD
Position: 8 out of 48 globally
With far less than $5M USD annual operating budget, IMANI employs a variety of tools including research, advocacy, media, events, and internet technology to challenge and influence public policies in ways that positively impact the larger populace.
In the last four years of the index, 2014-2017, IMANI has missed the first position on the sub-Saharan African ranking to South African, Kenyan, Senegalese and Batswana think tanks. This is how IMANI fared on the Sub-Saharan list in the last four years- 2014- (2nd), 2015- (2nd), 2016- (4th), 2017- (3rd). Since 2012, IMANI has been ranked the most influential think tank in Ghana.
-Citifmonline