Daayitwa Public Policy Fellows 2020 Graduated

Amidst  uncertainties of the Covid 19 pandemic, Daayitwa Nepal Public Policy Fellowship 2020 was virtually launched in June as an innovative approach to youth engagement in evidence based policy making that aims to address youth unemployment challenges in the country. On September 7, Daayitwa organised “Daayitwa Governance Symposium 2020” to celebrate the graduation of six young Nepali professionals, trained in six countries, who supported four federal government organisations to conduct economic policy research. The virtual event welcomed over 50 guests representing the public, private and civil society sectors. The program also provided a platform for public policy stakeholders to discuss the significance of increasing evidence based policy making practices, as well as encouraging collaboration of youth with the government. Professor Dr. Puspa Raj Kadel, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission of Nepal, was Chief Guest at the event. The Symposium featured two panel discussions: ‘Role of Youth in Evidence Based Policy Making’ and ‘Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship in Provincial Level’. The panels highlighted the research conducted by the Fellows, as well as advocated for youths with research skills to contribute to the policy making sphere. The event also had leadership keynotes from distinguished members of the National Planning Commission: Dr. Dil Bahadur Gurung, Dr. Ram Phuyal and Dr. Usha Jha. Leela Mani Paudyal, Former Ambassador of Nepal to People’s Republic of China and Former Chief Secretary, Government of Nepal also delivered remarks emphasising the role of youth in policy research. Since 2013, Daayitwa and the Government of Nepal have been partnering to apply innovative research methods and identify evidence based approaches to promote entrepreneurship, boost employment and strengthen governance. The program has supported 120 young policy professionals from 30 countries to collaborate with 39 government organisations and 24 parliamentarians to conduct research projects. This year’s Daayitwa Fellows gathered evidence from beneficiaries in their respective sectors, consulted with key stakeholders, and prepared policy recommendations on five thematic topics: access to investment, women’s economic empowerment, enterprise value chain, youth employment, and governance reform. The program was made possible by capacity partners: Nepal Leadership Academy and Governance Lab as well as funding partners: Credit Information Bureau, Siddhartha Bank and Fusemachines.