A think tank is a group of people who collectively perform research and develop reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and is typically funded by the corporate, government, or special interests. Some even like to think of think tanks as Research Institutes. There are exciting business prospects from starting and running a think tank in Zimbabwe. The money is usually in or from donations, grants, investments, and revenue from memberships, publications, research, and consultancy services, amongst others. Our discussion today will delve into some of the important things to know about starting a think tank in Zimbabwe.
More Clarity On What Think Tanks Are…
It is important to know that over the years the definition of a think tank has gotten broader. It is no longer just mainly about policy research alone. Think tanks can now be started and applied to more contexts which are why their definition is now broader. This is important to bear in mind so that you do not think that think tanks are for the select few or elite. If there is any pressing societal challenge, whatever it is, you can start a think tank for it. Now, the next important question is how you get to start one.
How To Start A Think Tank In Zimbabwe?
To answer this question, I will simply explore some of the notable think tanks in Zimbabwe. By so doing, you will get the gist of how to start a think tank in Zimbabwe. Here are 6 random but recognized and active examples of think tanks in Zimbabwe:
National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO)
Their focus areas are capacity building, operational environment, and human rights governance.
Ruzivo Trust
Their focus areas are policy advocacy, knowledge creation, and innovation.
Southern Africa Research and Documentation Centre (SAPES) Trust
Their areas of focus are social science research, teaching, policy dialogue, networking, and publications.
Zimbabwe Institute (ZI)
This is a policy think tank that fosters dialogue between different parties and policymakers.
Macro-Economic And Financial Management Institute (MEFMI)
This is a regional (with 14 member nations) institute that focuses on macro-economic management, financial sector management, and sovereign debt management.
Institute of Environmental Studies (IES)
This is an independent research institute that looks into the socio-economic consequences of environmental change, information dissemination, collation, education, and consultancy.
From the examples, I mentioned you can see that think tanks can be in the form of various types of organizations. These can be institutes, trusts, NGOs, associations, agencies, coalitions, and so on. So it boils down to what type of organizational model you want to adopt for your think tank. That will then inform you on how to start your think tank.
Some Important Notes
A study that was once done showed that funding for think tanks in Africa has been going down. This is because most think tanks use the donor-funded approach. Given the socio-economic and geopolitical dynamics in Africa, it is not surprising to find donors withdrawing their funding support. This is because in most cases the donors are foreign. Why am I saying this? First off, there is nothing gravely wrong with the donor-funded approach but it can be limited as evidenced by what I just said. So, it is prudent for you to explore more funding mechanisms and especially cultivate revenue generation that can even solely sustain the think tank.
It is essential to know some of the areas of specialization your think tank can focus on. Remember that think tanks come in to address widespread societal pain points. That should guide you in your choice of where to focus your think tank on. Some of the strategic areas to focus on in Zimbabwe are agriculture, health, education, housing, renewable energy, digitization, sustainability, and many more.
Some of the indicators of an effective think tank are revenue, of course, traffic and engagements on its online platforms (e.g. website, social media), and published and or referenced work, amongst others. A think tank has the potential to become a multimillion-dollar entity. So, let us get working; team up with some colleagues and you could be the next notable think tank in Zimbabwe. It is reported that there are very few think tanks in Southern Africa relative to the rest of the world (less than 10 percent). They are even fewer when you consider Zimbabwe. As at end of 2019, there were 29 recognized and active think tanks in Zimbabwe. That in itself is an indicator of opportunities you must tap into, more think tanks are needed.