Research Task List - GitHub #3
Description
OpenGov Africa – Data Team Research Task List
@OpenGovAfrica/wg-data (please comment below if you’d like to work on any and you’ll be directed to the specific issue page with your selected task).
| Task Title | Research Objective | Key Questions | Data Sources to Explore | Expected Output | Deadline Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget vs Manifesto Alignment Study | Examine whether national budget allocations reflect major campaign promises in selected African countries | What were the top 5 campaign promises in the last election? What percentage of the national budget is allocated to those sectors? What is actual expenditure vs allocation? | National budget documents, appropriation bills, electoral manifestos, parliamentary records, ministries of finance, audit reports | Comparative dataset (Promise vs Allocation vs Expenditure), short analytical memo (5–7 pages), structured spreadsheet | High (Align with current fiscal year implementation) |
| Debt vs Social Sector Spending Analysis | Compare debt servicing expenditure to health and education spending | What percentage of total expenditure goes to debt servicing? How does this compare to health and education allocations? Has this trend increased over 5 years? | National budgets (last 5 years), IMF country reports, World Bank debt data, ministries of finance | Clean dataset (5-year trend), country comparison table, brief data summary | High (Relevant to fiscal pressure debates) |
| Youth Representation Dataset | Measure youth political representation compared to youth population share | What percentage of the population is under 30? What percentage of parliament/cabinet members are under 40? Is there legal provision for youth quotas? | National statistics bureaus, IPU data, electoral commissions, parliamentary websites | Structured dataset (Population vs Representation), country ranking table | Medium |
| Public Procurement Risk Mapping | Identify common risk points in public procurement processes | What are the stages of procurement legally defined? Where do audit reports show irregularities? What percentage of contracts are sole-sourced? | Procurement laws, public procurement portals, audit institution reports, anti-corruption agency publications | Process map summary, dataset of reported irregularities, analytical memo | High |
| Access to Information (FOI) Implementation Review | Assess legal strength and implementation of access to information laws | Does the country have an FOI law? What are statutory response timelines? Are there enforcement mechanisms? What is the compliance rate? | National legislation databases, civil society FOI reports, government information commissions | FOI country dataset, compliance tracking sheet | Medium |
| Fiscal Governance Institutional Mapping | Document the formal budget process and institutional roles | Who proposes the budget? Who approves? Who audits? Are timelines respected? Is there public participation? | Constitution, public finance laws, parliamentary procedure documents, auditor general reports | Institutional process brief per country, governance flow documentation | Medium |
| Anti-Corruption Enforcement Dataset | Track anti-corruption cases and enforcement patterns | Number of corruption cases prosecuted annually? Conviction rates? Average time to resolution? Sectors most affected? | Anti-corruption agencies, judiciary annual reports, transparency NGOs | Multi-year enforcement dataset, short statistical summary | High |
| Education Workforce Governance Study | Assess governance of teacher recruitment and compensation | What percentage of the education budget goes to salaries? Are there teacher shortages? What are pupil-teacher ratios? | Education ministry budgets, UNESCO data, national statistics offices | Sector dataset + governance brief | Medium |
| Health Expenditure vs Outcomes Review | Compare health budget allocation with key health outcomes | What percentage of GDP is spent on health? Trends over 5 years? Infant/maternal mortality trends? | Health ministries, WHO country profiles, budget documents | Comparative dataset + 3–5 page analytical summary | High |
| Social Protection Effectiveness Study | Evaluate poverty reduction spending effectiveness | What is total social protection spending? What percentage reaches beneficiaries? Coverage rate? | Ministries of social welfare, budget reports, World Bank social protection data | Dataset + performance summary table | Medium |
| Migration Governance Data Mapping | Track migration policy and remittance flows | What migration laws exist? What are annual remittance inflows? Are migrant protections codified? | Central bank reports, migration policy frameworks, IOM data | Structured migration dataset + brief memo | Low |
| Environmental Spending & Enforcement Review | Compare environmental budget allocation with enforcement actions | What percentage of the budget goes to environmental protection? Number of enforcement actions per year? | Environment ministries, environmental protection agencies, budget documents | Environmental governance dataset + short analytical note | Medium |
| Election Transparency Systems Review | Document election management transparency mechanisms | Is the voter register public? Is result transmission digital? Are audit mechanisms in place? | Electoral commission publications, election observer reports, legal frameworks | Election transparency comparison table | High |
| Public Service Digitization Assessment | Evaluate level of government digital service delivery | Which services are digitized? Is open data portal operational? Frequency of updates? | Government portals, ICT ministry reports, open data portals | Digitization score dataset + short report | Medium |
| Food Systems Budget & Subsidy Analysis | Examine agricultural spending and subsidy transparency | Total agricultural allocation? Subsidy breakdown? Import vs domestic production data? | Agriculture ministry budgets, trade statistics, FAO data | Structured agriculture dataset + policy note | Medium |