We are pleased to share the Rift Valley Institute’s Development Strategy, 2020-2023.  The strategy is the outcome of a collective process involving staff, trustees, Fellows of the Institute, partners and key external stakeholders. It builds on the Institute’s 2016-2020 Development Strategy, reaffirming the values that drive our work, incorporating feedback from supporters and associates, and summarising our approach to achieving our development ambitions.

Our mission, since the founding of the Institute, has been to ‘make local knowledge work’. Over the years RVI has established itself as a unique and enduring presence in a region where values of open discussion, freedom of information, neutrality and equal access to knowledge are liable to be challenged. The deep local knowledge of our partners and collaborations between African-based researchers and specialists from outside Africa has enabled us to generate original research and facilitate the exchange of useful knowledge to address these persistent challenges.

For more information about our research, training and commitment to the values of open discussion and freedom of information explore our website, download our publications, sign up to our newsletter or write to us at institute@riftvalley.net. 

‘The 2020-2023 Development Strategy is designed to sustain the Institute’s strong reputation for research, public information and training. Linking the global and the local, the strategy emphasises supporting local capacities for research, to make local knowledge effective in addressing collective challenges in Eastern and Central Africa.

We believe our work is making a difference to the peoples of Eastern and Central Africa by enhancing knowledge of the region, promoting open societies and inclusive development, and influencing practice and policy.’

Comfort Ero, Chair of the Board