Dear OTT Community,
2024 has been a year of changes in the evidence-informed policymaking world.
As the love for RCTs and impact evaluations wanes, a new love of living evidence synthesis emerges. But what will 2025 bring? Will the field properly embrace the impact of political, economic, and social factors on whether and how evidence is generated, communicated, and used?
Think tanks have certainly woken up to the clear and present danger that political polarisation and systematic misinformation pose to their sector.
I am reminded of Ruth Levine's moral case for evidence-informed policymaking.
Paraphrasing, what draws us to work on ensuring that the most valid and reliable information is available for public policymaking and used by decision-makers?
The pursuit of truth, justice and human progress.
2024 has also been a year in which OTT has consolidated its work on evidence use in education with long-term collaborations with the Jacobs Foundation, Echidna Giving, and other members of the African Education Research Funding Consortium. We have published a series of articles based on lessons learned throughout the consortium's first two years.
We explored the new and challenging field of political philanthropy and direct support to governments in a collaboration with the Open Society Foundations. We delved into the impact of political polarisation on think tanks and evidence-informed policy, as well as the value of core funding, with new evidence from the 2024 State of the Sector Report.
In 2024, OTT's Research Support Service delivered new insights to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
But 2025 is full of opportunities.
There is still time to join the 2025 OTT School for Thinktankers, sign up for the 2025 OTT Conference in South Africa, learn about our initiative for student think tanks, and, why not spend some time browsing through new jobs in think tanks and evidence-informed policymaking below!
Until the new year,
Enrique Mendizabal
OTT Founder & Director
News from On Think Tanks Programme
An annual snapshot of the state of the think tank sector across the globe: State of the Sector 2024
The On Think Tanks annual State of the Sector Report provides a one-of -a-kind comprehensive assessment of the think tank landscape worldwide. Drawing on survey responses from nearly 300 organisations across 95 countries, it offers a comparative perspective on the key factors shaping think tanks’ sustainability, impact, and prospects for the future.
The Building for the Future Initiative works with student-led think tanks in Europe to enrich and broaden the perspectives that inform public policy recommendations.
Interested in funding the work of student-led think tanks? Are you a university looking to set up your own think tank?
Apply for the School for Thinktankers 2025
Get ready to meet the thought leaders and policy pioneers shaping the future of think tanks!
The On Think Tanks School for Thinktankers brings together incredible speakers from around the world, sharing insights and strategies that have driven change globally.
Attend the OTT 2025 Conference
The OTT Conference is back!
Join think tank leaders, funders and policy experts from around the world in June 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa, hosted in partnership with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), and the New South Institute (NSI).
From Global Insights to Local Impact: OTT in Action
Tirana, Albania
OTT's founder Enrique Mendizabal attended the Tirana Think Tank Forum in Albania recently, where he shared findings from our State of the Sector 2024 Report and explored how think tanks can navigate these unique dynamics.
Guadalajara, Mexico
On Think Tanks Director, Estefanía Terán Valdez, joined Mexican and global leaders at FIL Guadalajara to discuss civic space challenges and opportunities, drawing insights from On Think Tanks' 2024 State of the Sector Report.
Cape Town, South Africa
Enrique Mendizabal also addressed key challenges on effectively engaging with diverse forms of evidence in practice, and explored ways to tackle 'thorny issues'—corruption, political polarisation, social norms, and more, at the Transforming Evidence Network (TEN) Conference.
Nairobi, Kenya
Last week, OTT’s Racheal Makokha brought together 19 dynamic participants from Kenya’s leading think tanks and organisations to explore the findings of the State of the Sector 2024 report relevant to Subsaharan Africa. Hosted by Busara, the event sparked insightful discussions on the evolving role of think tanks in Africa and beyond.
