Kivu designed a programme of work supporting local think tanks to influence policy on tobacco taxation. This programme was first implemented in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
In Nepal, Kivu partnered with a local think tank, the Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI). The project was locally led, drawing on NDRI’s innate understanding of how change happens in Nepal. It was also politically informed, with an approach to policy advocacy that reflects the low salience of tobacco control in Nepal. Kivu’s role included: developing an advocacy strategy which combines agenda setting and ‘insider’ policy influencing; providing bespoke capacity building support for NDRI; and providing hands-on mentoring to maximise the policy influence achieved.
The programme initially focused on establishing the local think tank as a new and credible player on tobacco control. This included providing key research outputs to help broaden the evidence base for the policy recommendations including two nation-wide surveys on the on the socio-economic and policy aspects of tobacco use and an assessment of the extent of illicit cigarette trade in Nepal using their own primary data.
Having achieved this, the project expanded into coalition-based approach to policy influencing. NDRI was at the centre of an alliance of different interests, organisations, and individuals pressuring policy makers to further increase taxation.