ICTD Partnerships with African Revenue Authorities: Collaborating for Impactful Research

Although administrative tax data is incredibly valuable for researching questions relating to taxation, inequality, and labour markets, it has been virtually unused for research in Africa. In partnering with African revenue authorities, the ICTD has succeeded in working closely with their staff members to access, understand, and analyse their data, producing impactful and pioneering research. This brief describes the ICTD’s research collaborations with the Ethiopian, Rwandan, and Ugandan revenue authorities, outlining the purpose and findings of each research project as well as the ways of working that made each successful. It concludes with a set of principles for productive partnerships between researchers and practitioners in government agencies.