OSIEA and the OSI Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP) collaborate with civil society groups in East Africa to seek implementation of African Union (AU) standards that promote democracy. In recent years, the AU has emphasized the need for accountable government, in particular through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and its peer review mechanism. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) requires governments to conduct a self-assessment governance report through a participatory process. The goal is to give citizens a greater voice on how their country is governed and foster democratic participation in Africa.
To complement this AU mechanism, AfriMAP and OSIEA produce systematic audits of government performance in three APRM areas-the justice sector, democracy and political participation, and effective public service delivery. These reports are written by researchers from the country and are finalized through discussions that mobilize a wide range of interested parties, including civil society, academia, government and donors. Reports are based on a standardized template continent-wide, allowing cross-country comparison and learning, encouraging debate, and highlighting best case practices.
Research on the three AfriMAP areas is underway in Kenya led by the Institute of Economic Affairs, the University of Nairobi's Faculty of Law, and the Institute of Development Studies.