Models for energy and transport policymaking in Zambia

This brief makes the case for incorporating models into Zambia's policymaking process, particularly for the energy and transport sectors. It does this through looking at the current state of modelling and policymaking in Zambia and by interviewing key Zambian stakeholders. Considering the many challenges in these two sectors, the Government needs to carefully plan and efficiently allocate its resources. Models, simplified representations of real-world systems, are critical to this process. However, energy and transport models use in supporting policymaking in Zambia is limited. To enhance their use, we recommend approaches for creating high-level awareness of models among policymakers, strengthening capacity and skills, and better institutional arrangements. This will increase responsiveness to policy needs and enhance the sustainability of the models developed.