In consultation with members of both the team and nucleus of academics, policy makers, government and non-governmental actors, diplomats, and international experts associated with Sapes Trust and its Policy Dialogue Forum, it has been decided to focus on Zimbabwe in Transition in the context of the national dynamics themselves but including the extent to which regional (African Union and Southern Africa Development Community) and global factors will impact on the process. In this regard, the Sapes Trust�s Think Tanks on Public Policy and Economic Development will this year mobilise key thought leaders at home and abroad around the Zimbabwe in Transition Programme examining and monitoring the political and economic dynamics in detail, while engaging key policy makers in both the region and the international community. In particular, the group of experts will seek to establish a Policy Framework on the basis of which to mobilise all political parties and civic bodies in Zimbabwe, as well as regional and global factors engaged with Zimbabwe towards the following as, at best, the basic minimum conditions to be established before the next elections or being the Reform Agenda that must accompany the political and economic transition in Zimbabwe. � A Political Reform Agenda that must achieve (i) Full Implementation of the new Constitution signed into law in 2013 (ii) Electoral Reform (iii) Public Sector Reform (iv) Restoration of National Institutions An Economic Reform Agenda which must be premised on foundations as follows; � Debt Clearance � Sound macro-Economic Fundamentals � Policy Consistencies � Land Policy and Property Rights � Revival of Productive Sectors through appropriate policy interventions and incentivesdesigned to create jobs, institute social policy/ welfare state programmes for the economically vulnerable and attractive investment into agriculture and the manufacturing sectors. � Mobilise the diaspora into the political and economic life of a Zimbabwe in Transition. These and other related subjects will be pursued through both, the Policy Dialogue Forum and Policy Dialogue Workshops in the course of 2016. As usual the Policy Dialogue Forum will seek to collaborate with other organisations, governmental agencies and diplomatic missions based in Zimbabwe in all cases, identifying and engaging the relevant expertise required for this or that Policy Dialogue Subject or Policy Workshop. More important, the Policy Dialogue Forum will through such a process of interaction and engagement seek to impact positively on the policy framework or both the national and sub-regional levels. We urge our members to write and give in their proposals, including the offer to present or discuss as the case maybe. We will continue to publish and disseminate the Policy Dialogue and Policy Workshop outputs and ensure that they are also available online on our Website.
