ODI's Civil Society Partnership Programme (CSPP) held a West Africa regional workshop in Accra, Ghana on 14th and 15th March 2005 in collaboration with Participatory Development Associates(PDA), Ghana. The two-day event included a national seminar on the afternoon of the second day. The workshop and seminar provided a forum for representatives from policy research institutes, non-governmental agencies and donors to discuss the opportunities and challenges for civil society organisations (CSOs) to use evidence to inform policy, learn about the latest worldwide research and practice in this area, share experiences about ongoing activities and identify opportunities for collaborative work.