In 2008, African Monitor introduced and expanded the concept of poverty hearings in Africa, to monitor the SDGs in 5 African countries. The methodology and outcomes were used at the United Nations to evaluate the impact and progress made in the implementation of the SDGs. Poverty hearings also resulted in tangible policy outcomes in several countries like South Africa where an anti-poverty strategy was developed as a result of the poverty hearings; or Kenya where the national youth fund was strengthened to improve access for impoverished youth. In later years AM developed the Grassroots Focus Index, a tool used to evaluate the responsiveness of government to citizens’ needs. Central to AM’s strategy has been developing the capacity for citizens to engage with governments directly.