UNICEF-commissioned study to Analyse the Impacts of Fiscal Policies and Social Spending on Child Welfare in Burkina Faso

PEP Africa has been commissioned by UNICEF to lead a new research initiative. The project aims to analyze the impacts of fiscal policies and public spending on child welfare in Burkina Faso.

To determine the best possible allocation of their limited resources among education, health, sanitation and other programs that may directly affect the welfare of children, governments need specific information regarding the prospective impacts of their spending, considering the various fiscal alternatives to finance these programs.

Over the years, PEP has developed a unique expertise and sophisticated tools in modeling and microsimulation that, when combined and applied to such policy impact analysis, can provide the evidence base that decision-makers are able to rely on when establishing priorities in program financing and allocation.

In this initial project, that may well usher in a series of similar initiatives in other countries, PEP researchers first apply CGE modeling techniques to simulate the macroeconomic impacts of different fiscal policies resorted to finance social programs. Then, the application of microsimulation techniques allows to determine the more specific impacts of government spending in health, education, sanitation and social welfare programs on the well-being of children in the country.

More information on research progress and outcomes will be published when available.

Plus, find out all about the various collaborations of PEP with UNICEF for the development of both knowledge and local expertise regarding child welfare issues in developing countries in this special report: Brief on PEP-UNICEF collaborations