Strengthening Capacities for Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) in Sub-Saharan Africa

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is supporting a PEP initiative for strengthening capacities for poverty and social impact analysis in sub-Saharan Africa.

The initiative builds on the ongoing work of the PEP research network, especially in developing PEP schools. It follows from the experience of a 2008 initiative to strengthen capacities for poverty analysis in Namibia, which was carried out by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Namibia, UNDP and Université Laval (PEP) - with support from the UNDP Thematic Trust Fund for Poverty Reduction.

Such an initiative contributes to strengthened capacities for poverty and social impact analysis and thus enables high-quality ex-ante and ex-post assessments of the impacts of public policies, reforms and interventions on the distribution of welfare. 

This is achieved through a series of designated training programs and support material offered in classroom and online, and customized to individual country analysis needs. It is envisaged that the capacity strengthening programs could evolve into a more permanent resource for countries to draw on in designated research and training facilities.



Specific objectives of the project are

1. Enhance the skills of researchers and officials to conduct poverty and social impact assessments using quantitative data and state-of-the-art methods: 
2. Enhance the capacity of data producers to generate quality data and improve access to it: 
3. Raise the interest of policymakers for better-informed policymaking;
4. Foster national, regional and international networking in poverty and social impact analysis and policy influence:
5. Complement global research initiatives such as the PEP Research Network, in which inadequate research capacity often inhibits poorer countries researchers to participate.

Ten individual country research projects will be supported through this initiative: 

• PMMA-12285 PSIA: The Future Impact of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) in Saint Lucia - Augustus Cadette (Saint Lucia)
• PMMA-12286 Le Plan de Développement Sanitaire : Analyse d’impact sur la pauvreté et le social au Niger - Boubakar Djibo Boukar (Niger)
• PMMA-12287 Trade Liberalization between EU and Armenia: A Poverty and Social Impact Analysis - Armen Grigorian (Armenia)
• PMMA-12288 An Analysis of the Impact of Income Tax Reforms on Poverty and Inequality in Namibia - Jan Swartz (Namibia)
• PMMA-12289 Impact Monitoring Study for the first phase of the integrated Development Government of Egypt 1000- Poorest Villages - Dalia Bayoumi (Egypt)
• PMMA-12290 Universal Primary Education in Uganda: Optimizing Equitable Participation and Public Investment Returns - Sebastian  Levine (Uganda)
• PMMA-12291 Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) of Increase of  Natural Gas Prices and Selected Social Guarantees - Katerina Rybalchenko (Ukraine)
• PMMA-12292 Analyse de l’impact des politiques gouvernementales de réponse aux crises mondiales récentes - Aristide KIELEM (Togo)
• PMMA-12293 The Impact of Electricity tariff increases on Poverty in Lesotho - Alka Bhatia (Lesotho)
• PMMA-12294 Politique sociale (mise en oeuvre du programme de Microcrédit aux Plus Pauvres) et autonomisation de la femme au Bénin - Dieudonné Bléossi M. DAHOUN (Benin)