COVID-19 response

PEP Action  |  Publications by PEP-affiliated researchers  | Other information sources

Action

Mobilizing new, rapid response, projects

As governments around the world react to the Covid-19 crisis, high-quality evidence is needed to understand its evolving health, economic and social effects and how mitigation policies can be most effective.

Developing country populations – and especially those most vulnerable – are at risk of being left behind. Resources are limited and must be put to work efficiently to address the short, medium and long-term challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PEP has mobilized our network of in-country researchers for 18 quick-response research projects:

• PEP is supporting 11 projects to inform inclusive adaptation and recovery policies responding to the crisis in as many developing countries under the COVID-19 Responses for Equity (CORE) initiative, funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
  • The projects are being undertaken in seven African countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe), two Asian countries (Pakistan and Vietnam) and two South American countries (Argentina and Ecuador).
  • PEP is working with teams involving local researchers and government institutions to assess COVID-19 impacts and the effectiveness of current and potential policies.
• PEP is supporting a further seven projects under an initiative providing a Rapid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. PEP Resource Persons and Research Fellows are investigating topics related to COVID-19 policy responses in different countries. All projects have now pubished working papers.

Additionally, a new UNICEF research initiative, undertaken by PEP and Oxford Policy Management, has generated evidence from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) showing that children may pay the highest price for the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. 
 

Adapting ongoing projects

Six experimental projects were about to implement their interventions when the pandemic began. These projects were selected for PEP support under the Impact Evaluation Mentoring for Governments in East and West Africa initiative mid-2019, and completed baseline data collection between late 2019 and early 2020. The pandemic response and mitigation measures put in place by national governments delayed the roll out of four interventions. With the help of the PEP-PIERI Scientific Support Team, the teams worked hard to adapt to local challenges while prioritizing the safety of everyone involved.

Modifications to the projects included:

• Redesigning the interventions in Guinea Bissau and Benin
• Conducting meetings, interviews and surveys by telephone or online, instead of in person
• Restructuring focus groups as individual interviews
• Delaying the intervention in Tanzania until 2021
   

Sharing knowledge

Knowledge exchange, across countries, regions and disciplines, is also vital for meeting the challenges of the pandemic as efficiently as possible.

PEP launched a Facebook group as a place to discuss socio-economic evidence that may be useful for designing and informing COVID-19 response policies at global and national levels. Join the discussion at www.facebook.com/groups/pep.covid19response. You can also tweet using the hashtag #covid19policyresponse and share via the LinkedIn group.

PEP is a founding member of the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, which has a dedicated page on COVID-19 with links to various other initiatives.

Publications by PEP-affiliated researchers 

Including current researchers, alumni, Research Fellows, Resource Persons and members of the Board of Directors

COVID-19-related Publications by PEP-affiliated Researchers Organised by Theme (Google Spreadsheet)

Other information sources

We invite suggestions for other resources/readings, please email our Communications Officer.