Economy and statistics

Selected references

The economic development of emerging and developing countries depends on a multitude of factors, one of the most important of which - if not the most important - is the definition, implementation and evaluation of suitable economic policies, at national as well as regional and sectoral levels. The institutional frameworks in which these policies, and the tools used for their development and monitoring are produced, are of paramount importance, as is the quality of the information used; they directly condition the policies' adequacy to the economic realities.

In this context, the assignments led by Ginger SOFRECO focus on the following main areas:

Institutional framework and economic policy

• Diagnosis of the macroeconomic situation of a country.
• Assistance for the preparation and implementation of macroeconomic reforms: Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), Millenium Development Goals (MDG), stabilisation programmes, structural and sectoral adjustment programmes.
• Performance of global and sectoral studies (competitiveness, development of strategies, preparation for European Union partnership agreements and WTO membership, regional integration).
• Support for the identification, formulation and implementation of macroeconomic policies at national, sectoral and regional level. Evaluation of policies and programmes.
• Strengthening of policy identification, formulation and evaluation capacities.
• Analysis of macroeconomic and financial constraints to development and of debt.
• Creation of tools for the evaluation of economic policy measures.
• Evaluation of the economic impact of a country's participation in regional trade organisations and in the regional integration process (single market, customs union, free trade area, etc).
• Forward studies and analyses of the overall economic climate.

Economic information                                                                                                    

• Support for the development of National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS).
• Development of systems for the collection, analysis and modelling of statistical data.
• Setting up of tools to help create economic and statistical information systems.
• Technical and operational support for national accounting and economic research institutes.
• Development of State Financial Operations Tables (TOFE).
• Development of methodologies and models to improve the quality and reliability of macroeconomic forecasts.
• Modelling of tax estimates.

Public investment planning, programming and management

• Improvement of the preparation and management of Public Investment Programmes in compliance with macroeconomic constraints.
• Preparation of Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEF) at national or sectoral level.
• Overhaul of public investment programming and management procedures.
• Management of study funds for the preparation of investment projects.
• Support in the search for financing from funding agencies, organisation of round tables and aid administration support.