SADRN Training Workshop on Trade and Poverty

Introduction

Southern African Development Research Network (SADRN) is a broad-based policy and research network which aims to increase the supply of policy-relevant research in the region and strengthen evidence-based policy-making. The network is hosted by the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) and sponsored by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The main objective of SADRN is to achieve trade, growth, globalization and poverty reduction by:

• Increasing the supply of policy-relevant research in SADC by creating a pool of suitably-skilled researchers based in institutions in SADC;
• Improving the policy-relevance of research through growing the capacity of policy-makers to be discerning research users;
• Developing an appreciation of evidence-based policy making by engaging policy-makers in the design, specification, implementation and review of research projects; and
• Building institutional capacity in key organizations in SADC by creating centers of excellence in focused thematic areas of research.

Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) is the "Centre of Excellence" for the SADRN Thematic Research Area: Trade Policy and Pro-Poor Growth. This thematic area is further divided into two broad areas:

• Trade Policy and its Potential Impact on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction and
• Regional Trade Agreements, Impact thus far and Opportunities for the Future.

The main objectives of the theme are:

• Building researchers' capacity on trade policy and pro-poor growth issues;
• Commissioning studies on trade and pro-poor growth issues that are of policy relevance to each SADC country;
• Engaging policy-makers in the research design, specification and evaluation of commissioned studies in line with SADRN objectives; and
• Producing policy briefs, journal and/or book publications from commissioned work.

The theme is currently in its first phase, with a focus on building capacity on conceptual and analytical work that is required to conduct evidence-based and coherent research studies. In this regard, BIDPA is hosting the first of the two training workshops for researchers from the SADC region to guide the review of methodology and application of conceptual and analytical tools that can be used to examine trade and pro-poor growth issues.

The specific objectives of the workshop are:

• Launch the thematic research theme: Trade Policy and Pro-Poor Growth;
• Provide an understanding of the links between trade and poverty from the point of view of the conceptual framework, as well as the practical policy implications of those links;
• Provide an opportunity for policy-makers to contribute towards the identification of key areas and issues to be investigated;
• Use participatory and interactive methods (including group activities) to facilitate an understanding of the methodological, conceptual and analytical issues;
• Discuss concept papers/notes in order to review and validate preliminary research methodology and tools used in trade and poverty analysis;
• Discuss issues relating to the access, use and interpretation of data;
• Share experience, knowledge, information and effective approaches for trade and poverty analysis;

The following outcomes are expected at the end of the workshop:

• Increased understanding of both conceptual and analytical issues on trade and poverty issues;
• Increased capacity to apply the research methodology and tools to specific areas of trade and poverty related research;
• Identification of key research question to be investigated;
• Contributions from policy-makers to ensure that  research areas of policy relevance will be made; and
• Further development of concept papers/notes into technical research reports

Profile of Participants:

There will be around 30-35 participants, including:

• Resource persons with significant expertise in quantitative and qualitative research techniques, namely; Ravindra A Yatawara and Margaret McMillan
• Two or three policymakers from the SADC region will also be requested to present their experience in managing trade and poverty policies in their countries;
• SADRN Steering Committee representative;
• IDRC representatives
• Researchers from various research institutions and universities in the SADC region

Facilitators: 

Ravindra A Yatawara is a Senior Economist at the Trade Group at the World Bank Institute. He is also task manager for the World Trade Indicators 2009, and works on the trade impact and response of the global financial crisis. Previously, Dr. Yatawara was in the faculty of the Department of Economics at the University of Delaware, and has also taught at Columbia University. He has pursued research on political economy of trade reform, the interaction between trade and macro issues, trade and poverty, regional integration and gender implications of apparel sector liberalization. He has taught the Phd course in international trade, international finance and macroeconomics to Masters level students, international business to MBAs, and international trade and finance to undergraduates. Concurrently, Dr. Yatawara worked for the government of Sri Lanka, as Head, International Economics Unit/ Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies.  Dr. Yatawara has a Phd in Economics from Columbia University.

Margaret McMillan is Associate Professor at the Department of Economics at Tufts University and a Faculty Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has published widely in the areas of international trade and investment focusing primarily on developing countries. Understanding the distributional consequences of international economic integration is the key focus of her work. Professor McMillan's research has been featured in the New York Times and the NBER Digest and has been published in leading economics journals.  Professor McMillan has worked in several African countries including Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. Before coming to academia, she worked for a variety of organizations including the Peace Corps, Lehman Brothers, USAID, UNDP and the World Bank. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University, and a MPA from Princeton University.