International Economic Development
Researchers have worked extensively with Latin American governments on regional trade focusing both on the structure of Mercosur and Mercosur's relationship with the European Union. The group has also provided input for government strategies in the context of this and previous rounds of negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Significant research has been undertaken on the service sector in selected Caribbean and Central American nations. Debt, financial and exchange rate policy are new areas of engagement with Latin American governments that are being built as part of ODI's expanding relationship with Latin America.
New Projects
Improving Regional Analysis and Lesson Learning Sharing to Support Pro-Poor trade Policies in Latin America
ODI, CIPPEC, Nitlapan, CIES, GNTP
2007-2009
The Latin America Pro-Poor Trade programme will seek to support the adoption of policies that promote the reduction of poverty and inequality through trade, thereby contributing to the achievement of the MDGs. It will support the development of regional lesson learning on how pro-poor trade considerations can inform trade-related policy, and how discussions on trade and poverty issues can be made more evidence based, inclusive, and constructive.
Completed Projects
Interim evaluation of DFID’s Regional Assistance Plan for Latin America
David Booth, Lauren Phillips, Enrique Mendizabal
2006-2007 (3 months)
The project is undertaking an independent evaluation of the DFID’s Regional Assistance Plan for Latin America, which was implemented in 2004 and defines DFID’s approach to poverty reduction in the region. The evaluation examines the delivery of the programme and the quality of its implementation, as well as assessing the organisational context, staffing, procedures and inputs. The final draft aims to: 1) assist programme staff improve the design and implementation of the programme and respond to new institutional challenges and 2) draw out the wide implications for DFID from the Latin America RAP experience for the way we tackle donor harmonisation and influence the International Financial Institutions. In addition to review of documents provided by DFID, field work will be undertaken in Washington, Nicaragua (Central America), Bolivia (Andean Region) and Brasilia. Funded by DFID.
Foreign Investment and Income Inequality in Latin America
Regional Integration and Poverty
Special and Differential Treatment in CARIFORUM-EC EPA Services Negotiations
Potential Growth and Development in the Services Sector in Belize
Structure and Performance of Investment Incentives Schemes in St Lucia and Belize
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Trade and Poverty
Completed Projects
Regional Trade Dialogue with Latin American and Caribbean Trade Vice-Ministers and Sub-Secretaries
The EU and WTO/GATS negotiations on water services liberalisation
The Doha Development Agenda - Impacts on Trade and Poverty
Working group on EU-Mercosur negotiations - agriculture and agribusiness
Working Paper on the Impacts of Trade Liberalization on Child Well-being
Various, 2004 (4 months)
Edward Anderson , Kate Bird, Ian Gillson
The paper outlines a conceptual framework to guide research assessing the impact of trade liberalisation on children in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. It identifies the main channels through which trade liberalisation can impact on children’s, particularly poor children’s, well-being. It also describes the types of methods and data which can be used to describe and – in certain cases, measure the magnitude of – the effects arising through each channel. Funded by DFID.
For further information see: Young Lives Project
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Rural Policy and Governance
Perú: Institutional aspects of transaction costs, marketing and small farmer investment in two rural communities
October 2006 to March 2007, implemented by Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (IPPG) through an agreement with GRADE (Javier Escobal).
The research will discuss the trade-off among modes of organization that offer competing solutions to the way small farmers may connect to “dynamic markets”. Using survey information from over 300 small-scale potato farmers in the Mantaro Valley, complemented by interviews to key elements of the supply chain, the role of transaction costs in decisions about contractual arrangements will be explored. Links to higher value markets in seed potatoes and potatoes for the chips industry will be the focus.
In addition, an interpretative study of the links between institutions growth and poverty is being prepared by Julio Cotler of the IEP (Institute of Peruvian Studies)
Dissemination workshops will be organized once the main results of the studies are finalized results are expected before the end of February.
Bolivia: Comparative property rights, transaction costs and cooperation in two rural communities.
Through analysis of primary data, the aim of this project is to study the functioning of economic institutions in assigning property rights, facilitating transactions and allowing co-operation between economic actors. In particular, it is looking at how the Bolivian economy, driven forward by the narrow base of exports of minerals, oil and gas, can develop links that promote a broader base for production.
Two comparative studies of institutions and production will be carried out: one in the textiles, leather, jewellery and timber workshops of El Alto; the other for the agro-industry, organic farming, textiles and footwear industries in Santa Cruz. In each case the key actors in the sectors concerned will be mapped, and the institutions that shape their functioning will be examined. In the case of El Alto, the social and political institutions will also be examined to look at how they affect economic institutions, and indeed, how they affect identity.
Nicaragua: study of Prorural
As part of a four-country comparative study, this will address the following two questions for the case of Nicaragua's Prorural, an agricultural and rural sector programme.
- Whether, and in what ways, agricultural and rural development sector-wide approaches (SWAp) are delivering against their stated goals?
- What are the critical lessons about how development assistance currently supports agricultural and rural development, and how it may better contribute to long-term growth and poverty reduction?
Experiences with Sector Wide Approaches
in Brazil
Lídia Cabral, Richard Batley (IDD/University
of Birmingham) and Celina Souza (Universidade Federal da Bahia),
with David Booth and Andrew Lawson (2006-2007 (3 months)
This study looks at the Brazilian experience with Sector Wide
Approaches (SWAps), aiming to providing a synthesis of lessons
learned in key aspects of SWAps and offer recommendations
on how to take the experience forward. Although SWAps emerged
originally in low-income and aid dependent countries to address
problems of aid fragmentation and lack of coordination in
development interventions, they are currently also being used
in middle income countries with low aid dependency ratios.
Brazil has currently three ongoing SWAp operations. This study
looks at the Brazilian experience and analyses the underlying
SWAp model, its rationale, achievements and the challenges
faced. ODI is working with the International
Development Department of the University of Birmingham and with a Brazilian researcher working at the Federal University
of Bahia. The study is funded by DFID – Brazil office. Read project report>
Research on economic institutions in Bolivia
Click
here
to read Working Paper No. 1 'Bolivia Case Study: an interpretative
summary', Prepared by Steve Wiggins, Alexander Schejtman &
George Gray.
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Tourism
Stimulating pro-poor linkages between the tourism industry and local people in the Dominican Republic and the wider Caribbean
Caroline Ashley, Harold Goodwin, Douglas McNab, Mareba Scott, Luis Chaves
This Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership project provides practical guidance to the tourism industry in the Caribbean on how to strengthen local linkages and contribute more to economic development.
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Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure
Researchers have been involved in supporting the Colombian Poverty and Inequality Reduction Strategy and General Budget Support in Nicaragua.
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Market in Otavalo, Ecuador © LACG/L.Jarque
Resources
Publications
Click here to read 'Sector Wide Approaches in Brazil: Features, drivers and emerging lessons'
Click here to read IPPG Briefing October 2006
Institutions & economic growth in Bolivia
Click here to read ODI Opinion 'Democracy vs the Financial Markets: How will Latin America's busy electoral calendar affect the financial markets in 2006?'
Click here to read ODI Opinion 'Changing course in Latin America: Reconciling democracy and the market?'
Meetings
In conversation with...Guillermo Perry, Chief Economist, LAC Region, World Bank
Summary and audio
UK development assistance in Latin America: Lessons from Peru
Summary and audio
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