Background The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Private Sector Development is coordinating a “Trade Policy Advisory Services Project”. The project is funded using Window II resources of the Integrated Framework multi-donor trust fund. A new activity included in the 2006-07 work-plan for the project is the establishment of a Policy Analysis Working Paper Series. Aim of the initiative The aim of the working paper series is to combine capacity building within the civil service on research and policy analysis, with the production and dissemination of relevant research papers produced within Malawi to a rigorous standard. The initiative recognises that one of the causes of weak capacity in the civil service is the limited opportunities available for policy staff (Economists, Trade Officers etc.) to carry out in-depth research to an academic standard, as such work tends to be overwhelmingly carried out by consultants or academics. This limits the opportunity for civil servants to “learn-by-doing” when to comes to research, impedes the development of in-house research capacity within Government, and prevents the Government from commissioning quick research work on relevant topics without the high cost and delays associated with the hiring of consultants. Hence the overall objective of the initiative is to establish a sustainable working paper series that merges personal staff development within Government on research and policy analysis, while also facilitating research, dissemination and discussion on topics of relevance to current issues on trade and private sector development. Under the first phase of the Policy Analysis Working Paper Series, eight papers have been prepared. Please click on the links below to download the draft papers.
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