Abstract

This two-year project constitutes the opening phase of MIMAP (micro impacts of macroeconomic adjustment policies) work in Africa, and more particularly in Bénin and Burkina Faso. These two countries have a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of US$370 and US$300 and have endured more than eight and twelve years of structural adjustment, respectively. Although this has been largely beneficial in addressing the economic crisis, social indicators are among the lowest in the world: Bénin is ranked 155th and and Burkina Faso, 169th, on the Human Development Index. Therefore, the research and policy communities are keen to understand the causes and consequences of poverty at the micro level and to reorient macroeconomic policies.

This opening phase will concentrate on surveying existing work related to statistical bases, poverty indicators and modelling exercises, as well as research on alternative methodologies for poverty monitoring. Research will concentrate on sampling techniques appropriate for targetting vulnerable groups, on indicator validation and customization, and on the demographic features of Bénin and Burkina Faso. One pilot survey in both countries will be undertaken.

Post-Project Summary

The program was established by a consortium of institutions consisting of the Centre de recherches en économie et finance appliquées (CRÉFA, Laval University), the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI, Montreal), the Université nationale of Bénin (Cotonou, Bénin) and the Centre d'études, de documentation, de recherches économiques et sociales (CEDRES). The research themes addressed during the project dealt with the inequality and poverty profile, the poverty tracking system, the quality of the data from the Priority I survey and the analysis of the determinants of poverty in Burkina Faso. The following reports were produced: Profil d'inégalité et de pauvreté au Burkina Faso (Wetta, C. et al); Système de suivi de la pauvreté au Burkina Faso (Somda, P. et al.); La qualité des données de l'enquête prioritaire I (Koné, M. et al); and Analyse des déterminants de la pauvreté (Kaboré, T.S.). In Bénin, the researchers were largely interested in the inequality and poverty profile, as well as the impact of public expenditures on poverty. The two resulting reports are: Profil de pauvreté et d'inégalité au Bénin (Adegbidi, A. et al.) and Impact of the Social Public Expenditures on Poverty in Bénin (Houndekon, V. et al.). The two poverty profiles have been published as CRÉFA working papers 00-01 and 00-02. These documents can be accessed at www.crefa.ecn.ulaval.ca. The research results were disseminated at the following meetings: MIMAP Annual Meeting in Ottawa in May 1997 (one researcher from Burkina); Meeting on the regional research vision in West Africa, organized by IDRC in Dakar in May1998 (one researcher); Annual Meeting of the MIMAP network in Kathmandu in November 1998 (four researchers from Bénin/Burkina Faso, three researchers from CRÉFA/CECI); Workshop presenting the preliminary research results organized by the Centre de recherches économiques appliquées (CREA) in Accra in May 1999; Annual Meeting of the MIMAP network in Palawan in September 2000 (four researchers). In addition, researchers from both Bénin and Burkina Faso were invited either as individuals or as part of a group to many local meetings with international organizations, government agencies, etc. The project included a significant training element. CRÉFA-CECI concluded their work by providing a set of documents covering various aspects of the issues selected by the researchers. Moreover, the researchers from Bénin/Burkina attended three training workshops organized by the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), in Kampala in August 1997 (six researchers), in Cape Town in May1998 (one researcher) and in Abidjan in October 1998 (one researcher); a training workshop organized by CRÉFA in Quebec City in August 1998 (11 researchers); and training organized by IDRC, CRÉFA and CECI in Quebec City in September 1999 (four researchers). The researchers also had the benefit of four CRÉFA/CECI support missions. Work has continued under the projects, MIMAP-Bénin (100644) and MIMAP- Burkina Faso (100888).

Recipient Institution(s)