PEP has promoted local leadership of economic development research over two decades now – since its inception. PEP’s mission to support locally led evidence for local solutions is underscored by the fact that even though the ability to conduct economic research in developing countries has significantly improved in recent decades, local expertise often remains underutilized in the formulation of policies.
This is a significant gap given that researchers in the community act as catalysts, possessing a deep understanding of local resources, challenges, and cultural contexts unique to their communities. This knowledge empowers them to create tailor-made policies, attract targeted investments, and foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders.
In 2023, PEP continued to boost the voices of Southern researchers at various high visibility conferences and events globally, including at PEP’s annual International Policy Conference in June (online), the What Works Global Summit in October in Ottawa, and the International Economic Association (IEA) World Congress December in Colombia.
At PEP’s International Policy Conference, international experts discussed the historical underrepresentation of Southern researchers in the development field as a persistent issue. They deliberated on the findings of a series of six studies conducted by PEP Research Fellows from 2020 to 2021, and the insights from the discussion formed the basis of PEP’s Call to Action. The Call to Action advocates for increased participation of Southern Researchers in economic development discussions, and over 80 esteemed economists have endorsed it so far. The full video of the discussion is available for viewing.
At the What Works Global Summit, PEP’s Executive Director Jane Mariara and Director of Engagement, Impact and M&E Marjorie Alain participated in a panel discussion on ‘Knowledge mobilisation, evidence architecture and evidence to policy and practice’. They spoke about PEP’s model of supporting locally-based researchers to define their research questions in close consultation with local stakeholders and research users for enhancing policy impact, as well as PEP’s ongoing Call to Action.
At the IEA World Congress, Jane Mariara and two Research Fellows – Ana Lucia Kassouf and Veronica Amarante – shared insights into what is needed for greater Southern leadership in development economics. Prof. Mariara chaired the session on ‘Research on Development Economics from the South: Facts, Experiences, and Challenges’ and took the opportunity to speak about PEP’s Southern Leadership Initiative. Prof. Kassouf discussed the issue of Demand-Side Obstacles to Publishing Economics Research: A View from the South and Prof. Amarante shared empirical evidence on how Northern-based researchers dominate the development research arena, despite most development research focusing on Southern economies.
PEP Research Fellows continued to produce new studies highlighting empirical evidence on the marginalization of Southern Researchers in global development research and debates. These included:
This study looks in detail at the supply and demand for economic research in a specific country, Benin, to contrast the roles of local and foreign researchers and research funders.
To dive deeper into why local research leadership is important, including in-depth local knowledge, enhanced stakeholder engagement and increased ability to influence policy outcomes, among others, and the real world impact of the unequal representation of Southern researchers in development research, PEP launched a new blog series titled Context Matters.
Envisaged as a series of interviews with PEP’s large network of local experts, the blogs aim to highlight why their deeper understanding of the social, political and economic contexts of their countries, their in-country relationships with policymakers and other relevant stakeholders, and their presence on the ground is critical to shaping better welfare outcomes for the population of the Global South.
The first in the series – an interview with PEP Research Fellow Nisha Arunatilake, co-author of the Call to Action and the Director of Research and a fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in Sri Lanka, unpacks the importance of asking the right questions – informed through a local lens – to design the right policy.
Find out more about PEP’s mission of promoting local leadership of economic development research, here.
Ongoing Research Programs
