Below are some of the research projects and programmes currently in progress under these core and cross-cutting themes:

•    Growth and Development
•    Social Protection
•    Governance


Growth and Development

The Growth-Poverty nexus: Towards a Structuralist Macroeconomic Perspective
The main objective of this strategic research project is to address the concern over the missing link between economic growth and poverty reduction in Tanzania. Prof. Marc Wuyts of the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University, is leading the project.

Deepening the Understanding of Rural Transformation
The main objective of this research is to understand what it takes to transform rural Tanzania through learning from other countries.

Learning to Compete: Accelerating Industrial Development in Africa
This is a collaborative research with the African Development Bank, the Brookings Institution Africa Growth Institute, and the United Nations University World Institute of Development Economics Research.

The objective of this study is to investigate how firms learn to compete. It seeks to answer a seemingly simple but puzzling question: why is there so little industry in Africa?  Many studies done so far to address this question have been on the investment climate, and have concluded that Africa is a high cost, high risk environment in which to invest. But the investment climate may not tell the whole story and recently, there has been renewed academic and policy interest in what happens within and between firms.

Study on the Manufacturing Industry
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has commissioned REPOA to undertake a study on the manufacturing industry. The study aims to explain the discrepancy between manufacturing exports and manufacturing performance. The project will identify success factors driving the rise of the manufacturing industry.

Rural Employment Studies (in collaboration with United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
This study aims to address the interconnections of Tanzania’s macroeconomic, labour market and social policies. The study pays particular attention to the links between rural employment, rural incomes and social protection for various groups in the rural sector, disaggregated according to gender, age (children, youth and aged) and location.

Sectoral Systems of Innovation (SSI)
This work is a continuation of part one of the overall project on the assessment of the performance of the three sectoral systems of innovation in the Tanzanian economy, namely agriculture, health and manufacturing. While part one of the project endeavored to map supply side factors, viz. policies and actors, this second part is devoted to complete the system picture by analyzing the impact of the identified supply side factors on the demand side, i.e. the innovators themselves in the three sectors. The study uses the conceptual framework on systems of innovation that highlights important elements in the smooth working of any innovation system.

Follow up Survey for the Impact Assessment of the National Agricultural Input Voucher Systems (NAIVS)
This project aims to assess the impact of the National Agricultural Input Voucher Systems. The project is being implemented as a panel survey. The baseline survey was conducted in 2011. Currently, REPOA together with the World Bank and the University of California at Berkeley are finalizing preparations to conduct the follow up survey with an additional module relating to gender, seeking to investigate the impact of NAIVS on female-headed households and households with girls in reproductive age.

Evaluation of General Budget Support (GBS) Process
REPOA has been commissioned by ITAD as a part of a larger team to assess the extent to which general and sector budget support in Tanzania have contributed to sustainable results on growth and poverty reduction. The work is ongoing.


 

Social Protection

Study on Ethics, Payments and Maternal Survival in Tanzania
This two-year study which began in 2011 is being implemented by a team of researchers from REPOA, Open University UK, NIMR and ESRF.

The study aims to add to knowledge about the ethical content and implications of individual payment systems for maternal care, and to generate policy-relevant evidence as to how health management can achieve more ethical and inclusive care through breaking interactive linkages between individual payments, abuse, exclusion, and collapse in staff morale.

Study on the Social-economic History of Poverty and Policies Prescribed to Fight Poverty in Tanzania
The overall objective of this research project is to document the socio-economic history of poverty and adopted policies and strategies to address poverty in Tanzania, and to draw implications for research and policy.  This study commenced in September 2011 and is on-going.

The Study on the role of Cash Transfers in Social Protection in Tanzania
The aim of this research project is to explore the extent to which cash transfers can be productive and enable the poor to overcome social vulnerabilities that generate cumulative processers of deprivation.

Perceptions of Poverty and Opportunity in Tanzania
The overall objective of this research project is to examine how culture shapes the economic strategies of rural dwellers in the context of increased social differentiation. Particular focus is on the relation between cultural transformation and economic opportunity. Prof. Maia Green, from University of Manchester who is currently at REPOA as a Senior Visiting Fellow is undertaking this study.

Industrial Productivity, Health Sector Performance and Policy Synergies for Inclusive Growth
This research project will investigate the scope for improved productivity, process and product innovation, and hence increased output and employment in the industrial sector supplying the health system, and the potential benefits in terms of more inclusive health care. This project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). To implement the two-country study (Tanzania and Kenya), REPOA is collaborating with researchers from Open University UK and African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya.

Learning with Older People about their Transport and Mobility Problems in Rural Tanzania
In collaboration with HelpAge, REPOA is implementing a research project aiming to identify and promote mobility-focused interventions which will aid older people living in rural areas and those in their care to achieve better health and well-being.



 

Governance

Afrobarometer
The Afrobarometer survey seeks citizens' opinions on the way their countries are managed economically, politically and socially. This is a regional survey, currently involving 20 countries in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa. Prior surveys were held in Tanzania in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2008. Implementation of a fifth round of surveys is currently in progress.

The questionnaire is standardised across the countries participating in the surveys, with subjects covering: democracy, rule of law, politics, corruption, management of the economy, service provision, governance, citizens' trust in the leadership and institutions of governance, and livelihood.

Further information can be obtained from: http://www.afrobarometer.org/
 
Key findings from the 2008 survey for Tanzania are available here.

Publications from this survey include:

Afrobarometer Briefing Paper 67, April 2009 - Citizens' Views on Crime in Tanzania

Afrobarometer Briefing Paper 54, March 2009 - Citizens' Views on the East African Federation: A Tanzanian Perspective

Afrobarometer Briefing Paper 59, March 2009 - Tanzanians and Their National Parliament: What the People Expect of Members of Parliament (MPs), and What They Perceive Their MPs are Delivering

For prior publications, please click here.


Strengthening the Capacity of Parliament
REPOA is working with the Parliamentary Center based in Ghana to facilitate strengthening the capacity of the Parliament of Tanzania.

The Parliamentary Center works with various think tanks in Africa  to develop and implement strategies to strengthen their overall role and engagement in the national budget process.

This collaboration aims to ultimately achieve accountability to citizens in budget oversight; legislation and regulatory processes that enhance and empower the Parliament’s authority and involvement in the budget process; and implementation of budget oversight responsibilities.

As a part of this project, REPOA is currently carrying out a self-assessment of parliamentary performance in the budgetary process from July - September 2012 with proceedings to be published by the end of November 2012.

Capacity assessment for legal Sector Actors
REPOA has been commissioned by The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Zanzibar to undertake capacity assessment for the legal sector. The objective of the study is to assess the level of capacity assets and the capacity needs of the justice agencies in relation to institutions environmental, institutions’ technical capacity in the administration of justice, institutions’ administrative capacity, Iinstitutions’ financial management capacity and institutional material support.

Needs and Obstacle Assessment of the Justice Sector in Zanzibar
This study has been commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Zanzibar.  The study aims to provide a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the “needs of justice” from the demand side of justice in Zanzibar.

Survey of Services Delivered by Central Government
REPOA has been commissioned by the President’s Office-Public Service Management to assess the degree to which citizens and actual users of a select number of public services are satisfied with access, quality as well as the incidence of the cross cutting theme of corruption encountered.



If you are interested in learning more about any of these projects, you are welcome to contact us and the research coordinator for that project will respond to you.