The Vision
The Consortium argues that the prospects for Pro-Poor Growth (PPG) are fundamentally influenced by the interactions of formal and informal political, social and cultural institutions with economic institutions. This follows from the now widespread recognition that the same formal institutions generate different outcomes in different contexts, and that comparable positive outcomes may be achieved with different institutional arrangements.
We propose therefore to analyse the impacts of these institutional interactions on growth, and PPG in particular, and to develop middle-range theory about them, by means of structured comparative country case studies, primarily drawn from SSA but with some from South Asia and Latin America.
We also propose complementary study of the institutional conditions for the establishment of employment intensive enterprise. Our research will be cross-disciplinary and will use both quantitative and qualitative methods.
We will contribute to meeting the MDG objectives by deepening understanding and by providing frameworks for the analysis of institutional factors in different contexts for policy makers and development agencies. We will ensure the practical relevance of our work through policy dialogue throughout the programme, by building on the extensive existing networks of the southern partners in particular, and by the establishment of new learning fora.