ETMOD retreat

The third training event on ETMOD, the tax-benefit microsimulation model for Ethiopia, is organized as a five-day research retreat, intended to empower participants to use ETMOD to answer their own policy questions.

The retreat is composed of two parts: a refresher on the use of the model (2.5 days) and a retreat portion (2.5 days) where participants break out in groups, use ETMOD to address their own policy questions and examine and interpret the results. Based on this the groups write a preliminary policy note, to be disseminated to stakeholders once it's finished.

The retreat welcomes 10-12 participants representing relevant ministries, professional associations, and academia.

The retreat is organized at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) headquarters in Addis Ababa. The retreat is delivered by the ETMOD national team in collaboration with Professor Francesco Figari (University of Piemonte Orientale) and UNU-WIDER Research Consultant Adnan Shahir.

The event also serves as a forum to help build a community of ETMOD users in Ethiopia, generate ownership of the model beyond the national team, and expand the model user base and expertise at relevant local institutions, including those that administer the policies modelled in ETMOD.

About the project

This initiative is part of UNU-WIDER's SOUTHMOD – simulating tax and benefit policies for development project. SOUTHMOD is part of UNU-WIDER's research and capacity development programme on domestic revenue mobilization (DRM), funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (Norad).