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Evidence based policy making in Myanmar – New four-year programme in collaboration with the Central Statistical Organization launched

UNU-WIDER and the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) from the Ministry of Planning and Finance of Myanmar launched today, in Naypyidaw, a four-year collaboration that will strengthen evidence based policy making and analysis, and help underpin Myanmar’s move through a challenging structural transformation and development process.

A cornerstone of this new collaboration is the establishment of a rigorous Myanmar Enterprise Monitoring System (MEMS) focused on the industrial small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. The MEMS is primarily aimed at improving information and knowledge about economic policy issues in Myanmar and strengthening the Government’s capability to appropriately address key development challenges associated with the country’s reform process, especially regarding SME development.

The MEMS stands on four pillars: biannual quantitative and qualitative/experimental surveys; in-depth policy relevant research and analysis; dissemination of research findings and policy recommendations; as well as bulding capacity amongst CSO staff.

UNU-WIDER’s engagement in Myanmar builds on work undertaken by the Institute over the past six years on the development of two unique firm and rural household panel surveys in Viet Nam, another country in the Greater Mekong Subregion.