Introduction to the Center:

IIDS Center for Economic Policy (CEP) strives to enable data driven decisions and evidence based policy-making that will lead the country to economic prosperity, growth and development. To do this the center works in the capacity of research and knowledge partner with government agencies, donors, and private sectors to conduct qualitative and quantitative research and provide policy recommendations In recent years the Center has worked extensively analyzing the impact of Covid-19 in the economy. Besides partnering with external organizations IIDS CEP also identifies and conducts in-house research on key national priorities with support from relevant stakeholders. The center just concluded a national level dissemination on Unleashing IT in Nepal, estimating the growth and potential of IT service export in Nepal.  The center employs a gendered and intersectional perspective on research and analysis and has worked extensively in Care Economy, analysis of macroeconomic policies from gender lens. The center is also focused on trade and investment and has conducted studies related to foreign direct investment in Nepal. The center is also engaging with province and local level government conducing trainings to policymakers at provincial level.

Objectives:

Center for Economic Policy aims to identify, ideate on the key priority areas of the country and influencing macro-economic public policy through a series of IIDS led high quality evidence-based policy papers around the key areas of development. These priority areas are guided with the objective of “changing the narrative” through a structural reform 2.0 of the economy. The identified areas are agriculture, digitization and digital economy, financial sector reform, human resource development and innovation, quality health and education, environment and climate change to name just a few. IIDS aims to conduct the structural reform 2.0 in stages – starting with white papers, setting the agenda and conducting in-depth studies to suggest actionable evidenced based reforms. In the true spirit of the country’s oldest think tank, IIDS aims to engage with parliamentarians, bureaucracy and other stakeholders in the process of designing and implementing the structural reform 2.0.

Ongoing Projects:

Enabling cross-border data flows within BBINS (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) towards regional integration

Completed Projects:

Promoting Decent Employment for Women through inclusive Growth Policies and Investments in Care

Part 1: Assessing Nepal’s Macroeconomic Policy Response to Covid-19 through a Gender Lens

Part 2: Public Investments in Nepal’s Care Economy – Estimating care deficits and investment costs

Part 3: Training on Gender and Economics at Federal and Province level. Two province level trainings including all 7 provinces of Nepal

Policy Brief

https://www.ifpri.org/publication/ukraine-war-and-its-food-security-implications-nepal

The Ukraine war and its food security implications in Nepal

Unleashing IT : IT sector’s growth in Nepal

National level dissemination of IT sector’s growth in Nepal

https://iids.org.np/images/publications/15c4487b777dcf3239cd6af6dd15c2c1.pdf