RESEARCH PROJECTS MANAGED
(IDRC - IDRIS DATA BASE)

[Project value: Quoted in Canadian dollars not deflated]

1997        

Equity - Oriented Health Policy Analysis in Latin America (Regional)

http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/projects/equity-e.htm
 

Monitoring and Evaluation of Poverty Alleviation Program (Peru)

Since 1991 structural adjustment policies have forced the Peruvian government to implement poverty alleviation programs to reduce the social costs of these economic measures.  In 1995, the government established the goal of reducing by half the number of households living with unsatisfied basic needs by the year 2000.  Toward this end, the Focused Strategy for Extreme Poverty Alleviation (FSEPA) was designed.  It includes nutritional supplements, upgrading or building of health care posts and schools, family planning services, and small irrigation and road improvements. This project will measure the effectiveness of this social investment program. The project will develop, test, implement a short-term index and a monitoring system for the periodic evaluation and follow-up of the impact of FSEPA on special regions and population sub-groups. The project will result in a methodology to design, test, and implement the index; the institutionalization of the monitoring and information system in key government agencies and local governments; training of government staff in the use of the methodology and monitoring system; and dissemination seminars and workshops organized at the regional and national levels.

http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/projects/monitor-s.htm
http://www.up.edu.pe/poverty/  
http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/seminario/vasquez.html

 

Social Policy Decentralization: A Regional Perspective (Regional)

Decentralization of health, education, and social infrastructure services is well underway in many Latin American countries. Its goal is to reduce the roles and responsibilities of the state while promoting greater local involvement in decision-making and the provision of better services. The costs of implementing decentralization, however, have been extensive - in terms of time, energy, and money. It is also proving to be a major challenge to municipalities as they struggle to meet new demands while lacking the required skills, knowledge, and capacity. Research on decentralization is needed to empower the municipalities and to strengthen their capacity to participate in the policy formulation process, to take over new responsibilities for service delivery, and to implement effective and efficient programs. The project will evaluate the decentralization of health and social infrastructure services in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia - four countries that are different stages in the decentralization process. In Chile, decentralization is nearing completion whereas it is only beginning in Bolivia. The project aims to strengthen municipalities' capacity to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate social services in accordance with each country's overall social policy agenda. The project, which encompasses three studies, will: document the extent of changes introduced or adopted by municipalities through the devolution of authority to the local level;  analyse and assess the institutional, economic, and socio-cultural factors that hamper or enhance municipal capacity to provide health and social infra-structural services following decentralization; assess outcomes related to quality, coverage, and access to health and social services; and identify lessons and practices that would help policy makers and service providers to improve social policies in the context of decentralization. 

http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/projects/socdecen-s.htm
http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/seminario/heimann.html
http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/seminario/yepes.html
http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/results/casos.html

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