The PEP Network has been recruited by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), to assist in the initiative entitled “African Growth Development Policy (AGRODEP) Modeling Consortium”. 

The objective of AGRODEP is to position African experts to take a leading role in both

1. the study of strategic development questions facing African countries as a group and 
2. the broader agricultural growth and policy debate, which has been traditionally dominated by external actors and concerns. 

Through AGRODEP, IFPRI aims to equip African countries with the tools to perform science-based research that will enable them to formulate sound and effective policies, as well as to locally relevant solutions to agriculture-related development challenges in Africa.

PEP Contribution

Among the objectives of the AGRODEP Modeling Consortium, are: 

1. to promote access to and use of state-of-the-art economic modeling tools
2. to improve the quality, relevance and timeliness of data

to meet the demand for high-quality, locally-based research that contributes to evidence-based policy and strategy planning and implementation.  

Given their expertise and innovative work in modeling tools, lead researchers from the PEP-MPIA Network were asked to assist IFPRI in providing scientific training and support to African researchers. 

This collaboration is a threefold project. PEP modeling experts will provide:   

1. Guidance (user guide) in the application of the two national PEP Standard CGE models, PEP 1-1 (single country, static version) and PEP 1-t (single country, recursive dynamic version) including development of a user manual to guide researchers
2. Training material in the models’ structure and programs 
3. Distance support to researchers in the use of modeling tools and software

Above-mentioned experts include PEP-MPIA program director Bernard Decaluwé, and lead researchers André Lemelin, Hélène Maisonnave, Véronique Robichaud.