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Finland and Norway sign agreements extending IGM programme to 2024

On 7 May 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway signed a funding agreement sealing Phase II of the Inclusive growth in Mozambique programme. By doing so, it joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, which had signed a similar agreement a few days earlier. The two donors have committed to supporting the second phase of this research and capacity building programme for an additional 3.5 years, until December 2024.

The overall objective of Phase II of the Inclusive growth in Mozambique – scaling up research and capacity (IGM) programme is to support inclusive growth that substantially improves the living standards of the Mozambican people. The IGM programme produces policy-relevant research to support evidence-based inclusive policymaking in Mozambique, provides day-to-day policy support and capacity building, and harnesses communications and outreach tools to disseminate and translate research results to different target audiences.

Phase II of the programme will address four fundamental questions that sit at the heart of the development challenges facing Mozambique over the coming years: (i) What are current trends in poverty, inequality, and gender relations? (ii) What factors constrain private sector dynamics and the creation of quality jobs? (iii) How should Mozambique manage its macro‐economy in a natural resources boom, taking account of recent economic and political shocks? (iv) What initiatives are required to enhance the productivity and resilience of smallholder farmers and respond to climate change? In addressing these key questions, IGM Phase II will uncover ways to strengthen institutions and state capacity to tackle Mozambique’s socio‐economic challenges and will support the Government in its efforts to formulate and implement evidence‐based policies to the benefit of the poorest and most vulnerable groups.

The IGM programme is being implemented since 2015 by the National Directorate of Economic and Development Policies (DNPED) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Mozambique (MEF) and the Centre for Economic and Management Studies (CEEG) of the Faculty of Economics of the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), that joined forces together with two research institutes with extensive international networks and experience, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics (UNU-WIDER) and the Development Economics Research Group at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH-DERG). The long-standing partnership between these four institutions has yielded a significant body of research and analysis designed to orient policies, guide debates, and help allocate resources in the country.

A new mini-documentary on the Inclusive growth in Mozambique programme highlights the main results of Phase I. Please watch it below.