12 February 2010

LONDON, UK – UNICON awarded EBRD contract to study an Impact of EBRD's Operations on Living Standards in Transition Countries.

This project is a set of studies looking into the poverty situation and impact of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) operations in the Early Transition Countries (ETC). It consists of five studies that are aimed at providing EBRD and its Donors with a better understanding of the incidence of poverty in the region, the relationships between EBRD operations and household incomes and living conditions, and the positioning of EBRD transition objectives in broader strategies aimed at economic development and poverty reduction.

The project will consist of 5 investigations into how EBRD operations impact upon communities. They will enable EBRD and its Donors to take stock of the current poverty situation in the ETC region and identify how the transition impact of EBRD operations translates into household income and poverty alleviation effects.

The five studies to be carried out are as follows:

1. Characteristics of poverty in the ETC Region: This study will document the characteristics of poverty in each of the ETC countries, including recent trends in household incomes.
2. Alignment of EBRD Transition Objectives with National Priorities: This study will assess where the transition objectives of EBRD projects fit in to the overall economic development and poverty reduction plans in each ETC country by reviewing the transition objectives of Bank operations and placing them in the context of national development priorities.
3. Low Income Communities and EBRD Operations in the ETC Region: The purpose of this study is to document the initiatives and actions that have been taken by EBRD to address low income situations and to assess the outcomes of these initiatives. The study will summarise how the design, structuring and location of selected EBRD operations have reflected the economic situation of local communities.
4. Pathways of Transmission - How EBRD Operations Affect Household Incomes: The purpose of this study is clarify understanding of the role of the market economy in poverty alleviation, the pathways through which EBRD operations may affect household incomes and living conditions, and the factors that condition the pace and strength of impacts.
5. Synthesis Report: The Synthesis Report will draw together the main findings of Studies 1 to 4, feeding the results of Study 4 into the main question analysed in Study 1. It will identify factors that have the potential to strengthen the broader impact of EBRD operations.

Early Transition Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.