EDS First supports evidence based economic analysis and good governance activities that require the adoption of policies and regulatory settings for managing the economy. Economic governance encompasses the broad areas of macro and microeconomic public policy. Regional cooperation through the development of regional rules and institutions also contribute to economic governance and can make substantial contribution to development outcomes.

Good Governance

Governance work has spaned a wide range of topics, countries and clients. Examples include:

  • Work for ADB in Azerbaijan with the Ministry of Finance on tax and customs concessions and incentives.
  • For DFAT assessed the effectiveness of Tuvalu’s multi-Donor Policy Reform Program (PRM), and evaluated the reforms impact on macroeconomic and Public Financial Management (PFM).
  • Supported the World Bank and the Myanmar Government to develop reform policies for the Banking sector.

Issues of governance have often been incorporated into program design, M&E and PSD work. Examples of EDS First work in this area include:

  • Work for the ADB during the Asia Financial Crisis. This included designing and supporting reforms in Indonesia during its financial crisis in 1998.
  • From 2006 to 2009 providing technical support for AusAID in the identification, design and implementation of a range of economic support programs across the Asia Pacific region.
  • In late 2009, EDS First supported government reform in Pakistan for improving industrial policy and advising on appropriate “transformation” policies to improve employment and growth of SMEs and to increase non-resource sector investments.

Regional Cooperation

EDS First’s expert associates have over the decades made meaningful contribution to regional cooperation. Examples include:

  • EDS First provided team leadership for the design of:
    • East ASEAN Initiative (focused on regional integration);
    • ASEAN-Australia Development Corporation Program II (focus on achieving ASEAN’s Economic Community (i.e. economic integration);
    • The Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Economic Governance (AIPEG); and
    • The mechanism for Economic Cooperation in the ASEAN Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (a regional FTA).
  • Contributing to the design of Pacer Plus Implementation Unit that supports the implementation of the agreement. The PACER Plus Agreement is a regional trade and development agreement signed in 2017 by 11 Pacific countries.
  • Developing an M&E framework and training for the AANZFTA ASEAN Economic Cooperation Support Program focused on enabling ASEAN members achieve conditions in regional FTAs specifically related to closer regional cooperation and integration.

Economic analysis

EDS First has specialised in providing economic analysis for a range of clients. Examples include:

  • Developing for the Government of Myanmar case studies and lessons learnt from other regional countries process of decentralization of investment decision making and make recommendations to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) and Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA).
  • Provide ongoing advice to DFAT for a proposed Climate Finance Fund, aimed at catalysing/leveraging private sector investment in climate change mitigation/adaptation projects across South East Asia & Pacific.
  • A WTO publication on the relationship between trade and poverty reduction in the Asia-Pacific region with case-studies on the relationship between trade policy and agriculture, services, gender, MNCs and labour mobility.
  • EDS First experts have also conducted a number of labour market studies over recent years in the Pacific region, the most recent being an ongoing program for the Government of Kiribati.