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This independent evaluation draws on case study country analysis from Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) processes in five countries (Benin, Malawi, Morocco, Sierra Leone and Uganda) representing a range of different institutional and policy contexts. The evaluation confirms that PSIA fulfills an important function of influencing donor operations and policy advice, while government policy frameworks and programmes emerge through complex political processes involving government actors, donor partners and civil society.

The evaluation finds the PSIAs played variable but often significant parts in influencing an ongoing policy processes. In some instances, the PSIA analysis influenced the direction of policy debates within a complex set of relations across government, civil society and donor communities. In other cases the PSIA process itself was important in bringing new voices into the policy debate and in strengthening government appreciation for the role of evidence in designing “pro-poor” policy. A third area where an impact was noted was in the role of capacity building and development of institutions and actors within the PSIA process, strengthening the potential for PSIA to become a more effective and embedded policy analysis tool.

It identified areas for future UNDP support – institutional and methodological. While recommending UNDP (as well as other international organizations and donors) to step back, the evaluation recognized the important role in supporting improved management and institutionalization of PSIAs in a more disciplined, transparent and inclusive policy process. Donor partners can also provide methodological support for nationally-led PSIA. This includes capacity building and development for improving the mix of methods and data sources used for PSIA, improving information flows and strengthening the interpretation of PSIA evidence for policy analysis. The findings for each individual case study were presented:

The PSIA in Benin elicited quantitative perception data to look at the impact of a pilot programme conducted in preparation for national land reform, with additional institutional, social and legal analysis of the broader land reform context conducted. It concluded that the pilot programme had resulted in a positive impact on local perceptions of land management practices and other land-related questions.

The PSIA in Malawi looked at the potential poverty and distributional impacts of proposed private sector participation in urban water sector reform in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe. The study came up with important recommendations recommending that the two Water Boards should not be “concessioned” to the private sector, while prioritising future diversification of micro level distribution, underpinned by strengthened regulation.

The PSIA in Morocco analysed the distributional impacts of a tariff reform in the water sector that had sparked public protests in the country in 2006. It involved quantitative analysis of existing household survey data and an additional qualitative survey of perceptions of the impact of tariff changes on water accessibility.

The PSIA in Sierra Leone combined quantitative and qualitative analysis to examine the distributional impacts of three policy areas: agricultural extension services; construction of feeder roads; and a reduction in the rice import tariff form 15 to 10 percent. The PSIA concluded that provision of extension services and feeder roads were good policies but needed to be complemented by investment in inputs and credit to smallholders and domestic marketing systems.

The PSIA in Uganda analysed the likely distributional impacts of the Uganda’s National Land Use Policy. Amongst its findings it recommended that customary land ownership be strengthened to protect the land use rights of vulnerable groups and that systematic demarcation should be rolled to all districts to avoid land disputes.