Socio-Economics (Influencing Enabling Environment)

The Socio-Economics Programme is referred to as Programme 2 - Influencing Enabling Environment under the recently realigned organisational structure of NARI. This Programme is one of the six and operates within the wider institute framework complementing and supporting other programmes in their research and development efforts. It is a national level programme responsible for conducting research in economics, marketing, rural sociology, and statistics to help influencing enabling environment and thus contributing to the overall strategic objective of the Institute. 

The main thrust of this Programme is to take stock of existing socio-economic and agro-bio-physical environments and their parameters, help develop priority and high impact research portfolios, understand and project environmental needs of improved technologies, design appropriate strategies and policies for influencing such environment and develop and utilise appropriate approaches and methods for planning, monitoring and impact assessment. These needs are addressed through various areas of research such as socio-economics and socio-cultural constraints and opportunity analysis, impact assessment, market studies, innovation systems studies, policy and strategic research.

Sub-Programmes
The Influencing Enabling Environment Programme has six sub-programmes as follows:

Sub-Programme 1 - Socio-Economic Research
Sub-Programme 2 - Research Planning and Programme Development 
Sub-Programme 3 - Market and Marketing System Research
Sub-Programme 4 - Policy, Strategic Research and Planning
Sub-Programme 5 - Planning, Monitoring and Impact Assessment 
Sub-Programme 6 - Capacity Building

Current Activities

1. "Improving marketing efficiency, postharvest management and value addition of sweet potato in PNG.” (ASEM/2006/035)
2. Strategic Planning
3. Monitoring and Evaluation
4. Integrated Assessment of Trade-Related Policies and Biological Diversity in the Agriculture Sector with a Focus on Sweet Potato and Taro.
5. Planning, conducting and data analysis of ARISED survey in the Western Province
6. Vegetable markets studies in Port Moresby
7. Impact assessment of technology dissemination under the resource centre programmes in the Southern  Region
8. Technology assessment (cost benefit analysis, gross margins analysis & sensitivity analysis of sweet potato ensiling operation)
9. For Feed Mill Modelling and Impact Assessment of new technology (cost benefit analysis, data collection of prices of crops and feed ingredients, inflation & food indexes, capital and operational cost items, feed technology assessment)
10. Assessment of current egg production technology at Labu, will expand to other livestock as well

Planned Activities
1. Impact Assessment Approaches and Methodologies
2. Finalisation of the M&E Framework

Staff
The Socio-Economics Programme is coordinated from the NARI Head Office in Lae, Morobe Province.  The following is the strengthen and distribution of programme staff at present:

Dr. Keshav Kshirsagar, Principle Economist - NARI Head Office
Mr. Joshua Ryan, Snr. M&E Officer/Economist - NARI Head Office
Ms. Nora Omot, Snr. Economist - On study leave
Mr. Clifton Gwabu, Resource Economist - Southern Regional Centre, Laloki, Central Province
Ms. Millicent Yalu, Economist - Livestock Research Centre, Labu, Morobe Province
Mr. Eleo Dowa, Cadet Economist - NARI Head Office


For further information, contact:

Socio-Economics Programme
NARI Head Quarters
Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre
Kana Aburu Haus
P.O Box 4415
Lae 411, Morobe Province
Papua New Guinea

Phone: (675) 475 1444
Fax: (675) 475 1450
Email: narihq@nari.org.pg