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This project aims to evaluate obstacles to competition regimes, develop stakeholder capacity, establish communication channels, and promote a healthy competition culture in select West African countries. It includes research, dialogues, advocacy, networking, and training over a duration of 24 months.
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Strengthening Constituencies for Effective Competition Regimes in Select West African Countries(7Up4 Project)PROJECT OVERVIEW Presentation at NRG-I Meeting September-October 2008
Project Features • Countries – Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal & Togo • Duration – 24 months • Components – Research, Dialogues & Advocacy, Networking, Training • Approach – Research-based advocacy through a participatory process • Beneficiaries – Civil Society, Government & Business Community
Project Objectives • Evaluate obstacles to evolving national competition regimes • Develop capacity of national stakeholders to appreciate competition concerns • Establish communication channels between civil society-business-government • Provide inputs into evolving competition legislations • Elucidate linkage between competition and other public policy issues • Identify a core group of national stakeholders with aptitude for competition and regulatory policy issues • Develop linkages between national stakeholders and global networks/coalitions • Promote a healthy competition culture
Outputs • Enhanced knowledge on competition policy and consumer welfare • Accelerate evolution and implementation of national competition regimes, with civil society’s inputs • Continuous dialogue between government-civil society-business community on economic and regulatory policy • Credibility of civil society organizations asserted as ‘actors’ in national competition reforms • The international community made aware of the need to promote a healthy competition culture in country/region.
Outcomes • Profile of competition policy within the context of national development raised. • Process to establish effective national competition regimes, evolved. • Promotion of a healthy competition culture in countries/region.
Activities • Groundwork: Preparation, Partnerships, Launch Meeting, • Research: Analysis of the state of competition in project countries (legal, policy and practice) • Specific Research Areas: political economy constraints, natural monopolies, agriculture markets, national Vs regional competition legislation, competition perception analysis • Research Outputs: PCP, CRR, Perception Assessment • Advocacy and Dialogues: NRG meetings (periodical, output oriented) – policy advocacy • Trainings: National and Regional • Outreach: Information dissemination within countries, region, international level (articles, e-newsletter, postings, representations, networking)
Research Phase • Preliminary Country Papers (PCPs) – base paper on the state of competition regimes in countries • Country Research Report (CRR) – - Social and Economic policies affecting competition - Political Economy Constraints - Nature of Market Competition - Sectoral Policies (and institutions) and Competition - Competition in select agro-products market - Natural Monopolies and Competition - National Vs Regional Competition Legislation - Competition Perception Assessment Periodical review and refinement of the PCP and CRR before finalisation by project team and interested NRG members
National Dialogues and Advocacy • Identifying a group of key national stakeholders (NRG) • NRG: review project outputs, provide feedback, policy advice NRG Meetings - NRG-I: Introduction to project + Discuss PCP findings - NRG-II: Discuss the Draft CRR + Identify training needs - NRG-III: Review the project outputs and deliberate on the ‘way ahead’ • Identifying specific policy advocacy issues based on research findings (evidence based policy advocacy)
Trainings • 2 Regional & 7 National Trainings • Trainings • Duration: 3 days • Agenda: need-based and demand driven • Participants: Multi-stakeholders (national) and Practitioners (regional) • Resource Persons: Experts and Scholars (international) • Topics: Basics of Competition Policy and Law, Competition Analysis, Competition enforcement (VR, HR, AoD, Cartels, etc.), Competition & Sectoral Regulation, Competition and Consumer Protection
Outreach • E-newsletter (news and project progress) • Occasional publications – briefing papers, policy briefs, articles (newspaper, CUTS newsletter, etc.) • Representations in international events • Reference in papers, research work, etc. • Personal communications, group discussions on relevant issues • Circulation of project report, etc., globally
Management & Administration • Overall responsibility – CUTS (Project Team) • Guidance – Project Advisory Committee (PAC), Project Adviser • Research guidance – Research Adviser • Country-level Activities – Country Partners • Coordination – CUTS HQ + CUTS Africa Resource Centres in Kenya and Zambia
Thank You Rijit Sengupta Email: rsg@cuts.org Web: www.cuts-ccier.org Phone: +91 98292 85928