Profile

Thesis supervisor

• Dr John Hudson

Research topic

• Poverty is the eyes of the beholder: Comparative analysis of community based and means-testing household poverty assessment

PhD objectives

• Compare and contrast poverty indicators used by community (qualitative) with those used in the established quantitative poverty assessment
• Compare and contrast the group of households that determined to be poor by the qualitative and quantitative assessment
• On the basis of the assessment inform policy on how beneficiary households for social assistance can be identified in communities with poor household information  

Research interests

• Poverty analysis and assessment
• Public policy and expenditure analysis
• Project/programme evaluation
• Child labour
• Migration (external and internal) and its impact on household welfare

Biography and previous research

Related research work

• Evaluation of a pilot social assistance project (2007-2008):  The Boston University collaborated with the University of Malawi on this research.  One of the components of the evaluation was to check whether or not the community-committee selected beneficiary households were poor by the standard quantitative poverty assessment.  The report is on;
• Stocktake of social protection initiative in Malawi (2006/7).  This included assessing various targeting mechanisms used by various types of social assistance projects.  The report is on ;
• Moving out of poverty (2005): This was a World Bank global study on poverty following the 2000 Voices of the Poor study. The 2005 study combined quantitative and qualitative methods to assess factors that affect household welfare mobility. Eight tools were used per selected community. The synthesis report is on;
• Targeting the poorest of the poor for Public Health Interventions - This study followed on projects that were provided various social assistance projects to determine how the beneficiaries were identified.  The objective was to come up with a method that would be used to identify beneficiaries of insecticide-impregnated nets.  The report was submitted to UNICEF Malawi Office for their internal use.

Employment and education history

I am currently employed by the University of Malawi as a full-time research fellow at the Centre for Social Research.  I joined the University of Malawi in 1995 from Government of Malawi where I worked as Economist in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development since 1985. I joined the central planning ministry immediately after finishing my first degree and was sent to undertake my Masters degree to enhance my skills as an economist in 1989. 

As a Government economist I worked in transport policy planning and development, macro-economic analysis and planning and commerce and industry policy analysis and development.  As a research fellow I have undertaken over twenty projects covering baseline surveys, project/programme evaluations, policy analysis and development, service costing, public policy process analysis and poverty analysis. The twenty-three years of work has the following highlights.

As a Research Fellow (1995-2008)

• Participating in a study on distribution equity of public resources earmarked for HIV and AIDS activities under the National Aids Commission.  I am working as a counterpart to Professor Arild Schou of the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR)
• Analysed the 2007/8 and 2008/9 budget estimates for health, HIV and AIDS as presented under the Ministry of Health and Population and Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS and all Government funded with HIV and AIDS programmes and produced the following reports under the auspices of the Malawi Health Equity Network that funded the analysis:
  • Quest for equity in resource allocation in the health sector: Budget Analysis of the 2007/8 Health Sector Budget Estimates
  • The paradox of supporters getting more resources than players: Results of an analysis of the 2008/9 health sector budget 
• Participated in the evaluation of Government's Voucher scheme implemented in the 2006/7 growing season as a local counterpart to Dr Rachel Slater of ODI who was responsible for analysing qualitative information collected on stakeholders' assessment of the scheme in particular the targeting mechanisms and access.  The evaluation was undertaken by a consortium of School of Oriental and African Studies, Wadonda Consult, Michigan State University and Overseas Development Institute".  The report is titled "Evaluation of the 2006/7 Agricultural  Input Supply Programme, Malawi: FINAL REPORT"
• Participated in the assessment of Denmark and Netherlands exit strategies used in Malawi as a counterpart to Drs Arne Tostensen and Esther van der Meer under ECORYS Nederland BV and Chr. Michelsen Institute for Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) .  The report produced is titled "A Tale of Two Donors: A Joint Evaluation of Donor Exit Management in Malawi"
• Participated in a World Bank financed stocktake of social protection projects and programmes undertaken in Malawi since 2003/4 as a counterpart to Dr Rachel Slater of ODI
• Participated in the development of Malawi Social protection policy as a Member of Technical Working Committee 
• Participated in a study on distribution of demand-driven projects at district level under Malawi Social Action Fund and National Aids Commission's Umbrella Project.  Worked as a counterpart to Professor Arild Schou of the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR)
• Participated in the evaluation of a pilot cash transfer project in Mchinji District financed by UNICEF and implemented by the District Assembly.   The evaluation is undertaken by the  Boston University of the USA in conjunction with the Centre for Social Research (CSR) of the University of Malawi.  I worked as a counterpart to Dr Candace Miller and was responsible for field management. The evaluation focused on impact, operational and targeting efficiency of the pilot project.  The evaluation twelve months and included three visits to the beneficiary and control households.  
• Co-managed a baseline survey for a child labour prevention project in Dowa and Kasungu for a child labour NGO called Together Ensuring Child Security (TECS) in 2006
• Worked, as a CSR field manager, with Dr Lindsay Mangham of the ODI on a survey on factors motivating public sector registered nurses in Malawi for ODI in 2006.  My institution (CSR) was only responsible for data collection.  Dr Mangham produced a report titled: "Addressing the human resource crisis in Malawi's health sector:  Employment preferences of public sector registered nurses" as an ODI's ESAU Working Paper 18 in 2007.   
• Prepared a Malawi Report on Moving out of Poverty Study in 2006 as part of  a global study managed and funded by the World Bank
• Worked as a counterpart to a 2005 World Bank Mission, comprising Mr Will Wiseman and Ms Erin Bryla, that was looking at the possibility of using weather based insurance as one method of drought response.
• Prepared a research report on Child Domestic Labour in Malawi following a survey for ILO
• Prepared and presented a paper on Competition Regime in Malawi following a survey and literature review
• Prepared and presented a paper on Assessment of Malawi PRSP process under OSSREA funding
• Prepared and presented a Country Paper on Competition in Malawi under CUTS
• Prepared 'Good Practices' in Child Labour-related programmes implemented under the ILO-IPEC programme in Malawi
• Carried out a financial costing of the Saving New-Born Lives Initiative titled Kangaroo Mother Care operating at three hospitals in Malawi (Zomba Central, Lilongwe Bottom and Ekwendeni Mission)
• Prepared a background paper on food security policies and safety nets programme in Malawi for IFPRI
• Prepared a statistical abstract for the fifth round of a panel survey conducted for IFPRI
• Prepared reports on internal and external migration following two separate surveys carried out under auspices of SAMP - a Queens University regional migration project.
• Jointly prepared a report following a study on how to identify the poorest of the poor for public health goods interventions
• Worked as a Counterpart to Dr Ann Weston of the North-South Institute of Canada to review a DFID-funded trade capacity building projects (Malawi Trade Poverty Project, Business Linkages Fund and Business Development Project in 2004
• Worked as a counterpart to Dr Arne Tostensen on a research on the role of research and researchers in policy making in Malawi.  The study undertaken under the auspices of Christian Michelson Institute  (CMI) and University of Oslo.   
• Prepared and presented a paper titled "Poverty and Economic Development in Malawi: A Historical Perspective" at an OSSREA PRSP Review Methodology Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July 2004.
• Carried out a financial costing of PMTCT services and their possible scale up in Malawi in 2004
• Co-evaluated ILO-funded Child Labour Project implemented since 2001 through Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training in 2004
• Participated in the review of MASAF I.  The review was jointly undertaken in 2003 by IDS of the University of Sussex, NIBR of Norway and the Centre for Social Research of the University of Malawi in 2003.
• Participated in the analysis of the food crisis of 2002 that was jointly undertaken in 2003 by IDS of the University of Sussex and the Centre for Social Research of the University of Malawi.
• Prepared Malawi's status regarding the millennium development goals as a leader of a four-member team for the United Nations Development Programme in Malawi in 2002.
• Evaluated a child labour prevention proposal as a leader of a two-member evaluation team under the Development Centre in 2002.  The proposal was submitted for funding by UNICEF to the Norwegian Embassy.
• Presented a paper on the role of a journalist in the monitoring of the PRSP to a group of journalists during a training workshop on the Malawi PRSP in 2002
• Presented a paper on qualitative methods for monitoring and evaluation in the context of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper during a workshop on the development of a monitoring and evaluation system for the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper in 2002
• Participated in the PRSP formulation as a Member of the Poverty Profile and Monitoring Thematic Working Group, Task Force member of the Poverty and Macroeconomic Linkages and a member of the PRSP drafting team from February 2001 to April 2002.
• Jointly conducted an analysis of the stakeholder participation in the development of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Paper under the auspices of ODI (with Dr Robert Jenkins) and Christian Michelson Institute (Dr Arne Tostensen) of Norway in 2001 and 2002, respectively  
• Conducted an extensive literature review on Social Policy in Malawi and also prepared a report on Fiscal Sustainability of Social Policy in Malawi under the IDS-CSR Research Programme on Social Policy in Southern Africa in 2001
• Implemented a panel study on socio-economic characteristics of households for poverty dynamics analysis under the auspices of the Government's Poverty Monitoring System from 2000 to 2003 and produced two statistical abstracts for the first round and the first three rounds. 
• Conducted a nationally representative survey on the public opinion of Malawians on democracy and economic Governance in 1999 as part of a two-member team but produced the survey report as a sole author.
• Conducted a nationally representative survey on living and working conditions of estate tobacco tenants. The study tested the hypotheses that (i) tenants mostly work under unfavourable contractual arrangements, and (ii) child labour is common amongst tenants and estate workers.
• Coordinated the drafting of the initial country report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of a Child.  I also contributed in writing the chapter on education and edited the report.
• Contributed a paper titled Policy Environment for Gender and Development as part of the Beijing + 5 Malawi Country Report.
• Contributed three papers HIV/AIDS and Population , Security and Development and Irrigation Development to the Policy Analysis Initiative under the Office of the Vice President.
• Conducted a survey on community and household coping strategies in Blantyre Urban and Zomba Rural as part of two-member team.  The survey was investigating strategies employed by households and communities in times of shocks like the devaluation of February 1998.
• Conducted a review of social safety net programs in Malawi as part of a joint Government and Donor effort to develop a national safety nets strategy and program for Malawi.
• Prepared and presented a paper titled "Review of Past and Present Development Programs and Policies in Malawi" at a Center for Social Research Priority Setting Workshop.
• Analysed public expenditure on health to determine the major expenditure items and trends over the 1986-1998 period.
• Worked for GtZ on a four-month panel study on Social Security Systems in Malawi involving five Dutch students and five Malawian graduates.  My roles were to assist in the analysis of the findings during review workshops and after the study compile a summary report of the study on the basis of the reports from the student researchers.
• Coordinated the drafting of the second Malawi Country Report on the implementation of the 20/20 Initiative.  This involved coordinating a team of Government officials.  This role meant providing direction on what data to look for, sources of the data and the drafting of the relevant parts of the report.  I also drafted the introduction, a chapter on macroeconomics and edited the report.
• Member of a three-member team charged with drawing up a poverty monitoring research policy and an operational definition of poverty for Malawi.
• Reviewed the operations of existing drug revolving funds as a leader of a three-member team.  This involved visiting drug revolving funds to evaluate their performance and presenting the findings during a national symposium on DRFs where guidelines for the training of managers of the drug revolving funds were developed.
• Analysed public expenditure over a period of ten years to determine whether expenditure in social sectors and in particular basic social services was in line with the 20/20 Initiative as part of the monitoring of the implementation of the 20/20 Initiative.
• Co-evaluated a savings and credit scheme for poor women implemented by FINCA Malawi.
• Co-evaluated a food-for-work program implemented by World Vision Malawi in Chapananga area, Chikwawa.
• Jointly conducted a baseline socio-economic survey in the areas of Liwaladzi and Kasitu in Nkhotakota District for the Smallholder Sugar Authority.  This included interviewing and discussing with a sample of smallholders on their views about the management of the authority.
• Participated in the development of the Malawi Vision 2020, as a Member of the Working Group.  I was involved in consulting the stakeholders in three Chiradzulu, Mulanje and Blantyre districts, apart from participating in the Working Groups' meetings.
• Prepared status reports on education, health and social development as part of a proposed Country Strategy Note (CSN) for the UN system in Malawi.
• Participated in a study on Promoting and Protecting the Access of Children to Basic Services particularly Education and Health in Urban Areas (Blantyre and Lilongwe).  I was responsible for Blantyre City.

As a Government Economist (1985-1995)

• Prepared terms of reference for a study on economic development potential of local authorities under the Local Government Development Programme
• Participated, as a member of the team, in the finalisation of the Policy Framework for Poverty Alleviation.
• Calculated civil service wages and salaries and their impact on the budget as part of the Secretariat of the Commission of Inquiry on the Civil Service Conditions of Service.
• Conducted a study on Retail Trade of Agricultural Inputs in Malawi in Ntchisi and Ntcheu districts.
• Participated in the production of the report "Trickle-Up Growth: A Development Strategy for Poverty Reduction" as a leader of a Malawi counterpart team to the Harvard Institute for International Development economic policy review team
• Participated in the drafting of Malawi's Policy Letter on a Cross Border Initiative for the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-region as a member of a three-man task-force
• Participated in the analysis of David Whitehead and Sons accounts as part of a technical committee that advised a Policy Committee on strategies needed to keep the company afloat.
• Assessed, as a member of a three-man study team commissioned by Government, the possible impact of lifting a ban on the importation of second-hand clothing in the country on the local textile manufacturing industry.
• Participated in the privatization of WICO, David Whitehead and Sons and Auction Holdings Limited.
• Participated in the negotiations for the treaty establishing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
• Carried out a study to review the car hire and taxi policies and operations.  This involved interviewing taxi operators and drivers in all the major towns.
• Carried out a study examining the feasibility of separating lake services operations from rail operations.
• Conducted a study, as part of a member of a three-man study team, on Kaziwiziwi coal transportation.
• Contributed to the drafting of the following official papers: (a) Transport Means for Rural Areas; (b) Malawi Transport Policy Issues
• Assessed, as a team member, the economic impact of a rural transport project called District Roads Improvement and Maintenance Project (DRIMP) in Kasungu.

Policy/Strategy Development Participation

• Social Protection Policy - Technical Committee member - 2007-8
• Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation Master Plan - Technical Committee member in 2002-3
• Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper - Poverty profiling, Macroeconomics Framework Task Force and Drafting Technical Working Groups member
• Micro-finance Policy - Technical Committee Member
• Commerce and Industry Policy - Technical Committee Member
• Malawi Vision 2020 - Technical Working Group Member
• Policy Framework for the Poverty Alleviation Programme - Drafting team member

Baseline Surveys Conducted

• Child Labour Prevention Project in Katalima (Dowa District) and Suza (Kasungu District) areas in 2006 for an NGO called Together Ensuring Child Security (TECS)
• Child Labour Elimination Programme in Mzimba, Kasungu, Dowa and Mangochi districts in 2003 commissioned by the ILO's Integrated Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) 
• Smallholder Sugar Production project Commissioned by the Smallholder Sugar Authority in 1995

Programme/Project Evaluations Conducted

• GoM/UNICEF's Mchinji Social Cash Transfer Pilot Project - Field manager working with Boston University (Draft Reports produced)
• FINCA Micro-credit project - One of a two-member team in 1998 
• World Vision Malawi's Food for Work Project in Chapananga area - One of a two-member team in 1998

Selected short-term training 

• Poverty and Economic Growth, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia by WBI/ECA (June 1999)
• Poverty, Inequality and Labour Markets, Cape Town, South Africa by Africa Economic Research Consortium (May 1998) 
• Poverty and Public Policy, Pretoria, South Africa by EDI/ECA.  (February 1998) 
• National Economic Management in Southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa by EDI and University of Cape Town. (April-May 1995) 
• Techniques of Financial Analysis and Programming, Washington DC by IMF Institute (March-June 1992)

Publications

Survey/Research Reports Produced

• The paradox of supporters getting more resources than players: Results of an analysis of the 2008/9 health sector budget.  June 2008
• Quest for equity in resource allocation in the health sector: Budget Analysis of the 2007/8 Health Sector Budget Estimates. July 2007
• Malawi Country Report on Moving Out Poverty in 2006 as part of a World Bank 15-country study.  The study investigated the factors that influence community and household mobility in and out of poverty
• Child Domestic Labour in Malawi following a survey commissioned by ILO
• Good Practices in Combating Child labour in the Agricultural Sector - This is a 2005 compilation of good practices presented by ILO IPEC's Project Implementers in Malawi
• Food Security Policies and Safety Nets Programme in Malawi - Background paper commissioned by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFRPI)
• Migration and Poverty in Malawi - produced in 2005 as part of a regional project focusing on the role of migration (internal and external) on poverty under the Southern Africa Migration Project (SAMP) run by the Queens University (Canada)
• Migration and Remittances - produced in 2005 as part of a regional project focusing on the role of remittances on household livelihoods under the Southern Africa Migration Project (SAMP) run by the Queens University (Canada)
• Targeting the Poorest of the Poor for Public Health Interventions - Produced following a study commissioned by Malawi UNICEF office
• Malawi 2002 Report of the Status of the Millennium Development Goals - Study conducted by a 4-member  team and commissioned by the Malawi UNDP office
• Fiscal sustainability of social policy in Malawi
• Malawi Report on Public Perceptions on Democracy and Economic Governance - Produced as Afrobarometer Working Paper 23 in 2000
• Malawi Report on the Status of the Rights of A Child - Worked as the editor of the report and co-author of the right to education under the Ministry responsible for child affairs.  Report was produced in 1999.
• Evaluation of Malawi's implementation of the 20/20 Compact

Papers presented

• Social protection in Malawi.  Presented to Chairpersons of Parliamentary Committees December 2007 under the auspices of the Institute of Policy Research and Interaction
• Malawi PRSP - Presented at University of Glasgow Seminar in 2006
• Assessment of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper - Presented at OSSREA Research Dissemination Workshop in 2005
• Poverty and Economic Development in Malawi: A Historical Perspective - Presented at OSSREA Project Planning meeting in 2004
• Fiscal Sustainability of Malawi's Social Policy - presented at IDS of the University of Sussex in 2003 during a Social Policy Conference
• Review of Past and Current Development Programs and Policies in Malawi and the Role of Research in Policy Formulation - Presented at Centre for Social Research Priority Setting Workshop in 1998

Papers prepared

• Assessment of the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper - under Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA)
• Competition Regime in Malawi - under Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS)
• Malawi: Are PRSPs Making a Difference?  The African Experience in Development Policy Review Volume 21, Number 2 March 2003 ODI as co-author
• Chapter 4: Malawi in Fighting Poverty in Africa (as co-author) Edited by David Booth - Overseas Development Institute
• Chapters 3, 4 and 5: In the Smoking Business: The Tobacco Tenants in Malawi (as co-author) edited by Liv Torres - Fafo 2000