Zimbabwe Strategic Economic Research and Analysis (SERA) Program

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Southern Africa/Office of Acquisition and Assistance, intends to award a four-year contract to implement the Zimbabwe Strategic Economic Research and Analysis (SERA) program. Implementation of the SERA Program through this contract will have three objectives: 1. Working with public sector agencies, the private sector and civil society organizations to perform economic policy reform analyses that will improve the policy and regulatory environment. Poverty reduction and increased employment within a supportive macro-economic environment (emphasizing small business development, trade, investment and intellectual property rigths, agriculture and land reform, and socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and mainstreaming gender in the policy programs) are the ultimate objective. Reform of social safety net policies and programs are also a priority. 2. Working with Zimbabwean policy development institutions, and through employing both formal and informal training mechanisms, build Zimbabwean capacity for policy reform concerning selected priority issues relevant to improving the economic policy environment in ZImbabwe. 3. Working with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), provide targeted support to the collection of data, production of statistics and their dissemination.