Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development

Inclusive and sustainable economic development is central to reducing poverty and inequality, strengthening social inclusion and addressing the effects of climate change adaptation and mitigation as well as the environmental risks, while creating decent work and productive employment and resilient livelihoods for women and men . It links economic growth with fairness and long-term resilience by expanding access to economic opportunities, supporting greener, more diversified economies, and ensuring that people, businesses, and communities are better able to withstand and adapt to shocks. This approach is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (in particular SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13 – Climate action).

PEM supports governments, development partners and private sector actors in designing, implementing and evaluating policies and programmes that promote inclusive economic development, private sector development, environmentally sustainable and climate smart solutions, while enhancing the quantity and quality of jobs for both women and men.

What we do

  • Improve the regulatory and business enabling environment for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including in fragile and conflict affected settings.
  • Develop more dynamic, inclusive and resilient market systems and value chains to generate sustainable economic opportunities
  • Strengthen market responsive business development services and access to finance that enable firms and farmers to invest, innovate and grow, including SME finance solutions.
  • Enhance the labour market relevance and quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), skills development and lifelong learning, with a focus on youth and women’s economic empowerment.
  • Increase the mobilisation of private investment for development, using blended finance and impact investment approaches that maximise social impact.
  • Support public financial management (PFM) and economic governance reforms that improve domestic resource mobilisation, budget execution and accountability for results.
  • Facilitate inclusive policy dialogue by empowering private sector, informal sector and civil society stakeholders to participate in public-private dialogue and articulate their interests.

Our work is guided by the principles of the UN Global Compact, international standards on decent work, environmental protection and anti corruption, and by a strong commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and to leaving no one behind.

How we work

PEM combines economic development, governance and social and environmental protection expertise to analyse the incentives, institutions and power relations that shape markets, value chains and public policy. Assignments typically blend quantitative and qualitative methods, theory of change-based design, results-based management, participatory stakeholder engagement and public-private dialogue, leading to practical recommendations that can be implemented within real world political and fiscal constraints.

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Monitoring and process evaluation survey on communication in rural business component of MUVI Programme

Services Evaluation
Region Africa
Client Afrikan Image Productions
End Year 2026
Contract Value Large contract
Evaluation of the project supporting the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Initiative

Evaluation of the project supporting the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Initiative

Services Evaluation
Region Global
Client French Development Agency
End Year 2024
Contract Value Small contract
Support to reforms for Municipal Waste Management (MSW) Sector in Ukraine September 2023 – March 2024

Support to reforms for Municipal Waste Management (MSW) Sector in Ukraine September 2023 – March 2024

Services Evaluation
Region Eastern Europe
Client SALAR International
End Year 2024
Contract Value Small contract
Joint Nordic evaluation of contributions to multilateral trust funds scaled

Evaluation of Management of Danish Development Cooperation 20 years after decentralisation

Services Evaluation
Region Global
Client Danish International Development Agency
End Year 2024
Contract Value Large contract
Independent Evaluation of SDCs Performance in Vocational Skills Development 2017 2023 scaled

Independent Evaluation of SDC’s Performance in Vocational Skills Development 2017-2023

Services Evaluation
Region Global
Client Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
End Year 2024
Contract Value Medium contract
Improvement of labour social and environment standards in the Pakistani textile industry Pakistan

Improvement of labour-, social- and environment standards in the Pakistani textile industry, Pakistan

Services Evaluation
Region Asia
Client German Corporation for International Cooperation
End Year 2024
Contract Value Medium contract
Central project evaluation of the project: Good Financial Governance in Zambia III

Central project evaluation of the project: Good Financial Governance in Zambia III

Services Evaluation
Region Africa
Client German Corporation for International Cooperation
End Year 2024
Contract Value Medium contract
Final External Evaluation of Economic Empowerment of Women Farmers Project

Final External Evaluation of Economic Empowerment of Women Farmers Project

Services Evaluation
Region Eastern Europe
Client Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
End Year 2024
Contract Value Small contract
Evaluation of the EIB – AECID partnership in support of SMEs in the Southern Mediterranean

Evaluation of the EIB – AECID partnership in support of SMEs in the Southern Mediterranean

Services Evaluation
Region Global
Client European Investment Bank
End Year 2024
Contract Value Medium contract
Evaluation of Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative Phase IV 1 scaled

Evaluation of Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative, Phase IV

Services Evaluation
Region Oceania
Client Asian Development Bank
End Year 2026
Contract Value Medium contract
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