INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY

The Economic and Social Research Consortium - Consorcio de Investigación Económica y Social (CIES) is an umbrella organization with over 30 institutional members among Peruvian academic, research and governmental institutions, and NGOs. The consortium was created in 1989 with Canadian support. Initially, it was named Consorcio de Investigación Económica (CIE) given its focus on only economic issues, and it consisted of five members.

A new CIES began its activities in 1999, building on the achievements of the previous ten years. CIES emphasizes the following aspects in the social and economic research it supports: quality, policy relevance and impact; the association between researchers, policy makers and other potential users of the results; competitive allocation of funding and research conducted through networks and multidisciplinary teams. It also seeks collaborative partnerships with academic institutions in Canada, USA and other countries (especially in the Andean region) and supports the training of researchers. Additionally CIES disseminates research results through seminars, publications, internet and the media. From 1999 to 2002, CIES has supported more than 150 research projects carried out by its associates and raised funds in excess of US$ 4.1 million. Policy research funded by CIES has influenced macroeconomic policy, health reform, teachers training, and official estimates of poverty among other public policies and programs