Course Objectives: To develop students' ability to think analytically and apply economic principles to the analysis of national policy issues. To expose students to some of the major national policy issues confronting agricultural economists in Zimbabwe.

Course Approach: To provide students with a background in formulating a general framework and approach to policy analysis, giving examples of techniques/methodologies which can be applied. To encourage students to think independently and to use their initiative and common sense. The main emphasis will be on analyzing issues a priori and assessing the direction of the impacts, using economic principles.

Course Assessment: The final exam will account for 67% of the overall mark. The balance (33%) will be taken from work during the year. This will be made up of 3 essays and 1 test in Term 1. Two essays and one debate in Term 2 and one seminar on the policy issues of your Special Studies in Term 3.

You are reminded that references and citations are very important in the presentation of scientific papers. In addition to content, marks will be given for logical presentation, good referencing and citation and initiative and originality shown in literature searches.

You are required to have all course work available for presentation to the external examiner at the end of the year.

Term 1: Essay 1 by 30th April.
             Essay 2 by 8th May
             Essay 3 by 29th May
             Test will be 29th May.

Term 2: Essay 4 by 16th July
             Debate notes by 29th July
             Essay 5 by 27th August

      Seminar Dates: To be determined.

Practical Sessions: Monday afternoons shared with AGEC 306.

      Term 1 AGEC 301 practicals will be:
              Mon 25th March -- course introduction and outlines
              Mon 1st April - Use of literature and CD rom facilities    and ordering
              Mon 20th May -- Agricultural Policy issues in Zimbabwe
              Mon 27th May -- revision of PAMs
Course Times
Normally AGEC 301 lectures are
0900-1000 on Tuesdays in Sem Room 1 and 1000-1100 on Wednesdays in LT2

Course Outline
Term 1
Weeks 1-6:
Introduction to Policy Analysis (Hallet; Tweeten; Timmer, Falcon & Pearson) Welfare Analysis, the reasons for interverrtion.
      Specific policy interventions and mechanisms for intervention
      A Framework for analysing the impacts of interventions
      The Goals of Policy
      An overview of the Policy Issues in Zimbabwe (Mandaza; Muir    various of esp. in 1AAE and in LTC; Rukmni various of esp.   LTC and Rukuni and Eicher; World Bank Sector Memorandum)

Weeks 7-10:
      Some techniques for measuring the ef5ciency impacts of policy   interventions, using price policy
      analysis.
      Price Policy Analysis (Timmer, Falcon k Pearson)
      Border Prices (Timmer)
      Social Accounting Matrix (Monke and Pearson)

Term 2
Weeks 1-3:
Applying the PAM to the analysis of other national objectives - the MOPAM
      Explore the implications- of these objectives: equity; employment;  food self-suffciency (security); sustainability (Jansen   (Malawi); Muir in IAAE; Takavarasha (thesis).
                                                                                       Weeks 4-10:
      Analysis of policy issues relevant to Zimbabwe - revisit the rationale for intervention and assessing the costs and benefits of intervention.
Required text as background: Rukuni and Eicher
         Land
         Irrigation
         Marketing Systems
         Infrastructure
         Research and Extension
         Technology
         Credit
         Campfire

Term 3
Weeks 1: Trade, Regional Trade and Security Strategies for Staple
         Commodities
    2-3: Macro-economic policies and ESAP
    4-6: Revision

AGRICULTURAL POLICY ANALYSIS
 AGEC 301 -- 1995 -- Course Co-ordinator Dr. K. Muir-Leresche

 Course Objectives: The course is designed to give an overall
 appreciation of the economic factors which affect agriculture.

 The course is designed to improve your skills of scholarship and
 develop your ability to research, discuss and  analyze contemporary
 public policy issues relevant to agriculture.  There is no time to
 cover all available  methodologies,  instead students will   be
 required to learn to analyze the problem  and assess  the direction
 of the impacts, using economic criteria.

 Coursework Objectives: To encourage students to participate in
 debate on national  issues;   to  give  students  experience   in
 researching an issue and putting forward ideas and options; to give
 students experience in gathering information and to  highlight some
 of the institutional and policy  problems in  Zimbabwe.   The total
 coursework will count for 33% of your final exam mark.   There will
 be 4 essays, 1 test, 1 debate  and 1  term paper.  Out of 100% for
 coursework, the essays will  be worth  15% each  and the  test and
 debate 5> each.  The term paper will be worth 30% You are reminded
 that references  and  citations   are   very   important   in   the
 presentation of scientific papers.   In addition to content, marks
 will be given   for   good referencing   and   citation,   clear
 presentation, a  well  organized  paper  and  initiative  shown  in
 researching the subject.  Credit will also be given for originality
 in the literature searches.

 All term papers and assignments MUST be handed in for inspection by
 the external examiner at the end of the year.

 First Term Assignments:

      Literature review.  You are expected to consult the main UZ
 library, the RIC and other sources.
 You are expected to write 4 essays of approximately 5-8 pages each.
 3/4 of the essay reviewing the literature (summarizing what the
 various authors have to say about the meaning of the concept) and
 the final quarter giving the interpretation which you consider will
 have the most relevance to Zimbabwe.

      Equity
      Food Security
 The above two to be handed on Friday 28th April.

      Employment
      Sustainability
 The above two to be handed on Wednesday 24th May.

 ANY essay which is late for whatever reason will have 50% deducted.
 any essay which is later than 3 days will receive 0%

E. Monke and Scott Pearson  (1989) The Policy Analysis Matrix for
 Agricultural Development Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, USA.
 Required reading for the course: To be read as follows: order:
 Chaps 1, 3, 13 (p.p. 255-260) 2, 4, 5 & 13 all. Ch.6-12 reference

 Tweeton, L.  (1989) Agricultural policy Analysis Tools for Economic
 Development Westview Press, Boulder Colorado.
 Required Reading for the course: Chapter 1, Chap.6 Chap 13
      Recommended: Chaps 11,12 and 13.

 In addition the following required readings with many copies in the
 RIC in the Filing Cabinet for 301 readings
 Stiglitz: Framework for Economic Policy Analysis
 Streeton:  Multiplicity of Objectives
 Streeton:  What are Price Policies?
 Tweeten: Classical Welfare Analysis (see above Chap 6)
 Timmer:  The Relationship Between Price Policy and Food Marketing
 Timmer: Price Policy Analysis: The Partial Equilibrium Framework
 ***   Timmer, Falcon and Pearson Domestic Markets and Price Policy
      p.p. 189-202 (Chap 4)
 Timmer:  The Border Price as an Efficiency Standard
 Zansen:  Zim. Manufacturing Sector Study Vol. 1 Chaps 1 and 2 and
 the others for reference.

 Course Outline
 Week 1:
 Brief review of the meaning and desirability of economic
 development; national objectives including food security
 What is policy?  why intervene?  when is it justified -- include
 discussions on  the  growth/equity  trade-off  and  briefly  revise
 Welfare Economics.
      Hallet, Chaps 1, 2 and 14.
      Tweeten, L.  "Classical Welfare Analysis"
      Rose  (ed) Chaps by Faber and Green, Colclough, Faucher,
           Morrisson and Lipton.
 Week 2:
 Consider specific agricultural policy interventions and mechanisms
 for intervention
 How to begin to establish a framework for analysing agricultural
 policy interventions
      "Policy Analysis and Planning Notes" -- Introduction
      Timmer, Falcon and Pearson, PG 189-211
      Rose (ed) as above

 Weeks 3 - 5: The Goals of Policy
 Students to carry out literature reviews.  Class discussions
 National policy objectives: Growth, Equity, Employment, Food
 Security, Sustainability.  (see Muir thesis Chap 2 and the general
 reading list).

Weeks 6-10:
 The main example of analysis of policy will be carried out using
 price policy analysis.   The initial goal will be set to maximize
 efficiency and then the  efficiency costs  of achieving  other goals
 will be given.   Detailed readings will be given at that time but
 the following texts are useful.

 Border prices -Timmer

 Policy Analysis Matrix - Monke and Pearson; Byerlee; Jansen

 TERM 2 and 3 - detailed outline to follow
 Other Agricultural Policies and Institutional Relationships
 Land, Credit, Extension, Research, Natural Resources etc
 Food Security, Employment, Sustainability etc
 Trade Policies and Agriculture revisited
 Macro-economic policies.
 The Policy Analysis course will be directly related to
 Zimbabwe throughout. Whilst some specific skills are taught the
 emphasis is on training students to approach each situation openly
 and to  develop  a  simple  model  shoving  the  links  between  the
 particular policy  and  its  impacts  on  the  allocation  and
 distribution of resources.