The main objectives of this programme is to Impart targeted policy actors with knowledge on contemporary features of government and donor policies for them to understand consequences of these policies to their organizations and or activities. It also aims at providing opportunities for targeted policy actors to discuss and make recommendations to policy makers in Tanzania, within the African region and international whose decision have a bearing on different aspects of the livelihoods of Tanzanians. The Programme employs an approach in which individual training activities are designed in response to training needs assessments.

Past trainees have been exposed to new policy concepts such as Sector Wide Approaches; Public Expenditure Reviews and Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks Enable policy actors. In perspective, ESRF will cover not only Tanzanian issues, but create a comparative framework for the whole area of the Eastern and Southern Africa, where the need for such activities obviously exists.

This is done through visiting fellowship and attachment programmes to allow individuals to familiarize with research techniques relevant to economic and social policy analysis. Postgraduate and undergraduate students from reputable international and local universities and institutions have benefited from this programme. The Programme offers visiting fellowships, senior officials from government, private sector and non governmental organizations with tools and techniques for effective economic and social policy analysis. Beneficiaries of the Mentoring Programme include those from the Ministry of Planning, Economy and Empowerment, Ministry of Finance and other Government Departments.

The Technical and Consultancy Services involves providing direct inputs to policy formulation, implementation and review, via task forces and through sector and project based consultancies. Such work has been carried out for several Government Ministries and donors in Tanzania; the World Bank; Secretariat of the East African Community, and a considerable number of International and local non governmental organizations as well as private sector organizations inside and outside Tanzania.

We may not be able to measure major impact or changes in the existing policies but based on Evaluations forms that are filled at any training or seminar dialogue, many of the stakeholders have appreciated being given a common ground for development partners, policy makers, private sector, researchers, civil society, policy analysts, academicians and other stakeholders to discuss on key policy and development issues.