Course Description

Social Accounting Matrices (SAM) provide a practical framework for organizing economic data for a wide variety of models. This course equip participants with the techniques of constructing SAM. It teaches methods (developed at IFPRI) for generating up-to-date SAMs that are tailor-made for a specific task. For economic modelling and data analysis, the course teaches the GAMS programming language but also relies on spreadsheet programs, especially for data analysis. This training equips participants with Input-Output and SAM modelling skills that are valuable for policy analysis. It covers topics such as descriptive analysis and interlinkages in the economy, multipliers and their interpretation, simple policy applications and short comings of simple multiplier analysis. It provides hands-on exercises on multiplier analysis and simulations.

Course Objectives

This course aims to train a cadre of policy analysts in the construction of social accounting matrices (SAMS) and in the conduct of analysis of alternative policies. The course helps participants to:

• Have an understanding of the structure of a SAM
• Have a good understanding of how to construct a SAM and how to balance a SAM accounts
• Understand input-output/social accounting matrix multiplier analysis
• Have a good understanding of what a SAM model is, and the types of problems for which they can be applicable
• Understand the general functioning and capabilities of SAM models
• Interpret and present SAM multiplier and simulation results in a simple and clear manner

Topics covered

• Overview of National Accounting System
• Input-Output (IO) models
• The circular flow model
• An introduction to Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs)
• Structure of a SAM
• Interpreting Social Accounting Matrix (SAM)
• Introduction to SAM-based models
• Derivation of accounting multipliers
• Interpretation of multiplier indices
• Impact assessment using multiplier indices
• Forward and backward linkages
• Structural Path Analysis
• Additive and multiplicative decomposition
• Derivation of the multiplicative decomposition
• Formulating exogenous scenarios
• Computing simulations for policy analysis
• Interpreting and reporting results
• Discussion of advanced SAM modelling topics