Economic transformation is vital for Sri Lanka’s future development. While the country has pursued growth for decades, this has often been accompanied by widening inequalities. Understanding how different groups have fared economically over time is critical for achieving sustainable development and maintaining social stability. Today, poverty is a macroeconomic concern rooted in structural weaknesses and prolonged crises, pushing millions below the poverty line and leaving many others highly vulnerable to shocks such as inflation, climate risks, and economic downturns. Post-crisis poverty is not merely about low income but also structural deprivation, loss of productive assets, and reduced resilience. Addressing this requires unlocking the country’s growth potential to create decent work and generate inclusive, transformative economic growth. This involves moving beyond temporary welfare-based poverty alleviation towards structural reforms that foster investment and entrepreneurship, modernize agriculture and manufacturing, promote technological adaptation, and enhance the capabilities of the workforce to participate effectively in a changing economic landscape.
Introducing Growth and Economic Transformation as a new thematic area within CEPA reflects our commitment to engaging with these emerging and complex realities. It will enable us to research, analyse, and influence policies that drive structural change while ensuring equitable growth. Focus areas include repositioning economic structures to generate sustained productivity improvements, building resilience against future shocks, and examining sectoral transitions, innovation systems, labour market shifts, and macroeconomic policies that prioritize inclusive growth. This thematic focus will guide CEPA’s research, partnerships, and policy engagements towards fostering a Sri Lankan economy where structural barriers are dismantled, opportunities are widened, and prosperity is shared across society, critical for the country’s economic future, social cohesion, and democratic stability.
The collaboration between the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) and the Overseas Development Institute, UK (ODI) brings mutual benefits to both organizations while enhancing development research and policy impact in Sri Lanka and the broader South Asian region.
The CEPA–ODI collaboration combines local knowledge with global expertise to produce high-quality research, generate practical policy solutions, and build capacities in addressing complex development issues. Both think tanks will benefit by enhancing their impact, visibility, and ability to contribute to inclusive and transformative development outcomes in Sri Lanka and beyond.
For CEPA, partnering with ODI creates valuable opportunities to connect with expertise beyond Sri Lanka’s borders. ODI’s strong global research reputation and technical knowledge allow CEPA to strengthen its analytical capacity, gain new perspectives on development challenges, and learn from international best practices. This partnership also opens doors to wider networks, collaborative research projects, and policy dialogues at regional and global levels. It provides CEPA staff and associates with opportunities for knowledge exchange, skill development, and engagement in diverse thematic areas aligned with CEPA’s strategic priorities.
For ODI, this collaboration is a pathway to deepen its work in South Asia through direct connection with Sri Lanka. CEPA’s longstanding experience, local credibility, and contextual understanding will support ODI in developing research and policy programs that are grounded in local realities. As a well-established research institute with strong networks across government, academia, civil society, and development partners, CEPA offers ODI a trusted entry point into Sri Lanka’s policy and research environment. This partnership enhances ODI’s ability to influence development thinking and practice in the South Asian region.