The Economic Policy Management Program (EPM) was set up in 1994 as a response to Africa’s needs for skilled experts in economic policy research and analysis that could provide informed opinion to policy makers on various macroeconomic stabilization measures, development management issues and poverty reduction. Two EPM programs were initially established at universities in Canada and France and in 1998 the programs were transferred to four Africa Partner Universities (APUs) in Ghana, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon. The African Building Capacity Foundation (ACBF) in partnership with the World Bank Institute has been the main sponsor of the Economic Policy Management program in Africa. With support from ACBF, EPM-Cameroon implemented its first and second programs (EPM Phases I, II). In December 2006 the Executive Board approved a grant total of US$ 2.9 million to EPM Cameroon for the financing of Phase III of the project.
The overall goal of the EPM program is to improve the efficiency of the public sector in sub-Saharan African countries through the enhancement of capacity for economic policy analysis and management.