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We combine innovative thinking, common sense and quality research, supported by wide practical experience and excellent writing and presentation skills.

Cornerstone Services

Cornerstone Economic Research was established in 2001 to provide consulting and training services to the public sector, and other institutions, on intergovernmental fiscal relations, public finances, institutional design, monitoring and evaluation, and the costing of policies and legislation – with an emphasis on those relating to children. To date we have worked in South Africa, Egypt, Eswatini, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lesotho, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, the Maldives, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Vietnam and Yemen. 

Costing of Policy & Legislation

Working out the cost of taking programmes to scale is essential to sound roll-out planning and budgeting. The costing of policies, especially social policies with outcomes that promote equality and redress, is a key step in ensuring governments are able to deliver on their commitments.

The Cornerstone team has been at the forefront in developing costing methodologies and MS Excel-based costing models that enable policymakers to plan implementation with a better understanding of the costs of the targeted outcomes.

Performance & Expenditure Reviews

The tightening fiscal situation in many countries has caused governments to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of existing programmes, and explore options for savings.

The Cornerstone team is well-positioned to support such research, given our experience with policy costing, process mapping, logical frameworks, expenditure analysis, and performance monitoring and evaluation.

Policy Research Development & Advice

Research to advise on policy formulation, and scenario analyses to inform policy options, are key aspects of the work we do. Together, these enable realistic scenario-based planning for implementation, considering critical aspects such as the availability of resources over time.

Our contributions enable policymakers to look into the qualitative aspects of policy implementation – what works, international experience, types and structures of implementation modalities – and the expected outcomes associated with implementation.

Public Finance Management

We have extensive experience with public financial planning and budgeting processes. Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

Training & Facilitation

Given the Cornerstone team’s extensive experience in policy development and implementation planning, we are well positioned to develop and present training courses on a variety of related topics. Change takes time, as well as managed and meaningful engagement. We offer courses on the following topics:

Costing policy is an art with some mathematics on the side

Our Services

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Costing of policy legislation

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Performance & Expenditure Reviews

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Policy Research Development & Advice

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Public Finance Management

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Explore our projects

Investment Case - Underfunded sectors, Mozambique

The overall objective of the assignment is to develop a comprehensive evidence-based investment case for priority children’s social sectors in Mozambique. The aim is to improve social services policy, planning, implementation and budgeting by identifying, costing and promoting investments in critical services for children.

Some Of Our Clients

Cornerstone services a diverse client base ranging from small non-profits through to government ministries and international development organisations. The Cornerstone team has built a solid reputation among its client base for delivering thorough, detailed research, readable reports and insightful solutions. Cornerstone is therefore often approached to do bespoke work for clients, where specialist expertise is required. We also do repeat work for nearly all our clients.


Government


Legislative

Got a research project you’d like to talk about?

Cornerstone is a specialist research company. Its team is highly qualified, and has extensive public sector experience. Our preference is to do most of our work in-house. However, when necessary we are able to leverage capacity through collaborative agreements with other practitioners, researchers, academics and consultants from among our network of contacts. If you wish to discuss working with us, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Why Choose Cornerstone?

Central to the work we do at Cornerstone is our striving to assist in building a society that values each person equally, protects those who are most vulnerable, and creates opportunities for all to realise their full potential.

We have a broad deep understanding of complex development challenges facing societies in transition.

We have first-hand experience from within government of policy development and implementation processes. 

We approach problems pragmatically, and recognise that the most effective solutions are those that are relevant to the local context.

We combine innovation and common sense, supported by strong quantitative modeling, writing and presentation skills.

Blogs

Improving South Africa’s policy on menstruation

Improving South Africa’s policy on menstruation

Research Insights No.1 The South African Constitution protects the right of South African citizens to dignity, equality, health and education.i This obligates…

Lessons from South Africa’s experience with introducing Grade R

Lessons from South Africa’s experience with introducing Grade R

Research Insights No.2 From 1997 to 1999, a National ECD Pilot Project was conducted primarily in the community-based sector. It focused on…

Where is South Africa’s intergovernmental fiscal system going?

Where is South Africa’s intergovernmental fiscal system going?

The Constitution established three “distinctive, interdependent and interrelated” spheres of government. Provincial government is one of these spheres and the provinces are…