TIMING AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER INSTRUMENTS

 . TIMING AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER INSTRUMENTS When should a TPF be conducted? The simple answer to that question is, at the time when the ...

 . TIMING AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER INSTRUMENTS When should a TPF be conducted? The simple answer to that question is, at the time when the reception of its message may have maximum impact in the beneficiary country. This would ideally come a time when there is a widespread recognition that the policies pursued to date have yet to deliver the kind of results that policymakers and the public have hoped for, and they are prepared to consider alternatives. The more complicated answer to that question requires that one take into account any other reviews that may already be underway. The best timing for a TPF would complement rather than compete with these other reviews. As summarized in table 24, the most important of these other exercises are the Trade Policy Reviews (TPRs) conducted for all members of the World Trade Organization, 

and the Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS) for least developed countries. While the purposes and contents of these studies differ in various ways, there are several respects in which they are similar to a TPF. In all three cases, the examination requires a wide and deep exploration of a country’s laws, policies, objectives, challenges, opportunities, and results. The investigative procedures pursued in all three of these exercises are similar, involving a combination of desk work, extensive interviewing, and validation procedures.