Background & Mission Statement

Historical Background
The Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) is an independent, non-profit, national Palestinian institution, specializing in applied research in the field of economic issues and policies and their social dimensions. MAS was established in May 1994. The Institute, which is now 27 years old, has issued more than 300 studies, excluding periodicals. MAS is committed to academic independence and impartiality, in its tireless quest to improve the quality of research and economic analysis, and in nurturing its role in economic development in Palestine.
MAS began its work at its headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. In 1996, MAS moved to Ramallah, due to harassment by the Occupation and difficulties in accessing the Institute’s headquarters. In 2010, MAS moved to its current building, established with a grant from the Korean Government, in the Al Masyoun neighborhood of Ramallah.

Structure 
MAS is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, registered as a scientific research center with the Ministry of Higher Education (Registration Number: 1/M.B.A./99). MAS’s work is governed by an organizational statute and associated regulations. Implementation is supervised by the Director-General (DG), who is appointed by a decision of the Board of Trustees. The DG also supervises the implementation of policies, research programs, and the budget approved by the Board of Trustees. The DG is assisted by the Director of Research and the Financial and Administrative Director, within the framework of an organizational structure and documented job descriptions. MAS is assisted by a group of research advisors, including a number of specialists in economics and social sciences. They discuss and review MAS’s annual research plan and current/planned research projects. In addition to experienced researchers employed by MAS, the Institute has an active administrative body that provides the necessary admin/technical support to facilitate the realization of the Institute's objectives.

Mission:
MAS’s mission is to assist decision-makers and institutions working in the field of economic development and to promote public participation in the formulation of economic and social decisions and policies in Palestine.

Goals:

• Producing excellent quality analytical research on alternatives and options for economic policies that enhance the decision-making capabilities of Palestinian decision-makers.
• Providing stakeholders (those concerned with the analysis and specialized advice) with information on short- and long-term economic policies and strategies. 
• Serving as a link between the academic research and public policy sectors, serving as a platform for public debate on economic policy issues, through the dissemination of research findings and by other means.
• Attracting qualified Palestinians (and other Arab and foreign economists and sociologists) to research issues of economic development in Palestine.

The Institute seeks to achieve its goals through a number of activities, including:

• Research activities on issues of economic policy, including social research with an economic dimension.
• Research activities of a strategic nature in the field of economics.
• Monitoring economic and social variables, analyzing the main economic activities, and forecasting economic indicators.
• Joint activities and cooperation with local and international institutions through seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures, research, and hosting researchers.
• Holding specialized, brainstorming sessions on urgent issues, in order to formulate position papers and speedily provide them to decision-makers.
• Publishing reports, studies, and research.
• Maintaining appropriate sources of information to meet the needs of researchers at MAS.