Training for Evidence-Based Goal Setting in Industrial Policy

Press Release, Belmopan, December 12, 2025. The Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Investment through the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit (IPCU), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) held the “Evidence-Based Goal Setting in Industrial Policy” training in Belmopan.
The training program, led by UNIDO, is crucial to the development of the Industrial Strategy with Blue and Green Industrial Policies, which underpin three pillars: (1) investment and business promotion; (2) technology transfer and support to value chains; and (3) industrial structure analysis and capacity building for policymaking.
The current training focuses on the third pillar, industrial policymaking, in Belize, which emphasises evidence-based policy development. The course will help policymakers develop practical, data-driven development goals, and improve Belize’s ability to set evidence-based goals in the industrial policy.
Participants adopted benchmarking tools and comparative analysis to formulate realistic targets. The session highlighted comparative benchmarking with CARICOM countries, selected international reference countries, and the use of data to track performance indicators such as:
• Manufacturing value added (MVA) and its share in GDP.
• Trade balance and food import substitution goals; and
• Employment creation and labor productivity.
The training was completed by 18 persons representing various organizations, including the Ministry of Investment, the Belize Chamber of Commerce, the Public-Private Partnership Unit, the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, BELTRAIDE, the Ministry of Economic Transformation, the Central Bank of Belize, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Present at the closing ceremony and issuing of certificates were Mr. Lincoln Blake, Director, Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, Ministry of Investment; Mr. Anders Issakson, Chief, UNIDO’s Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (IPC); and Ms. Alisha Weber, International Industrialization Expert, UNIDO.