Essential Economics International

Essential Economics International is an Australian based international development consultancy firm specialising in Economic and Urban Development.

Essential Economics International and its predecessors have been working in projects funded by AusAID, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and UNCHS / UNDP for over twenty years.

Our experience in Asia- Pacific, South Africa and the Middle East includes:

• institutional development and capacity-building
• Australia and in-country training
• project review, evaluation and post evaluation missions
• economic development in developing and transitional economies sites & services
• housing and construction technology transfer
• community infrastructure projects
• poverty alleviation programs
• rural infrastructure and services
• small scale industry and the informal sector

Our work in international development assistance projects started in 1977 when EEI Director John Henshall participated in World Bank projects in Indonesia relating to low cost housing and sites & services (Surabaya) and the Kampung Improvement Program (Surabaya and Ujung Pandang). Subsequent projects in Indonesia involved regional development planning in Jakarta (JABOTABEK Metropolitan Development Plan, 1979-1980) and in the implementation of the regional plan (JABOTABEK Implementation and Advisory Projects, 1982 and 1983).

During John's time at Henshall Hansen Associates (Partner, 1986 - 1997), the firm participated in two projects where colleagues were also involved, and this included the Hanoi Planning and Development Control Project (1995-1996) and the Preliminary Masterplan for Tenjo, in Kabupaten Bogor, Indonesia (1995).

Following the establishment of Essential Economics in 1997, the firm has been involved in a number of international development projects including:

• Sustainable City Services in Urban China - Beijing and Qingdao, with RMIT International for the AusAID China Capacity Building Program-ACIL Australia(1999 and 2000)
• Quang Ngai Rural Infrastructure and Services Project Design, with Pacific Architecture in association with IDSS and World Vision, for AusAID (2000)
• Study of Cumulative Environmental Impact (SOCEI) of Urbanisation and Tourism in Bali, with Egis Consulting for Bapadel, Provincial Government, Bali, Indonesia (2000)