The Centre for Poverty Analysis was established in May of 2001 by nine Sri Lankan professionals working on poverty related issues. CEPA was founded with the intention of institutionalising poverty impact monitoring and poverty analysis within the Sri Lankan institutional landscape and incorporated (on 24th April, 2001) under Section 21 of the Companies Act as a non-profit company. The catalyst for founding CEPA came from an assessment of the need for special emphasis on applied policy relevant advice. CEPA sought to fill this void by providing practice oriented services that were grounded in sound empirical research which responded to the needs of the market and was oriented for policy making in the development field. The establishment of CEPA was facilitated by the Poverty Impact Monitoring Unit (PIMU) which was supported by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

CEPA Values

Respect: CEPA values the contribution of all those who participate in and contribute to CEPA's work. We respect the rights, dignity and potential of all those involved in our work.

Integrity: CEPA acts according to its mission - we are honest and transparent in what we do and say, and accountable for our collective and individual actions. Our work will always be guided by the principles of balance, independence and impartiality.

Excellence: At CEPA we constantly challenge ourselves to achieve the highest level of learning and performance in order to achieve greater impact and make a difference.

Collaboration: At CEPA we are committed to continuously sharing our knowledge and engaging with a wide range of people and institutions in order to achieve our goals.

Flexibility: CEPA strives to be flexible and will adapt to and accommodate changing or extenuating circumstances in order to best meet its mission and objectives.