A couple of years ago when completing a condensed MBA course, I noted to one of the course advisors that the section on policy would benefit from having more emphasis on mainstream economic theory, rather than focusing exclusively on behavioral economics. In response, the course advisor suggested: "You should read 'Thinking Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman." I decided to hold my tongue: both because I couldn't think of a nice way to respond to someone brushing away centuries of economic theory so casually and as I was a little embarrassed to admit that I still hadn't read the book,…
Teaching men to fish
Having worked on a variety of projects designed to improve the lives of poor, I’ve frequently heard the idea floated that we should always focus on ‘teaching people to fish’. In short, we should aim for sustainable solutions that are designed to reduce the dependency of target beneficiaries, after all: “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” Completely reasonable advice: after all, why shouldn't beneficiaries be empowered to provide for themself rather than relying on the generosity of others? The answer…
Composite indices: comparing apples with oranges
'A composite index' is a common approach for tracking and/or measuring a particular concept or idea by combining multiple data series into a single measure. Global indices, that attempt to compare and rank a nation's performance, typically try and measure something that can't be observed. You'll likely have seen these before in the form of Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, the Fund for Peace's Fragile States Index and the UNDP's Human Development Index (HDI). With each of these composite indices attempting to measure a broad idea or concept that is difficult to measure directly, such as the level of corruption,…
Economic Policy is a Wicked Problem: It Needs Generalists
I remember being told by a mentor that the problem with my skill set was that I was a 'generalist'. Being early in my career, I didn't think too much about the feedback; as I really hadn't worked long enough to build a specialty even if I knew what I wanted that to be. But, I did find it confusing. After all, didn't the field of economics actively poke its nose into nearly every area of human existence - whether it be the links between abortion and crime or how to start a city? And weren't the intellectual giants of…
Can I Learn Anything From Listening to Podcasts?
A couple of years ago I realized that I had amassed a large backlog of podcast episodes that I hadn't listened to. Clearly, past me thought listening to each of these episodes should be a priority for the intellectual development of future me, but future me was undisciplined and intransigent. At first glance, it seemed that my appetite for podcast-based learning was larger than my stomach. But, given I'm a big fan of listening to academics argue about esoteric ideas, I concluded that the backlog had accrued from an implementation problem, rather than a lack of motivation. My chosen solution…
R Programming for Public Policy Analysis
Early in 2019 I posted a short 'listicle' with some of the key reasons I think Python and/or R should become essential tools in a modern policy analyst’s toolkit. The full article is here, but the headline points in the article were; R programming’s use across disciplines fitting in well with multidisciplinary policy analysis teams; the greater reproducibility/transparency written code provides; and the practical advantages that can come from automating repetitive bits of policy analysis (such as reporting results of policy analysis across multiple scenarios). While the article didn’t end in me getting a book deal, it did result in…
7 Reasons for policy professionals to get into R programming in 2019
In response to how popular this post was, I've run several crash courses on using R for policy analysis. However, the demand to participate in these sessions has exceeded what's practical, which is why I'll be launching the first fully online version of the course in 2023. To learn more and sign up go to PolicyAnalysisLab.com Note: A version of this article was also published via LinkedIn here and on Medium here. With the rise of ‘Big Data’, ‘Machine Learning’ and the ‘Data Scientist’ has come an explosion in the popularity of using open-source programming tools for data analysis. This…
A Review of John Hopkins University’s Online Data Science Specialization (Coursera.org)
So for all those loyal subscribers out there (hey mum!) you might wonder what the hell happened to my constant stream of insightful, relevant and handsome blog posts. Well, I’d have to say you’re thinking about me a little too much - I’d suggest committing yourself to a hobby like me. Perhaps regular blogging? Surviving Nay Pyi Taw In truth, Myanmar has also kept me pretty busy. That is until recently, when I was handed a steaming pile of free time as a result of moving to the traffic-free social desert that is Nay Pi Taw, Myanmar. And how would…
Op-ed: Public Financial Management Reforms and Fiscal Decentralization in Myanmar
My latest op-ed was published in Monday's edition of the Myanmar Times. The article provides a brief summary of Myanmar's democratic and economic reforms as they relate to the country's management of their public finances. A summary of the article and a link to the full piece is provided below. Catalysing transition through public financial management reform By Giles Dickenson-Jones and Matthew Arnold Public financial management reforms are central to Myanmar’s entire transition. Improvements to social services like garbage collection, investment in new roads and bridges, and raising standards of health and education are all premised on the government being…
Day trip to Dala (Yangon, Myanmar)
When I recount my time in the Philippines I often remember how living in the concrete jungle that is Manila felt somewhat claustrophobic. Although this was for a range of reasons, it is perhaps unsurprising given Manila has the highest population density in the world. In fact, when comparing where I lived then (Manila), with where I live now (Yangon), it is pretty why this is no longer a problem with Manila's population density 6 times that of Yangon. Consequently it is possible for everybody's inner-hermit to find some solitude. Unfortunately, if there were a party of inner hermits, mine…