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,…
R Programming for Policy Analysis – 2021 Course Resources
Note: Registrations for 'An Introduction to R Programming for Policy Analysis' are now open at PolicyAnalysisLab.com. A long-time ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, I launched the first online version of my 'R Programming for Policy Analysis' course with a motley crew of consultants, policy analysts and researchers. Despite being cobbled together using a combination of teleconferencing and duct-tape, the course was rated highly by participants. So much so, that I still receive requests from people interested in accessing session recordings and course resources. And while having people reaching out to me directly has its advantages - such…
Gender Diversity in the International Development Sector
Just how diverse is the senior leadership of international aid organizations? Colleague Astrid Haas and I recently launched a research project to attempt to answer exactly this for a key dimension of diversity: gender. Data and R code used in the analysis are provided at the bottom of the post Although I label myself 'an economist' at cocktail parties (or would, if I were invited to any), much of my career has been spent in the 'international development'. For those unfamiliar with what this means, in essence much of my work focuses on the challenges faced by nations, communities and…