Resume
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
2003 – Graduated in Political Science, Economics, thesis in International Economy “Trade effect of EU eastward enlargement”; grades 105/110; Professor Iapadre.
2004 – Course named “The voluntary role: planning a developing plan” held by NGO “COMI”.
2006 – TOEFL.
2006 – Calculus and Probability courses at SOAS University, London.
2007 – Course on “MicroEconometric for Panel Data and Sectional Data”. CIDE, Bertinoro, Cesena, Italy.
2010 – FAO course on “Analysis of the household resilience using STATA: Gaza Strip case”.
2011 – PhD in Development Economics. Department of Economics, University of Bologna.
2011 – Professor Wooldridge – “Lectures on Topics in Microeconometrics” – Sampling, Clustering, Difference-in-Differences, Propensity Score Weighting, Matching.
2011 – Professor Paul Winters. “Impact Assessment of Large Scale Food Security Programmes”.
2011 – Cash Learning Partnership and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). “An Introduction to cash transfer Programming”.
2012 – English Writing Skills, FAO.
2012 - Professor Austin Nichols, “Quantitative Impact Evaluation using Stata”, FAO
2014 – Stata Corps: Latent Variable models
2016 – Stata Corps: Network Analysis with Stata
LANGUAGES
Fluent in the following: Italian (mother tongue), English, French, Spanish.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Impact Evaluation. Resilience. Social Protection. Cash Transfers. Food Security. Multi-dimensional Poverty Analysis. Developing countries. Protracted Crisis Countries.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Feb 2015 – ongoing FAO
Position: Team Leader, Economist
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
· Under the overall supervision of the Chief Economist and the Director of the Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA), my responsibilities have been:
· Lead the RIMA team. This includes but it is not limited to conducting quantitative economic analysis, including economic modelling and/or econometric techniques in the field of resilience, climate change, agriculture, food systems and poverty. Conducting policy analyses and impact evaluations in the same fields.
· Lead Food System and Household Resilience analysis for the SOFA 2021
· Create and develop RIMA and Short RIMA tools.
· Strengthen FAO international leadership on resilience measurement.
· Represent and strategically orientate FAO position on resilience measurement in the Technical Working Group on Resilience Measurement (TWG-RM) and in the Resilience Evidence for Decision-making in Development Initiatives (REDDI). Also, with donors; competitors; UN agencies; NGOs; network of practitioners; researchers; academia. Organization of international meetings.
· The work done as RIMA Team Leader has been functional in mobilizing resources; e.g the Informed (30M Euro) and GNAFC (70M euro).
· I spent significant amount of time in the field, including unstable and insecure areas (e.g. Somalia, South Sudan).
· Technical Support to IGAD, African Union, CILSS, national institutions and/or donors.
· Technical Coordinator of the Impact Evaluation Task Force established in 2019 by the ES-ADG. The TF aims at increasing role, relevance, and technical expertise of FAO in Impact Evaluation. This includes technical support to impact evaluation exercises; organization of seminars, clinics, capacity building.
· Coordinate and lead training for UN and non-UN staff in country, regional, sub-regional offices.
· Lead impact evaluations in: DRC (joint-UN); Niger (joint-UN); Uganda (Karamoja; and Refugees in Uganda); Nigeria (EC ); Somalia (joint-UN); Kenya (Isiolo Kitui and Matueni; and cross border project); South Sudan (CIDA/DANIDA project; USAID project; and EC project); Mauritania and Mali (Cash+ project); Lesotho (CGP). Leading on: impact assessment strategy; sample size and strategy; data collection instrument; mixed-method approach; partnering/contracting local institutions; setup of ME System; supervision of data collection (training, data entry -per tablets or paper questionnaires- and data collection monitoring), data analysis (research questions; analytical approach; investigation strategy; results discussion and validation; write up; publication, dissemination), reports editing, dissemination. Quantitative methods, Randomized Control Trial, matching techniques. Partial and General Equilibrium.
· Lead the Impact Evaluation of the PROACT project (under the EC-GNAFC) in Cuba, Ethiopia, Myanmar, South Sudan, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Venezuela, Yemen.
· Lead and coordinate the communication strategy for RIMA. Webinars; certification program; learning materials; video tutorials; dissemination and communication products.
· Lead projects for exploring linkages between resilience and social protection; gender; climate change; conflict; social cohesion; wellbeing perception; poverty.
· Creating, expanding, and exploring partnerships with UNICEF, WFP, World Bank, IFAD, IFPRI, African Union, CILSS, IGAD, SICA, and Universities.
· Coordinating resilience analysis with FAO CO: Kenya, Somalia, Senegal, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Republica Dominicana, Cuba, Colombia, Chad, Niger, DRC, Lesotho, FAO REOWA, FAO RTEA, FAORAF, FAORNE, FAO RLC, FAO SO5, SO3, SO1, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mauritania, Burkina Faso. And with with National Institutions of Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Mauritania; Democratic Republic of Congo; Sudan; South Sudan; Kenya; Uganda; Somalia; Ethiopia; West Bank and Gaza Strip; Guatemala; Honduras; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Jordan; Syria; Lebanon.
· Establish and liaise with Resilience Measurement Unit in Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Senegal, Ghana.
Sept 2017 - Ongoing University La Sapienza, Rome.
Position: Professor
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
Lecturing on International and Development Economics for graduated students.
http://www.coris.uniroma1.it/corso/19810
http://www.coris.uniroma1.it/node/22032
January 2015 – February 2015 The World Bank
Position: Economist
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the LSMS team (Gero Carletto and Alberto Zezza) I have implemented a dynamic resilience analysis for Uganda. The analysis employed three datasets to measure resilience changes over time; it also looked at the determinants of low to high (and vice versa) resilient status migration.
February 2014 – January 2015 FAO
Position: Economist
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
Lead resilience analysis under the EU/FAO Global Governance Programme:
· Methodological development of resilience analysis
- Lead the methodological development and application of resilience analysis to include shocks and increase contextualization. Co-author a methodological note on the development of the resilience index.
- Contribute to the activities of the Food Security Analysis and Policies (FSAP) team, with specific reference to resilience analysis
- Lead RIMA communication strategy; this include the preparation of communication and learning materials.
- Technical supervision of data and policy analysis to country offices and regional initiatives. E.g. the Resilience Analysis Unit (established by IGAD in Nairobi, Kenya) or other regional initiatives (IGAD, CILSS, African Union).
o Technical supervision of the analytical work of the Resilience Analysis Unit. This includes data analyses, data collection; partnerships; policy work; capacity building; training in the field.
· - Technical support to FAO Somalia ME Office
o Lead the Impact Evaluation for the “Building Resilience Programme” (UNICEF/WFP/FAO)
o Data Collection (instrument design, sampling, validation, piloting, training, logistics, data entry and cleaning) in 4 districts in Somaliland and Puntland. Data analysis, dissemination, adoption of policies indications
· Resilience Analysis Burkina Faso, Gaza Strip and West Bank, Senegal, Mal.
o Econometric analysis; incorporation of feedbacks; report preparation; dissemination.
· Represent FAO in international conferences and debates on resilience measurement. In particular acting as FAO technical officer at the Technical Working Group on Resilience Measurement (TWG-RM). Output produced include guidelines, papers, technical notes, webinars.
August 2013 – February 2014 The World Bank
Position: Economist
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the LSMS team (Gero Carletto and Alberto Zezza) I have done the resilience analysis for 6 countries in the drylands area in Africa.
· The project aims at issuing a flagship publication for the World Bank, on the resilience of drylands in Africa. I
· Production of variables and aggregates, mostly adopting the RIGA methodology
· Resilience analysis for 6 countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda), using the last generation of LSMS-ISA surveys.
· Development of the resilience index under panel data.
· Outputs presented and discussed.
Sept 2010 – July 2013 FAO[1] [2]
Position: Economist
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
I worked in two teams within the Agricultural Development Economics (ESA) Division in FAO.
· The Food Security Analysis and Policies (FSAP) team (ESA) led by Luca Russo. My work was to lead resilience analysis in protracted crisis countries and Impact Evaluation. Specific tasks/duties for this team:
o Impact Evaluation of the “Building Resilience in Somalia” programme. Leading the impact evaluation for the joint initiative (FAO WFP and UNICEF) “Building Resilience in Somalia” (1,000 Million USD over three years). Impact Evaluation design and implementation; instrument design (questionnaire); Sampling and Sample Design; training for enumerators/supervisors/data entry; piloting/field test; logistics; data analysis; report writing. Resilience Analysis. Intra agencies communication and interaction. Supervising data analysis team.
o Impact Evaluation of Water Harvesting and Extension Services in Jonglei and Upper Nile, South Sudan. 3ys CIDA funded Programme in Jonglei and Upper Nile (South Sudan) (18USD millions). Impact Evaluation design and implementation; instrument design (questionnaire); Sampling and Sample Design; training for enumerators/supervisors/data entry; piloting/field test; logistics; data analysis; report writing. Resilience Analysis. Collaboration with Professor Dan Maxwell (TUFTS University) and with the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium, DFID-ODI.
o Resilience Analysis of Burkina Faso. Resilience Analysis of Sahel Region. This analysis has the objective of providing information on the real factors influencing the resilience of Burkina Faso and how they changed over time. Panel data and pseudo-panel data have being used.
o Resilience Analysis of Uganda. Based on the last two rounds of LSMS-ISA datasets, and in strict collaboration with the World Bank LSMS team, this analysis aims at measuring how robust is the FAO Resilience index in determining the most vulnerable populations with respect to various types of risks.
o Resilience Analysis of Ethiopia. Based on the four rounds of survey collected by IFPRI during a period of time of 10 years, I am supervising the TULANE University (Nancy Mock) in this exercise. The exercise studies how resilience has changed over time, using this panel data set.
o Resilience Analysis of Gaza Strip and West Bank. Supervising the resilience analysis of Gaza Strip and West Bank;
o Resilience Measures. Member, on behalf of FAO, of the Technical Working Group (together with University of Florence, World Bank, UNICEF, WFP, USAID, IFPRI, IFAD, TANGO, Mercy Corps, IGAD, Tufts University); the TWG is in charge of developing a common frame over which measures of Resilience will be established. The TWG if the actual world reference for the resilience analysis
o Resilience Measures. Leading the technical development of the resilience index developed by FAO. The development of the index is being pursued through collaboration with IFPRI (John Hoddinott), Tulane University (Nancy Mock), World Bank (Gero Carletto and Alberto Zezza) and through the coordination of three young econometricians.
· Econometrician for the From Protection to Production Team (PtoP, ESA), led by Benjamin Davis. The PtoP team is a multi-country impact evaluation of cash transfers in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of my duties/tasks within this team: data collection, data analysis, econometrics analysis, literature review; presentations; workshops; methodological discussions/studies. Specific tasks/duties for which I am responsible:
· Impact Evaluation of Child Grant Programme in Zambia. Training of the supervisors; instrument design; filed tests/pilot; data collection, questionnaire review, data analysis, impact evaluation analysis. Collaboration with local partner and UNICEF.
· Impact Evaluation of National Action Plan for Orphan and other Vulnerable Children in Zimbabwe. Questionnaire design; training for the enumerators/supervisors/data entry; filed test/pilot; data analysis. Collaboration with local partner and UNICEF.
September 2009 – July 2010 FAO[3]
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
o Impact Evaluation of Microfinance Project, South Kordofan, Sudan. The project is a 3-ys Swedish Funds funded and managed by IFAD of UN. Specific Tasks/duties: IE design and implementation: Questionnaire Design; Questionnaire Pilot; Sample Design; Supervisors and Enumerators Team Training in-the-field; data analysis and report publication and dissemination.
o Food Security Team: Resilience Analysis of Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Darfur, Al Rashad (South Kordofan, Republic of Sudan). Collaboration with UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, TANGO International
o Resilience Analysis for Kenya, using the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) 2004/2005. Specific Tasks/duties: data analysis, report drafting/editing/presentations/dissemination.
o Resilience Analysis for Sudan, using the National Household Budget Survey 2009. Specific Tasks/duties: data analysis, report drafting/editing/presentations/findings sharing.
October 2007 – July 2011 University of Bologna, Economical Science Dpt.
Position: Teaching Assistant
Duties & Responsibilities
Lectures in Development Economics for a BA course in International Cooperation and Development.
Lectures in Policy Evaluation for a Master course in the University of Bologna, Buenos Aires 2011.
Exams (both in oral and written form) commissioner in Development Economics for both advanced and basic courses.
Academic Years 2007/2008; 2008/2009. 2009/2010. 2010/2011
October 2008– September 2009 CNR Roma, ISTC, Evaluation Research Group[4]
Position: Researcher (and administrative responsibilities)
Location: Rome, Italy
Duties & Responsibilities
Data collection and data analysis for poverty assessment for the “Regione Lazio”. Specific tasks/duties: questionnaire design, training, data collection supervision, data analysis, report drafting. Project Management (funds and call for funds).
March 2007 – June 2007 MOVIMONDO, Gujarat, India
Position: Economist
Duties & Responsibilities
Gujarat, India; Monitoring & Evaluation report for a Rural Integrated Development Project in Rapar, Gujarat District.
Data collected through a WB-LSMS-type survey in the area of the project; special focus over vulnerable castas. Specific tasks: Questionnaire design; Sample design; enumerators training (data collection and data entry); data analysis. (software used: STATA)
December 2006 - December 2007 MOVIMONDO, Rome [5]
Position: Economist
Duties & Responsibilities
I worked in the Asian Department, managing Developing Projects in India and Sri Lanka. Impact Evaluation (Quantitative methods) of a rural development project in Gujarat, Rapar District.
Contents responsible for a web site dealing with the “digital divide”, aimed at reducing the technological gap between North and South (Donor: European Union).
April 2004 – November 2004
Position: Junior Economist – Free Lance
Duties & Responsibilities:
Studies on macroeconomic; commercial agreements effects on flows of trade (assisting Professor Iapadre)
Studies on trade flow with IAI and MET Economia. Studies on trade integration between European Union and the MENA countries.
[2] http://www.fao.org/economic/ptop
[4] http://www.istc.cnr.it/erg/index_4_12.html
[5] (www.movimondo.org)