Blogging is how I get thoughts out the door that don’t have another outlet. In ‘real life’ I work as an evaluation specialist and policy advisor in the field of international development.
Evaluating social and economic impacts
Much of my work involves evaluating policy reforms and development programs, especially their social and economic impacts. This includes estimating impacts on the population before reforms are implemented, in order to strengthen their design, and protect the poor and vulnerable from negative short-term effects. It also includes assessing political economy dynamics which can often stymie reforms. I am committed to finding ways of getting policy makers to make more, and better use, of evidence in their decisions.
I am intrigued by questions such as:
- How do government policies affect people’s lives?
- How do people’s attitudes affect government policy?
- How do elites and corporations affect citizens?
How I got here
I’m a firm believer in obliquity, i.e. taking the long road to get where you want to be. When I was 17, as an experiment, I spent three days undercover living as a homeless guy, begging for money on the streets of Toronto. I told people it was in-depth research for a book on poverty…which never got written. I then spent most of my twenties collecting life experience. This included stints working in home construction, at a record store, in the financial sector, at a Russian orphanage, and in theater in New York City. I have lived in Germany, Canada, Russia, Italy and Albania. So it was a long and circuitous route to my current occupation, but well worth it.
What I do for a living
Since 2000 I have been working in the field of international development, mostly in Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I have worked in over 30 countries. During this period I have conducted over 50 evaluation and applied research studies. I frequently conduct evaluations and applied research for the World Bank, USAID, and Asian Development Bank, among other clients. I’m currently based in Washington, DC.
I have led seminars and workshops on Poverty and Social Impact Analysis at World Bank conferences, presented on evidence-based analysis at Washington Evaluators, and been a guest lecturer at George Washington University.
Educational background
I have an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), a BA from Bowdoin College. In between, I spent two years studying theater in Russia (1991-93). I attended the Toronto Waldorf School for elementary and high school. I’m a great believer in any educational pedagogy, like Waldorf, that stimulates creativity and fosters a love of learning. Languages are my hobby, and I speak eight at varying degrees of fluency.
Membership
I am a member of the following organizations:
- American Evaluation Association (AEA)
- Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM)
- Washington Evaluators (WE)
- Toastmasters International