For the past 10 years I have been leading and developing a research program focused on evaluating the effectiveness of labor market and social protection policies in improving job quality and social conditions, particularly in emerging and developing countries. The aim of this program is to understand what policies work, under what circumstances, and contribute to national policy formulation.

I have done so through my work at the Research Department of the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, where I am currently in charge of the Skills, ALMPs and Policy Evaluation Unit and my Ph.D in Economics from Paris School of Economics. In total, I have nearly 17 years of professional-related experience undertaking policy-oriented research on labor market and social issues and providing policy advice.

My research has also focused on assessing whether leveraging complementarities between income support and activation policies can foster their beneficial effect. On the technical side this involves using advanced applied econometric techniques focused on identification strategies to assess the impact of labor market policies, but also adapting methodologies and concepts to be able to assess complex research questions in emerging and developing countries where data availability and identification are not ideal.

More recently, I’ve been exploring topics related to work-to-work transitions and skills-dynamics. The aim is to shed light on the skills necessary for effective transitions to decent work in low- and middle-income countries, using online data on vacancies and applications to labour portals. I investigate how to measure skills using online data from job portals, what skills and skills bundles can foster transitions to better work, what is the relationship between skills, and the wages and non-wage amenities advertised in vacancies, and how the changing demand for skills responds to global shocks and transformations.

This research resulted in several technical papers, presented at various internationally recognized conferences. You can find the list of my research work in the research tab.

My work also involves leading multi-stakeholder research projects, including several departments, country and regional offices of the ILO, governments and social partners of countries where policies are being evaluated, as well as experts from academia and other international organizations. This multi-stakeholder perspective of policy making aims to reach a common ground based on evidence. For example, reaching agreements with governments to evaluate national policies and obtain individual-level data for that purpose. Through these research projects my team and I have produced evidence-based policy recommendations that are rigorous, relevant and applicable. You can find some examples of my policy work here and in the research & projects tab.

Ultimately, my purpose is to bridge the best of the research and policy worlds: the research world, where I strive to find innovative solutions that meet high standards of theoretical and methodological rigor to economic and social challenges; and the policy world, where I aim to transform these solutions into feasible and practical recommendations for stakeholders.

You can find here my CV and my IDEAS/RePEc profile.