Here's a sampling of the evidence-based policy projects I’ve managed at the ILO Research Department.

You can find more information about these “What works” projects, here.

And here, other policy-oriented research projects, to which I’ve contributed including: Decent work in Portugal 2008–18: From crisis to recovery; An Employment-oriented Investment Strategy for Europe; Spain: Growth with jobs; Kenya: Making quality employment the driver of development.

UNDERSTANDING WORK-TO-WORK TRANSITIONS AND SKILLS DYNAMICS

Transformative changes in labor markets are shifting the skills composition of work, especially within occupations. These transformative changes are redefining and possibly multiplying the work-to-work transitions people experience during their life. They are also changing the relative demand for different skills within jobs and occupations. Yet, there is little knowledge regarding the shape and prominence of these transitions, and the role of skills in fostering better work and life trajectories in emerging and developing countries.

Through this new multi-year multi-country research project, my colleagues and I at the ILO are shedding light on these questions. The project’s objective is to assess the nature, type and pace of work-to-work transitions and the role of skills in fostering transitions to decent work, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. To implement this research project, we are focusing on pilot countries leveraging the availability of innovative data, including online data from vacancies and applications to labor platforms, long-term panel surveys and experimental data gathered for this project.

You can find some preliminary findings of this work in the recently finalized working papers and work in progress list here.

what works: promoting pathways to decent work

Through this multi-year research project my colleagues and I at the ILO aim to assess how income support and active labor market policies (ALMPs) can come together to improve the employment and life trajectories of workers, particularly in emerging and developing countries. The research question was derived from an earlier project “Active labor market policies in Latin America and the Caribbean” presented below, specifically from the project’s conclusion that, while ALMPs are indeed able to improve workers’ labor market prospects, the success of such interventions hinges on their accessibility. In several cases, a critical missing piece seemed to be adequate income support, which appeared to be a prerequisite for workers in the region to participate fully in activation programs. The purpose of this project is thus to shed light on how approaches based on a combination of income support and active support can be used to respond effectively to contemporary labor market challenges in developing and emerging economies.

what works: Active labor market policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean region has achieved significant economic, labor market and social progress over the past decade while implementing an increasing number of active labor market policies. However, in recent years these achievements have begun to slow and even reverse on a number of fronts. The current economic slowdown facing the region will challenge the ability of policy makers to sustain progress. This project presents the first systematic analysis of active labor market policies in Latin America and the Caribbean and assesses their effectiveness in improving labor market and social conditions, mainly through impact evaluations.