The objective of the proposed action is to lay the grounds for a regional civic space in the socio-economic domain, by establishing the WebEcon network of economic think tanks.
Summer school “Data Analysis for Public Policy”
The main objective of the summer school is to provide knowledge, skills and advice on Data Analysis to be utilized in public policy analysis and evaluation by advanced undergraduate students, master’s students, PhD candidates and young scholars in economics. The summer school’s theme is “Data Analysis for Public Policy”.
The summer school will focus on building quantitative skills in the following domains:
- Basic regression and assumptions underlying the classical linear regression model
- Diagnostic testing
- Introduction to data analysis with Stata (basic commands, visualizations, cross-tabulations)
- Application of the regression basics to calculation of the gender pay gap
- Selection in econometrics: Heckman model
- Selection in econometrics: Repeated imputations (simulation exercise)
- Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition
- Quintile regression
- Introduction to Data Analysis Using R
- Mixed Linear Models
The participants will have the opportunity to workout learnt knowledge directly in Stata and R, guided by prominent regional scholars, including interactive and dynamic discussions.
Donor: Western Balkans Fund
Partners: School of Business and Economics at the University of Sarajevo and the Research Center at the University of Belgrade
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Call for applications
Operationalization of the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy 2018-2020 and establishing a system for assessing the performance and efficiency of employees
The overall goal of the project is to further strengthen the capacities of Finance Think for transparent and accountable governance.
The specific objectives of the project include:
- to advance the monitoring and evaluation process in Finance Think, through the operationalization of the Strategy for ME 2018-2020, and
- to define and establish a process of assessment of the performance and efficiency of the employees in the institute.
Donor: Macedonian Center for International Cooperation
Duration: July 2018 – December 2019
Instigating evidence-based and data-driven economic debate in Macedonia
The general objective of this action is to produce positive societal change by strengthening the economic debate in Macedonia, based on evidence from conducted research and driven by economic data.
The specific objective is to train FT constituents to engage in robust economic debate and offer a range of ways to encourage and steer critical and argumented economic debate. The action aims to achieve the following results:
- The constituents of FT have acquired skills and knowledge for engagement in and steering of the economic debate, and skills for including data and evidence in their common causes;
- The economic debate in Macedonia becomes more critical, analytical, more lively and diverse, and increasingly includes CSOs and other civil society actors; and
- The awareness of CSOs and the public in the economic debate becomes updated, multi-faceted and thematically diverse.
The activities of the action are grouped around the above three results. The first result will be achieved through the following activities: workshops for each of the target groups for methods of analysis, synthesis, interpretation, visualization and using of economic data; constitution of an advisory group between FT and the key economic policymakers, as well as meeting with the Advisory Board of the FT and the mapped CSOs in order to coordinate and plan how to raise the awareness about, and prepare proposals on the usage of economic data and findings; a public competition for the best essay on the topics of FT. The second result will be achieved through the following activities: annual panel debate, round table, short videos on economic issues, co-authoring and mentoring an economic TV show / text in the media, guest-lecturing at economic faculties, production of charts, info-graphs, GIF-s, and participation in the media through short statements and interviews. The third result will be achieved through the following activities: preparation and publication of a manual on methods for analysis of economic data, upgrading of the analytical publications of FT, as well as re-targeting of the dissemination of the analytical publications.
Timeframe: May 2017 – July 2018
Donor: Civica Mobilitas
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Essay competition for young economists
Advocacy for evidence-based economic policymaking and ignition of the critical economic debate in Macedonia
The overall objective of the project is to further strengthen the organizational capacity of the Economic Research & Policy Institute “Finance Think” in supporting the economic policy decision makers to deliver credible policy decisions based on research findings, as well in igniting the debate in the society about economic processes and reforms.
Provider: Think Tank Fund (Open Society Foundations)
Duration: 2 years (2016-2018)
Economic Research Today for Better Policy Tomorrow
The оverall objective of this project is to build up the capacity of the Association for economic research, advocacy and policymaking “Finance Think” in supporting the economic policy decision makers to deliver credible policy decisions based on research findings and arguments based on quantification, as well in elevating the debate in the society about economic processes and reforms.
Provider: Think Tank Fund (Open Society Foundations)
Duration: 1 year (2014-2015)