Policy work

Value-chain development

Role: Team Leader
Region: Africa, Central America (Caribbean), Pacific (Asia)
Year: 2020-2021
Client: FAO

Economic, social and environmental analysis, action plan and investment plan for the development of two value-chains in two ACP Countries (ref. FISH4ACP project).

Gender-sensitive value-chain mapping in the MENA region

Role: Team Leader
Region: MENA (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia)
Year: 2018-2019
Client: UNIDO


Team Leader of a team of seven National Experts in regional gender-sensitive value-chain mapping in seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia in the framework of the project “Promoting Women’s Empowerment (PWE) for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development in the MENA Region” (phase II).

Investment promotion for an Industrial Innovation Hub

Role: FDI and domestic investment promotion expert
Region: Italy (Trieste)
Year: 2018-2019
Client: Area Science Park


The goal of ARGO, a multi-year programme, financed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, Ministry of Economic Development and the Regional Government of Friuli Venezia Giulia, is to build an open and inclusive innovation system that incorporates research and industry and brings economic development by coordinating the local high-tech R&D system with digitalization and high-end training in order to optimize resource use and attract domestic and foreign direct investments in new strategic projects based on a clear industrial development strategy. The programme has four components: Industrial innovation Harbour (port and industrial zone); High Impact Net (technopark, incubators and accelerators); Industry platform for digitalization (big data, IoT, advanced manufacturing solutions, data optimization and simulation); Technology platforms for applied and industrial research [open source description].

In the Industrial Innovation Harbour component, as a Consultant, my responsibilities include: 1) contributing models for the strategic planning of an Industrial Innovation Harbour including investments and based on the circular economy logic; 2) drafting the organizational model for and training personnel of a One Stop Shop to target and cater domestic or foreign direct investments.

Semi-formal business registration reform feasibility study

Role: Team Leader, PSD Policy Expert and Feasibility Study Expert
Region: South East Asia (Vietnam)
Year: 2017-2018
Client: UNIDO (SECO financing)

Coordination of a through study on the feasibility of a household business registration reform.

SME law drafting technical assistance

Role: PSD Policy Expert
Region: South East Asia (Vietnam)
Year: 2016
Client: Chemonics International (USAID financing)

In the framework of USAID Governance for Inclusive Growth, advice was provided on different regulatory topics requested by the Agency for Enterprise Development in charge of drafting the first national SME law, in particular on: the rationale for SME support and for an SME law; institutional coordination, monitoring; comparative analysis of different SME support models; industry and measure prioritization aimed at increasing economy competitiveness.

Private Sector Development Cluster Project (PSDCP) knowledge management

Role: PSD Expert
Region: Middle East
Year: 2016
Client: Icon Institut (AFD)

In the framework of the Private Sector Development Cluster Project (PSDCP) financed by the Agence Française de Développement, the draft national cluster policy was assessed against state-of-the-art cluster policy international cases and benchmarking systems, considering the local context. Together with such analysis, further technical assistance was provided to assess public-private dialogue mechanisms, to expand range of Customs and VAT handling in export, and in capitalizing the five-year cluster project knowledge.

SME agglomeration policy assessment

Role: PSD Policy and Feasibility Study Expert
Region: South East Asia (Vietnam)
Year: 2015
Client: Asian Development Bank

The ADB requested a through assessment of the potential for a national SME agglomeration policy (Corporate Synergy Systems) aimed at increasing inclusion of national SMEs in international value-chains and economy competitiveness through joint investments and collaboration with large enterprises. The assessment included regulatory framework, road map of achievements, comparative analysis of potential in 10 industries against different indicators, industry prioritization based on Input-Output national accounting tables forward- / backward-linkage industry assessment, involvement of national research centers, and benchmarking with international experiences. The assessment was completed with planning and budgeting.

Policy support to increase the competitiveness of the Russian economy

Role: PSD policy expert
Region: Europe (Russian Federation) 
Year: 2008
Client: CUOA Foundation (European Union – Russian Federation Tacis Programme)

The policy project “Development of financial markets: support to state policy aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the Russian economy” (EuropeAid/121435/C/SER/RU) included providing technical assistance to Federal and Regional authorities and development institutions in enhancing investment and investment-monitoring capacity for economic competitiveness. Services provided included (i) the coordination an international Team in the preparation of guidelines for the evaluation of national economy efficiency of investments of federal and regional development institutions in innovation, in consultation with Science and Technology Parks, R&D institutions, Academy of Science, private sector, regional government, regional development institutions and R&D funds; (ii) impact assessment on development institutions investments in inter-regional and inter-sectoral cluster formation; (iii) diagnostic on SME situation with central, regional Government, Chambers and firms, assessment of implications of quality difficulties in supplying to FDI.