Vivid Economics Update

View this email in your browser

New insights on quantifying resource efficiency, results-based aid and funding climate change adaptation

Since our last update, our modelling and analytical teams have been focusing on options for results-based aid, on building a resourcefulness index and plenty more besides. We have also seen some exciting changes with John Ward being appointed Managing Director and Jason Eis joining as Executive Director.

One major piece of work we recently completed was for the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). They asked us to assess whether and how to use results-based aid (RBA) to support development objectives in the energy sector. We detailed the circumstances in which RBA may best be used and provided practical suggestions to stakeholders on how to design successful RBA schemes. We found that effective RBA results and indicators balance proximity to impact, ease of measurement and the need for appropriate incentive effects. Read more about this project on our new website here.

Our team has also expanded recently with Jason Eis joining as Executive Director in our London office. Jason brings a wealth of experience from his previous roles as Regional Director for the Global Green Growth Institute, where he oversaw programmes in Latin America, Africa and India, as Head of Innovation Strategy at the Carbon Trust, and as Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey. Read more about Jason here.

Below you'll find some of the other projects we have delivered in the past few months and other news including our recruitment drive. For more information on these, or for details on our many private sector projects not mentioned here, please email us.

Visit our website

Email us

Vivid Economics is hiring: We are currently looking for two Economists or Senior Economists, one with experience in the areas of Natural Resources, Energy & Industry and/or Growth & Development and the other with experience in econometrics and economic modelling. We are also looking to hire three Engagement Managers. One will take a leading role in our Natural Resources practice and another in the areas of Energy & Industry and/or Growth & Development while the third should have econometrics and economic modelling experience. Finally, we are currently seeking part-time consultants with a background in economics, corporate strategy and/or policy making, and experience in the areas of Natural Resources, Energy & Industry and/or Growth & Development. Please see our website for more details.

Itron Resourcefulness Index: Vivid Economics was commissioned by utilities technology and services company Itron to develop an index of national resourcefulness in the use of energy and water. We designed and implemented a quantitative analysis of factors influencing energy and water productivity and integrated this with Itron’s survey of utility perceptions and challenges to identify the key factors associated with resourcefulness. This statistical approach delivered an analytically robust and balanced index of resourcefulness for 16 key economies. Read our report here.

Private Sector Set-asides of the Strategic Climate Fund: The set-asides of the CIF Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) are over $200m of concessional climate finance resources earmarked for leveraging private sector investment into projects and programmes compatible with the underlying objectives of each of the SCF programmes. The CIF Administrative Unit asked Vivid Economics to review the process to date, in particular to assess whether the set-asides have stimulated innovative private sector projects across a range of countries with the support of the MDBs. Read our conclusions here.

Financing Climate Adaptation: Our recent project for the EBRD reported on the lessons from multilateral development bank (MDB) activity targeting private sector adaptation. The private sector is key to addressing the challenge of adaptation to climate change and major climate finance mechanisms such as the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) have developed (or are developing) private sector programmes that include a focus on adaptation. However, the evidence upon which the design of these new programmes is based is weak. Our report strengthens the evidence base and is available here.

Innovation Prizes: This report presents an analytical guide to assess whether and why it is appropriate to use an innovation prize to solve a pre-defined problem with a focus on developing country contexts and in supporting the poorest within these countries. It is intended to support governments, development partners, NGOs, academic institutions, private foundations, and industry and consumer associations. It is published as part of a suite of papers that capture the learning from the first year of DFID’s Ideas to Impact programme and is available here.