UKRAINE AT A CROSSROADS: The Role of Independent Policy

Research in Addressing The Challenges of Political and

Economic Governance

Panel 2. Delivering high quality

applied policy research: Comparing
European and Ukrainian experiences
and challenges
Denys Nizalov, PhD, Academic Director,
Kyiv Economics Institute / Kyiv School of Economics
nizalov@kse.org.ua

13 May 2011, Kyiv

Panel 2. Delivering high quality applied policy
research: Comparing European and Ukrainian
experiences and challenges
Topic: quantitative research being done on Ukraine, on the
quality of available statistics and data on Ukraine, and
approaches to produce reliable analysis based on
less reliable data.
 Evidence-based policy making and the role of think-
tanks
 Empirical studies on Ukraine and other CIS countries
 Sources of data
 Empirical issues
Evidence-based policy making
 “Governments around the world are moving to
align their programs and services with what is
known as evidence-based policy and practices
(EBP).
 EBP asserts that public policy and practice
must be based on the best available scientific
evidence to be effective in the achievement of
its goals and to be efficient in the use of
taxpayers’ dollars.” (Morris L. Thigpen et al.
2001)
The Role of Think-Tanks in
Evidence-Based Policy Making

Think tanks models:

 Independent research
 Consultancy

 Advocacy
Influential authors

 A Åslund (2009) How Ukraine Became a Market

Economy and Democracy
 Gorodnichenko (2008) “Are Oligarchs Productive?
Theory and Evidence” , J of Comparative Economics
 D Brown
 J Earle
 H Lehmann
 Empirical Studies
 World Bank – worldbank.org
 Global Development Network – gdnet.org
 Economics Education and Research Consortium –
eerc.ru
 Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) / Kyiv Economics
Institute (KEI) – kse.org.ua / kei.org.ua
 Research & Outreach
 MA Theses
 The Institute for Economic Research and Policy
Consulting (IER) - www.ier.com.ua
Sources of Data

 International Data Service Center at IZA –

www.idsc.iza.org
 Ukrainian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (ULMS)
 State Statistics Committee - www.ukrstat.gov.ua
 Catalogue of State Statistics Forms (Альбом форм
державних статистичних спостережень)
 National Bank of Ukraine – www.bank.gov.ua
 Kyiv International Institute of Sociology -
www.kiis.com.ua
Empirical issues
 Sample characteristics (quality)
 Measurement error
 Changes in method: definitions, sample units
 Data provision:
 Access,
 Format,
 Completeness,
 Quality related feedback