[{"jcr:title":"Insper professor Sergio Firpo is included in a list of the scientists who most influence public policy","cq:tags_0":"area-de-conhecimento:economia","cq:tags_1":"area-de-conhecimento:políticas-públicas","cq:tags_2":"docentes:","cq:tags_3":"centro-de-conhecimento:centro-de-gest-o-e-pol-ticas-p-blicas"},{"richText":"The professor, who is preparing to launch the Public Spending Quality Observatory, highlights the importance of evaluations in shaping the public budget","authorDate":"27/11/2025 11h08","madeBy":"Por","tag":"area-de-conhecimento:economia","title":"Insper professor Sergio Firpo is included in a list of the scientists who most influence public policy","variant":"imagecolor"},{"jcr:title":"transparente - turquesa - vermelho"},{"themeName":"transparente - turquesa - vermelho"},{"containerType":"containerTwo"},{"jcr:title":"Grid Container Section","layout":"responsiveGrid"},{"text":"Economist Sergio Firpo, full professor at Insper, has been included in the list of the 107 Brazilian scientists most influencing public policy decisions worldwide, according to a survey by Agência Bori in partnership with the international platform Overton. The selection is based on mentions of academic works in technical reports, opinions, and documents used by governments and multilateral organizations since 2019. Overton claims to maintain the world's largest database of public policy literature. The study mapped Brazilian researchers whose works were cited in at least 150 policy documents—including government reports, multilateral organizations, and civil society organizations—published nationally and internationally. The goal was to identify which academics are effectively influencing public decisions in areas such as health, economy, environment, nutrition, and education. Firpo, who ranked 22nd on the list (1st among those working with social science), received the news with surprise. “I didn't even know this study existed. I was happy, of course, but more surprised than anything else,” he comments. For him, being on the list reflects an academic trajectory focused on public policy evaluation, and not just his recent tenure in the federal government. “My work with evaluation methods has already been used in several applied studies, and I imagine that led to these citations.” Graduated in Economics from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), holds a master's degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley—where he also completed a master's in Statistics—Firpo has built an international career. He was a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, between 2003 and 2006; at PUC-Rio, between 2004 and 2008; and at the São Paulo School of Economics of FGV, between 2008 and 2015, before joining Insper in 2016. At Insper, he focuses his teaching activity on graduate programs, especially the doctoral program and the professional master's in public policy. His research areas include microeconometrics, labor economics, development, and public policy evaluation. In February 2023, he assumed the position of National Secretary of Public Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Planning and Budget, a role he held until May 2025. In his role, he structured systematic processes for evaluating public policies, aiming to integrate results into the decision-making process. “The experience in government was enriching. You see firsthand the challenges and also the opportunities to make evidence generated by academia influence the redesign of public policies,” says Firpo. The experience in the Executive branch broadened his focus of action. In addition to evaluating policies, he paid special attention to the issue of public budget. “It's not enough to know what works and what doesn't. It's necessary to think about how the budget can reflect these evidences so that public spending becomes more qualified.” Initiative to qualify the budget debate With this goal, he leads the creation of the Public Expenditure Quality Observatory, a new initiative of the Center for Public Management & Policy (CGPP) at Insper, whose official launch is scheduled for January 2026. The proposal is to produce analyses, studies, and methodologies that contribute to formulating more effective public policies and better use of public resources. “The idea is to think of evaluation as an instrument to improve budget allocation, not as an isolated academic exercise.” For Firpo, the Observatory arises at a time when the fiscal debate in Brazil is polarized and impoverished. “On one side, there are those who advocate fiscal adjustment as an absolute priority. On the other, those who place social demands as a priority. Both perspectives have their value, but we need to overcome this false opposition. The key is to improve the quality of public spending.” The researcher believes the Observatory can bring more substance to the debate, offering alternatives to simplified measures, such as linear budget cuts. “Cutting 10% of everything seems simple, but it disregards which policies work and which don't. Without evidence, there is a risk of reducing resources from effective policies and maintaining inefficient programs.” Although he considers the path between academia and public policy natural, Firpo notes that the conditions for scientific work to reach public policy makers are not always in place. “The researcher's role is not necessarily to influence policy. But if there is a channel for that, it's important that there is a structure that allows accumulated knowledge to be useful.” With his return to Insper and the launch of the Observatory, he intends to continue working in this space between research and policy formulation. “The evaluation agenda in Brazil has advanced a lot, but there is still room for research results to be taken into account in public resource allocation.”"}]