The report, published by the University of Oxford, was produced after an event involving public policy researchers from several countries
In March 2021, the Government Outcomes Lab of The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom), held an international Hack and Learn event . It was promoted via the International Network for Data on Impact and Government Outcomes (INDIGO) and co-organized by Insper. The hack and learn works like a game, using simulations, data, and open-source tools like Gephi or Plotly.
The meeting comprised a total of nine simulation challenges for public policy and data science researchers. It had a diversity of topics ranging from how to implement impact bonds to boost covid-19 vaccination in the United States to how to identify donation patterns for different causes in India.
The participating researchers produced a technical learning report compiling all projects carried out during the event. The report details each project’s data integration and use process, sharing insights for better use of the information produced.
Insper’s Participation
Fernando Deodato Domingos, Doctoral student in Business Economics, was responsible for the liaison with researchers from the INDIGO network. Together with colleagues from Insper and the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), he led an investigation on outcomes-based contracts (OBCs) that can be used to address issues related to girls’ education and, more generally, to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. “It was an opportunity to strengthen ties with the national community through the joint work with UFBA. And also with international centers, especially the Oxford group that led the research projects”, says Domingos.
Insper’s participation happened through Insper Metrics, our hub for Social and Environmental Impact Measurement. For Prof. Sandro Cabral, the hub’s Vice-Coordinator and Coordinator of the Professional Masters in Public Policy (MPP, for its acronym in Portuguese), the initiative is in line with three aspects of our school: Internationalization, national impact, and internal integration.
“By participating, we tell the world that we are attuned to frontier knowledge and that here in Brazil we produce high-quality science, one capable of contributing to a collaborative effort of that magnitude,” says Cabral. “Regarding the national impact, we can contribute so that universities located in other centers, such as UFBA in this case, take part in this joint effort and also show their potential. Finally, by engaging Doctoral and MPP students, the project emphasizes the strong integration between the fields of knowledge. That is an Insper’s indelible trait.”
Besides having Domingos and Cabral as participants, the event was mediated by Clara Fagundes Oliveira Portela, Master’s student in Public Policy at Insper, and Prof. Sérgio Lazzarini, Coordinator of Insper Metrics.
