Jaime Alejandro Urrego

Jaime is the Head of Data and Human Development Studies in the United Nations Development Programme in Colombia

I am an economist with a graduate degree in economics and another in public administration, as well as ten years’ experience in data management, economic and impact evaluations, and applied public policy analysis. I started my professional career convinced of pursuing an academic path. I was a research teaching assistant at my alma mater Universidad de los Andes, where I had the opportunity to educate myself in analysis through scientific methods. This helped me to think rigorously from the very beginning of my career. I then joined the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) as a Research Fellow, where I had the opportunity to improve my personal and professional capabilities.

During my time at the IADB, I realised that I had a passion for public service. However, my interest in working on the design and implementation of public policies required different capabilities. I also needed knowledge in project management, political affairs, and international cooperation. My past experiences would help me to understand and lead the development of public policies in one of multiple dimensions; therefore, I needed to study new subjects and perspectives that could bring me novel ideas and that could test my knowledge in order to improve it.

For this reason, I chose the LSE as the place to interact with a diverse environment in terms of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives; and I chose the MPA as the instrument to prepare myself for upcoming challenges as a public servant. The School of Public Policy offered a well-balanced place for academic discussions and empirical work that help you confront theory with reality. Two years at LSE gave me an extraordinary network of colleagues, taught me innovative academic tools to understand the society from different perspectives, and allowed me to interact with other actors at the international level.

Currently I work at the United Nations Development Programme in Colombia as Head of Data and Human Development Studies. I am the leader of a multidisciplinary team that oversees all the metrics on poverty, vulnerability, inequality, rural development, and human development. This team also monitors and evaluates all the programs developed by UNDP in the country, with the idea of capturing evidence that could help us design better policies. I believe I am currently doing what I was looking for six years ago when I was about to start the MPA program. Now, I am a technician with a strong background in economic analysis who can design and implement public policies based on evidence. 

Jaime is happy to connect via LinkedIn.