Welcome!
I'm John Njoroge Maara, An Economics Consultant
Helping You Make better decisions
Area of research: Development Economics and Labour Markets
Summary Profile:
Qualifications
2019
University of Nairobi
PhD Economics
University of Nairobi, 20th December, 2019.
July – August, 2022
University of California, Berkeley
Training on Migration Research Methods
Participated in Training on Migration Research Methods organized by Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, at University of California, Berkeley in San Francisco, USA.
September 2022
Planned Visit
Visiting Fellow in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management – S.C Johnson College of Business and College and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ithaca, Cornell University.
June 2022
University of Cornell, Ithaca, New York.
STAARS
Fellow in the Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STAARS) Program in collaboration of Cornell University, the University of Sussex, and the African Economics Research Consortium (AERC).
July 2022
Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (ENSEA
Training on Development Methodologies
Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (ENSEA). Completed a training on Development Methodologies organized by French Development Agency, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the Fund for Innovation in Development and the Institute for Statistics and Applied Economics, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
April 2021- August 2021
University of North Carolina
Cash Transfer Project
Visiting Fellow, Cash Transfer Project at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
May 2020-May 2022:
University of Gothenburg
Research Fellow under the Program on Governance and Local Development (GLD)
Research Fellow under the Program on Governance and Local Development (GLD) at the University of Gothenburg, Department of Political Science, Sweden.
Academic Awards:
African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Fellowship grant under Cornell University research program on “Fellows to the Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STAARS).
Rusell Sage Foundation Grant to participate in training on Migration Research Methods organized by Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, at the University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco, USA.
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab funding to participate training on Development Methodologies organized by French Development Agency, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the Fund for Innovation in Development and the Institute for of Statistics and Applied Economics, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire2021. Visiting Scholar, Cash Transfer Project, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Governance and Local Development (GLD) grant to participate in the Swedish Research Link Research Fellowship at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
DAAD/Network of Excellence for Land Governance (NELGA) grant to pursue Fellowship on Land Governance during the COVID-19 Crisis.
Work Experience:
- January 2017 to date: Lecturer at University of Nairobi, Department of Economics and Development Studies.
- June 2018. Freelance Consultant on Impact Evaluation.
- February to November 2016: Technical Support Person for National AIDS Control Council (NACC) where he supported the development and Mid-term review of County AIDS Strategic Plans.
- September 2009 – May 2017: Consultant and Part-time Lecturer at various Universities in Kenya, Teaching Economics.
- January 2009 to December 2014: Research supervisor/assistant at Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA). Involved in collecting household data and supervising data collection.
Ongoing Papers:
- 1. Maara, J. N. Maydom, B. (2022). Do Corruption Experiences Promote Migration? Observational and Experimental Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa.
- 2. Maara, J. N. (2022). Climate Smart Agriculture and Asset Accumulation in Kenya: Examining Pathways and Impact.
- 3. Maara, J. N. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on Migration Dynamics in Kenya.
- 4. Maara, J. N., Manda, D. M., and Kiiru, J. M. (2022). Remittances and Labour Market Participation in Kenya.
Published Papers:
- 1. Maara, J. N., Manda, D. M., and Kiiru, J. M. (2019). Remittances and Household Expenditure Allocation Behavior in Kenya. African Journal of Economic Review, 3(1):85-108.
- 2. Maara, J. N., Manda, D. M., and Kiiru, J. M. (2019). Why Do Migrants Remit? Empirical Evidence from Kenya. Journal of Economics, Management and Trade, Review, 25(3).
- 3. Maugu, L. K., Mwirigi, R., Maara, J. N. and Galo, N. (2013). The Determinants of Supply of Kenya’s Major Agricultural Crop Exports from 1963 to 2012. International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology, 3(5):54-62.
Papers Under Publication Review:
- 1. Maara, J. N., Manda, D. M., and Kiiru, J. M. Remittances and Child Labour and Schooling. Are there Gender Differences? Submitted to Journal of African Development.
- 2. Maara, J. N., Kiiru, J. M., and Okara, G. O. (2020). Remittances and Financial Inclusion in Africa. Evidence from Kenya. Submitted to African Economics Research Consortium (AERC).
Papers Reviewed:
- 1. Finagnon A. Dedewanou and Rolande C. B Kpekou Tossou (2020). The Role of Remittances for Sorghum Production; African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).
Research Experience:
June 2021 to date: Project Manager/coordinator for AERC-INCLUDE Growth Sector for Youth Employment (GSYE) Project. I supported the implementation of programme activities under the AERC-INCLUDE collaborative research project on “Work and Income for Young Men and Women in Africa: A Political Economy and Social Equity Approach to the Employment Potential of Specific Sectors and Subsectors in African Economies”. I supported in the generation of research evidence, development and synthesis of knowledge products, research update and dialogue with policy actors.
Experience gained from the GSYE Project
- Drafting an overview of existing knowledge and identifying gaps for research on the collaborative programme themes.
- Summarizing and synthesizing existing knowledge and making it accessible to policy makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to facilitate knowledge exchange.
- Synthesizing research evidence from the programme outputs and knowledge products including framework papers, policy briefs, country case studies and synthesis papers for dissemination and engagement with policy makers.
- Building and strengthening partnerships with collaborating institutions, research teams, policy makers and agencies to enhance achievement of the programme aims.
- Organizing and facilitating face-to-face and virtual research uptake and dialogue forums including policy seminars, meetings, workshops, and conferences with researchers, policy makers, implementors and other actors.
- Sharing programme outputs and knowledge products through the collaborating organisations’ websites, social media and other platforms and forums.
- Coordinating collaborating institutions, think tanks, research teams and other actors in the programme.
- Providing support in managing the activities of the programme such as drafting report of key activities of the programme and workshops.
Workshops Attended:
1
Participated in Migration Research Methods meeting at University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco, USA from July 25 to August 2, 2022.
2
Participated in Development Methodologies conference organized by French Development Agency, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the Fund for Innovation in Development and the Institute for of Statistics and Applied Economics, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from July 5 to July 8, 2022.
3
Participated in the Governance for Local Development (GLD) 5th Annual Conference themed; Giving and Taking: Studies on Extraction and Participation in Local Governance at Vann Spa, Brastad, Sweden from May 23 to May 26, 2022.
4
Participated in the Research and Evidence Facility Second International Conference on Migrants and Forcibly Displaced Persons: Towards Greater Inclusion and Protection at Trade Mark Hotel, Village Market, Nairobi, Kenya from June 9 to June 10, 2022.
5
Participated in the 5th KIPPRA Annual Regional Conference on Foundations for a Sustainable Economic Transformation in Kenya, at Kenya School of Government, Nairobi, from July 15 to July 17, 2022.
6
Participated in the AERC/ERF/ODI Work and Income for Young Women and Men in Africa “Growth Sectors” Project: Final-Review for Country Case Studies, Nairobi, from January 20 to January 21, 2022.
Consultancy Experience:
- June 2021 to Date: Consultant on AERC-INCLUDE Growth Sectors for Youth Employment (GSYE) Project.
- August 2017- May 2018. Supervised a Household Survey Project on Migration, Remittances, Household Expenditure and Labour Force Participation in Nairobi, Embu, Meru, Nakuru and Laikipia Counties on a project funded by National Research Fund of Kenya.
- February 2016 to date: A technical Support Person for National AIDS Control Council (NACC): supports in the development and Mid-term review of County AIDS Strategic Plans as a consultant.
- 2009-2010: Research Supervisor at Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIIPRA) on Various Projects.
John Njoroge Maara