Development economist · Policy researcher
Research for human development and inclusive economic transformation.
I pursue a deep commitment to reducing poverty, expanding human opportunity, and supporting inclusive economic transformation through applied microeconomic research and hands-on policy work across education, gender, jobs, poverty, public-sector reform, and climate resilience.
10+ years across applied research, government reform, programme evaluation, and implementation research.
Current and recent work
Research connected to decisions
Human-development research
Quantitative research on education, learning, gender, labour markets, migration, and child development.
Public-policy systems
Policy diagnostics, appraisal, evidence use, state capability, and institutional reform.
Programme evaluation and survey systems
Evaluation design, field systems, data quality, and applied measurement across social and climate programmes.
Selected work
Research and institutional reform, in context
A selection of projects showing the question, setting, and contribution behind the final output.
01
World Bank · The Gambia · 2025–2026
Human capital, gender, jobs, and economic opportunity
Microeconomic research for The Gambia Economic Update examining why women’s educational gains have not translated into equal labour-market opportunities.
Significance: The analysis informed the 2026 Economic Update’s account of the links between education, gender, employment, and economic opportunity.
02
World Bank · ACET · Government of The Gambia · 2024–2025
Reforming a national public-policy system
A government-wide reform that moved from diagnosis to common standards for evidence-informed, results-based policymaking.
Result: The diagnostic reviewed 44 policies across 16 institutions, and Cabinet approved the resulting handbook as the national guide for policy development.
03
Green Climate Fund · Independent Evaluation Unit · 2022–2023
Climate resilience and adaptation evaluation
Evaluation work across clean cooking, sustainable landscapes, and climate-information programmes in Nepal, Madagascar, and Vanuatu.
Contribution: The evaluation work supported learning across three climate-resilience programmes and contributed to the fund’s second performance review.
Selected publications
Reports and research
2026
The Gambia Economic Update: Learning Without Earning
World Bank · Co-author
2025
National Policy Development Handbook
Government of The Gambia · Lead author
2024
The Gambia Policy Framework Diagnostic Report
Government of The Gambia · Lead author
Latest essays
Personal reflections, professional experience, and economic questions
Writing shaped by field experience, policy practice, and questions that continue beyond the final report.
1 July 2026
Beyond Toolkits: Building Policy Capability from Within Government
Building policy capability inside government required careful diagnosis, practical tools, continuous partnership, and sustained investment in the officials who would use them.
13 October 2025
Making Climate Finance Work for Vulnerable Countries
This personal reflection follows the institutional journey from national priorities to financed resilience and considers how stronger country capability and respectful partnerships can improve access.
Profile
Evidence, institutions, and inclusive development
My career began in large-scale data collection and official statistics in Ghana, where field research brought the realities of poverty and unequal opportunity into sharp focus. It later moved through applied research, university teaching, climate evaluation, and government reform. Across these settings, I have remained focused on how credible evidence and capable institutions can improve lives and support broad-based economic transformation.
Working on a research or policy challenge?
I welcome conversations about applied research, human development, public-sector reform, survey research, and evidence-informed decision-making.
Junior Abdul-Wahab 