Overseas Development Institute

Fellowship Posts

Fellows are assigned to government ministries where they work as economists or planning officers.

Budget preparation, development of Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEFs) and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) remain key areas of involvement for many Fellows.

Demand has grown in recent years for Fellows to work in specialised areas such as natural resource or environmental economics, and in social sectors such as health (particularly HIV/AIDS) and education. Trade is also becoming a key area of involvement for Fellows.

There has also been an increased emphasis on regional organisation postings.

Another fairly recent development is for Fellows to be involved in debt management or monetary policy. Those in finance ministries and central banks have often been part of government teams negotiating with the World Bank and the IMF.

Posts call for a wide variety of both economic and administrative skills. They typically include:

Monitoring poverty reduction strategies including qualititative analysis and examing household consumption (Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi)
Advising on trade policy and international trade agreements including economic partnership agreement negotiations (Vanuatu, Mozambique, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Guyana, Malawi, Zambia)
Analysing tax data to produce a harmonised forecast of government revenue (Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania)
Forecasting macroeconomic indicators (Zanzibar)
Mainstreaming trade issues into poverty reduction strategy papers (Tanzania)
Designing systems and procedures for aid co-ordination and debt management (Zanzibar, Uganda, Guyana, Nigeria)
Devising a strategic response to HIV/AIDS as a member of the HIV/AIDS Crisis Management and Technical Committee (Swaziland)
Advising on policy to support small and medium enterprises (Mozambique)
Budget strategy and preparation (almost all countries, notably Mozambique, Namibia, Papua New Guinea)
Introducing fiscal reforms and applying new tax or customs instruments
Assessing the Tanzania mining sector's performance in relation to other sub-Saharan African countries (Tanzania)