Disaggregating Data for High Impact Development Policies -workshop- 29-oct-2025, Neil Martin

The workshop “Disaggregating Data for Impactful Development Policies” convened experts, policymakers, and civil society representatives to assess progress in disaggregated data and distributional impact analysis in development contexts. It also explored practical solutions to current challenges, drawing on successful experiences from both OECD and non-OECD countries.

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Panel
Understanding the distributional impacts of policies
in driving successful reforms
OECD Workshop – 29 October 2025
Disaggregating Data for High Impact Development Policies
Moderator: Ravi Kanbur (Cornell University)
NEIL MARTIN
CENTRE ON WELL -BEING, INCLUSION, SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (WISE)

2. © OECD |
Getting the Public on Side
A recent OECD report on the public acceptability of reforms
Workshop on Disaggregating Data for High Impact Development Policies 1
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Key Question addressed in the report:
How effective are existing analytical frameworks for drawing policy-relevant insights
on public acceptability from the growing body of perceptual and behavioural data?
•Extend OECD work on perceptions of inequality and preferences for redistribution.
•Support further analysis and data collection in areas including equality of
opportunity, discrimination and horizontal inequalities.
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Key Question addressed in the report:
What policy tools and frameworks can help better integrate these insights into the
reform process?
•Extend OECD work on the political economy of reform.
•Improve the design and communication of necessary reforms by taking account of
public acceptability more systematically and ex-ante.

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OECD EXPERT GROUP ON NEW MEASURES OF
THE PUBLIC ACCEPTABILITY OF REFORM
Academic Experts
Yann Algan (HEC – Economics) Charlotte Cavaillé (U. of Michigan – Social Policy)
Raymond Duch (U. of Oxford – Political Science) NathalieGiger(U.ofGeneva–PoliticalScience)
Jacob Hacker (Yale – Political Science) SébastienLechevalier(EHESS–Economics)
Jonathan Mijs (Boston U. – Sociology) Johanna Möllerström (George Mason U. – Beh. Economics)
Kris-Stella Trump (U. of Memphis – Political Science)
Experts from Foundations and IOs
OECD: Luiz de Mello IMF: Romain Duval World Bank: Luis-Felipe Lopez Calva
European Commission: Olivier Bontout & Frank Siebern-Thomas
Ford Foundation: Martin Abregú Goldschmeding Foundation: Aart de Geus
Representatives from Countries and NSOs
Canada: Richard Archambault (Employment & Social Development Canada) / Wesley Yung (STATCAN)
Greece: Nikolaos Kalatzis (Min. of Finance) Mexico: Adrián Franco (INEGI)
Lithuania: Jekaterina Navickė (Min. of Social Security and Labour) UK: Tim Vizard (ONS)
Türkiye: Güneş Aşık & Burcu Selvi (HR Office of the Presidency)
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Developing a Public Acceptability Tool – The general framework
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Step 1. Are Equity and Efficiency considerations
clearly articulated in the case for reform?
Outcome legitimacy: Economic Dimension and Fairness Dimension
Behavioural Barriers: Behavioural Dimensions of Social Change
Step 2. What behavioural barriers can hinder the
effectiveness of the case for reform?
Process legitimacy: Process Dimension
Step 3. What elements of process are needed to
support the case for reform ?
Workshop on Disaggregating Data for High Impact Development Policies

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What do Distributional Impact Assessment tell us
about public acceptability?
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Final thoughts – What role for DIAs in the context of the PAT?
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Ex-ante DIAs are an essential tool and source of data for understanding the Fairness Dimension of public
acceptability and for building sufficient public support:
•They can help inform the design and communication of reforms across policy areas.
•DIA results should be integrated into reform communication strategies.
DIAs can be used in complement to perceptual data to better understand how the expected effects of a
proposed reform align with public views:
•“Winners” and “losers” cannot always be identified solely on the basis of material outcomes.
•Providing information is not always enough to shift public perceptions or generate support.
The PAT offers a broader framework that can help articulate the different dimensions of public acceptability:
•It may contribute to increase political awareness of DIAs by connecting them to public acceptability.
•Social listening tools can help monitor their impact on public debates.
Workshop on Disaggregating Data for High Impact Development Policies