Thread by @DinaPomeranz

Looking forward to day 1 of the 4th Zurich Conference on Public Finance in Developing Countries tomorrow!

Excited to have a wonderful line-up of presentations again & I particularly look forward to @OdhiamboFrank_O's talk on "Do's & Don'ts for Field Work" & to @adnanqk's Keynote

And we're off to a good start!

Presentation by IPA Kenya research manager @OdhiamboFrank_O with advice for researchers who work with research assistants remotely for research in countries other than where they live:

1/n

"Don't get me wrong, overall we love working with external PIs (principle investigators/professors). It is a generally a refreshing and enriching experience.

However...

Today I'll talk a bit about the main issues that can create difficulties and that PIs cound improve."

2/n

These topics are often difficult for research assistants to discuss with PIs, due to large power differentials.

PIs enjoy a lot of soft power they may not always be aware of. Field staff often strongly depend on them for reference letters & for continued employment & livelihood.

There are also often cultural & language barriers that make such conversations challenging. In addition, since PIs are often not employed by the same institution as field staff, there are few channels of feedback or recourse. Overall, there can be a lot of fear of confronting PIs

Here are therefore some thoughts on things PIs could be mindful of, based on Frank's extended experience as research manager and conversation with many research assistants. Many PIs already do this, but once in a while there are also serious challenges with these issues.

First, be mindful of local regulations and laws. This includes IRB. For example, sending a completely revised survey protocol the day before the begin of the survey that has been approved by IRB is a no go. It puts RAs in an impossible situation between the PIs & the regulation.

Similarly, make sure to be mindful of local labor laws. This means not sending your owns students to the country of study without the necessary visa approval and ethics trainings. It also means respecting hiring regulations for all the local staff you hire.

Another area that can lead to very challenging situations is if some PIs insist on implementing field work that exceeds the amount planned in the budget. Again, don't try to pressure local staff, who are very dependent on your good will, into doing things against regulation

A whole other area of Frank's comments relate to basic human empathy in management. Personally, I (Dina) feel that the fact that this needs to be said shows that there really is a need for introspection for us as a research community on how to improve these research structures:

Frank requests that PI be sensitive to the research staff's human needs. Be mindful that people have families, personal needs, illness etc. and not everything is just subject to research priorities.

Like anyone else, research staff of course have emotions, good and bad days, and are no always on their very best performance. Like anyone else, they sometimes make mistakes. And like anyone else, they need human empathy and understanding, and an opportunity to learn.

It also isn't sustainable for people to work upwards of 10 hours on a daily basis (not counting often several hours of commuting). From afar, PIs often underestimate the amount of work involved, e.g. in admin work that is not very visible. Be mindful of time zones.

A third area of issues relate to cultural and language and management style differences across contexts. Sometimes the style in the countries of the PIs is quite different and more direct than what is common in the country of the research study.

If PIs are overly confrontational, this can both lead to a lot of worry and stress for the research staff, and it can also jeopardize the relationship with the research partners in government or local organizations. Ask your research staff for guidance on what is appropriate.

Finally, Frank encourages all PIs to actively support the personal and professional development of all members of the research team. Capacity building might include sharing with team members the thought process behind the project design, providing active constructive feedback...

...giving RAs opportunities to work on data analysis and skill building, etc. Beyond that, it would be great if PIs can share opportunities for professional advancement with interested RAs, such as fellowships or conferences abroad, mentoring for grad school applications, etc.

Frank also encouraged me to share in this thread a piece we wrote with @AdhikariSamik and Juan Ignacio Elorrieta on "Working in Emerging Markets: Opportunities and
Blind Spots", which might be complementary to some of his remarks.

econ.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:92395d…