Matthew Sellar Email & Phone Number

Dakar, Senegal

Triggering a clean and smart transport revolution in West Africa

London, England, United Kingdom

Reconnecting the natural and built environments, using our pioneering living walls

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Revolutionising promotion processes in the workplace, to improve meritocracy, reduce toxic management, strengthen productivity, and increase diversity & inclusion.

Dakar, Senegal

I am the economics lead for the FCDO's Sahel Department, leading on the economic programme and policy for Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. I manage our relationship with the World Bank and IMF, led on the economic analysis of our regional and country diagnostics, and did the ground-work for a £100m Digital Financial Inclusion Programme.

Dakar, Senegal

I manage the Estates Team for the British Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, and help to track Covid-19 developments in Senegal to inform our response

London, United Kingdom

I am currently an economic adviser in the UK Department for International Development's Climate and Environment Department. I specialise in adaptation and resilience to climate change for developing countries, namely by helping them plan for changes in weather patterns and extremes. For example, ensuring infrastructure, urban planning and/or agriculture are resilient to things like droughts and floods. I am also the lead for value-for-money, helping our country offices and the countries they… Show more I am currently an economic adviser in the UK Department for International Development's Climate and Environment Department. I specialise in adaptation and resilience to climate change for developing countries, namely by helping them plan for changes in weather patterns and extremes. For example, ensuring infrastructure, urban planning and/or agriculture are resilient to things like droughts and floods. I am also the lead for value-for-money, helping our country offices and the countries they work with make the best possible investment decisions for adapting and building resilience to the effects of climate change.Previous roles include (most recent first):Chief Economist's Office - produced analytical papers to promote discussion and learning in DFID.Quality Assurance Unit - did detailed quality assurance of business cases being sent to ministers for potential investments, and provided detailed feedback to teams on how their intervention design could be improved to ensure value-for-money and impact.DFID Caribbean - produced the monitoring and evaluation tool for DFID Caribbean's economic development programme, working with the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank and IMF.Global Funds Department - managed a malaria medicines and a pneumonia vaccines programme, to ensure efficient production and distribution. Represented DFID on boards, produced analysis on supply chains and prices, and produced briefings for ministers.Forest & Environment Team - produced a number of economic appraisals for DFID interventions seeking to avoid deforestation, produced DFID Indonesia's monitoring and evaluation strategy, represented DFID at the Natural Capital Forum and produced analysis for the senior economist.Trade Policy Unit - completed trade policy analysis to brief senior officials travelling to Brussels for meetings, namely focusing on development impact of changes in policies like the lifting of sanctions on Myanmar. Show less

Uk And Cuba

I founded CubaCasa to help people organise their accommodation with family run bed-and-breakfasts in Cuba. We make the booking process much quicker, easier and safer for the guests thanks to our high-spec website, all the information we have and all the materials we provide. We also help the independent family-run bed-and-breakfasts by securing more guests for them and reducing the likelihood that the guests don't show up once they've booked. We do this by taking a small advance payment and by… Show more I founded CubaCasa to help people organise their accommodation with family run bed-and-breakfasts in Cuba. We make the booking process much quicker, easier and safer for the guests thanks to our high-spec website, all the information we have and all the materials we provide. We also help the independent family-run bed-and-breakfasts by securing more guests for them and reducing the likelihood that the guests don't show up once they've booked. We do this by taking a small advance payment and by communicating with the guests to ensure their plans have not chance. Feel free to check us out, feedback always welcome: www.cubacasa.co.uk Show less

Mexico City Area, Mexico

I spent 10 months seconded as DFID representative to the Mexican Agency for International Development and worked on three main themes:Finance for Development: I produced analysis, liaised with civil society and the private sector, and coordinated with other ministries to determine Mexico’s position for negotiations at the UN in New York. I also produced briefing for minister and directors.Global Alliance for Effective Development Cooperation: I did analysis and coordinated… Show more I spent 10 months seconded as DFID representative to the Mexican Agency for International Development and worked on three main themes:Finance for Development: I produced analysis, liaised with civil society and the private sector, and coordinated with other ministries to determine Mexico’s position for negotiations at the UN in New York. I also produced briefing for minister and directors.Global Alliance for Effective Development Cooperation: I did analysis and coordinated Mexico’s position, engaged with the Steering Committee, briefed minister and directors, and liaised with co-chairs (Netherlands and Malawi) and the secretariat (OECD and UNDP). I played a leading role in producing a promotional video and wrote a speech for the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs - Claudia Ruiz Massieu.Institutional Strengthening: I piloted and formalised an induction process for new staff, implemented a regular team meeting structure and started a process to enable staff to share calendars. I also initiated an outreach programme towards the end of my secondment, with a clear process document containing next steps for staff to follow. Show less

Totnes, Devon, Uk

I worked on a cost-benefit analysis model to determine the value of evidence based interventions (EBIs) for children. This covered education, youth justice and care programmes.

Cotonou, Benin

I did my MSc dissertation with the Africa Rice Centre with support from the Centre's senior economist. I looked at whether an ECOWAS import tariff had stimulated rice production in Mali. To do this I used the 3-Staged-Least-Squares econometric technique, storing data and running regressions in Stata. I complemented this quantitative analysis with a historical, social and political analysis to produce a complete narrative. My dissertation was awarded a high distinction (78%).

Master Of Science, Development Economics, Distinction

Activities and Societies: MSc Class Representative, SOAS 5-a-side Football Society President & Treasurer

Master Of Arts With Honours, Economics, 2.1

Activities and Societies: Ethical Economics Society, Model United Nations Debating Society, Capoeira, Football.

Erasmus Exchange, Economics