Event Summary
Geneviève Verdier, deputy division chief in the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund, presented the findings of the IMF's Fiscal Monitor chapter on digital government on April 12, 2018. Her presentation was followed by a panel of experts—Diana Farrell, the founding president and chief executive officer of the JPMorgan Chase Institute; Vitor Gaspar, director of the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department; and Sonal Shah, executive director of Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation.
Digital technologies have spread rapidly in much of the world, including governments. Greater availability of and access to timely and reliable information can transform how governments conduct fiscal policy, and the IMF’s April 2018 Fiscal Monitor examines both the gains and risks from digitizing public finances. Verdier’s remarks and the expert panel focused on how digitization can help governments implement current policy and address new policy challenges, and how governments can balance the associated opportunities and challenges.
Geneviève Verdier was previously an assistant professor at Texas A&M University and worked as an economist in the research department of the Bank of Canada, as well as the IMF's Strategy, Policy and Review Department; African Department; and Institute for Capacity Development.
Diana Farrell is the former global head of the McKinsey Center for Government and the McKinsey Global Institute. She served in the White House as deputy director of the National Economic Council and deputy assistant to the president on economic policy during 2009–10.
Vitor Gaspar, prior to joining the IMF, held a variety of senior policy positions in Banco de Portugal, including most recently as special adviser. He served as minister of State and Finance of Portugal during 2011–13. He was head of the European Commission’s Bureau of European Policy Advisers during 2007–10.
Sonal Shah is former deputy assistant to the president and director of the first White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation that focused on investing in and scaling innovative models in the social sector. She also served on President Obama’s transition board overseeing the technology, innovation, and government reform working group.
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Presentation: Geneviève Verdier (1.12 MB)