Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything
(P. Krugman, 1994)
What is the GFP?
The OECD Global Forum on Productivity (GFP) aims to foster international co-operation between public bodies with responsibility for promoting productivity-enhancing policies. The GFP provides a platform on which participants will convene to exchange information and discuss best practices as well as a framework within which to undertake productivity analysis that is complementary to the OECD’s regular work programme.
The work programme of the GFP is guided by a Steering Group of countries. The group provides support and funding to the activities of the GFP.
Productivity: What is it and why do we care about it?
Productivity is about “working smarter” rather than “working harder”. It reflects our ability to produce more output by better combining inputs, owing to new ideas, technological innovations and business models. Productivity growth is therefore essential for an economy to increase its living standards and offer a better life to future generations.
How does the GFP contribute to the debate?
The GFP brings together the national and supra-national efforts mentioned above so as to leverage country-specific experiences to the long-term benefit of other countries. It is a practical, interactive tool that helps to promote the international co-operation on analysis; allows for a mutual exchange of information and data; and facilitates the sharing of experiences and policy developments. In so doing, the GFP can help those inside or outside governments seeking answers to three questions:
- What factors can explain the productivity slowdown?
- What can countries do to improve future prospects for productivity growth and innovation?
- What can countries do to improve the design of institutions seeking to promote higher productivity and inclusiveness?
GFP team
The work programme of the GFP is guided by a Steering Group of founding countries. The group provides support and funding to the activities of the GFP.
Co-Chairs of the Steering Group:
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Ottavio Ricchi is Head of Unit in the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. He is responsible for potential output and structural public finance estimates, debt sustainability projections, and productivity analysis, and he was formerly in charge of the macroeconomic forecasts unit and of the liaison unit with the EU-Economic Policy Committee. He is the chair of the EU-Output Gap Working Group. He graduated from the University of Naples and holds an MSc in economics at the University of York (UK) and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Exeter (UK). His main areas of interest include productivity analysis, economic modelling, public finance, and international economics. |
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Rita Bessone Basto is currently Deputy Director of the Office for Strategy and Studies of the Portuguese Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition. Her current position involves work on the analysis of productivity and its determinants, in the context of the national productivity board; on policy evaluation models; and assessment and policy advice on economic developments and policies. She has previous work experience in areas of financial stability and macroprudential policy, DSGE models with financial frictions, international relations, and monetary and financial issues. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Exeter (UK). |
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Stefan Profit holds the position of a Deputy Director General in the Economic Policy Department of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. His directorate deals with macroeconomic developments, economic analyses and projections. Before assuming this position, he was in charge of a unit focusing on the empirical research in the field of inclusive growth, productivity and investment, as well as assessing growth and distributional effects of structural reforms. During previous assignments in the ministry, he worked in the field of labor market reform and energy policy, foreign economic affairs, policy planning, and served as a personal advisor to the Minister. Previous to his engagement within the federal government he worked for the Bertelsmann Foundation. He has an academic background in labor economics holding a doctoral degree in Economics from Humboldt University Berlin. |
OECD Secretariat:
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Mame Fatou Diagne is Head of Division in the Economics Department. She leads macroeconomic and structural country analyses for the European Union, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. |
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Chiara Criscuolo leads the productivity, enterprise dynamics and policy evaluation work of the Directorate for Science Technology and Innovation (STI), including its forefront cross-country microdata projects. Prior to joining OECD, she was at the London School of Economics. She holds a PhD in Economics from University College London and her work features in leading outlets, including the American Economic Review. |
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Filiz Unsal is the head of the Structural Policy Analysis Division at the Economics Department of the OECD. Previously, she worked at the International Monetary Fund for over 10 years, leading various policy and research initiatives and country missions. She also worked at the Financial Sector Advisory Center of the World Bank between 2015-2017. She received her Ph.D. in Economics, and MSc in Economics and Finance, from the University of York (UK). She has published on monetary and financial sector policies, financial inclusion, and international finance. |
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Luca Marcolin is Senior Economist and Project Manager for the GFP. At the OECD since 2014, his main interests lie with the analysis of firm capabilities (technology adoption, trade linkages, human capital) and firm performance. He holds a PhD in Economics from the KU Leuven. |
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Sarah Michelson-Sarfati is currently working as a programme and communication co-ordinator for the Global Forum on Productivity. Prior to joining the Economics Department of the OECD in 2013, Sarah worked in the Public Sector Integrity division. She holds a Masters in contemporary History from Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne. |
Current members of the GFP Steering Group
| Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) | European Union | Luxembourg |
| Australia | France | New Zealand |
| Belgium | Germany | Portugal |
| Brazil | Hungary | Slovenia |
| Canada | Ireland | Spain |
| Chile | Italy | Sweden |
| Costa Rica | Japan | United Kingdom |
| Denmark |