From 21 to 22 September, our colleague Martina Pezer participated at the professional workshop Data and knowledge sources: how to put the evidence to work as part of the Untangled project. The topic of the workshop was knowledge transfer and collaboration of researchers and policymakers.

Pezer presented the Institute’s collaboration with the Central State Office for Demography (former Ministry for Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy) in applying micro-simulation models to changes to the legislation on child support and maternity and parental leaves. She highlighted that the primary advantages of micro-simulation models for policymakers are speed and flexibility with which the required estimates of reform effects on the budget user numbers can be delivered. “However, all official data on citizens, families and households should be consolidated into a single database which could be used to make a more thorough analysis of the tax and social benefits system and plan the reforms of this system accordingly”, Pezer concluded.