ALBERTO SARACHO

Mexico City, Mexico 06700

+52 55 29 22 56 57

Alberto is the founding Executive Director of Fundación IDEA, one of Mexico’s first independent public policy think-tank. At Fundación IDEA he works on innovation and private sector development policy. His work includes publications on Mexico’s innovation and intellectual property policies, of which “Promoting Innovation in SMEs: The State of the Art, a revision of SME innovation policy in eight countries” has become a go to guide for the design on innovation policy in Mexico. He has headed consulting projects on innovation and housing with different Mexican state governments and its federal government. His opinions on SME and innovation policies are frequently cited on the media and requested by policy-makers. Alberto has also worked with the OECD, the IADB and ECLAC on different SME and innovation policy analysis.

He is currently working with the INFONAVIT on developing indicators related to housing and quality of life for different regions and socio-demographic groups.

Education / HARVARD UNIVERSITY, John F. Kennedy School of Government / Cambridge, MA
Master in Public Policy, Course work includes: Advanced macroeconomics, finance, microeconomics, PhD level econometrics, system dynamics, economic development, social policy analysis and design
Methodological area of concentration: Macroeconomics and Program Evaluation
UNIVERSIDAD IBEROAMERICANA / Mexico City
A.B. in Political Science and Public Administration. “Special Acknowledgement in test to obtain degree”
Current and Past positions / Fundación IDEA, A.C. / Mexico City
2005- present / Founding Executive Director (2005-2008)/ President (2009)
  • Responsible for the overall function of Fundación IDEA
  • Started Fundación IDEA in 2005, and lead its growth to a staff of 18 full time researchers and a three million dollar a year budget in four years.
  • Head of the Private Sector Development/Innovation/Housing Research Area.
  • Worked with international organizations (OECD/IADB/WB/USAID/ECLAC).
  • Selected by the Mexican Time Warner Magazine’sExpansión as one of 2009’s most promising Mexicans in their thirties.
/ Mexico City
2008- present / Angel Ventures Mexico / Mexico City
Corporate Advisor
  • Research and analysis regarding the state of entrepreneurship in Mexico.
  • Assisting in developing entrepreneurship advocacy documents.
  • Providing assistance regarding data mining and general quantitative analysis.

2006- 2008 / UNIVERSIDAD IBEROAMERICANA / Mexico City
Professor of the Program Evaluation Course of the Social Sciences Department
  • Recipient of the Award as Best Professor of the Social Sciences Department (2007)

2004 –2005 / JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
“Going Local” Research Assistant, Prof. Merilee S. Grindle
  • Analysis and evaluation of Mexico’s decentralization
  • Analyzed the political economy of decentralization
  • Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the Mexican decentralization process
  • Field research on the effect of decentralization in municipalities in Puebla, Mexico
/ Cambridge, MA
Selected Projects at Fundación IDEA:
State Government of Chihuahua (current)
  • Consultant on Innovation Policy. Assisting the state’s Economic Development Office on the design, creation and implementation of policies geared toward promoting innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises and innovative entrepreneurship, including the creation of the state’s Value Added Institute

Mexico’s Ministry of the Economy (current)
  • Provide technical assistance in the development a new National Innovation Policy. This includes an important component in innovative entrepreneurship, as well as the policy’s selection criteria, evaluation framework and policy instruments.

State Government of Baja California (2008)
  • Consultant on SME Innovation Policy. Assisting the state’s Economic Development Office on the design, creation and implementation of a Program for the Promotion of Innovation and Value Added in Small and Medium Enterprises in the Automotive Industry.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2008)
  • Consultant on Social Protection and Private Sector Development Policy. Consultant on the mapping and analysis of Social Protection and Private Sector Development Policy of the Mexican Government. The project included recommendations for the Mexican government.

Mexican Institute for Social Security (2007)
  • Consultant on Social Security Policy

Office of the President Elect Felipe Calderón (2006)
  • Consultant on Microfinance Policy. Worked with the President Elect’s Policy Office on developing a microfinance policy for the 2007-2021 administration.

Publications /
  • Book “SME and Entrepreneurship policy: A User’s Guide for Policymakers”, Fundacion IDEA (forthcoming) funded by USAID, Fundación IDEA (forthcoming)
  • Report“Intellectual Property as a Motor for Competitiveness”, Fundación IDEA 2009
  • Book “Promoting Innovation in SMEs: The State of the Art, a revision of SME innovation policy in eight countries”, Fundación IDEA 2008 (Funded by USAID)
  • Book“Size Matters: SME Innovation Policies and Competitiveness in Mexico”. Fundación IDEA, 2007 (Funded by USAID)
  • Report: “Evaluation of the Mexican Postal Service”, Fundación IDEA 2008
  • Report:“Evaluation of the Mexican Postal Service”, Fundación IDEA, 2007
  • Paper: “Reaction to PISA en selected Countries: An example for Mexico” Fundación IDEA 2007 (Funded by OECD)
  • Paper, “Superior Education: a development tool.” Este País Journal, August 2007
  • Paper, “Crossed Vote: an econometric analysis of the Mexican Election of 2006”, with Enrique Ochoa on LetrasLibres, September 2006.
  • Essay “ What can I do?” for LetrasLibres Magazine, May 2006, Mexico