Daniel Herring

I am a data and policy analyst and research manager with eight years’ experience delivering high-quality research and reports. I have lead and managed teams of up to six researchers and data analysts and have experience in data management, statistical analysis, coding and developing metrics. I am confident communicating with senior stakeholders from different backgrounds and cultures and I am able to translate data and qualitative research into actions and decisions.

Ultimately, I am passionate about integrating statistical analysis and qualitative research to achieve meaningful change in public policy and international development.

Legatum Institute, London (May 2017 – present)

A think tank focusing on international development and UK policy

Senior Analyst and Team Manager, National Prosperity Team (November 2022 – present)

• Project management: I managed the production of the report for the Legatum Prosperity Index (our flagship publication looking at development and prosperity in 167 countries) in February 2023. I also managed the event and communications for the launch, which was attended by several hundred people online and in person. I acted as a critical friend and collaborated with other teams in the organisation to ensure widespread media coverage and that the event was successful. I also assisted other teams in the preparation and publication of their reports. 
• Writing and drafting: I drafted and provided the analysis for several of the articles for the 2023 Prosperity Report, which looked at whether the poorest countries were catching up to the richest, how personal freedom and governance are trending post-pandemic, economic challenges faced around the world, and global improvements in health, education and poverty. 
• Speaking and presenting: I spoke at the online launch, highlighting the challenges poorer countries face. I contacted and spoke to UK and foreign journalists about the event and report. 
• Data analysis: I translated complex development data into insights and policy ideas, using Python, R, and PowerBI. 
• Quality assurance: I ensured the data for the 2023 Legatum Prosperity Index was correctly obtained and transformed into an index. 
• Dataset management: I managed the first stages of the production of the future indexes. This required overseeing data collection, data cleaning, transformation, and analysis. 
• Team management: I was responsible for a team of six. I ensured we met our deliverables and balanced competing priorities. I coached and supervised members of the team to deliver research, organise events, query and analyse data, and manage external communications. 

Deputy Head, Centre for UK Prosperity (September 2020 – November 2022)

• Managing research programmes: I also managed our research programme on UK policy, producing research on UK tax policy, health outcomes, poverty, the economics of local areas, and crime. Much of this research was published in our UK Prosperity Index report and newsletter articles. 
• Speaking and presentation: I spoke to local journalists in different parts of the UK, appeared on podcasts, and presented the Index at an international think tank competition. 
• Statistical analysis: I conducted statistical analysis for several indicators (looking at variance, trends, sampling sizes, and coverage). I also looked at multiple linear regressions and cluster analysis to better understand the relationship between indicators.
• Coding: I identified and helped to implement the technical changes to our Python code required to bring in UK data. 
• Specific analytical queries: I carried out a number of specific analytical tasks, including linear regression analysis, z-score analysis, comparing the variance of indicators, and interpreting cluster analysis. 
• Quality assurance: I managed the quality assurance process of the index, which required ensuring that the data had been correctly obtained, normalised, and turned into an index. 
• Coordinating expert contributors to the reports: I talked to academics, business people, local councilors, local government officials, charities and advocates around the UK on social wellbeing, health, education, poverty, economics, and institutions. I hosted several roundtables or individual conversations with these stakeholders to identify common themes around “levelling up”. I organised these meetings and collated feedback.
• Project management: I managed the creation of the UK Prosperity Index. This task included guiding our literature review, indicator selection, and construction of the index.

Senior Analyst and Programme Manager, Global Index of Economic Openness (May 2019 – August 2020)

• Project management: I managed the schedule for the delivery of a report every 2-3 months. I delivered five country reports of 60-100 pages each (Indonesia, India, Ghana, Colombia, Morocco) over the course of a year, and contributed significantly to two more (Zimbabwe, Egypt).
• Contributing to the launch of reports: I drafted the materials for the launch and gave presentations on the report. I travelled to Indonesia in October 2019 to launch the report. I hosted our online launch of the Colombia report. 
• Managing the research for reports: I managed two internal researchers. Additionally, I managed the contribution of externally contracted researchers that were either from or based in the country we were researching. I was also responsible for ensuring they delivered the research according to the contract, and that they were paid on time.
• Coordinating expert contributors to the reports: I contacted ambassadors, academics, government officials, NGOs, business people, and think tanks in or from specific countries and coordinated times for discussing country-specific questions we had. For example, for the Colombia report, we spoke to the deputy ambassador in London, Colombian academics, senior lawyers, security experts based in Washington DC and Colombia, trade envoys, and the UK embassy in Colombia.
• Co-authoring reports: I researched and wrote up each section of the report, analysed data to discern trends, and integrated our own research with the views of our expert contributors. Each report contained 23 sections, as well as an executive summary, introduction, and conclusion. 
• Managing the design, translation, and final editing: I supervised the design and translation of the reports to ensure the final reports were ready for print and publication.

Analyst, Centre for Metrics (May 2017 – April 2019)

• Managing the analytical infrastructure underpinning our Prosperity Index, and other metrics: I helped to rewrite the software, moving from Stata to Python, that we used to build the Prosperity Index, to construct a more flexible tool able to construct multiple versions of an index. This task included coding, analysis (using Stata, Excel, Python, Git and SQL) and training new users.
• Creating a new global index methodology: This included analysing the current Prosperity Index and other global indexes, researching new sources and data, and managing working groups of experts.
• Data analysis and research: I undertook data analysis and research into the trends we were seeing in the data once the Prosperity Index was completed. I also conducted validating research to ensure the data were verified by real-world evidence. 
• Managing the production of the Prosperity Index reports: this included analysing and utilising datasets, managing the production of the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Prosperity Index, and writing three reports for the Chartered Accountants of New Zealand and Australia on prosperity in New Zealand, Australia, and six key markets (New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom).

The New Zealand Treasury (January 2015 – April 2017)

While at the Treasury I was in the Investment Approach Team and the team for Investment Management & Asset Performance. The Investment Approach Team was responsible for applying investment principles to all areas of government spending (particularly social policy). The Investment Management and Asset Performance Team managed the Crown’s balance sheet.

Analyst, Investment Approach Team (March 2016 – April 2017)

• Programme management support: I maintained a risk register, supported the programme board and senior responsible owner, assisted with communications, and helped to write policy objectives for the programme. 
• Project management: I helped manage a project to reform the Government’s Budget process. I organised agendas for meetings, reviewed previous policy, and helped to manage the project. 
• Analytical support for the Treasury’s CBAx team: CBAx is a spreadsheet-based tool designed to help government agencies do cost benefit analysis. My role was to present the aggregated data provided by agencies to Ministers in a useful form using Excel.
• Stakeholder engagement: I assisted in producing the Treasury’s Long Term Fiscal Statement, primarily through stakeholder interviews on New Zealand’s major challenges and opportunities.
• Ministerial briefings: I wrote briefings for Ministerial meetings to assist in the communication of the Investment Approach.

Graduate Analyst, Investment Management & Asset Performance (January 2015 – February 2016)

• Investor Confidence Rating: This is a rating of government agencies’ level of investment maturity and performance. I assisted in project management, communications, collecting data, and designed a process to store and manage the data. 
• Collecting and managing data: I collected project information from agencies on how well they delivered projects and the benefits from those projects. I also developed a framework to assess agencies based on this information. 
• Secretariat for Ministers’ meeting: I organised a monthly Investment Ministers meeting chaired by the Finance Minister. The group met to consider issues regarding the government’s portfolio of capital investments. I compiled the agenda, took notes of meetings, and collated and distributed papers. 
• Data collection: I assisted in data collection for Major Projects Reporting.

MSc Applied Statistics (currently undertaking), Birkbeck University of London, 2023-2025

Graduate Certificate in Statistics for Data Science (Distinction), Birkbeck University of London, 2022-2023

Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (First Class) / Bachelor of Arts (Politics and Economics) Conjoint, University of Auckland, 2010-2014

NCEA Level 3 (University Entrance), achieved with excellence, Kingsway School (Auckland, New Zealand), 2009