Mita Marra

He is an associate professor of Economic Policy at the University of Naples "Federico II" and visiting professor of Comparative Public Policy at George Washington University. Mita Marra has also taught in the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) of the World Bank at Carlton University (Canada) (2014-2016) and at Maastricht University (2006).

Her research interests revolve around the theme of policy evaluation for innovation, human and social development, and state reform. She has been a consultant for the World Bank (1998-2005), the United Nations (2008 and 2020-present), and the European Commission (2014-present), for which she has conducted evaluative research on institutional development programs, gender equality, and the use of evaluative information in decision-making processes.

She obtained a degree in Economics from the University of Naples (1995), a Master's in International Relations and Development from Johns Hopkins University (1998), and a PhD in Public Policy from George Washington University (2003). She has published over 50 articles in Italian and international peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Evaluation, Evaluation, Systems Research and Behavioral Science, and European Urban and Regional Studies. She is also the author of essays and edited volumes for Routledge, along with Kim Forss and Robert Schwartz.

In 2011, with Kim Forss and Robert Schwartz, he edited the volume "Evaluating the Complex. Beyond Attribution and Contribution". In 2014, with Kim Forss, he edited "Speaking Justice to Power: Ethical and Methodological Challenges for Evaluators". The 2017 monograph titled "Valutare la valutazione. Adempimenti, ambiguità e apprendimenti nella pubblica amministrazione italiana" published by Il Mulino, won the 2018 European Court of Auditors award for the best research on auditing in the public sector.

The latest work released in 2022 titled "Virtuous Connections: How an Innovation Ecosystem is Born (and Grows)" addresses the theme of the university's third mission and commitment to digitalization in the contexts of the Mezzogiorno.

He is the Editor in Chief of the international journal Evaluation and Program Planning and Past President of the Italian Evaluation Association (AIV, 2013-2017).