Head of programmes of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa

François Paul Yatta holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Engineering, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, ENPC, Paris, (France, 1995), a MPhil in Urban and Regional Economics Paris (France, 1994), and a PhD in urban and regional economics, University of Paris XII – Val de Marne (France, 1998)). He is also habilitated to direct research (HDR), University of Paris XII – Val de Marne (France, 2005). Researcher at the research laboratory of the Observatory of Economy and Local Institutions, ŒIL (Observatoire de l'Économie et des Institutions Locales, Paris, France), he participated, in several researches, which the most important are (1) the comparison of the major cities of the world with regard to their GDP (2) the development of a spatialized development model to test, identify and measure a certain number of relationships or assumptions, such as the influence of infrastructure, public policies, etc, (3) the contribution to the "Base 90 regional aggregates" Working Group of the National Institute of statistics and economic studies, INSEE (Division of statistics and economic studies, Paris, France) which has for objective the redesign of regional accounts in France and (4) the participation in the process of the EU regional policy reform, particularly on the criteria for eligibility and allocation of structural funds. Dr Yatta was regional Advisor (1998-2007) at the Municipal Development Program for West and Central Africa, in charge of local finances, local economies and fiscal decentralization. Dr Yatta is now Head of programmes of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa. Dr Yatta is author of two books (Villes et développement économique en Afrique : une approche par les comptes économiques sociaux, éditions Economica, 315 pages, 2006  and  La décentralisation fiscale en Afrique : enjeux et perspectives, éditions Khartala, 340 pages, 2009), two « Think Pieces» for the 2015 and 2016 African Economic Outlook publish by OECD/AfDB, and several scientific publications on local finances, fiscal decentralization and urban economics, and co-author of four books. Dr Yatta is Member of the International Institute of Public Finance (IIPF), the Development Finance Network (DEFINE) of OECD and the Association of francophone regional science (ASRDLF).