Gonzalo Hernández Licona is a Mexican economist and distinguished scholar in the fields of poverty measurement, economic development and social program evaluation. Hernández Licona holds a PhD in economics from the University of Oxford, a master's in economics from the University of Essex and a B.A. in economics from the Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM).
Hernández Licona founded the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), a decentralized Mexican federal government institution.Social Development Law- Chapter II , House of Congress, Mexico, 20 January 2004. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. CONEVAL's main objective is to evaluate social programs and measure poverty in Mexico. Since November 2005, Hernández Licona has served as the Executive Secretary of CONEVAL, in charge of overseeing the Council's activities and executing the agreements reached upon by the Council's board.Secretaría Ejecutiva, CONEVAL, Retrieved on 17 March 2017.
In collaboration with other distinguished academics on CONEVAL's executive board, Hernández Licona participated in the development of a multidimensional poverty measurement methodology."Methodology for Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Mexico.", CONEVAL, Mexico, 3 September 2010. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. This methodology accounts for multiple social deprivations and income wellbeing in Mexican households. It is currently employed as the official poverty measurement methodology in Mexico.Social Development Law- Chapter II , House of Congress, Mexico, 20 January 2004. Retrieved on 17 March 2017.
Due to his work as a scholar and as an evaluator, Hernández Licona has received multiple awards and recognitions. Amongst his most prestigious distinctions is the GPSA Award for Leadership and Social Accountability (2015), awarded to Hernández Licona by the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (a World Bank affiliate) for his contributions, and those of CONEVAL, in poverty measurement and evaluation of social programs under an accountability framework."GPSA Presents Award to 7 Social Accountability Leaders" ,GPSA, Washington, 15 May 2015. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. Dr. Hernández Licona has also been awarded the International Award for Research in Health Policy “José Luis Bobadilla” (2017),Evidencia y evaluación: Gonzalo H. Licona, en la Conferencia Magistral "José Luis Bobadilla", Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Mexico, 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017. Trimestre Económico “Daniel Cosío Villegas” Award (2000), the Banamex Economics Award (1996),Consulta histórica de ganadores del Premio Citibanamex de Economía, Banamex, Mexico. Retrieved 17 March 2017. and the ITAM Professional Merit Award- Public Sector (2013).Carrera al Universo y Mérito Profesional, ITAM, Mexico. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
Prior to leading CONEVAL, Hernández Licona served as the General Director of Evaluation and Social Program Monitoring for Mexico's social development ministry (SEDESOL). While at SEDESOL he developed an innovative system for the evaluation and monitoring of federal social programs. Hernández Licona has also been a long time scholar at ITAM, having directed its B.A. program in economics from 1998-1999. He has also lectured multiple courses, and advised nearly 30 student thesis, six of them which have gone on to win the Banamex Economics Award. He has been a member of the National Researchers System since 1997 and holds more than 70 publications.Google Scholar search Google Scholar. Retrieved 17 March 2017
Due to his expertise, in 2015 Hernández Licona was appointed by the UNDP and the OECD member of the Monitoring Advisory Group for the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.Explore Monitoring Data- Monitoring Advisory Group , Effective Cooperation. Retrieved 17 March 2017] Then in 2016, he was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as one of the 15 independent scientific experts in charge of developing the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report.Experts, "Eminent Scientists to Draft Report on Sustainable Development Ahead of Global Review Set for 2019", United Nations Press Release, 3 January 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
Hernández Licona has also served on the International Initiative for Impact Evaluations' Board of Commissioner since 2009.
Work experience Executive Secretary, National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy of Mexico (CONEVAL), November 2005 – presentSecretaría Ejecutiva, CONEVAL, Retrieved on 17 March 2017. Member of the independent group of scientists, Global Sustainable Development Report 2019, United Nations, November 2016 – presentMembers- Global Sustainable Development Report, Sustainable Development. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. Member of the Governing Board, El Colegio de México (COLMEX), March 2016 – presentJunta de gobierno del Colegio de México , COLMEX, Mexico. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. Member of the Monitoring Advisory Group, Global Partnership for the Effective Development Co-operation, May 2015 – presentExplore Monitoring Data- Monitoring Advisory Group , Effective Cooperation. Retrieved 17 March 2017] Member of the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), June 2013 – present"Launch of Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network" , OPHI, Oxford, 6 June 2013. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. Member of the Expert Panel, México, ¿Cómo vamos?, 2013–present"Conoce a nuestros expertos" México, ¿Cómo vamos?, Mexico. Retrieved 17 March 2017.] Member of the Evaluation Advisory Committee, Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunization (GAVI Alliance), October 2010- December 2016 Member of the advisory committee, Centro de Estudios Espinosa Yglesias, 2010–present Member of the Board of Commissioners, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), April 2007 – presentBoard of Commissioners-Gonzalo Hernández Licona , International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, Retrieved on 17 March 2017. Professor and researcher at the department of economics, Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), April 1996 – present General director of evaluation and social program monitoring, Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL), July 2002- November 2005 Member of the Consultative Commission for the Modernization of the Minimum Wage System, National Commission for Minimum Wage, February 2001- August 2001 Director of Undergraduate Studies in Economics, Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), August 1998- August 1999 Academic Representative, Commission for Labor Cooperation Agreement, June 1996- July 2001
Editorial boards Member of the Editorial Council for Cofactor- ISSN 2007-1086, 2010-2014Consejo Editorial Cofactor, Mexico. Retrieved 17 March 2017. Member of the Editorial Committee for Economía Mexicana (now Latin American Economic Review), Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), April 1998 – 2004 Member of the Editorial Council for El Trimestre Económico, 2000-2001
Awards and recognitions International Award for Research in Health Policy “José Luis Bobadilla” granted by the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 2017Evidencia y evaluación: Gonzalo H. Licona, en la Conferencia Magistral "José Luis Bobadilla", Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Mexico, 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017. GPSA Award for Leadership and Social Accountability granted by the Global Partnership for Social Accountability, 2015"GPSA Presents Award to 7 Social Accountability Leaders" ,GPSA, Washington, 15 May 2015. Retrieved on 17 March 2017. ITAM Professional Merit Award- Public Sector granted by Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), 2013Carrera al Universo y Mérito Profesional, ITAM, Mexico. Retrieved 17 March 2017. Trimestre Económico “Daniel Cosío Villegas” Award granted by Trimestre Económico, an economics journal edited by the Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2000 Scholarship recipient, granted by the Fondo Mexicano de Intercambio Académico, 1998 Banamex Economics Award, First place, granted by Banamex for PhD thesis: “El efecto de la pobreza de los hogares en participación, horas de trabajo y el desempleo”, 1996Consulta histórica de ganadores del Premio Citibanamex de Economía, Banamex, Mexico. Retrieved 17 March 2017. Graduated with honors from the Masters in Economics- University of Essex, England, 1990 Graduated with honors from the Undergraduate program in Economics- Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), Mexico, 1990
Selected publications 2017.“Planeación democrática del desarrollo nacional, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía y Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social” in Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos Comentada, Coordinated by José Ramón Cossío Díaz, First Edition, Vol. 1, Pgs. 539-547. 2016. “Autonomía del hecho y autonomía del derecho: Los retos de la reforma política para el CONEVAL” in Nueva ronda de reformas estructurales en México ¿Nuevas políticas sociales? Coordinated by Enrique Valencia Lomelí & Gerardo Ordóñez Barba, Colegio de la Frontera Norte, First Edition, Pgs. 451-462. 2015. “CONEVAL como órgano autónomo en los hechos” in Revista de Administración Pública, Organismos Constitucionales Autónomos, Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, A.C. No. 138, Vol. L, No. 3, Pgs. 189-204. ISSN 0482-5209 2014. “Los desafíos de la reforma constitucional en materia de derechos humanos dentro del espacio de las políticas públicas" in "La Reforma Constitucional en Derechos Humanos: El costo de su Realización Efectiva". Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación. First Edition. Mexico, September 2014. Pgs. 159-171. 2014.“Crecimiento económico, Desigualdad y Pobreza en México" in "El Futuro del Estado social". – Coordinated by Luis F. Aguilar V.& Jorge A. Alatorre, Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económicas Administrativas. Instituto de Investigación en Políticas Públicas y de Gobierno. Edit. Porrúa. México, 2014. Pgs. 75-97. 2014.“Medición Multidimensional de la pobreza en México" in El Trimestre Económico – Vol. LXXXI(1), January–March 2014 – No. 321. By: Gonzalo Hernández L., María del Rosario, Cárdenas Elizalde, Fernando Alberto Cortés, Cáceres, Agustín Escobar Latapí, Salomón Nahmad, Sitton, John Scott Andretta, Graciela Teruel, Belismelis and Ricardo Aparicio Jiménez. ISSN 0041-3011. 2014 2013. “Construyendo un Sistema de Evaluación del Desempeño para el Desarrollo Social" in Monitoreo, Evaluación y Gestión por Resultados. Aprendizaje y Cooperación Sur-Sur para la Innovación: El Papel de los Actores Subnacionales. Claudia Maldonado Trujillo y Cristina Galíndez Hernández (editors). Regional Centers for Learning on Evaluation and Results – (CLEAR) & El Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica (CIDE). Pgs. 61-68. . 2013 2013. “Mercado laboral, desempleo y acceso a los alimentos" in Revista IBERO, Hambre, pobreza y derecho a la alimentación. Coauthors: Paloma Villagómez O., Pedro Hernández López y Ricardo Aparicio J. Mexico, 2013. No. 27 – Pgs. 4-8. 2013 2013. “El Desarrollo Económico en México" in Estudios – Filosofía, Historia, Letras - ITAM – Fall 2013 - No. 106 – Pgs. 99-140. ISSN 0185-6383 2013. “Pobreza y Empleo" in Contaduría Pública. Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos. September 2013 – Pgs. 14-17. 2013. “Medición de la Pobreza en México. Pobreza y Desigualdad social: retos para la reconfiguración de la política social" in Pobreza y desigualdad social. Retos para la Configuración de la política social. Leticia Cano Soriano – Coordinator - UNAM-Escuela Nacional de Trabajo Social. Pgs. 249-274. Gonzalo Hernández Licona, Ricardo Aparicio, Carlos Mora y Nayeli Salgado. / 2012.“Hechos" in Política Social – Coordinated by Luis Reygadas - 01 - Los retos del Distrito Federal. Escuela de Administración Pública del Distrito Federal – EAPDF – Pgs. 79-92. Política Social. Obra Completa