Dr Mike Seiferling

Dr Seiferling stands in front of Victoria Falls and points to towards the waterfall

Lecturer in Public Finance
Room: 3.01, 29/30 Tavistock Square
Email: m.seiferling@ucl.ac.uk
Website

Biography

I am an Assistant Professor in Public Finance in the School of Public Policy at UCL. My work involves a balanced engagement with academic research and on the ground capacity development and technical assistance, both of which provide invaluable learning opportunities to continue growing both intellectually and personally. For the past fifteen years, I have worked as an expert for a range of international organisations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, United Nations and Asian Development Bank as well as private sector firms, to improve financial literacy, debt management, fiscal transparency, and compliance with international standards in central banks, ministries of finance and commercial banks in more than sixty countries worldwide. Previously I worked as an economist at the IMF (2011-15), and I completed my PhD at the London School of Economics in 2012 with a focus on taxation and debt.

Research

My research is focused on the links between macroeconomics, finance, accounting, and political science. Specifically, these include taxation, budgeting, fiscal performance, public sector accounting (national accounts) and accountability, balance sheet analysis (financial linkages), debt management, asset management, pension funds, measurement issues in social sciences, monetary policy and, technological innovations in the public sector (evolving concepts, and applications, of money and the social contract).

Publications

Journal articles

Seiferling, M. and Tareq, S. (2023) ‘Hiding the Losses: Fiscal Transparency and the Performance of Government Portfolios of Financial Assets’, Public Finance Review, OnlineFirst.
Seiferling, M. (2020) ‘Apples, Oranges, and Lemons: Public Sector Debt Statistics in the 21^st Century’, Financial Innovation, 6(37).
Seiferling, M. (2020) ‘Fiscal Deficits and Executive Planning Horizons’, Political Science Research and Methods, 8(2), pp. 329–343.
Seiferling, M. (2016) ‘What’s your Constitution Worth? A Note on the Classification and Valuation of Economic and Political Assets’, International Public Policy Review, 10(1).

Book chapters

Goerl, C. and Seiferling, M. (2015) ‘Income Inequality Fiscal Decentralization and Transfer Dependency’, in B. Clement, R. de Mooij, S. Gupta and M. Keen (eds.) Income Inequality and Fiscal Policy. International Monetary Fund.

Other publications

Seiferling, M. (2023). Sierra Leone: Report on Government Finance and Public Sector Debt Statistics. IMF Technical Report.
Rattakul, Y. and Seiferling, M. (2023). Zimbabwe: Public Sector Debt and Government Finance Statistics. IMF Technical Report.
Seiferling, M. (2022). Sierra Leone: Report on Public Sector Debt Statistics Technical Assistance Mission. IMF Technical Report.
Seiferling, M. (2021). Sierra Leone: Report on Government Finance and Public Sector Debt Statistics. IMF Technical Report.
Seiferling, M. (2021). Zimbabwe: Report on Public sector Debt Statistics. IMF Technical Report de Clerck, S., Balibek, E., McDonald, K and Seiferling, M. (2020). Sierra Leone: Debt Reporting. IMF Technical Report.
IE University, School Center for the Governance of Change (2020). Cryptocurrency and the Future of Money. https://www.ie.edu/cgc/research/cryptocurrencies-future-money/
UNCTAD (2020). Feasibility Report for Expanding Debt Instrument Coverage in DMFAS 7. United Nations Conference for Trade and Development, Debt Management and Financial Analysis System.
Seiferling, M (2020). Zimbabwe: Technical Assistance Report on Government Finance Statistics Technical Assistance Mission. IMF Technical Report.
Seiferling, M. (2019) ‘Zimbabwe Technical Assistance Report: Report on Government Finance Statistics Technical Assistance Mission’, International Monetary Fund.
Seiferling, M. (2018) ‘Republic of Moldova Technical Assistance Report: Public Sector Debt Statistics’, International Monetary Fund.
Seiferling, M. and Wilson Craw, D. (2018) ‘Rethinking Tenancy Deposits in the UK’, Generation Rent.
Seiferling, M. and Tareq, S. (2015) ‘Crypto Currencies and the Future of Money’, IE Center for the Governance of Change.
Seiferling, M. and Tareq, S. (2015) ‘Fiscal Transparency and Government Portfolios of Financial Assets’, International Monetary Fund.
Aldasoro, I. and Seiferling, M. (2014) ‘Vertical Fiscal Imbalances and the Accumulation of Government Debt’, International Monetary Fund.
Seiferling, M. (2013) ‘Stock-Flow Adjustments, Government’s Integrated Balance Sheet and Fiscal Transparency’ International Monetary Fund.
Seiferling, M. (2013). ‘Recent Improvements to the Government Finance Statistics Yearbook in Response to Analytical Needs’, International Monetary Fund.

Teaching

I teach the following modules: ‘Data Analysis for Public Policy’ (statistics for Master’s of Public Administration students); ‘Public Finance and Budgeting’; and ‘Lies, Damn Lies, and Bullshit’ (introduction to the scientific method and unravelling fake news).

My supervision topics include: public finance (general); fiscal policy (especially tax systems); macroeconomic linkages with politics; public sector corporations (governance, management and performance); financial regulation; balance sheet/financial analysis and debt management; income inequality; and fiscal transparency/corruption.