From Numbers to People: A Liberian Public Servant's Journey through the MPP

For Sie Anderson, numbers used to be the whole story. For over fifteen years, he worked in the Accounting Department of Liberia’s National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, managing the financial side of social protection for working citizens across the country. With degrees in Accounting and Finance, Sie knew how to balance the books. But something was missing.

“As time went on,” he reflects, “I came to understand that social protection is more than just numbers; it is a service to people.”
This insight sparked a quiet transformation—and a bold decision. Determined to deepen his understanding of social protection beyond spreadsheets and balance sheets, Sie set out to find a graduate programme that could bridge policy, practice, and people. His search led him to the Master of Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) at UNU-MERIT, and its unique specialisation in Social Protection.
“I didn’t get picked for the 2023/2024 school year,” he recalls, “but I kept trying and was successful the next year.” His persistence paid off, supported by his boss, Hon. Dewitt von Ballmoos, whose encouragement helped pave the way.

Now nearing graduation, Sie reflects on a year that changed the way he sees the world—and his role in it.

Personal Growth, Global Perspective

“The world seems more connected now,” Sie says. Studying alongside classmates from every continent, he’s learned that social protection—like poverty, dignity, and opportunity—transcends borders.

He credits the MPP’s problem-based learning model for pushing him out of his comfort zone and into collaborative problem-solving. “It taught me how to work with others to solve difficult problems that affect the whole world,” he notes.

His background had given him deep insight into contributory systems, but the MPP expanded his lens. “I now know that public policy tools, like the Sustainable Development Goals, can help lower poverty, especially in countries with low incomes,” he explains. Theories like capability deprivation and bottom-up systems design reshaped his view of how—and for whom—policy should be made.

A Thesis with Impact: From the Classroom to the World Bank

At the heart of Sie’s MPP journey is a thesis grounded in real questions from real people: “Do we have to wait until we're 60 to get our social security deductions?” or “If I stop working now, can I get some of my contributions back?”

These questions first inspired him to explore unemployment insurance in Liberia. But a lack of available data complicated the project—until a timely connection changed everything.

Thanks to his supervisor, Dr. Zina Nimeh, Sie was introduced to Mitja Del Bono, a UNU-MERIT alumnus now working at the World Bank for Liberia. That connection sparked a collaboration that reoriented Sie’s thesis toward non-contributory approaches and landed him a consultancy with the Bank itself.

“It was strange,” he says, “to be able to use what I learned in school right away at the World Bank, even before I graduated.” Working on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) for Liberia, Sie applied tools from the classroom—benefit adequacy analysis, poverty simulations, and policy design—to real-world data.

“It was a big step forward in my career.”

Advice for Public Servants Considering the MPP

Looking ahead, Sie is eager to return to Liberia and continue strengthening the country’s social protection systems. He also wants other public servants to consider following a similar path.

“I highly recommend the MPP at UNU-MERIT to future students, especially those who have worked in public service before,” he says.

He points to three things: the diversity of the student body, the value of learning through problem-based cases, and the intensity of the programme itself. “Get ready,” he cautions. “The program is very demanding and requires full commitment, but the personal and professional benefits are worth it.”

For Sie, the MPP was more than a degree—it was a transformation. “I am very thankful for my time at UNU-MERIT,” he concludes. “It was truly amazing.”