Rhys Payne

Location: Egypt

I have conducted analytical work in regards to democracy and governance in various countries in the Middle East.  In Egypt, we analyzed political and economic trends and societal tensions, and rendered that analysis into actionable policy recommendations for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State. We predicted a period of great change on the horizon in Egypt, but not the specific situation that occurred in 2011. The biggest challenge is to analyze rapidly evolving situations and make projections for the future.