Mr. Zhang has extensive experience in designing and implementing GIS and decision-support (DSS) applications and economic analysis tools in developing countries.  He provides an unusual combination of economic analysis, systems analysis and information system development skills. In addition, he is a skilled training instructor in these fields.

He has carried out many projects for the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and Asian Development Bank in China, India, the Philippines and Latin America.  Mr. Zhang has recently worked on projects in performance measurement, financial and economic modelling and information systems development. Many of these projects involved the design and implementation of applications using state-of-the-art information systems technologies.

EDUCATION

Mr. Zhang holds a B.Eng. (Computer Science) and an M.Sc. degree in Management Science both from Tshinghua University, Beijing, China. He underwent training at the World Bank in Washington DC, in systems analysis, economic modeling and applications development. Mr. Zhang also was a Visiting Scholar, in the MIS Department at the University of Minnesota.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Zhang has worked on a variety of projects involving complex modeling and information systems design and implementation over the last decade. These projects normally have many innovative aspects including new performance measurement techniques and methods of presentation that have are more user-friendly than traditional information systems. Therefore, Mr. Zhang plays an important role in institution building and technology transfer on these projects.

Recently Mr. Zhang's important projects have involved the public performance assessment of Water and Sanitation Systems in the Philippines, a Long-Range Decision Support System Project for the Indian Railways in India and a Poverty Block Economic Analysis in China. All of these projects involved innovative use of state-of-the-art technology and GIS-based information system development.

On the Metropolitan Manila Public Performance Assessment Project. Mr. Zhang was a systems analyst and decision-support systems development specialist. He was part of a teamthat was organized to design and implement a system to measure the performance of the privatized water companies under the MWSS Regulatory office. In addition to developing a state-of-the-art performance system, database and GIS-based data viewer, the project designed and tested a public participation program and benchmarking system. This was a combined research and implementation project funded by the World Bank. Mr. Zhang was also responsible for an important part of the technology transfer component in cooperation with the University of Philippines National Engineering Center.

Mr. Zhang worked on the Regional Road Sector Study for South West China, funded by the Asian Development Bank. He was responsible for assessing the social-economic and trade development, and identifying transport mode development options. In addition, he developed a GIS database for analysis and mapping.  Also in China he worked on four urban transport feasibility studies under World Bank and ADB funding.

In Hong Kong, he worked on a Feasibility Study of the Transport Information System for Hong Kong Transport Department. This project involved the design of a modern, interacctive and a shared information system for managing the transport system in Hong Kong.  It included the Public Works Department, the bus company, rail services and in-vehicle location devices. He was responsible for an information demand survey and system planning.

Mr. Zhang worked as Senior Researcher and Division Chief for the Institute of Economic Research of the China State Development Planning Commission and carried out a number of studies on economic development and computer applications for decision support. For example:

Mr. Zhang worked  on a macro-economic analysis and computer modeling on the Chinese economy. His major projects included: 1) Monthly Macro-Economic Monitoring Analysis,  where he was responsible for model and database design and monthly analysis; 2) China Regional Economic Development and Policies, in which Mr. Zhang was responsible for economic analysis forecast; and 3)  China Economic Long Term Development Strategy,  for which he was responsible for  modeling and economic forecasting.

Mr. Zhang worked on several projects led by Institute of Comprehensive Transportation of the China State Planning Commission, including “China’s Energy Strategy to 2050” and “Coal Transportation in South-West China.” He was responsible for designing and implementing transportation models.

Mr. Zhang worked on the World Bank China Coal Transportation Study Project with responsibility for technical coordination of the Chinese working team and the software system design and implementation, as well as GIS applications. This study received the Franz Edelman Management Science Achievement Finalist Award for 1994 and Citation Award of Applied Geography from Association of American Geographers.

Working on the Overall Planning of the China Economic Information System Project, led by the China State Economic Information Center, Mr. Zhang participated in the system structure design and directed a survey on information demand.

A detailed CV is available upon request from PM Global.

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