Robert Watt is secretary-general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Ireland. The Department has responsibility for public expenditure policy, capital spending, and overall management and reform of the Irish public service. With the Department of Finance, it manages the budget process and advises the Government on economic and budget policy. Mr. Watt is leading a major public sector reform program in areas such as procurement, shared services, digitalization, and civil service modernization. Mr. Watt is one of the principal advisers to the Government on economic, budget, and financial issues. He was involved in the management of the Troika Program and was a key adviser to the Government, on economic issues, since his appointment in 2011. Mr. Watt is an economist and has experience in both the public and private sectors. He has worked in a range of roles within the Department of Finance as well as previously working as an economic consultant. He is a member of the board of the National Treasury Management Agency and was a member of the Economic Management Council. Mr. Watt has a master's degree in economics from the University College Dublin.