Practical Session II: Running MAMS in GAMS

1
Practical Session II Running MAMS in GAMS

• Martín Cicowiez
• CEDLAS-UNLP
• Presentation for Second Training Workshop of the
• Project Assessing Development Strategies to
  Achieve the MDGs in Asia, Manila, March 24-27,
  2009

2
Installing and Running MAMS in GAMS/Excel

• Create a directory called manila-MAMS.
• Copy the MAMS folder (MAMS-YEM.zip) into the
  directory manila-MAMS.
• Open Excel and change the security setting for
  macros to intermediate. Close Excel.
• Open the file run-mams.xls (in the directory
  manila-MAMS). If needed, adjust the text in the
  cells for GAMS path and MAMS Directory and
  save the file.
• In run-mams.xls, first click on Run MAMS Setup.
  When the run is complete, click on Run MAMS
  Simulations.
• Open the files repmacro.xls and repmeso.xls to
  review the simulation results.

3
Steps in Implementing MAMS

• copy (do not rename!)
• Excel files
• test-data-general.xls to ltappgt-data-general.xls
• test-data-mdg.xls to ltappgt-data-mdg.xls
• test-sim-core.xls to ltappgt-sim-core.xls
• test-sim-mdg.xls to ltappgt-sim-mdg.xls
• GAMS include files
• test-data-general.inc to ltappgt-data-general.inc
• test-data-general2.inc to ltappgt-data-general2.inc
• test-data-mdg.inc to ltappgt-data-mdg.inc
• test-data-mdg2.inc to ltappgt-data-mdg2.inc
• test-sim-core.inc to ltappgt-sim-core.inc
• test-sim-mdg.inc to ltappgt-sim-mdg.inc

4
Steps in Implementing MAMS cont.

• Open the ltappgt files with the .inc extension and
  do a search and replace, replacing test- by
  ltappgt-
• In dmod.gms,
• look for the first INCLUDE statement
• add new INCLUDE to run ltappgt
• select (1) general data, or (2) general mdg
  data
• In dsim.gms,
• look for the first INCLUDE statement
• add new INCLUDE to run ltappgt
• select (1) core simulations, or (2) mdg
  simulations

5
File Management

• Back up your work often at least, once every
  workday!
• Steps when backing up your work
• run clean12.bat
• zip the files of your MAMS directory not
  including the save subdirectory
• put date in your file name, so you know when it
  was created possible naming scheme for Yemens
  work on March 20, 2009
• mams-yem-2009-03-20a.zip
• mams-yem-2009-03-20b.zip

6
File Management cont.

• Create a zip subdirectory (next to the save
  subdirectory) put your zip files there.
• A good way of backing up is to share zip files
  across all members of the country team.
• When discussing problems via e-mail, asking for
  backstopping, always send the complete zip file
• not individual files, the different files are
  highly interrelated run clean12.bat first

7
File Management cont.

• Only keep necessary (i.e., needed to run the
  model in GAMS) files in your model directory
• keep underlying data files, anlysis, papers, etc.
  in other directories
• After having created the full set of
  country-specific data and simulation files, do
  not change the names of the files that you are
  currently running
• your current version of dmod2.gms never changes
  name

8
File Management cont.

• A good software for comparing text files (like
  dmod2.gms in two different .zip files) is
  important
• Total Commander (www.ghistler.com)
• WinMerge (www.winmerge.org) -- freeware

9
File Management cont.

• The rationale for above rules
• put a limit on the size of files that you share
  with others
• make it easier for others (and you) to understand
  (recall) exactly what files you are running and
  what has changed between work sessions

10
Concluding Remarks

• The complete dataset for the MDG version of MAMS
  is comprised by three files
• general (core) data file (ltappgt-data-general.xls)
• mdg data file (ltappgt-data-mdg.xls)
• mdg simulation file (ltappgt-sim-mdg.xls)
• Once the dataset is debugged, no need to know
  GAMS. However, GAMS should be installed in the
  computer
• MAMS can be run using run-mams.xls
• MAMS generates two Excel files with simulation
  results
• repmacro.xls
• repmeso.xls

11
Concluding Remarks cont.

• As shown, it is easy to switch between two model
  versions core, and mdg
• core version is very flexible in terms of
  disaggregation no need for mdg related sectors
• The model is validated through simulations,
  review of results, adjustments in
  data/assumptions
• can not just set ip the database, press a button,
  solve the model, and report and analyze results

12
Concluding Remarks cont.

• Given the above, possible steps in data
  development and model testing
• run core (non-mdg) version using macro database
• run core (non-mdg) version using meso database
• full sectoral disaggregation but does not address
  MDG and education outcomes and system
• run mdg version using general mdg database
  same as (2) but addition of data related to MDG
  and education logistic functions