Economist and software developer working on digital transformation

I’m a political economist with over ten years of experience advising on, managing and implementing digital transformation projects in the public and third sectors. I have worked on a diverse range of issues around aid management, Public Financial Management (PFM) and governance, with a particular focus on the links between technical systems and policy processes. I have worked in Bangladesh, France, Georgia, Germany, Liberia, Myanmar, the US, the UK.

My work experience includes advocacy / policy development, project management and technical advice in the government and non-profit sectors, as well as software development (mostly in Python and Nuxt/VueJS). My educational background focused on economics and politics. I have experience in the following areas: aid / IATI data; climate finance; extractive industries / EITI data; government Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS); integration of aid and IFMIS systems; public procurement and Open Contracting. I speak English and German, with some French and Spanish.


Experience

Development Initiatives
Senior Technical Advisor

Apr 2020 – Present

Strengthening the humanitarian response through improving information flows. Supported the Grand Bargain transparency workstream on humanitarian data with advice, strategy and software development. Managed external suppliers to provide automated insights into availability and quality of information. Worked with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a prototype visualisation of funding to the COVID-19 development response](https://covid19.humportal.org). Worked with a consultant to develop a visualisation of local actors’ activities in Somalia by integrating IATI and OCHA 3W data.

Overseas Development Institute
Advisor, Budget Strengthening Initiative, Liberia

Apr 2016 – Present

Supporting the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in Liberia in improving data, systems and processes. Systems integration of aid projects held in donor-specific accounting systems with the government’s own Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), and development of reporting utilities from IFMIS. Working with a wide range of stakeholders from senior policy-makers to technicians, developed a user-friendly project database for AMCU and Project Implementation Unit (PIU) for managing external and domestic projects. Including geo-coding functionality, project development indicators and output/outcome indicators to support management, monitoring and evaluation of projects.

IATI Data Use Working Group
Chair

January 2021 – Present

The IATI Data Use Working Group (DUWG) is a multi-stakeholder group of volunteers from across the IATI community who work on increasing the use of IATI data.

As Chair, I oversee the management of a substantial member-approved Data Use Fund, including procurement of research, technical tools, and communications activities. I work with a wide range of stakeholders to build consensus around a shared agenda, and spearheaded the development of a new strategic direction through the Data Use Action Plan.

UNDP
Improving accessibility of country development finance data

October 2020 – September 2021

Built on existing research to develop a methodology and a simple, clean downloadable dataset (of IATI data) that meets the needs of partner country data users. Present this data in Excel using an interface that automatically updates nightly.

Catalpa International
Advisor and editor, IATI Data Quality Feedback Processes report

Apr 2020 – Jun 2020

Advising on and editing a report on strengthening IATI data quality feedback processes for the IATI Data Use Task Force.

Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia
Public Procurement

May 2019 – Jun 2019

Worked with the State Procurement Agency to provide insights into public procurement, developing a dashboard for use by government, civil society and private sector. Uses data published by SPA under the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS).

World Bank Group
Madagascar Aid Management Assessment

May 2019 – Jun 2019

Provided support to the Madagascar Aid Management Assessment, with a focus on mapping aid management systems to budget and other financial management systems, as well as IATI import.

Ministry of Agriculture, Liberia
Monitoring and evaluation / performance management systems assessment

Nov 2018 – Feb 2019

Assessment and prototyping of needs for an M&E / performance management system that could be scaled to cover projects across ministries and sectors.

Catalpa International
Project Manager

Aug 2017 – Dec 2018

Project managing the development of the Myanmar Aid Information Management System (AIMS). Coordinated feedback from government officials, development partners and worked with developers to implement specifications.

World Bank Group
Governance Specialist, Governance Global Practice

May 2015 – Jun 2018

Using data analytics to improve public procurement performance. In Georgia, undertook systems mapping, data analysis, meetings with government officials, translating between technical / policy levels. Supported implementation of Open Contracting in Bangladesh and Georgia. Oversaw the development of a dashboard to provide performance analytics of Mexican public procurement data.

British Council
Advisor / Project Manager, Climate Finance

Aug 2017 – Mar 2018

Development of a system to capture data on climate finance projects in Bangladesh. Developed specifications in consultation with government officials, civil society. Managed a team of software developers to implement these specifications. Integrated with existing Government-owned system.

Welthungerhilfe
Researcher, Food and Nutrition Security

Nov 2016 – Mar 2017

Report on financing for food and nutrition security. Explored data limitations and provided policy recommendations.

UNDP
Advisor / Project Manager, Using IATI data in Bangladesh AIMS

Sep 2015 – Feb 2017

Successfully piloted using IATI data to improve quality of data in Bangladesh’s Aid Information Management System (AIMS) and reduce burden on government and donors from data collection. Conducted interviews with government officials and donors in Dhaka to understand context in depth. Developing methodologies and technical approaches for data exchange. Wrote tender and managed software supplier to implement technical recommendations and build software providing a sustainable process for using IATI data to supplement locally-collected data. Worked with government officials to design a context-sensitive approach. Delivered presentations on the work in international fora. The approach led to a significant reduction in burden from data collection and significant increase in data quality for participating donors. http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=57889

USAID / PWYF
Advisor, financial systems and transparency

Oct 2016 – Jan 2017

Worked with USAID to review a range of (mostly financial) internal systems on behalf of Publish What You Fund. We substantially improved the quality of USAID’s published IATI data, allowing successful import in Bangladesh for the first time, working with the USAID Bangladesh mission. Report on recommendations.

The ONE Campaign
Researcher, Refugee Data Dashboard

Aug 2016 – Sep 2016

Scoping on available data and recommendations for the development of a refugee data dashboard.

The Engine Room - theengineroom.org
Researcher, Arms trade tracking

Jan 2016 – Apr 2016

Evaluated and provided recommendations on systems improvements for research NGO focusing on the arms trade.

Ministère des Affaires étrangères français
Developer, Project database

Dec 2015 – Mar 2016

Developed a database to enable data collection of French Embassy-funded projects and publication to IATI Standard.

Natural Resource Governance Institute
Developer, Extractive Industries Dashboard

Jun 2015 – Feb 2016

Designed and built a dashboard, working with local consultant, to visualise data on the extractives industries in Ghana. The dashboard should in the future become a template for rolling out to other country platforms.

Publish What You Fund
Aid Information Advisor

Jan 2013 – Nov 2015

Led technical, policy and advocacy work on the IATI budget identifier as a mechanism for enabling the integration of aid with partner country budgets, including the development of visualisations, and coordinating and building consensus among a large group of donors, technical experts and partner countries.

Led a methodological review of the Aid Transparency Index to more accurately measure aid transparency and ensure the incentives in the Index were well aligned with our broader advocacy goals.

Developed open-source software to automatically assess the quality of data published to IATI and to provide a user-friendly survey tool for managing the Index process, working with consultants. Visualised aid to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

Conducted technical advocacy with donors, particularly in the US and France, including holding meetings in French and German.

Engaged extensively with the open data community. Led our technical work on the IATI Standard, including on upgrades and organisation identifiers.

Publish What You Fund
Research Officer

Sep 2010 – Dec 2012

Campaign focusing on aid transparency, based in London but with a global target audience.

Developed the first visualisation of aid mapped onto a partner country’s budget, using data from a 2007 Overseas Development Institute (ODI) report, and got coverage for the visualisation in the Guardian. Created an “Aid Transparency Tracker” as a way to monitor the aid transparency of 58 donors. Designed the original methodology and survey instrument, obtained buy-in from 48 partner NGOs, and provided analysis and text for the 2011 Pilot Aid Transparency Index and subsequent iterations of the Index.

Presented Publish What You Fund’s work at conferences around Europe.

Led on our technical engagement with the IATI Standard, incorporating our advocacy asks into this process.

Development Initiatives
Consultant, Generic IATI spreadsheet conversion tool

Jan 2011 – Jan 2012

Conceived, designed and developed a tool through which organisations could publish their data to the IATI Standard by uploading a spreadsheet of data and mapping their columns to the IATI fields. Since used by a large number of organisations, including several large governments and NGOs.

People in Need
Consultant, "Aid Transparency in the Visegrád countries"

Sep 2011 – Sep 2011

Brief and presentation for Člověk v tísni on the current state of play in aid transparency in the Visegrád countries. Including analysis of the different systems available for publishing/reporting aid information, and the aid effectiveness arguments for doing so.

CAFOD
Consultant, "Aid by Principle"

Jan 2011 – Feb 2011

Developed a tool and internal analysis for BOAG agencies of relationship between DFID spend and 23 data sources within 10 indicators to assess possible motivations underlying DFID allocation decisions in the Bilateral Aid Review.

House of Commons, UK Parliament
Researcher for Dr Evan Harris MP

Mar 2009 – Sep 2010

Wrote briefings and provided research materials, input into amendments and helped to manage coalitions of cross-party support, as well as working within party structures to develop the party’s policies. Drafted articles for publication and communicated with constituents.