Career
Summary
Freelance Consultant (2007-present)
Since 2007, I have worked mostly as a freelance consultant, with periods of employment to undertake specific challenges. During this time I have worked within the UK bilateral aid programme, as well as the UK NGO sector.
Over the last few years I have enjoyed managing a broad portfolio of tasks. This has included:
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establishing ICS youth volunteer programmes in Ghana, South Africa and Malawi
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evaluating a Comic Relief funded projects supporting orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia
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providing mentoring support to a knowledge management officer in a DfID funded programme focused on girls education in Nigeria
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supporting the development of an organisational gender strategy in a university in Tanzania
Full details of consultancy assignments can be found in my cv. (See grey button on the left.)
Project Lead- Student Learning and Teaching Services, University of Reading, UK. (2014)
Responsible for the planning and delivery of a six-month research project to explore patterns of progression and attainment amongst UK-domiciled Black and Minority Ethnic students at the University.
Director of Learning and Development, Lattitude Global Volunteering, UK. (2010-2012)
Supported an organisation-wide programme of strategic change involving regionalisation, decentralisation and development of in-country capacity to manage youth volunteer programmes; improving organisational learning through monitoring, evaluation and impact analysis, and establishing quality standards.
Lecturer in International Development Studies, University of Reading, UK. (1997-2008)
Programme Director for MA in Applied Development Studies and, from 2007, Deputy Head of Department. Taught a wide range of postgraduate modules focused on social development theory, policy and practice. Responsible for supervision of Doctoral and Masters research programmes.
Social Development Adviser, Department for International Development. (1988-1996)
Facilitating improved service delivery through enhancing participation of key local stakeholders and understanding of the needs of marginalised service users.
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Wenchi Farming Systems Development and Training Project - Ghana. (1994-1996)
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Pakhribas Agriculture (Research) Centre - Nepal. (1991-1994)
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Embu-Meru-Isiolo (EMI) Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Development Programme (1988-1991)
Commonwealth Universities Research Scholar, Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone. (1983-5)
Carried out ethnographic fieldwork in northern Sierra Leone. The research focused on exploring social and economic change among Fula cattle herders and traders, with a particular emphasis on the challenges faced by women-headed households. The results were published in my doctoral thesis.
Country Experience
In addition to the UK, I have worked in Albania, Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.