Development Effectiveness

MSc Corporate Communications and Development Cooperation specialist, with experience in European projects, the achievement of public and private funds, the administration of profit and non-profit organisations and the management of projects for social promotion, in Europe and Latin America.

During the last 7 years, Patricia has been working as Project Manager and Communication Expert in a series of advocacy campaigns for European funded projects and for the European Commission Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development.

Nathalie Larsen is a cooperation officer at the European Commission in DG INTPA, where she currently focuses on the EU’s partnership with Namibia, and on the EU’s efforts regarding critical raw materials in Southern Africa. She has also worked for DG INTPA as a policy officer promoting development effectiveness, strengthening the Team Europe approach, and supporting the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, as well as in the EU Delegation to Ghana where she was responsible for human rights and public financial management projects, while also working on reinforcing the joint programming process and donor coordination mechanisms. Prior to joining the European Commission, she worked in the development-focused arm of the consulting house, McKinsey & Company, and as a Senior Value for Money Analyst in the UK’s National Audit Office Department for International Development team. Nathalie holds a MSc in Research for International Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. On Capacity4Dev, she used to manage a restricted group to support information sharing and lesson learning between Team Europe actors, as well as the Team Europe Tracker, but now identifies as a Capacity4dev articles and blog pos avid reader and fan.

Economiste, passionné des questions relatives à la protection sociale, la santé, l'éducation, la lutte contre toutes les formes d'inégalités (sociales, territoriales, urbain / rural), la culture, le développement rural, les forêts.

I am currently working for DG International Partnerships (DG INTPA) at the European Commission. Specifically, I work for the Unit "Effective Development Policy and Team Europe" focusing on the Team Europe approach and Team Europe Initiatives, promoting Joint Programming and Development Effectiveness, as well as the overall relations with Member States.

Previously, I was the Deputy Team Leader of the European Year for Development (EYD2015) campaign in the Unit Communication and Transparency.

Before joining DG INTPA, I was a spokesperson of the European Commission; trainee at the Cabinet of the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso; Duty House Manager of the Theatre Royal Bath in the UK; University Teacher of International and European Politics at the University of Bath; Deputy Supervisor of the Self-Access Language Centre of the University of Bath, basketball coach of the University of Bath Men's 1st and 2nd Team; and a Sergeant in the Greek Army.

I hold a PhD in International Relations and EU Politics from the University of Bath. My thesis title is "Constructing the Western Balkans". I have a MA in Contemporary European Studies (EUROMASTERS Programme) and a BA in Economics and Politics from the University of Macedonia in Greece.

Head of section OPSYS contract management

Blerina Vila has nearly two decades of experience (most of which at international level) in institutional capacity building and policy advice on development planning with a rights-based approach, with focus on gender equality and child labour. For the past 12 years she has worked closely with the European Commission as expert on gender equality mainstreaming contributing to identifying feasible solutions to the problems posed by the delivery of technical assistance in areas such as human rights and governance, education and health reform, commerce, infrastructure, nutrition, food security and social protection, reform of the judiciary system, and how gender issues and women's rights need to be integrated into them. Until end of 2014 worked as a programme officer with the Gender and Non Discrimination Programme at the International Training Centre of ILO (ITCILO  http://gender.itcilo.org/cms/). Currently she is director of consultancy firm Wexam Consulting vof.

In 2015 she assisted the EC’s and EU Member States’ Task Force that drafted the EU Gender Action Plan 2016 – 2020 (http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/10/26-fac-c…), including working very closely with the DEVCO B Directorate in identifying institutional mechanisms to facilitate its implementation. Currently she is the leader of the team of experts tasked to assist the EC and EU Delegations to comply with the GAP requirement of generating and using gender analysis for purposes of planning the cooperation with partner countries.

She is fluent in Albanian, English, French, Italian, has a good knowledge of Spanish and Dutch. She is based in Belgium.

The consultant has a solid background in the field of food and nutrition security for ensuing active and healthy life, has over 25 years of international experience involving communication with various stakeholders, policy-making and strategic planning, results-based management and performance monitoring, and implementation of plans and activities. He is a specialist in agriculture, food and nutri-tion and transformation of agri-food systems, with experience in International Cooperation.
• Over 20 years of experience in the agriculture, food and nutrition sector providing technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of Ministries and relevant authorities with regards to de-veloping Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Policies
• Experience as Team Leader of numerous projects addressing agriculture, food security, and rural development, including conducting evaluations in fragile contexts.
• Solid track record in programme and project management, well prepared to undertake devel-opment and monitoring and review of operational plans, and providing support to implementing them and addressing cross-cutting issues (gender equality, environmental sustainability, and good governance issues).
• Solid track record of conducting evaluations, analysing projects relevance, performance and contribution to development objectives, including relevant aspects of intervention logic and re-sults framework and workplans.
• Angus has worked on food systems and business development across various relevant sub-sectors.
• Good capacity to analyse key actors and business environment. He is well experienced in broad based socio-economic development and poverty reduction processes.
• Solid career in support to programming, risk analyses and the identification of mitigating measures, organizational capacity development, management, and consultation and continu-ous learning processes.
• Practical expertise in capacity building and institutional development, including the provision of training and conducting of workshops.
• Frequent Team leader of multidisciplinary teams

In 2016 and 2017 he he worked in South Sudan in the role of Monitoring and Evaluation_Team Leader
Technical support and advisory services to increase the effectiveness of EU financed Rural Development interventions (FSTP, SORUDEV and ZEAT-BEAD) to support the South Sudan Development Plan 2011-2016 to reduce the vulnerability of rural communities and enhance their agricultural productivity and food security. Key areas of support: 1) Monitoring and coordination of actions; 2) Organising extension services; 3) Supporting calls for proposals and new projects; 4) Evaluating programme performance. Beneficiaries are the implementing partners and key stakeholders of the EU's rural development programmes in South Sudan.

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