Systems Practice in International…

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From Being Influential to Useful – The Evolving Role of Think Tanks

Season 1 · Episode 8

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 • Duration 49:42

Welcome to Episode 8 of Systems Practice in International Development. Our guest is Enrique Mendizabal, Founder and Executive Director of On Think Tanks (OTT). In this episode, we’re tackling some big questions: What does it take for think tanks to shape policies that make a difference? How do they balance independence while meeting funders' demands? And is there a better way to think about evidence – as just one piece of a bigger, messier puzzle? We’ll explore the evolving role of think tanks in today’s challenging landscape, with a fresh perspective and real-world examples.

This episode’s guest

Enrique is OTT’s founder and executive director. He leads the development and delivery of OTT’s mission. Enrique has over 20 years of experience in the field of evidence informed policy. Before founding OTT in 2011 he worked for the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) where he headed the Research and Policy in Development programme. At ODI he co-founded the Outcome Mapping Learning Community. Enrique has co-founded various initiatives aimed at supporting better informed policymaking including Purpose & Ideas, the Peruvian Alliance for the Use of Evidence, the Latin American Evidence Week and the Premio PODER al Think Tank Peruano del Año.

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those
of the hosts and guests only.

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From Learning to Adaptation: Lessons Learned from Adaptive Programming and Use of Strategy Testing. A conversation with The Asia Foundation (Part 2)

Season 1 · Episode 6

Tuesday, February 4, 2025 • Duration 25:55

Welcome to Episode 6 of Systems Practice in International Development. This is episode 2 of a 2-part series with guests from The Asia Foundation, Nicola Nixon (Senior Director of Governance) and Gopa Kumar Thampi (Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka).

In this episode, we zoom into the practical experiences in adaptive programming. We discuss learning from failure to the type of teams required to deliver this work, use of evidence for decision making and adaptation, and addressing the most important currency in this type of work – trust.

This episode’s guests

Nicola Nixon is the Senior Director of Governance at The Asia Foundation (TAF). She specialises in inclusive and participatory governance with over 25 years’ practical and research experience in Eastern Europe and South and Southeast Asia. She has worked with universities, private foundations, donor and UN agencies, and NGOs. She has published widely and has presented research to government, development and academic audiences in numerous international forums, often looking at the politics and practices of international development cooperation. In her current role, she supports TAF programs across the Asia Pacific in areas such as subnational governance, public-sector reform, knowledge-to-policy, civil society strengthening and law and justice.

Gopa Kumar K Thampi is a Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka. Over his career, he has worked across 25 countries in Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Eastern Europe, collaborating with development partners, state institutions, public agencies, and CSOs to address governance reforms, public accountability, and capacity building. He played a key role in establishing the Global and South Asia hubs of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) based at BRAC University in Dhaka, where he managed both from 2009 to 2011. Currently, Gopa co-chairs the Steering Committee of the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), fostering collaboration between civil society and governments to address critical governance challenges. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Peace and Justice at BRAC University, and serves on the Advisory Board of ARUTHA, a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic research, public debt, and taxation.

From Learning to Adaptation: Lessons Learned from Adaptive Programming and Use of Strategy Testing. A conversation with The Asia Foundation (Part 1)

Season 1 · Episode 5

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 • Duration 39:05

Welcome to Episode 5 of Systems Practice in International Development. This is episode 1 of a 2-part series with guests from The Asia Foundation, Nicola Nixon (Senior Director of Governance) and Gopa Kumar Thampi (Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka).

We discuss the state of adaptive programming in our sector today, their newly launched strategy testing workbook, lessons learned from ten years of implementing adaptive programming across geographies and technical sectors, and we’re going to bust some myths about adaptive management towards the end.

This episode’s guests

Nicola Nixon is the Senior Director of Governance at The Asia Foundation (TAF). She specialises in inclusive and participatory governance with over 25 years’ practical and research experience in Eastern Europe and South and Southeast Asia. She has worked with universities, private foundations, donor and UN agencies, and NGOs. She has published widely and has presented research to government, development and academic audiences in numerous international forums, often looking at the politics and practices of international development cooperation. In her current role, she supports TAF programs across the Asia Pacific in areas such as subnational governance, public-sector reform, knowledge-to-policy, civil society strengthening and law and justice.

Gopa Kumar K Thampi is a Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka. Over his career, he has worked across 25 countries in Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Eastern Europe, collaborating with development partners, state institutions, public agencies, and CSOs to address governance reforms, public accountability, and capacity building. He played a key role in establishing the Global and South Asia hubs of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) based at BRAC University in Dhaka, where he managed both from 2009 to 2011. Currently, Gopa co-chairs the Steering Committee of the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), fostering collaboration between civil society and governments to address critical governance challenges. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Peace and Justice at BRAC University, and serves on the Advisory Board of ARUTHA, a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic research, public debt, and taxation.

From Systems Thinking to Practice: How USAID is Embracing Humility and Relationships to Do Aid Differently (Part 2)

Season 1 · Episode 4

Thursday, December 19, 2024 • Duration 33:35

Welcome to Episode 04 of Systems Practice in International Development. We are delighted to introduce this limited series produced by the Portfolio MEL (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. We hope you enjoyed the first part of our conversation with USAID colleagues on their recently launched Local Systems Position paper. If you haven’t listened to it already, it is available on Apple and Spotify.

In part two of this series, we’ll dive deeper into the practical side of systems thinking—exploring how USAID missions bring the Local Systems Position Paper to life, tackle practical implementation challenges, and rethink the role of donors to truly embrace systems practice.

This Episode's Guests

David Jacobstein has been with USAID for 12 years. He serves as a Political Economy and Localization Specialist in the Policy Learning and Integration Office of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Bureau, where he focuses on issues of capacity strengthening, systems thinking, political economy, locally-led development, and cross-sectoral integration. He leads work that has promulgated measurement and programming recommendations through the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy, and served as a co-author of the Local Systems Framework.

Monalisa Salib is the Chief of Party of the USAID/Vietnam Learns Activity implemented by Social Impact. Her nearly 20 years of experience in international development includes long-term, field-based senior management and technical positions in Washington, D.C., Palestine, Yemen, and Vietnam. Monalisa was a co-creator of USAID’s Collaborating, Learning & Adapting (CLA) Framework and Maturity Tool and several other CLA resources on behalf of USAID.

Rachel Leeds is a Strategy Analyst in USAID's Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management and a member of USAID's Local Systems Community of Practice. She led the consultation and drafting process for the Agency's new Local Systems Position Paper. She received her Bachelor's in Anthropology and Global Development Studies from the University of Virginia and her Master's of International Development Policy from Georgetown University.

From Systems Thinking to Practice: How USAID is Embracing Humility and Relationships to Do Aid Differently (Part 1)

Season 1 · Episode 3

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • Duration 31:31

System work is not about solutions; it’s about discovering and steering local pathways for change at a pace appropriate for our ability to learn and for what local communities can enact and absorb.” - Stanford Social Innovation Review

This quote perfectly sets the tone for part one of our two-part series on USAID's Local Systems Position Paper. This paper isn’t just another framework—it’s a bold vision for reimagining development by prioritizing local actors within the system and locally-led solutions.

In this episode, we’ll delve into the thinking behind the paper, explore its key ideas, and discuss how it fosters local ownership, trust, and sustainable systems. What inspired this shift, and what could it mean for the future of development? Let’s dive in!

This Episode's Guests

David Jacobstein has been with USAID for 12 years. He serves as a Political Economy and Localization Specialist in the Policy Learning and Integration Office of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Bureau, where he focuses on issues of capacity strengthening, systems thinking, political economy, locally-led development, and cross-sectoral integration. He leads work that has promulgated measurement and programming recommendations through the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy, and served as a co-author of the Local Systems Framework.

Monalisa Salib is the Chief of Party of the USAID/Vietnam Learns Activity implemented by Social Impact. Her nearly 20 years of experience in international development includes long-term, field-based senior management and technical positions in Washington, D.C., Palestine, Yemen, and Vietnam. Monalisa was a co-creator of USAID’s Collaborating, Learning & Adapting (CLA) Framework and Maturity Tool and several other CLA resources on behalf of USAID.

Rachel Leeds is a Strategy Analyst in USAID's Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management and a member of USAID's Local Systems Community of Practice. She led the consultation and drafting process for the Agency's new Local Systems Position Paper. She received her Bachelor's in Anthropology and Global Development Studies from the University of Virginia and her Master's of International Development Policy from Georgetown University.

From Projects to Portfolios: How FCDO is Shaping Collective Learning and Coherence (Part 2)

Season 1 · Episode 2

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 • Duration 26:17

We hope you enjoyed the first part of our deep dive into portfolio practices in the British Embassy Kathmandu in Nepal and the British High Commission in Nigeria. If you haven’t listened to it already, it is available here:

This episode is a continuation of our conversation with Federica and Craig, this time exploring how to work at the portfolio level beyond ODA, how to support a learning culture and the role of external facilitators in systems practice.

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

Bios Guests

Dr Craig Irwin

Data, Evidence and Learning Lead for the British High Commission, Nigeria

Dr. Craig Irwin has dedicated over 15 years to advancing the use of statistics, data and evidence for the UK government with experience ranging from Defra, UK department of health, Department for International Development (DFID) Bangladesh and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development office Nepal. He was pivotal in shaping the innovative Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal its initial years and now serves as the lead for the British High Commission in Nigeria.

Dr. Federica Di Battista

Evidence and Knowledge Team Leader, BEK, FCDO

And as our second guest, we have Federica Di Battista.

After obtaining her PhD in economics from the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Federica worked on research projects at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and poverty estimation at the World Bank. She joined Innovations for Poverty Action as research manager for a portfolio of impact evaluation projects focusing on rural and agricultural development in Ghana. And from 2018 she joined the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK as evaluation expert for the evaluation unit first and then for the Middle East and North Africa regional department. She is currently the evidence and Knowledge team leader at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Nepal also known as the British Embassy Kathmandu.

From Projects to Portfolios: How FCDO is Shaping Collective Learning and Coherence (Part 1)

Season 1 · Episode 1

Thursday, November 21, 2024 • Duration 34:22

We all know development challenges are complex and interconnected, and that’s where the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has taken a refreshingly practical approach to systems thinking by first getting its house in order. They’ve embraced a portfolio approach -At the heart of it is to learn from portfolio evidence, leverage synergies through coherence to maximize impact in a complex and fast-changing world.

FCDO's Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme was established to do just that. While several countries have adopted the concept, today we’re spotlighting two in particular—Nepal and Nigeria.

In this episode, we’ll dive into the merits and challenges of a portfolio approach, explore the pre-requisites for becoming a learning organization and, at the end, we’ll bust a few myths around evidence-informed learning and decision-making.

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and
Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

Bios Guests

Dr Craig Irwin

Data, Evidence and Learning Lead for the British High Commission, Nigeria

Dr. Craig Irwin has dedicated over 15 years to advancing the use of statistics, data and evidence for the UK government with experience ranging from Defra, UK department of health, Department for International Development (DFID) Bangladesh and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development office Nepal. He was pivotal in shaping the innovative Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal its initial years and now serves as the lead for the British High Commission in Nigeria.

Dr. Federica Di Battista

Evidence and Knowledge Team Leader, BEK, FCDO

And as our second guest, we have Federica Di Battista.

After obtaining her PhD in economics from the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Federica worked on research projects at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and poverty estimation at the World Bank. She joined Innovations for Poverty Action as research manager for a portfolio of impact evaluation projects focusing on rural and agricultural development in Ghana. And from 2018 she joined the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK as evaluation expert for the evaluation unit first and then for the Middle East and North Africa regional department. She is currently the evidence andKnowledge team leader at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Nepal also known as the British Embassy Kathmandu.

Coming soon: Systems Practice in International Development

Tuesday, October 15, 2024 • Duration 00:08

Systems Practice in International Development

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those
of the hosts and guests only.

Systems Practice in International Development – Details, episodes & analysis

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Systems Practice in International Development – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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Publication history

Latest published episodes

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