We are a network of experienced development professionals who all take a political economy perspective to development. Our Directors, Principals and Associates have specialist knowledge of particular countries and sectors. They have strong connections to government, the private sector, civil society, media and research organisations. They bring to bear their own long working experience within official agencies, academia and the private sector.
Laure-Hélène Piron
Governance, political development, rule of law, human rights, conflict and fragility. Political economy analysis and institutional development. Policy, strategy, programme design, review and evaluation
Gareth Williams
Political economy analysis and good governance, agriculture and rural development, private sector development, growth and poverty reduction strategies. Web development and IT.
Neil McCulloch
Political economy of fuel subsidy and power sector reforms; structural transformation, investment climate and growth; politically smart aid programmes.
Alex Scoines
Alex is the Business Manager of the Policy Practice, with over 15 years of experience in programme management.
Samantha Wade
Professional facilatator specialised in international development issues.
William Kingsmill
Development policy and strategy; political economy analysis; good governance and anti-corruption; accountability, transparency and participation; the resource curse; growth and private sector development; business alliances; China and Africa
Jonathan Kydd
Rural and agricultural development, new institutional economics, education
Alex Duncan
Public policy and institutional analyses; political economy of development, economic growth, governance, strengthening the private sector and markets, agriculture, rural development.
Andrew Barnett
Energy policy and technology and innovation policy in the public, private and NGO sectors from the perspective of political economy and instutional analyses. Aid programme review and lesson learning.
Olly Owen
Governance and development; political economy analysis; ethnographic and fieldwork-based research; governmental institutions; policy analysis and forecasting; policing; state-public relations
Sarah Vaughan
Political economy of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa: institutions of rural development and economic change; federalism, nationalism and regional geopolitics; fragility, rule of law, conflict, gender and power.
James Keeley
China policy and politics specialist, China-Africa, agriculture, project management, trilateral cooperation, monitoring and evaluation
Sam Bickersteth
Sam provides strategic advice to international development organisations on livelihoods, forestry, agriculture, climate, environment, financial inclusion, planetary health research and development.
Susie Alegre
Human rights and the rule of law; legal frameworks for counter-terrorism; criminal justice capacity building and international cooperation; civil society; transposition of international legal frameworks.
Bev Jones
Bev is a high level facilitator and team leader with 30 years’ experience in citizen engagement and social accountability, working with international organisations including DFID and the World Bank.
Geof Wood
Sociologist, governance and livelihoods specialist with a regional focus on South Asia.
Mesfin Gebremichael
Dr Mesfin Gebremichael (PhD Bradford 2012) is a senior member of Addis Ababa University’s Graduate Institute of Peace & Security Studies and (since 2018) Director of the African Universities Alliance Research Centre of Excellence for post-conflict societies.
Nicola Dahrendorf
Post-conflict environments, human rights, sexual and gender based violence, rule of law, security sector reform and humanitarian assistance.
Richard Holloway
Institution building in the civil society sector, social accountability, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption
Niki Palmer
Governance and political economy analysis; natural resource governance and climate change; migration and refugees; crisis, conflict and resilience
Sam Gibson
Social development; gender; social inclusion; training and facilitation; policy, strategy, programme design, review and evaluation
Mohamed Farah Hersi
Peacebuilding, state building, democratization, local governance, conflict resolution and policy management
Simon Brook
Governance; citizen engagement; gender & social inclusion; political economy analysis, extensive experience in Africa and South & South-East Asia, Eastern Europe & Caribbean
Deborah Bryceson
Political economy, rural transformation, urbanisation, livelihoods, occupational change, poverty, mobility, transport, migration, settlement, agricultural policy, value chains, famine, urban food supply, gender.
Georgia Plank
Georgia is an independent expert specialising in: governance, security & justice; gender equality and inclusion; and social protection. Her experience spans policy development, programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and research – across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Middle East
Angela Holton
Experienced programme administrator working in university and consultancy environments.