From Learning to Adaptation: Lessons Learned from Adaptive Programming and Use of Strategy Testing. A conversation with The Asia Foundation (#06)
Abt Global Britain
Global leaders in research & implementation, specialising in climate, global health, governance, MERL & equity.
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, the use of evidence for decision-making and adaptation, and addressing the most important currency in this type of work – trust.
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.
Listen to the episode here:
This Episode’s Guests
Nicola Nixon
Senior Director, Governance, The Asia Foundation (TAF)
Nicola Nixon specialises in inclusive and participatory governance and has over 25 years’ practical and research experience in Eastern Europe and South and Southeast Asia. She has worked with universities, private foundations, donor and United Nations agencies, and non-government organizations (NGOs). Nicola 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. Nicola has a PhD in History and Social Theory from the University of Melbourne.
Gopa Kumar K Thampi
Senior Governance Advisor, The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka
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Over his career, Gopa Kumar Thampi 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 civil society organizations 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 hubs 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. Gopa is a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Peace and Justice at BRAC University, Bangladesh, and serves on the Advisory Board of ARUTHA, a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic research, public debt, and taxation. Gopa holds a doctorate in Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Kerala, India, along with postgraduate qualifications in Economics and Journalism & Mass Communication.
Meet Your Host
Alexandra Nastase is the Lead Technical Director for Abt Global Britain, and the Programme Director for the FCDO-funded Portfolio MEL (PMEL) programme in Nepal.
She has more than 15 years of experience in design, implementation, and evaluation of large reform and technical assistance programs to improve public sector performance and strengthen civil society. She worked on improving public service delivery and strategic management at national or federal level, as well as supporting regional and local governments. She also worked on developing capacity strengthening approaches for health system strengthening climate change, women empowerment and food security and nutrition programmes.
Nastase has held leadership and senior advisory roles for multi-million technical assistance programs funded by World Bank, European Commission, World Food Programme, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade, United Nations Development Program, and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
She holds a Master degree in International Security and one in Public Policy from the University of Oxford, School of Government.
You can find Alexandra Nastase on linkedin or reach her at [email protected].
We hope you enjoy the podcast and we'd love to hear your feedback. Make sure you've subscribed to this Newsletter for future episodes!
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.