Home About / contact us Work with us News Publications Clients Projects People     Monitoring & evaluation Aid effectiveness Poverty & governance Institutional development Water management Communication for development         Robbie Gregorowski   Climate Change and Development Evaluation Specialist View all ITAD consultants Robbie Gregorowski is a Principal Consultant and Evaluator at ITAD with considerable expertise in pro-poor focussed monitoring and evaluation (M&E), particularly in the fields of climate change M&E, policy influence, and organisational assessment. Since joining ITAD he has led their work on climate change and development evaluation. He is currently the Team Leader on an evaluation of DFID's Climate & Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) knowledge services as well as the Team Leader of an evaluation of the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) website - PreventionWeb. He has undertaken climate change adaptation M&E work for the Rockefeller Foundation, the DFID-funded Ecosystems Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA), and the EC. Prior to joining ITAD he worked as a Senior Economist at a leading international economics consultancy based in London. This included multiple M&E inputs on the DFID Chars Livelihoods Programme in Bangladesh, DFID's headline climate change adaptation programme. Robbie has wide ranging consultancy experience in the fields of programme and organisational evaluation, M&E systems design, and research management, working for clients including the Rockefeller Foundation, DFID, Sida, the EC, UNISDR/UNOPS, and the World Bank. He holds an MSc Distinction in International Development from SOAS and has recently completed an Individual Professional Course in Project Appraisal & Impact Analysis from CeFiMS, University of London. Climate change and development evaluation - particularly pro-poor aspects (vulnerability and resilience) of CC policy and programming Organisational and institutional evaluation - designing and implementing organisational assessments, appraisals and evaluations involving frameworks such as McKinsey 7-S Evaluation of pro-poor policy-research, policy influence, research communications, and knowledge brokering projects, programmes, and institutions Pro-poor growth and poverty reduction - policy, planning and programming in fragile, disaster-prone, and conflict-affected environments particularly Afghanistan and Bangladesh Particular expertise and experience employing evaluation approaches and tools including Theory of Change, Uptake Pathways, Outcome Mapping, Contribution Analysis, and Most Significant Change technique. Nationality  British Languages English, French Country Experience Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, China,  Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Ghana,  Kenya, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,  Uganda, United States Qualifications 2009 - 2009 Individual Professional Qualification - Project Appraisal and Impact Analysis Centre for Financial & Management Studies (CeFiMS), University of London, UK 2002 - 2003 MSc Development Studies Distinction School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK 1998 - 2002 BA Joint Honours Economics and Geography 2.1 University of Exeter, UK Employment September 2009 - Ongoing 2009 Principal Consultant ITAD   ITAD is a UK-based independent management consultancy established in 1984 and one of few companies globally whose long-term core business has been the design and operation of monitoring and evaluation policies, strategies and systems. ITAD have particular strengths in the design of M&E systems and associated MIS, training in M&E, and evaluation of projects and programmes for a range of clients including World Bank, DFID, National Audit Office, EC, various European governments aid agencies, the World Food Programme, UNDP, UNICEF, and a wide range of developing country governments. ITAD's team of consultants have established a reputation for delivering complex evaluation studies on time and within budget. In particular, ITAD has unrivalled expertise and reputation in institutional and programme evaluations and impact assessments. January 2006 - August 2009 Senior Economist/Consultant Maxwell Stamp PLC   Maxwell Stamp is a multi-disciplinary management consultancy specialising in international development. Helped establish and develop the Livelihoods and Rural Development Practice Area into MSPs highest billing and most successful business area in under 2 years. Won and managed several high profile impact evaluation, policy research, and M&E assignments for the WB and DFID including an impact and institutional evaluation of the Social Fund for Development in Yemen and a high profile piece of political economy policy research informing UK Government strategy and programming decisions for involvement in Afghanistan. Also made multiple short term consultancy inputs on large-scale multi-sectoral development programmes including DFIDs Chars Livelihoods Programme in Bangladesh and the WBs National Solidarity Programme in Afghanistan. Contributed to all aspects of Practice Area strategy and technical operations including: -Undertaking discrete policy research, project design, and evaluation consultancy assignments and technical project work - reviewing programme interventions, providing on-going M&E systems review, and supporting knowledge management and communications through the writing, editing and dissemination of products such as annual reports, policy briefs, and success stories; -Leading bid writing teams in the preparation of expressions of interest and proposals with 70%+ conversion rate - researching and writing a wide variety of technical inputs, ensuring successful proposal preparation; -Formulating and implementing the practice areas wider business development and sales strategy - defining new business growth areas (pro-poor growth, climate change adaptation) and developing the consultancys expertise and technical track record; -Managing a portfolio of projects covering project design, programme evaluation, donor policy and programming - building lasting relationships with our key clients (DFID, WB, EC, and ADB). April 2004 - January 2006 Assistant Programme Manager HTSPE / UK Department for International Development   HTSPE (www.htspe.com) is a management and sustainable development consultancy specialising in poverty reduction in developing countries. Worked as Assistant Programme Manager managing DFIDs US$36m natural resource systems research programme (DFID-NRSP). Planned and supervised innovative action-research projects that generated new knowledge to improve livelihoods through partnerships with 50 institutions worldwide. Key responsibilities included: -Research management defining programme strategic direction, managing calls for proposals, and reviewing partner research proposals (logical frameworks, research methods) to ensure analytical rigor; -Training and capacity building producing toolkits and facilitating seminars and conferences to build the research and project management capacity of partner institutions in developing countries; -Project process management and monitoring overseeing all administrative, contractual, financial, and reporting requirements during project life-cycle, including conducting in-country Mid-Term Reviews; -Communications and uptake promotion writing up and disseminating key research products (policy briefs, success stories, case studies), and developing an online project database / website. (http://www.nrsp.org) Training 2010 International Development Evaluation: Foundations & Practice (King's College London - Summer Institute Course) 2009 Chevening Senior Fellowship Programme - Conflict Resolution Course Lecturer (Foreign and Commonwealth Office / Post-Conflict and Reconstruction Development Unit (PRDU), University of York ) 2009 Climate Change and Development (Practical Action) 2008 Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) (DFID / Stabilisation Unit) Project Experience 2012 - 2012 Ongoing Evaluation of PreventionWeb and related UNISDR information services for disaster risk reduction (DRR) (UNISDR / UNOPS, UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Thailand, Panama, Egypt, Kenya) Team Leader / Evaluator   PreventionWeb (www.preventionweb.net) is the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) knowledge portal �serving the information needs of the disaster reduction community.� Its objective is to coordinate the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-15: Building the resilience of Nations and Communities to disasters. The evaluation focusses on evaluating the effectiveness and impact of PreventionWeb and other UN information services and their ability to meet current and evolving information needs of existing and new DRR stakeholders. As such the evaluation combines a technical usability assessment of the website with a broader remit to �position� UNISDR�s strategy to respond to future DRR needs and target audiences.   As Team Leader, Robbie is responsible for the overall management and delivery of the evaluation. The evaluation is based around a theory of change approach whereby PreventionWeb�s objective to coordinate DRR knowledge and information is placed in the context of a higher order development outcome in terms of the behavioural change expected of UNISDR�s priority audience. UNISRD�s strategy involving PreventionWeb is then assessed in relation to this desired outcome. Robbie leads a six-person team from inception (defining a mixed-method approach combining technical usability and accessibility assessments with more qualitative approaches including semi-structured interviews and key stakeholder focus groups), across six country visits (Geneva, Brussels, Bangkok, Nairobi, Cairo, and Panama), a period of desk-based analysis and triangulation, culminating in the delivery and presentation of a Final Report to UNISDR Special Representative to the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva. 2011 - 2011 Ongoing Evaluation of the Rockefeller Foundation's work in African Agriculture Resilience and Land-based carbon Markets for Poverty Reduction (Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya, Uganda, USA, UK) Evaluator   The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to help poor and vulnerable people benefit from more equitable economic growth and increased resilience to climate change. The assignment covered two interrelated bodies of work: the African Agriculture Resilience component of the larger Climate Change Resilience Initiative, and the Land-based Carbon Markets for Poverty Reduction Initiative. Given their complementary nature the Foundation now wishes to merge these two bodies of work under one Initiative called Climate Smart Rural Development (CSRD).   The purpose of this evaluation is to learn from the experience of implementation of the two components of work to guide the planning and management of these two components into the CSRD Initiative. ITAD examined the relevance, cost effectiveness, and efficiency of the two Initiatives as well as Rockefeller�s niche and contribution to the evolution of the emerging ideas on agricultural resilience in African and the potential of carbon markets for poverty reduction. ITAD used a mixed methods approach starting with a detailed desk-based analytical review of the portfolio followed by field visits to selected grants in seven countries. A Theory of Change approach was used to assist Rockefeller establish a coherent results chain as well as improve the planning of the CSRD initiative through a better identification of risks and assumptions. 2010 - 2011 Ongoing M&E Support to Panos Relay Programme (DFID / Panos, UK) Evaluator   ITAD were selected to undertake an appreciative evaluation of the Panos Relay Programme. Funded under the DFID Research Uptake Team portfolio of knowledge service programmes, Panos Relay aims to strengthen and promote the approaches to building the capacity of media to report on research. In addition to the evaluation, ITAD were requested to: facilitate the development of Relay's Theory of Change (ToC); help Panos test and refine their approach to action research; and design, build and train the team in monitoring, evaluation and learning. The assignment involved country field visits to Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, and India.   The services ITAD provided included: designing an approach to appreciative evaluation based around USAID's After Action Review; facilitating a workshop of Panos staff to discuss and agree a Relay theory of change; desk-based document analysis; a series of country office and field visits supported by interviews and focus groups with programme staff, and key stakeholders including journalists, researchers and policy makers; designing and conducting a series of M&E training workshops for Relay programme field office staff to build their capacity in M&E, work with them to adapt the Relay ToC to local contexts, and ensure they can operate the Panos Relay M&E system based on an Outcome Mapping approach. 2010 - 2011 Ongoing GDNet Strategy and M&E Support (GDNet / DFID, UK) M&E Consultant   ITAD is assisting GDNet to clearly map out and strengthen its strategic direction and objectives over the next 5 years - www.gdnet.org/. The strategy will explain how GDNet will work as a research institution in the policy arena, aiming to inform policy in developing countries with knowledge generated by researchers based in those countries. ITAD is assisting GDNet to develop a strong theory of change about how what it does would have an effect. This will then be used to remodel its activities through a redrafted logframe and a more outcome-focused M&E system.   GDNet work at the nexus between research and policy. ITAD is helping them to more rigourously monitor and evaluate their policy influence. Assisted GDNet to clearly map out and strengthen its logframe and establish a robust baseline. The logframe will explain how GDNet will work as a research institution in the policy arena, aiming to inform policy in developing countries with knowledge generated by researchers based in those countries. Assisting GDNet to design and test the internal rigour of its logframe through a process to define indicators, ascertain robust sources of data, and establish reliable baselines for each output. Establishing each baseline involves the design and implementation of a variety of data collection methods including panel-surveys, appreciative inquiry based on the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique, bibliometric sampling exercises, and disaggregated questionnaires of user perceptions. 2011 - 2012 CDKN Knowledge Management Evaluation and Impact Assessment (DFID CDKN, UK) Team Leader / Evaluator   Project description: The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is a five-year initiative funded by the DFID to assist developing countries respond to the challenges posed by climate change. It does this by providing research and technical assistance, and channelling the best available knowledge on climate change and development to support policy processes at the country level. A key feature of the CDKN is that it is demand led; it is responding to gaps and needs identified on the ground as it rolls out country engagement strategies. Services are being provided through a network of collaborating organisations and individuals around the globe. Knowledge Management (KM) is one of four main programme components, alongside research, technical assistance and partnerships. Priority audiences for CDKN?s KM work are developing country decision-makers, and those who influence them, including policy advisers, researchers, civil society and the media. ITAD were engaged in a framework contract to provide evaluation services to CDKN. This included an assessment of the quality and usefulness of CDKN products.   The ITAD team, led by Robbie, is assisting CDKN with M&E and impact assessment across a range of KM activities. Robbie led the design and implementation of an experimental approach to assess both the 'quality' and 'usefulness' of CDKN knowledge products. This involved engaging a representative sample of climate change experts and CDKN priority stakeholders to review CDKN products according a range of determinants of quality and usefulness. The approach drew on emerging approaches to assessing knowledge services based upon the instrumental, conceptual and democratic use of knowledge. In addition, a tracer study of online knowledge brokers is being conducted in 2012. 2011 - 2011 Independent External Review of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Multiple framework donors including EC, Sida, Danida, AFD, Norad, and Sida, Multiple - Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Switzerland) Evaluator   ITAD was selected by a group of framework donors including Sida, AFD, CIDA, and NORAD to undertake an external review of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The headline, multi-country review comprised assessments of: (i) the IUCN business model and organisational strategy, (ii) the niche, relevance and effectiveness of the delivery of IUCN's programme supporting biodiversity and conservation, and, (iii) the level of Member and partner engagement in the union.   As principle evaluator, coordinated and managed a small, multi-national, multi-skilled team with skills in organisational change, governance reform, environment and sustainable development, and policy influence. The review drew heavily on ITAD's experience in the evaluation of multi-national policy research organisations operating in the environment and climate change sector. The assessment of IUCN's business model employed a mixed-method approach based around the McKinsey 7-S Model organisational assessment framework. The review of IUCN's programme of work relating to environment and conservation applied a theory of change approach to IUCN's existing Results Based Management system to better assess IUCN's contribution to policy influence. Both objectives combined a mixed method approach involving face to face and telephone interviews, focus groups, web surveys, and document analysis with 11 country visits (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, India, Costa Rica, Guatamala, Mexico, United States, and IUCN's HQ in Geneva). The review informed recommendations on IUCN's future strategic direction and specifically, the framework donors role in them, feeding into the development of IUCN's 2013 16 Programme. 2011 - 2011 Measuring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV) of Climate Finance (European Commission, UK) Evaluator   The consortium, led by AEA Europe with ITAD as a member, were commissioned by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Climate Action) to assess the existing Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) frameworks on Climate Finance at the EU level. The main objective of the study was to analyse the current MRV situation and the challenges for establishing improved reporting methodologies. The results of the research were expected to be highly relevant in the context of the discussions on future EU and international climate finance requirements.The findings also contributed to forming EU views and positions on MRV of finance in the ongoing UNFCCC negotiations, in particular the feasibility of developing a transparent, robust and harmonised framework for MRV of climate finance on the EU / international level.   ITAD was charged with engaging the views developing country experts on 2 main aspects of MRV: 1. The role and expectation of developing countries in the design of a new or improvement to existing MRV systems. 2. The role of developing countries in Verification of climate finance. Verification of climate finance has not received the same attention as measuring and reporting. Existing systems such as the UNFCCC and OECD DAC do not provide specific verification procedures or guidelines regarding data that exist or should be collected. Robbie conducted extensive background research on developing countries views on MRV, enaged a significant sample of developing country climate finance experts, and produced a detailed synthesis report to reflect these views. 2010 - 2010 Evaluation of the Institutional cooperation between Sida and the Stockholm Environment Institute (Sida, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, UK) Evaluator   The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is one of the worlds leading international environment and development research organizations. SEI is largely funded by Sida with whom it works to address key international priorities such as: mitigating and adapting to climate change; and, protecting and transforming vulnerable communities who are the victims of rapid social and environmental change. Based on the company's experience conducting headline organizational evaluations and our track record assessing the impact of research on policy processes, ITAD was tasked with both reflecting on SIDA's past institutional cooperation with SEI and making recommendations on the future direction of collaboration between Sida and SEI.   Devised mixed-method evaluation approach and framework drawing on ITAD?s experience assessing uptake pathways on a range of DFID-funded research programmes. The approach was based on establishing a shared understanding of the Theory of Change (ToC) underlying Sida support to SEI and then assessing the extent to which there was evidence to support that ToC. The organizational evaluation assessed SEI?s institutional capacity according to an internationally recognized organizing framework - the McKinsey 7-S Model. SEI institutional capacity was assessed in a participatory process of stakeholder engagement according to strategy, structure, systems, staff, skills, style, and shared values. Tools engaged during the evaluation included: key stakeholder SWOT analysis; semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews; a web survey of target stakeholders; economic and financial analyses; document review; and field visits. 2010 - 2010 Evaluation in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS) - MA Teaching (Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU), University of York, UK) M&E Expert / Guest Lecturer   ITAD were approached by the Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU) at the University of York to teach a series of three seminars to Masters students taking the MA in Post-war Recovery Studies. The seminar series entitled Evaluation in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCAS) built on ITADs project experience to address some of the key logistical and technical challenges associated with conducting evaluations in FCAS. The seminars introduced key concepts such as the OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria through group exercises, combined with case study examples to illustrate how tools and methods such as Contribution Analysis and Outcome Mapping have been used in the field to overcome issues such as attribution gaps, incoherent theories of change, and assessing intangibles such as behavioural change.   Expert advice and training on M&E systems in fragile and conflict-affected states involving group exercise facilitation introducing key tools and methods - Contribution Analysis and Outcome Mapping as well as addressing context specific challenges and constraints including security protocols, engaging different stakeholder groups and assessing the impact of ?intangibles? such as behavioral change. 2009 - 2010 Ministry of Justice International Programmes Evaluation (UK Ministry of Justice, UK and China) Evaluator   ITAD was engaged by the UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to evaluate 3 MoJ-funded international programmes designed for young professionals identified as future leaders in their respective countries: 1) The John Smith Memorial Trust Fellowship Programme focussing on the South Caucuses; 2) The Training Scheme for Young Chinese Judges delivered by the Great Britain China Centre; and, 3) The Lord Chancellor's Training Scheme for Young Chinese Lawyers delivered by the China Law Council. The aim of the evaluation was to assess outcomes and impact to date in order for MoJ to make decisions about the future of its involvement and funding of the programmes. ITAD designed the evaluation approach and methodology which involved both structured and semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews, seperate online questionnaires for the alumni of each programme, and field visits to London and Beijing to engage key programme stakeholders. Impact was assessed through Contribution Analysis, developing and agreeing an ex ante Theory of Change and testing its logic through accumulating evidence to support and question the assumptions on which the theory was based.   Key activities included: - Overall approach and methodology design - Semi-structured face to face and telephone interviews with key stakeholders including a number of senior UK politicians, political journalists, business leaders, and legal professionals - Beijing field visit to engage high ranking government officials in the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China - Online survey / questionnaire design and implementation - Data analysis and application of contribution analysis methodology - Report write up and presentation to MoJ counterparts in London 2008 - 2009 Impact & Institutional Evaluation DFID Yemen Social Fund for Development (DFID, UK and Yemen) Overall Project Manager   SFD aims to contribute to poverty alleviation by improving access of low-income groups to basic social and economic services community-level infrastructure, small and micro-enterprise development, and grassroots training and capacity building.   Managed and coordinated both impact and institutional evaluations of the SFD. Specific activities involved the design of QUAL and QUANT research methodologies to produce sample data on households, communities, and programme activities in order to evaluate efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability. Also responsible for providing guidance and quality assurance to local survey teams in the field and analysing the data produced on both SFD projects and beneficiary households. Ultimately responsible for successful submission and sign off of all project deliverables with the DFID. 2007 - 2009 Social Development in Conflict-Affected Environments (DFID, Worldwide) Framework Contract Manager   The UK Government is actively involved in peace-building, rehabilitation and development activities in many conflict and disaster prone states, notably Iraq and Afghanistan. These environments are fragile, rapidly changing and unpredictable. The key agencies DFID, MoD, FCO, and the Stabilisation Unit require responsive tailored services to meet rapidly changing objectives. The Reconstruction and Development Consortium (RDC) supports these agencies through the rapid provision of high quality social development skills and expertise in the context of stabilisation and peace building.   Coordinated and delivered social development services (policy research, project appraisal, impact evaluation, M&E systems design) to support peace-building, rehabilitation and development activities in many conflict and disaster prone states, notably Afghanistan and Yemen through the DFID-funded Social Development in Conflict-Affected Environments framework contract. The consortium's technical focus covered basic service delivery, enhanced aid effectiveness, social protection programming, and, economic, social and development policy and planning. HEAT trained by DFID for deployment in conflict-affect countries for this role. 2007 - 2009 Chars Livelihoods Programme (DFID, Bangladesh) Consultant Monitoring and Evaluation & Project Management   The Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) is a $100m DFID-funded headline multi-sectoral development programme targeting extreme poor households in Bangladesh. CLP focuses on reducing extreme poverty and vulnerability and strengthening voice through a bottom-up planning process and grant dispersal scheme.   Responsible for multiple in-country and desk-based technical inputs covering improved beneficiary targeting, review of programme-level M&E systems, revised programme design, and enhanced knowledge management and communications. Between November and December 2007 managed an M&E assignment evaluating the quality and usability of the beneficiary monthly monitoring dataset. Assisted CLP M&E team to devise research methodology to clean and analyse the initial dataset and provided recommendations aimed at improving quantitative and qualitative data reliability and usability in the future. 2007 - 2008 Understanding Afghanistan (DFID / Stabilisation Unit, Afghanistan and UK) Project Manager   Coordinated and managed a high profile piece of political economy policy research to serve as a baseline in determining UK Government strategy, priorities and programming decisions for involvement in Afghanistan over the next 5 years. The research combined a literature review, fieldwork, and desk-based studies.   Assembled and managed a team of approximately 25 of the worlds leading experts on Afghanistan to conduct a Political Economy Analysis, a Strategic Conflict Assessment, a Growth Diagnostic, and a Poverty, Gender and Social Exclusion Analysis. Responsible for all aspects of project oversight from policy research coordination to liaison with UK Government Departments (DFID, MoD, FCO), and final editing and approval of deliverables. 2007 - 2007 National Solidarity Programme Phase II (World Bank, Afghanistan) Consultant Coordination and Quality Assurance   Engaged as part of the contract to provide Management Support Services assisting the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in implementing the headline World Bank-funded $750m rural rehabilitation and grassroots governance programme, the National Solidarity Programme (NSPII).   Supported the handover between the departing team, the client, and incoming team of consultants and was responsible for reviewing existing datasets, co-ordination and quality assurance of various programme reports, and the drafting of terms of reference for short term technical assistance assignments. Developed particular experience in large-scale multi-sectoral programme management, programme-level M&E systems, and dissemination of new knowledge and best practice.

Site Map ¦ Feedback ¦ Privacy policy © 2006 ITAD Ltd.