The landscape is moving faster than most organisations can make sense of.
Power is fragmenting. Politics is more volatile. Funding is tightening. The incentives shaping climate, development, and supply chain decisions are shifting at pace.
People working inside these systems can feel the shifts, in politics, funding, narratives, alliances, and incentives. What's harder is getting the distance to understand what's actually happening, and what it means for strategy.
When this work matters
Their context is moving faster than their strateg, pressure is building, alliances are shifting, narratives are hardening
They have plenty of evidence but no clear argument, and the evidence isn't landing the way it should
They need to understand the political economy of a system before designing a strategy for it
Something important is shifting in their operating environment and they want to understand it before it shows up in impact metrics
They're making a significant strategic decision and need a clearer picture of where power actually sits
What I do
Clear readings of political economy and systems so teams know what to look for and what actually matters
Data and evidence shaped into an argument that people can use and defend in institutional and political conditions
Narrative and framing that reflects real incentives, conditions, and context, not what the theory says should work
Light learning systems that surface early signals before they show up in impact metrics
Translation of research into insights and strategy that leaders can implement
Evaluating advocacy influence on domestic resource mobilisation (NORAD)
Led an independent evaluation of a programme on domestic resource mobilisation and just transitions across Sub-Saharan Africa, examining how influence accumulated in politically volatile contexts. Conducted research in Mali, DRC, Madagascar, Ghana, and international advocacy spaces to map the pathway from evidence and coalition-building to policy traction. I designed strategic recommendations that shifted the focus from building infrastructure to decision conversion, with specific mechanisms for operating under volatility.
Strategic advocacy on rainforest-linked commodities
Developed a strategic briefing on biofuel supply chain risks for industry, analysing how regulatory gaps and indirect land-use change expose companies to reputational and compliance risk. Created a messaging and narrative framework positioning the partner as a long-term partner backing Indigenous-led forest protection and challenging the financial, policy, and corporate structures that drive deforestation.
Understanding decision making under constraint (UNDP, Central Asia)
Worked with local partners to examine how informal authorities, social norms, and risk calculations shape women's choices in practice, moving the programme beyond standard behaviour change assumptions. I designed a strategy grounded in how decisions are actually made under constraint, not how donors assumed they should be made.
Who I work with? Funders, NGOs, advocacy coalitions, research institutes, and policy, strategy, and leadership teams across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia.