What’s your job here at Itad?
I’m a Research Analyst in the Social Protection & Livelihoods theme, working predominantly in the theme’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes.
What does that involve?
I spend most of my time providing technical support to two large-scale WASH programmes, working with international teams based across Europe, Africa and Asia. This has involved a range of tasks, including developing M&E tools for in-country data collection, planning an upcoming inception workshop, and designing materials for conferences.
Which programmes in particular?
The WASH Results programme, which has been going for a while, and the Acceleration Sanitation and Water for All II (ASWA II) programme, which is just starting out and currently in its inception phase. We are providing monitoring and verification services for these DFID-funded programmes, both of which are being implemented in multiple countries and contain a Payment by Results mechanism. I have also been working as a research assistant on the Advancing Knowledge for Agricultural Impact Programme.
How did you get into the field?
I completed my Masters in 2016 and joined the Business Development team at Itad shortly thereafter. In this capacity, I worked closely with consultants to prepare and submit proposals for a range of different clients. I learnt a lot about the work Itad does and about the international development sector more generally.
After working in Business Development for a while, I decided I would like to move into a more technical role. To get more experience in this area, I started providing research support to projects within the Social Protection and Livelihoods theme and invested time outside of working hours to develop my technical knowledge further. When an opening within the theme came up, I jumped at the opportunity!
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I’m still relatively new to the role and feel like I am learning a lot! There’s been a good mix of project management and technical work so far, and I’ve enjoyed developing my M&E and WASH knowledge further. I’ll be travelling to some interesting places soon, so I’m looking forward to experiencing new places and cultures.
Favourite place you have visited as part of the job?
I haven’t travelled with Itad yet, but I’ll be going to Thailand for a workshop and Nepal for a field visit. I’ve never been to either country before, and am particularly excited to see some of the work Itad does in practice when in the field when in Nepal.
What are your interests outside of work?
I’m a bit of a fantasy football fanatic and currently top of the Itad mini-league. I won it last year and was hoping for a bit more competition from my colleagues this season, but it looks like it’s going to be another easy win…
