COE-NEPAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Life Member of the Community of Evaluators of Nepal
Bal Devi Pokhrel is a Life Member of the Community of Evaluators of Nepal (CoE-Nepal). She has worked with CoE-Nepal first as a Member of the Executive Committee and now as a Secretary. Ms. Pokhrel has been working as an independent Evaluator for the evaluation of development programs and projects. She has good experience in participatory research and evaluation. She has over 15 years of extensive professional working experience in humanitarian and development sectors specializing in microfinance, water and sanitation (WaSH), shelter, disaster management, gender and social inclusion (GESI), M&E, and program management. Ms. Pokhrel holds a Master's degree in economics.
Dr. Nepali Sah holds a PhD in Demography in 2011 and a Master in Population Studies (MPS) in 2002 from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, and a Bachelor's in Agriculture from IAAS, Rampur Chitwan. He hails from Siraha, eastern Terai of Nepal. Dr. Sah has worked as senior M&E expert in many UN and bilateral agencies such as UNFPA Nepal (2018-2021), UNICEF Nepal (2016-2018), UNICEF Ghana (2013-2014), UNDP Liberia (2011), USAID Nepal funded Health for Life project (2014-2015), Office of Millennium Challenge Nepal (2015-2016), AusAID funded health and HIV project in Papua New Guinea (2012-2013) and Save the Children (1997-2006). He has also served as the vice-president of the Population Association of Nepal (2016-2019) and executive member of the Association of Nepalese Alumni from Australia (017-2019).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
Gana Pati Ojha has above 30 years of experience in development. For the last 20 years he has been actively involved in research and evaluation with state and non-state actors in different countries in Asia both as a team leader/sole evaluator and team member. He is a founder vice-chairperson and currently chairperson of CoE-Nepal" by "He is the founder Vice-Chairperson (2011-2013), the Chairperson (2013 - 2017) and thereafter a board member of CoE-Nepal. He has studied evaluation in his Masters and PhD programmes and has used different approaches of evaluation in his work including contribution analysis, appreciative inquiry, and value for money in addition to other common approaches to evaluation. He has conducted over 40 evaluations or evaluation related works in more than a dozen of the countries. He is actively involved in promoting evaluation in Nepal and South Asian countries through facilitation, conducting research on evaluation, networking, supporting for developing evaluation policy framework, capacity building and working for creating enabling environment for evaluation use. He is interested in building evaluation knowledge and facilitating for creating enabling environment of evaluation.
I am Associate Professor of Development Management and Governance at the Faculty of Management and Law of Nepal Open University (www.nou.edu.np). At the University, I coordinate the program Master of Science in Development Management and Governance (MSDMG), and teach a number of courses, including on "Development Philosophy and Theories," "Development Planning and Implementation, and "Ethics and Accountability" and "Federalism and Resource Allocation". In addition, I work as an expert on studies related to federal governance, local governance, accountability and integrity, civil society and justice movements; and in development evaluation in general. I worked as Governance Expert in Nepal's first "Nepal National Governance Survey 2017-18" and led thematic analysis on Integrity in Nepal: Transparency, Corruption and Accountability. I am also engaged in sectoral political economy studies in service delivery areas, such as on education sector and disaster risk reduction.
Prior to this, I co-founded and led Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (www.sias-southasia.org) for the initial five years (2011-15). At SIAS, I led collaborative research and engagements on climate change adaptation and mitigation, safeguards and international norms on environment and development, institutional interactions related to climate change and disaster risk reduction/management, political economy analysis of education and health sectors, conflict and cooperation in Reducing Emissions in Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). I was also involved in network facilitation on public policy research in Nepal.
I am currently a member of Community of Evaluators - Nepal, while in the past I worked as its Treasurer and subsequently as Chairperson. I have conducted a number of evaluations, such as for South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication, UNDP's projects on DRR/M, and Institute of Forestry/Copenhagen University project on academic collaboration.
Dr. Pokharel had Schooling in Nepal and India. Has Ph. D. degree in Regional Planning from MIT Cambridge; Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Hawaii, and a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from, Greece. Dr. Pokharel has held several high-level public positions in Nepal. He was Member and Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC) of Nepal for nearly a decade. and led the planning of Three-Year Interim Plan in 2006. He has contributed to several land mark plans and policies of the country including decentralization devolution and power devolution policies of the country, targeted policies and programs for remote areas, environmental protection and infrastructure development. He has led several national high-level state delegations abroad to SAARC, World Summit, Mountain Summit among others.
Dr. Pokharel offers graduate course in Planning. His research interests include the understanding role of power in bargaining and negotiations and published several papers, articles and a book titled Environmental Resources Negotiation Between Unequal Powers. He has been President of Regional and Urban Planners Society of Nepal and life member of Society of Architects of Nepal, Nepal Engineers Association and Nepal Council of World Affairs. He is currently the Vice Chairman Governing Board Member of Community of Evaluators South Asia. Dr. Pokharel is acknowledged for his commitment to democratic values and justice in society.
Krishna Belbase (Ph.D., Cornell University, USA) has served as a Board Member of CoE-Nepal from 2017-2019 and Advisor since 2020. He has 30 years of international experience covering both development and humanitarian fields and travelled to 70+ countries. As Senior Evaluation Officer in UNICEF's Evaluation Office, New York from 2007-17, he led the design and management corporate and joint evaluations. In addition, he co-chaired the UN Evaluation Group (UNEG) Taskforce on UNDAF and Joint Evaluation which produced first UNEG guidance on both subjects.
Previously, Dr. Belbase was the Regional Chief of Monitoring, Evaluation and Social Policy for the Middle East and North Africa Region during 2003-2006 where he planned and managed regional thematic evaluations, provided guidance and technical support to UNICEF country offices in the region, and mobilized regional partnerships. His earlier experience with UNICEF included working as Chief, Household Food Security and Nutrition in Botswana and Pakistan and as Advisor, Nutrition in Program Division, New York.
Dr. Belbase has a solid academic and research background. He has presented widely in international conferences conducted training workshops related to result-based management and monitoring and evaluation. After taking early retirement from UNICEF in 2017, he has remained active in evaluation networks, conducted training in results-based management, served as consultant for UN organizations (WFP, UNICEF, FAO) and is also involved in several evidence-based policy advocacy initiatives.
Mahendra Laxmi Sharma has experiences more than 25 years working in the social and development field. She worked with various international development partners and UN Agency - CECI, Oxfam GB, ESP/DFID, CARE Nepal, UN Women and Government Projects supported by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank. Similarly, she is experience to carry out many research/studies on women empowerment and gender equality, review of development programmes, policies, conduct GESI assessment and evaluation of various sect-oral programmes (water, energy, irrigation, agriculture, enterprise development and livelihood). She also worked with international team to carry out Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) in River Basins, Environment and Social Assessment (ESA) of (High-tension) Transmission Line, Hydropower Development Projects and Evaluation of Development Programmes with GESI perspective.
Recently, she is working as a freelancer consultant to provide technical assistance and inputs on GESI in Government projects - Food Safety and Agriculture Commercialization, Priority River Basin Flood Risk Management Project, Preparation of River Basin Plans, Hydropower Development Master Plans and Strategic Environment and Social Assessment Project implementing by Ministries, GoN with support from ADB and Word Bank.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
Manorama Adhikari has worked in the development sector for more than two decades. She worked in different capacity with different organizations ranging from international research organization such as ACNielsen to I/ NGOs, UN organization, Asian Development Bank and private sector. She has more than two decades of experience in project management, organisation development, monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL), knowledge management, and capacity building. Manorama has designed, managed, and coordinated more than two hundred evaluations, studies, assessments, research, and sector studies including quantitative, qualitative, large-scale surveys, opinion pools and market studies. She has provided extensive technical support to a diverse range of organizations in developing the MEL framework, theory of change, logframe, and evidence-based decision making. She has conducted several trainings, authored training manuals, and provided capacity building support to the government, private sector and I/NGOs. She has planned and managed large learning events and has supported and promoted learning through cross-fertilization of learning across various thematic areas and among different organizations. Manorama has pursued Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Kathmandu University, Masters in Sociology from Tribhuwan University, Post graduate Diploma in research methods and skills and MPhil from Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands. She is currently pursuing her PhD studies in the Netherlands.
Ms. Kanchan Lama, Master in Political Science, having certain special courses on gender analysis and forestry development, organizational change processes, programme development management has been a well-recognized consultant for conducting organizational and programmatic gender assessment, review and evaluations in the South and Central Asia Region. She has a combination of ground level experience based on practical work on promoting women's human rights in the resourceful sectors and providing technical assistance to the public sector policies on mainstreaming gender and inclusion issues.
She has long work experience of more than 29 years in INGOs, e.g., Action Aid, Lutheran World Federation, bilateral agencies, e.g., GIZ, SNV, CIDA, FINIDA, including serving as consultant for UN agencies; e.g., FAO, UNICEF, UNDP, and UNWomen in various positions. She has been well recognized expert in gender and food security, poverty alleviation, women's rights to natural resources through involvement in forums such as, global food security and nutrition forum, FAO, small holder farmers rights forum (facilitated by IFAD), women major group participating advocacy forums in various global policy making forums, such as, UNFF, CSD, CBD, UNFCCC, etc. and actively participated in the long debate sessions on SDG processes at the UN ECOSOC and ESCAP forums.
Her work with UNIFEM (2007-2009) in Timor Leste for Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest (MAFF), with UNICEF-Afghanistan and UNICEF-India for reviewing organizational and programmatic gender impacts and staff capacity building on gender mainstreaming, developing Gender Action Plans for the next programme cycles, with Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC), Nepal for assessment of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) strategy, training of trainers and advising on ways out for GESI integration in the 20 years Forestry Master Plan (2014-2034), with the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resource management of Nepal for designing the longer term GESI strategy for enhanced gender impacts of water resource management services (ADB), with UNWomen for developing the first ever National Gender equality policy for government of Nepal (Ministry of Women Children and social welfare ) and work with the Ministry of Agriculture Development Nepal (UNWomen) for developing the Gender and inclusion strategy are some landmark contribution by her in mainstreaming gender issues in public policies to address multi sectoral challenges to address social issues within technical sectors.
Prabin Chitrakar has more than twenty years of experience in the social and development sector with experiences in Mine Action, DRR, Education, Researches, Studies, and Monitoring & Evaluation. He has been involved in Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) for his organization and has conducted different studies and managed events related to M&E.
Mr. Chitrakar conducts trainings, workshops on M&E and also manages and conducts evaluations. He is working to transfer his knowledge in building M&E, outcome and development management capacity and has a keen interest in continuous learning and getting involved in the respective fields.
He also had international experiences as a member of International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS), American Evaluation Association (AEA), European Evaluation Society (EES), and was a one of the founder members of International Organization for Collaborative Outcome Management (IOCOM).
Mr. Chitrakar holds Master's Degree in Sociology. He has received Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) trainings including the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) of the World Bank and Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.
Ram Chandra Khanal is an independent evaluator and technical advisor and has extensive knowledge, skills and experience in monitoring and evaluation, results-based management in the area of natural resources management (agriculture, forests and water), climate change, disasters and livelihoods for the last 20 years.
He is the founder General Secretary of Community of Evaluators - Nepal (CoE-Nepal) and served as president from 2017 to 2019. He is also a founder member Community of Evaluators (CoE) South Asia. He has worked in the south and central Asia with a wide range of organizations including FAO, UNEP, IUCN, UNDP, ADB and ICIMOD in managing and conducting evaluations, providing technical assistance and capacity building supports. He has a wide knowledge of, and experience in applying, qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, designing and leading evaluations, data analysis and addressing cross-cutting issues such as gender and equity. He has solid experience in project planning, developing baseline and M&E frameworks and managing projects related to natural resources management.
Job Titles:
- Adviser
- Adviser to the CoE - Nepal Executive Board
Mr. Tuladhar was born in Bagmati Province and had schooling in in Kathmandu but had higher education abroad - M. Sc in Applied Geology from IIT/ISM, India in 1973 and Ph. D in Economic Geology from Austria in 1986. He joined the Dept. of Mines & Geology (DMG) as Geologist 1975 and continued through 1988 as Divisional Geologist. He was promoted to Senior Div. Geologist & transferred to Dept. of Irrigation in 1989. He was the 12th elected President of Nepal Geological Society (2005- 2007). To his credit there are several Geological Seminars & Workshops in Nepal at national, regional and international level including 5th Regional Conference on Engineering Geology and Major Infrastructure Development and Natural Hazards Mitigation 2005 in collaboration with IAEG. He was promoted to Superintending Hydrogeologist & transferred to Dept. of Water Induced Disaster Prevention in 2008. He had contributed to formulation and review of Water Induced Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and Strategy. He was awarded with "Bhubaneshower Pravidhi Puruskar" for contributing towards raising Awareness on Water Induced Disasters including Preparedness such as Early Warning System & Evacuation System in 2006. There are several published scientific papers and pertinent articles to his credit. He had presented in a number of national, regional and international workshops. He got retired from the Government of Nepal service as the Chief Hydrogeologist towards end of 2008.
Thereafter he switched on to the Monitoring and Evaluation field to build his carrier as a Monitoring & Evaluation specialist. He had conducted the Final Evaluation of DIPECHO III Program in 2007 under EU implemented by Action Aid Nepal, CARE Nepal and Oxfam GB Nepal. He had also worked as a Team Leader of Rural Empowerment Society in 2007, a partner of UNDP Nepal: Conducting Training on Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation Planning for the Communities of Sindhuli, Sarlahi, Syangja, Tanahu, Makwanpur and Chitwan He joined the Community of Evaluators - South Asia as a Founder Member in 2008. And he established the Community of Evaluators - Nepal as Founder Chairperson in 2011. He organized the Evaluation Conclave 2015 in Nepal as a Coordinator jointly and in support of the Community of Evaluators - South Asia. He worked as the Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant in the Building Resilience to Climate Hazards (BRCH/PPCR) Project funded by the World Bank and implemented by Department of Hydrology and Meteorology from 2013 through 2020.
Currently Mr. Tuladhar is an adviser to the CoE-Nepal Executive Board as well as Nepal Geological Society and a member of Monitoring & Evaluation Committee of Disaster Preparedness Network - Nepal. He is also engaged as a member of Editorial Board of the Singapore based Journal of Geological Research. He has recently published an editorial entitled "Climate Change and Natural Disasters: Are They linked? (Volume 03 | Issue 03 | July 2021).
Dr. Sushila Chatterjee Nepali a resident of Kathmandu, having forestry background or in community based natural resource management. She completed her PhD in 2012 from Institute of Forestry (IOF) Pokhara, Nepal looking at the "Perception of change and impact of conflict on local livelihoods in the buffer zone and Khata corridor, Bardia, Nepal." She has contributed more 25 years working as community development specialist in natural resource and biodiversity conservation, conducting research and evaluation in the field of health, gender issues. In the field of evaluation, she has been exposed and trained in conducting evaluation using OECD DAC criteria and Impact Evaluation guidelines developed by World Bank using RCT tools. She has so far worked as a consultant for the past 19 years as a monitoring and evaluation team leader, facilitating management effectiveness evaluation of Protected Areas and develop plans and management information systems for WWF and government agencies. She has been an active team member as Gender and Livelihoods experts in developing National Biodiversity Action Plan 2014 and National Strategic Framework for Nature Conservation with several research work. Today she is not only involved in doing consultancy, research work but have started teaching as a visiting faculty for Agriculture and Forestry University, IOF, Kathmandu Forestry College and Department of Conflict, Peace and Development Studies in teaching Protected Area Management, Conflict Management in NRM and Conservation related topics for the past 10 years in both Bachelors and Masters degree program. Recently she has been involved as faculty for Future Generation, West Virginia teaching courses on Peace building and Women Empowerment. She is currently a Focal person for Commission of Ecosystem Management Nepal and member to IPBES Nepal team as expert. Having an extensive field knowledge and travelling more than 65 districts of Nepal have encouraged her to contribute in policy level to research and field level implementation of the programs in all level of NRM and development sectors. She has been awarded by international agencies WWF US 2001 Women in Conservation and WI HER LLC Salwa Harb Award 2021 for her contribution in conservation, women empowerment and gender promotion.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
An independent Evaluation Expert and development professional with experience of more than 20 years. Mr. Bhatta has been working as a volunteer in managing and leading a voluntary organization for professional evaluation (VopE) namely Community of Evaluators - Nepal (CoE-Nepal) since its establishment in 2011 in various capacities in its Executive Committee from Secretary to General Secretary to President and now as a Member. He has been working as a Visiting Faculty at Kathmandu University, School of Education and teaching a course 'Project Management for Development Results' for the Master degree in Sustainable Development. Presented papers in international conferences and published various articles in national newspapers and academic journals. Acquired two academic Master Degrees in Economics and Sociology from Tribhuvan University and a Doctor of Philosophy from Kathmandu University in the field of development planning and governance. The principal areas of expertise are evaluation, research, GESI, and development planning and governance.