CREDIBILITY ALLIANCE - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor, JNU

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• Member of the Board

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• Executive Director

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• Executive Director

Dr Harish Vashistha has over 22 years of experience in development sector and acquired excellence in the area of civil society strengthening, capacity building, strategic planning, organizational development and strengthening local self governance institutions in India and South Asian region. He has facilitated more than 500 capacity building interventions, i.e. training, workshops, team building etc, organizational development processes, strategic planning, organizational reviews, organizational and project evaluations for more than 50 organizations at national and international level, for Local VOs, INGOs, Donors, BLP/MLP, and Government Departments. He has contributed to the development of more than 100 educational materials (published/unpublished) -manuals, booklets, newsletter, evaluation, training and workshop reports etc on different themes of participatory development, training and civil society. Harish is a well known trainer on Adult Learning and Participatory training Methodology. Prior to joining Credibility Alliance, Harish was a freelance consultant, supporting national and international CSOs, Donors, UNOs etc, such as, SDC, UNDP, UNICEF, IGSSS, The Hunger Project, Find Your Feet, CASA, Unnati, Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra, India, All We can, UK, etc through consultancy support and assignments. Among his previous positions, Harish served as strategic Advisor to the Governor of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, International Faculty in Programme for Professional Development, Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan, Executive Director of Participation and Governance Institute, Nainital, UK, Programme Manger with Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), Delhi, Programme Coordinator, Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra, Lucknow. Harish is an Anthropologist by training and holds PhD and Master degree in Anthropology from HNBGU, UK and his professional education includes; one year's M.Phil level course in Resource Management from Indian Institute of Forest Management, ten weeks Development Management Education Course for South Asian Leaders from PRIA, Delhi and Global Excellence in Management from Case Western Reserve University, USA

Job Titles:

• Chairman
• Chairman Credibility Alliance, Head of Program CASA India
• Head of Programs

Dr. Jayant Kumar is the Head of Programs, CASA India has over 30 years of experience in the sector. Dr. Jayant Kumar is also a member of many boards in Government and NGOs. He is the former Chairperson of Voluntary Action Network India (VANI). He has monitored, evaluated many international projects and also the writer and editor of many publications based on disaster management. His areas of specialization includes Institutional development, project management and administration, project planning & formulation, pre-funding appraisals, Inter-sectoral coordination, liaison with multi-lateral and bilateral donors and governments monitoring, review and evaluation in micro and multi-sectoral environments, human potential development (Training) at conceptual (perspective, building) and skills level, OD application - vision and mission articulation and Participatory Strategic Planning, facilitating and coordinating networks, forums and coalitions for advocacy and lobbying. Strengthening of decentralized democratic institutions i.e. PRIs.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Norms Committee
• Finance and Programme Consultant

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor
• Member Credibility Alliance, Associate Professor

Richa Chowdhary is currently an Associate Professor and HoD in Social work in DR. BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR COLLEGE, Delhi University. She holds PhD and Master Degree in Social Work from University of Lucknow. She wrote a thesis on the topic "Socio Cultural dimensions of abnormalities NET-UGC-1991". She was a Research Officer in the Department of Social Work, Delhi University examining on the topic "Assess the extent of Drug Abuse in Delhi". She has taught various courses such as Human Growth and Development, Social Psychology, Communication and Development, Group Work method, Research methodology, Fieldwork practices etc. She has examined more than 20+ Ph. D thesis so far and guides research scholars from other Universities of India. She's been a part of many National and International Seminars/Conferences. Dr. Richa has published more than five books and has written many National and International journals. She has been member of many different organizations such as: - Honorary member of many non govt. organizations, In Board of Studies of T.M.U. Member Accreditation Committee, Credibility Alliance. Board Member of more than 15 organizations in DELHI. Board Member of BRS (Board of research studies) DELHI UNIVERSITY. Member DRC (Departmental Research Committee) DSSW, D.U. Experts committee member of mental health committee, Women and child Welfare department, Government of India

Job Titles:

• Member Credibility Alliance, Fellow Member of the ICAI

CA. (Dr.) Subhajit Sahoo FCA, LLB, is a practicing fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, he founded M/s S. Sahoo & Co. Chartered Accountants, an Audit Firm, in the year 1995 at New Delhi, which works PAN India with 6 branches and in 9 countries in the world, as Auditors, Consultants and Legal experts. Dr. Sahoo holds a bachelor's degree in laws, besides being a Bachelor of Science with Chemistry (Hons.) from Utkal University, Odisha. Dr. Sahoo specialises in legal, governance, finance & various program issues related to voluntary sector in Asia & Africa. Being the consultant to various international funding agencies, voluntary organizations and corporate foundations in the areas of implementation of projects and evaluation of the same at various stages, he is actively engaged in facilitating workshops, evaluations, investigations & forensic audits in various parts of India, South Asia, Africa & Middle East. Being an advisor and consultant to many funding agencies, he is well conversant with the work culture of various funding agencies in India & abroad. He has closely worked with funding Agencies like Niwano Peace Foundation, European Union, Global Fund, PATH, SOS KDI, Miserrior, WHH, IPPF SARO, Sightsavers, SOIR IM, RGMMI, CARITAS, KNH, KWA, SSNC, BSYF, Karuna Trust, Future Generations America and Azim Premji Foundation to name a few. Dr. Sahoo has provided support services to the rural mass in the field of health and livelihood and has extensively travelled in the states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya & Manipur in India as well as in many countries in Asia and Africa as an evaluator both for Finance & Program on behalf of various foreign funders. While providing accompaniment service in the field of audit/accounting/finance & project monitoring on behalf of European Union he has worked with charities in the countries like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh & Maldives. Being a consultant to Rural Gospel Medical Mission of India (RGMMI-Inc), U.S.A, NORAD, Netherland & Medical World4U U.K., who are working in the field of health in rural India Dr. Sahoo has contributed to his capacity as financial consultant in the states of Maharashtra, Jharkhand & Bihar. Dr. Sahoo is the Member Secretary, Board of Youth for United Voluntary Action (YUVAN), New Delhi, a Former member of Finance Committee of Voluntary Action Network India (VANI), Finance Analyst NGO Award, 2011 by The Resource Alliance, New Delhi, Founding Trustee of Maharishi Ram Raj Trust, New Delhi, Advisor to ASSRA, New Delhi and Member of Board of Credibility Alliance (CA), New Delhi. Dr. Sahoo has been conferred with the "Youth Inspiration" Award from Government of Odisha, in the category of Education & Social Service in the year 2018 for his charitable services in Rural Odisha, Winner of "Man of Excellence Award" in the category of Social Service in the year 2021, winner of "Bhartiya Samaj Ratna Award" in the year 2022 besides getting his Doctorate in "Social Service" in the year 2022. Dr. Sahoo has facilitated hundreds of capacity building initiatives for national and international organisations and supported thousands of the organisations locally as well as globally in the areas of financial management, accounting, auditing, governance, evaluations and reviews, policy and system development, capacity building, tax and registration, Conceptualisation of Project, Drafting of Project Proposals, Project Implementation etc. Dr. Sahoo was the resource person in many workshops conducted by various funding agencies on various topics including FCRA 2010, FCRA,2020 as well as provision of Section 2(15) of the Income Tax Act, CSR, GST, governance issues, fund raising & various Social Security Measures on invitation. Dr. Sahoo has been actively engaged with more than 200 CSOs for supporting them in various aspects of governance, audit, management, and capacity building as well as auditors.

Job Titles:

• Principal
• Member Credibility Alliance, PhD, Principal Lead, Good Rural Governance

Dr. Vikas Jha is the Principal Lead, Good Rural Governance at S M Sehgal Foundation. He has a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Policy Studies from Centre for Financial and Management Studies, University of London. He has eighteen years of professional experience in the development sector and field experience of working in India, Brazil, South Africa, South East Asia and South Asia on issues of community empowerment, social accountability and decentralized governance. He has number of publications namely , "Citizen Leadership: Deepening Democratic Accountability in India, Brazil and South Africa" , Training Manual on Right to Information: For Community Leaders and Trainers , Study on Tribal Women Domestic Workers in Delhi, Indian Social Institute Publications, New Delhi, 2008 , Study - Demanding Accountability from State: An Assessment of R ight to Information in Eight States, PRIA, New Delhi, 2007. He has also published Decoding Rural Governance in India, Journal of Management and Public Policy (2016), "Migration of Orissa's Tribal women: A New Story of Exploitation "Economic and Political Weekly (2005), "Atrocities on Dalits in Haryana and Rajasthan: A comparative Study - Religion as Oppressive" , Religion and Society, (Vol. 51, No. 1, 2006) CISRS Publications Trust and "Dalit Politics: Fragmentation or Consolidation (A Case Study of Maharashtra Assembly Elections, 2004)" Social Action, 2006, Vol. 56. No. 2, A Social Action Trust Publication. He has also written many articles in newspapers, newsletters & magazines such as , " How can panchayats respond to COVID 19?, IDR online.org, Water projects get priority in MGNREGA amidst covid 19, Sustainability in CSR Projects for Village Development, Solar water pumps for efficient irrigation and Implementing Right to Information Act.

Job Titles:

• Member CA Board

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• Member of the Board

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• Director Finance, Udyan Care

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• Financial Expert

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• Chartered Accountant
• Independent Director
• Member Credibility Alliance, Chartered Accountant

Anjani studied at the prestigious Mayo College, Ajmer. It was here that his world view took shape with culture, knowledge, and integrity becoming the cornerstone of his personality. While still in college, Anjani ran Delhi University's first student newspaper, DU Beat; managed one of India's leading rock bands (Susmita Sen Chronicles- Founder member and lead guitar player of the band Indian Ocean), and penned several scripts for theatre. Anjani is a Chartered Accountant by profession with strong experience in audit, tax, and advisory of Trusts and NPO's. He is committed to promoting a system where transparency and integrity in financial reporting is used as a tool to eradicate large scale corruption in Indian society, Anjani has conducted many workshops not only as a faculty for Institute of Chartered Accountants of India but also as an advisor to Government, Institutes, innovative Corporates, start-ups and NPO's. Anjani, is also a Faculty for ICAI in its Certificate Course on NPO's and Co-operative Society. He is also the member of the Task force for NPO Committee of ICAI. He is the National convenor of FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) for ICAI. Anjani, also, is partnering with the Ministry of Home Affairs-FCRA department to help them with their outreach programs. Additionally, Anjani was chosen as the best faculty by NIRC-ICAI earlier in the year 2015. Anjani also serves as an Independent Director on the board of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited and BSES Yamuna Power Limited. He is a member of the CSR Committee of the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited. Anjani has worked with numerous of corporates in various capacities. A partner with Bhawani Sharma & Co. Chartered Accountants, he led a team to oversee the financial reporting of PCRF (Public Cause Research Foundation). He also has a rich experience in working with not only Corporates but also with a diverse set of Trusts and Societies engaged in different activities from Schools, Hospitals to general public utility. Currently co-aurthoring a leanirng series on CSR in association with IIM Ahemadabad. He has been invited to deliver lectures in various institutes and varsities including Shriram College of Commerce, Ramjas College, NUJS Kolkata, MS University Baroda etc. Lastly, Anjani's list of clients include Discovery Channel, Ebay India, Gail Gas Ltd., Hector Beverages (Paper Boat Juices), Goonj, Samhita Social Ventures, Nadathur Trust, Privartan, A.R.Rahman Foundation, Women Media Press Trust, TDH Germany, India Aids Alliance, Habitat for Humanity, Aqua Foundation, ISCKON etc

Job Titles:

• Vice - Chairperson
• Member Credibility Alliance, Chief Executive of SACH, Director of Four X4 Consulting Private Limited, Director of IT Division for Customising IT Application

Mr. K.P. Rajendran is a development professional engaged in strengthening Civil Society Action in India. He is a Post-graduate in Economics and has done an Advanced Course in Urban Management from School of Public Policy, Birmingham University, UK. Rajendran has been engaged in a variety of issues of development, Public Health, Livelihoods, Civil Society Strengthening, Research and Institutional Development. Apart from pursuing development career with leading development agencies like Educational Resource Center, Aga Khan Foundation, Orbis International, Christian Children's Fund, he has also worked as Consultant to DFID, USAID, WHO- India, Unicef Bihar, GIZ, SOS Kinderdorf International- Austria, Asia, and SOSCVI, CASA, HelpAge India, etc. Rajendran has worked in senior management positions for over 18 years and left hisfulltime assignment to work on innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Currently he is engaged in promotion entrepreneurship involving health issues. He has been associated at national level in designing and implementing Diabetes Education in India, build up Caregiving as a career for youths and middle aged persons in India. He is also promoting holistic care and services for the elderly and neurologically unsound persons in Delhi Rajendran has also been involved as Team Leader for various national and international assignments like audit of NRHM in Assam, Manipur, Mizaoram, Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh and institutional consultants to SOS- Children Villages of India, SOS Kinderdorf International, Project Hope-USA, DFID, Unicef, GIZ, USAID, CASA, Welthungerhilfe, KKS- Germany, KKID, and HelpAge India. He has travelled to various countries in Europe, USA , Middle East, and Asia in connection with his work. Rajendran has been a national level Specialist in setting up "Care Giving Centre", help establish community based palliative care centre, community based eye care, training of diabetes educators and training and placement of caregivers. He has trained over 150 caregivers, managed training of over 3000 diabetes educators in India. Besides this, Rajendran has been engaged with the pioneer research in community health issues and has been one of the authors of articles on The Effect of Community Managed Palliative Care Program on Quality of Life in the Elderly in Rural Tamil Nadu, India and Role of social, cultural and economic capitals in perceived quality of life among old age people in Kerala, India(under print), assisted in writing a Chapter in John Wiley Publication on Civil Society Sector in India, and training and capacity building manuals for caregiving . Currently Rajendran is honorary Secretary and Chief Executive of SACH (Society for Action in Community Health), Director of Four X4 Consulting Private Limited (a social development consulting company), Director of IT Division for customising IT application to suit information requirements of CSOs, and Convenor of GeriatricHealth Forum ( a professional network of Health Professional engaged in promoting elderly health in India- members are from AIIMs, NIMHANS, MGIMS, SMVMCH, SACH, etc)Rajendran currently lives in Delhi and can be contacted.

Job Titles:

• Head Fair, Trade Forum ( NGO Representative )

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• Member of the Norms Committee

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• Member of the Norms Committee

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• Member of the Board

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• Consultant

Job Titles:

• Member of the Norms Committee
• Business and Community Foundation

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• Expert

Job Titles:

• Programme Associate
• Programme Associate Accreditation & Administration

Ms. Kajal Kumari has Bachelor in Political Science with University of Delhi (DU). She is Pursuing Master in Political Science with I.G.N.U. She has been associated to CA for last Five years till present. She has 12 months Experience of Tally Accountant & 11 months Experience of Visa consultant. She is a certificate holder in Communication Skill for Leaders. She is a Diploma holder in CTT (MS-Office, MS-Excel, MS-Power Point, Pagemaker, Adobe Photoshop 7.0 & CS6, Adobe photo Designing, Corel draw, Tally ERP 9) with Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute. H.T.M.L, C.S.S.

Job Titles:

• Member Credibility Alliance, Ceo and Co - Founder / Priya

Priya Naik is the CEO and Co-Founder of Samhita Social Ventures, Which evolved from Priya's work with the Nadathur family's social initiatives in the areas of nature conservation, art, education for differently-abled children, and livelihood generation through microenterprise. Prior to working with Nadathur's family office, Priya co-founded The Spark Group, an education company that delivered affordable education to low income communities. At Spark, Priya helped define strategy, created the business plan and was also instrumental in raising funds from IFMR Trust. Priya's interest in social entrepreneurship began when she worked as a Researcher at the Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA. At MIT, Priya was part of two student-led start-ups - Aerovax, a company that created safe, inhalable aerosol vaccines that could be delivered without the use of needles and Kalpataru, a company that delivered innovative, low-cost technology to increase the efficiency of microfinance institutions. Kalpataru's pilot was tested with the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and was presented to Nobel laureate, Dr Muhammad Yunus. Both social enterprises won several awards at MIT. Priya has worked as a consultant with the International Finance Corporation in Africa. She started her career in Accounting at Arthur Andersen in Mumbai. Her career is an interesting fusion of on-the-ground grassroots solutions through enterprise and strategic consulting experience with established companies, a perfect combination for understanding and implementing CSR projects across the board. Priya has a Masters in Economics from Yale University, USA, a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA and a Masters in Commerce from Mumbai University where she stood first in the entire graduating class

Job Titles:

• Country Director
• Treasurer
• Member Credibility Alliance, Director of Find Your Feet India

Ms. Savitri Sharma, is the Country Director, Find Your Feet (a British Charity) in India and Nepal and Secretary to Saksham India Trust. But then those are just dry designations that do no justice to someone who is a passionate changemaker in the lives of those who need it the most- especially tribals, adolescents and women from deprived communities. As a young girl though, when she had to write that mandatory school essay on life's ambitions, she had little idea about the development sector. Yet even in those growing up years in Kalimpong, when life's goals were decided more by circumstances than choice, she was an enthusiastic member of a group that worked for the rights of Primitive Tribal communities living in the hills of West Bengal and Sikkim. After a brief stint in teaching, Ms Sharma moved to Allahabad where she coordinated an integrated programme that worked to better the health, education and economic status of deprived communities. Life's calling had finally found her. She then moved to CARE, India where from field officer who had to walk her way to some of UP's most remote villages and teach women the importance of thrift and entrepreneurship, she rose to the position of Project Officer. Next came a two year stint as Director of Prerana Population Resource Center, Lucknow, an organisation which catered to the training and capacity building need of hundreds of NGOs engaged in implementing a mammoth USAID funded programme on Population and Reproductive Health. 25 years after she first knocked on a door to talk about how women mattered if change had to be real and long lasting, she heads the Find Your Feet India and Nepal offices she established solely and nurses the eight year old Saksham India Trust to implement projects that empower, among others, brick kiln workers and traditional weavers. Her list of expertise is long- Strategic Planning, Program Management, Liaison & Networking, research and analyses, establishing linkages, handling interstate partnerships- being just some of them. The position closest to her heart though is being a certified coach for the Centre for Development & Population Activities, Washington - DC (CEDPA/PlanUSA) - a role that calls upon her to mentor women to develop the skills to find success in every area of life. This is a role she has played for women across the world- from Manju-a Raji tribal toiling in the mountains of Pithoragarh to Tina, who heads Youth First, an NGO in Madagascar. She is also one of the select few in the world to be trained, certified and sponsored by USAID as a master coach on "Women in management" and sponsored for certification and training by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as coach on "Women in Leadership". Ms Sharma holds degrees in Commerce, Education, and Social Work in addition to certification on NGO management from Bond Institute, UK in NGO management, and has multiple language proficiencies. She is, most definitely one of the finest embodiments of the belief that if the world is to change, women have to be that change.

Job Titles:

• Program Intern

Ms. Shruti Sharma has completed her graduation in Bachelor of Sciences from Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Delhi University . She has one year experience of Web Designing. She has knowledge of Basic Computers.