The RDI Committee is pleased to welcome two new members, bringing fresh insights and perspectives to the Network’s leadership group.
The successful candidates have been selected on the basis of their demonstrated experience bridging the academic-practice sectoral divide, as well as their commitment to advancing the role of evidence in development policy and practice.
Dr Sumera Jabeen, Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor at World Vision Australia
Sumera has over fifteen years’ experience in the social development sector in Australia, Africa and Pakistan, providing technical support from a distance as well as working directly with disadvantaged communities, in rural and urban areas. She has eight years’ experience specifically focused on monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) of development projects with national and international NGOs.
Sumera has a Masters in Assessment and Evaluation and then her PhD in evaluation and international development. Her PhD thesis focuses on the unintended outcomes of development interventions in developing countries. She is passionate about women’s empowerment and also has specific experience in gender equality programming and related MEL, and is a certified as a gender trainer.
Dr Saba Mebrahtu Habte, Program Lead of the Oxfam-Monash Partnership
Saba has over 20 years of development work experience with UNICEF across Africa and Asia. Saba has helped build capacities of communities, governments, civil society, academic and research institutes, and development agencies on evidence-informed, multi-sector nutrition policies and programs, with quality and equity. Prior to her current role, she was the interim Head of Research and Knowledge Translation at Oxfam Australia. In her current role, Saba coordinates an established and effective university-NGO partnership between Monash University and Oxfam Australia.
Saba has participated in the RDI Committee as an interim member for a period from 2017-2018. We are pleased to welcome her as a continuing member from July 2018.
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Filling two casual vacancies, the new representatives will initially join for a 6-month term, with intention to continue their role into a full three-year term at the beginning of 2019.
The RDI Network looks forward to working with Sumera and Saba, and appreciates the support of their respective organisations shown to the Network through their nomination.
