Welcome to the final episode of Systems Practice in International Development. In this episode, Alexandra Nastase (Programme Director, PMEL Nepal) speaks with Tara Bajracharya (Team Leader, PMEL Nepal) and Ankeeta Shreshta (Deputy Team Leader, PMEL Nepal) about learnings from this 5-year pilot programme which has asked some crucial questions: How can you achieve more with less? How can a portfolio learning function help a bureaucracy think more strategically, act more coherently, and learn for better results?

Together, they reflect on what it took to set up and sustain a one-of-a-kind learning function that was embedded enough to understand the system but independent enough to challenge it.

This episode’s guests

Tara Bajracharya is a seasoned MEL professional with over 12 years of experience across development and humanitarian settings. She has held leadership and advisory positions within NGOs, INGOs, and donor agencies, where she has led MEL system design and management, conducted impact evaluations, and fostered learning and adaptation across diverse programmes. Her in-country experience spans Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Tara currently serves as the Team Leader for the FCDO Nepal PMEL, where she oversees technical teams comprising national and international experts. She provides high-quality advisory support to FCDO Nepal, with a strong focus on strategic learning and evidence-informed decision-making. Her work emphasizes adaptive management and the use of rigorous evidence to drive impact in complex systems.

Ankeeta Shrestha is the Deputy Team Lead for FCDO PMEL Programme. With over a decade of experience in the strategic learning space, she has contributed to several high-impact projects across health, education and inclusion sectors for several international development organizations, including USAID, UNFPA, Department for International Development (DFID), Rural Education and Development (READ) Global, among others. 

A systems thinking enthusiast, Ankeeta is passionate about translating theories and policies into actionable, real-world solutions that drive meaningful change. Outside of her professional work, she is an avid reader with an insatiable curiosity for exploring innovative ideas. 

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

Welcome to Episode 8 of Systems Practice in International Development. Our guest is Enrique Mendizabal, Founder and Executive Director of On Think Tanks (OTT). In this episode, we’re tackling some big questions: What does it take for think tanks to shape policies that make a difference? How do they balance independence while meeting funders' demands? And is there a better way to think about evidence – as just one piece of a bigger, messier puzzle? We’ll explore the evolving role of think tanks in today’s challenging landscape, with a fresh perspective and real-world examples.

This episode’s guest

Enrique is OTT’s founder and executive director. He leads the development and delivery of OTT’s mission. Enrique has over 20 years of experience in the field of evidence informed policy. Before founding OTT in 2011 he worked for the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) where he headed the Research and Policy in Development programme. At ODI he co-founded the Outcome Mapping Learning Community. Enrique has co-founded various initiatives aimed at supporting better informed policymaking including Purpose & Ideas, the Peruvian Alliance for the Use of Evidence, the Latin American Evidence Week and the Premio PODER al Think Tank Peruano del Año.

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

Welcome to Episode 7 of Systems Practice in International Development. Our guest is Pallavi Roy, Professor of Political Economy at SOAS University of London. In this episode, we have a frank conversation about Political Economy Analyses (PEAs) in the international development sector today. PEAs have come some way, but there’s still a long way to go – and we delve into the balance between what is good enough and how to effectively apply it.

This episode’s guest:

Pallavi Roy is a Professor of Political Economy at SOAS University of London. Her research is on the application of institutional economics and in particular the political settlements framework to governance, and the political economy of late development.

She is Co-Director of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) £6 million Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) research partnership consortium working primarily in Bangladesh and Nigeria, in sectors like electricity, renewables, extractives, primary healthcare, and digital governance. She is also the Co-Principal Investigator on an FCDO-funded programme on generating evidence for fostering inclusive growth in Nepal. She has worked across developing countries and has extensive experience of working with funders and research organizations like the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, World Bank, UNESCAP, Agence Francaise de Developpement, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (Bangladesh) and is a visiting faculty member at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Laxenberg, Austria.

She is co-Chair of the Scaling-Up in Fragile States Working Group in the Scaling Up Community of Practice and has contributed to national media in the UK and internationally. She has also worked as a senior business journalist in India with publications like Financial Express and Businessworld from 1997 to 2007.

This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.