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Dr. Jessica Thornton Walker is an accomplished researcher and the leader of Abt’s quantitative methods team who brings 20 years of experience designing and implementing policy-relevant research. She is a recognized expert in large-scale, multi-site evaluations to assess the impacts of social policies and programs in housing and homelessness, child welfare, adolescent risk-taking behaviors, and substance use.In her role as the Quantitative Methods Lead, Dr. Walker is responsible for the management, staffing, budgeting, solutioning, and strategy that guides the work of 120 quantitative research staff and ensures Abt provides high-quality technical delivery and innovative solutions tailored to clients.

Diane Paulsell is an applied social scientist with more than 20 years of experience designing, conducting, and overseeing mixed-methods policy-focused research, including national multi-site studies. She has also led rapid cycle learning and program improvement efforts with a variety of human services programs and a foundation-funded research program to advance equitable access to family supportive services. Her areas of expertise range from early care and education to parenting, family engagement, youth development and family supportive policies and programs, including nutrition.

Shelley Martin is a gender and sustainable development advisor with a background in women and youth empowerment, inclusive business and innovation, and human rights in supply chains and communities. Her work has engaged local and global organizations in numerous sectors across 15+ countries, spanning climate-smart agriculture, land rights, finance, entrepreneurship, clean energy, STEM, infrastructure, manufacturing and consumer goods.

Didar Ali Didar is technical advisor for monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) in Abt’s International Technical Practice (ITP). He has more than 10 years of experience in MERL, project design, and management in the areas of agriculture, food security, economic inclusion, civil society, governance, health, and education. He also has experience in women’s rights advocacy, including designing and implementing advocacy plans and organizing national and international events.

Alan McCagh has more than 20 years of experience in complex program management and technical oversight for government institutional strengthening, economic development, community development, democratic governance, and in the law and justice sector. A former senior Western Australia police officer, Alan has expertise in institutional strengthening of the police, courts, and prisons. He also has experience with grant-making facilities to improve community access to legal aid, policy dialogue, research, and crime prevention.

Ellen Bomasang is a global development professional whose focus has been clean energy, climate, and inclusive growth across emerging economies in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Bomasang’s more than 25 years of experience have earned her recognition as a thought leader in clean energy and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). She has led GESI-related interventions around the themes of women’s and girls’ leadership, male allyship, women’s economic empowerment, GBV prevention and response in energy/infrastructure projects, and building diverse, respectful workplaces.

Lindiwe Chola Dlamini is a certified expert in climate change and renewable energy finance with 18 years’ experience in sustainable energy policy, resource mobilization, partnership development, and program management. Her career includes leadership, resource mobilization, and implementation roles for sustainable energy in Eswatini. She has provided expert technical advisory support for public-private partnership negotiations in energy infrastructure and team leadership for Eswatini's Programme for Affordable Renewable Energy. She has worked with start-up social enterprises and with development programs funded by the U.S. and EU government, African Development Bank, United Nations organizations, World Bank, and African Legal Support Facility.

Andrew Keck is a global development executive with more than 30 years of experience designing and delivering complex programs in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. He has in-depth experience in agriculture market systems development, climate change adaptation, forestry and natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation.  Keck has lived for 13 years in Madagascar and Senegal, leading large and complex projects focused on conservation and forestry and agricultural value chains and economic growth, respectively.

Jennifer Cissé leads Abt’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience practice, including strategy development, business development, project execution, and thought leadership across its public and private sector client portfolio, both in the U.S. and internationally. She uses her more than 15 years of experience as a risk and resilience expert to serve as the climate adaptation technical lead for public and private sector clients.

Allan Duncan has more than 20 years of experience in designing and managing large, complex programmes in Africa and Asia. His work has cut across a number of areas, including climate change, institutional development, governance, and capacity building. He has managed multidisciplinary, culturally diverse teams that delivered high-quality results in challenging environments. He has worked extensively in Africa and South Asia for such clients as the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.