Summary Karishma Huda Karishma Huda is a Senior Social Policy Specialist at Development Pathways, with over ten years of experience in social and economic development and research. Her areas of expertise include social protection, economic development and livelihoods interventions for women, adolescent girls initiatives, and financial inclusion. Her core skills include leading multi- country qualitative research projects, operational research, mixed method evaluations, program design and providing technical assistance to NGOs, donors, and government agencies. Karishma has consulted for AusAID, DFID, Girl Hub, ADB, Concern Worldwide, BRAC, Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest, Imp- Act, and several microfinance institutions and NGOs. Karishma has worked in Haiti, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Laos, Yemen, Uganda, Philippines, and South Sudan. She holds an MPhil from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining Development Pathways, Karishma was the Head of Research for the Brac Development Institute (BDI) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Key strengths Expert on livelihoods, microfinance, social protection and extreme poverty Previously Research Manager with BRAC, a leading global organisation Supervised qualitative research and evaluations of Social Protection/Livelihoods Programmes in countries including Haiti, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Yemen, and Ethiopia Recently engaged as social protection and financial inclusion specialist for AusAID s Integrated Rural Sustainable Livelihoods Program and previously as a financial inclusion evaluation specialist for Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP) and Concern Worldwide Highly adaptable to new environments; comfortable working independently and in a team setting Multi- lingual, excellent written, presentation and communication skills, strong management capabilities, highly self- motivated Published several publications and given conference presentations in livelihoods, microfinance, social protection, and extreme poverty Academic qualifications MPhil., Development Studies. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK 2005 2007 Dissertation: What social capital represents and presents to the Ultra Poor: A theoretical analysis of BRAC s experience (Grade: A) Part funded by a grant from the Hans Singer Memorial Trust B.A., Economics. University of California, Berkeley 1996 2000 Advanced Studies in Spanish Culture, Language and Literature (Study Abroad Program) University of Cordoba, Spain (Fall Semester, 2000) Boulder Microfinance Training Programme The International Training Centre of the ILO: Turin, Italy Jul 07 Aug 07
Qualitative Training Research Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Dhaka, Bangladesh 2004 Economic Development / Micro- lending Fellowship America India Foundation (non- profit arm of McKinsey Consulting), West Bengal, India Sep 02 Jun 03 Country experience Africa: Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda Asia: Bangladesh, India, Laos, Pakistan, Philippines Other: Haiti, Yemen Professional Assignments April 2013 June 2013 Social Protection Specialist Expanding Social Protection, Uganda Led a review assessing how effectively social protection was addressed in Uganda s National Development Plan Analysed all national program documents across various ministries and sectors, identifying initiatives that fit within existing categories of social protection Interviewed local government officials to understand their experiences and challenges in implementing social protection within their respective ministries Conducted field work to understand how national social protection programmes were being implemented at a district and sub- county level. Provided recommendations for how the next National Development Plan can be better aligned to social protection objectives, priorities, and policy. Feb 2013- Current Research Expert DFID, United Kingdom Lead the development of the strategic case for the Girls Global Research Initiative (GGRI), which is a DFID Girl Hub joint initiative designed to fill the evidence gaps regarding adolescent girls. Synthesise the existing evidence base for adolescent girls, including existing constraints, and reviewing interventions designed to tackle these constraints Rate the existing evidence, and identify the evidence gaps Put forward a strategy for a research project that could address these gaps over the next four years Dec 2012 Mar 2013 Social Protection Specialist Asian Development Bank, Philippines Conduct in- depth analysis of national social protection and poverty reduction strategies across Southeast Asia (specifically, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines) Propose graduation strategies for national social protection strategies in Indonesia and the Philippines, drawing upon asset transfer programs and financial services Consult with national governments, ADB staff, and national experts to propose feasible programming options for ADB in Indonesia and the Philippines
Create a budget for proposed Graduation programmes in both countries Oct 2012 Nov 2012 Social Protection Specialist DFID, Bangladesh Social protection expert on the design team for a multi- donor funded social protection policy programme Designed the program to include two core components: a policy unit within the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen social protection systems and programs; and a civil society component to engage in effective research, advocacy, and provide a challenge function to the policy unit Advocated a life- cycle approach to social protection to development partners and the Government of Bangladesh Managed expectations and objectives of multiple donors and priorities of the Government in producing a project document that had buy- in from all stakeholders Delivered the management and appraisal cases of the DFID business case Carried out a literature review of social protection in Bangladesh Sep 2012 date Research and Livelihoods Specialist Girl Hub, Rwanda Inform and guide the qualitative research across 10 districts in Rwanda to inform the design of Girls Thrive, a livelihoods program for adolescent girls in Rwanda Propose programming options for the Girls Thrive intervention, catered to 13-15 year old adolescent girls Conduct a literature review of current constraints, opportunities and existing programs for adolescent girls in Rwanda Co- author the Girl Hub commissioned Economic Opportunities Study for Adolescent Girls Feb 2012 date Social Protection and Financial Inclusion Specialist AusAid, Laos Social protection expert on Program Detail Design team for AusAID s current Rural Development Delivery Strategy in Laos, with a budget envelope of 41 million AUD over four years Invited back to conduct the Activity Detailed Design for the Social Protection component Provide critical recommendations for social protection and financial inclusion projects that AusAID will potentially fund Make recommendations on relevant social protection policy issues, strategies for policy engagement, and management actions Liase with NGOs, multilateral agencies, and other potential development partners to inform the program design Design a financial service component that strengthens the enterprise and social protection elements of the country development strategy Set design parameters and explore funding modalities for a Livelihoods Challenge Fund for international NGOs. The initiative seeks to make the rural poor in Laos more resilient through social transfers and income generation schemes Design the detailed budget for the program design over the next four years Carry out desk research to inform program design Nov 2011 Jun 2012 Lead Researcher, Non- formal education program BRAC International, South Sudan
The research analysed barriers and opportunities for enhanced livelihoods, focusing on adolescent girls in BRAC schools Designed the research methodology, analytical framework, and acted as lead author. Managed a team of two junior researchers Conducted two rounds of research (November 2011 and May 2012) in order to compare students experiences and aspirations at two points in time Utilised qualitative research methodology, primarily focus group discussions, staircase and self- evaluation exercises, and in- depth interviews. Utilised an appreciative inquiry lens for analysis Engaged with the Government of South Sudan, bilateral and multilateral donors, and INGOs to inform key recommendations Provided critical recommendations to BRAC International on engagement with policymakers, other stakeholders, and program implementation Carried out desk research to inform research design Jun 2008 Jan 2012 Research and Evaluation Manager BRAC Development Institute (BDI), London, United Kingdom Headed up research and evaluation activities for a financial inclusion initiative that sequences livelihood support, financial services and social safety nets to graduate households out of extreme poverty Led the qualitative research for the Productive Safety Net Program in Ethiopia Managed a 2 year life histories research project for livelihoods programmes in India and Pakistan. Highly acclaimed by CGAP in a month long blog series: http://graduation.cgap.org/2011/09/13/bdis- trajectory- framework- is- a- valuable- research- tool- for- trickle- up/ Lead every aspect of research process, including writing research proposals, managing research budget, supervising and conducting fieldwork, deciding timelines, and tracking delivery of outputs Designed and implemented a Client Monitoring System that enabled all partner organizations to track social and economic indicators of their clients (quantitative and qualitative); supervised analysis of results and quarterly reports; conducted cross- country comparisons of results Conducted process evaluations for partner organisations, and provided key recommendations for scale up Designed innovative evaluation frameworks, research tools, and monitoring systems that partner organisations have adopted and integrated internally Research results were utilised by partner organisations to improve their financial inclusion initiatives from pilot to scale- up phase Advised multilateral organisations and NGOs interested in using a combination of social protection and productive assets to work with the poorest households Produced outputs that have been published, widely disseminated, and lauded across donor and practitioner audiences Mar 2010 Jul 2010 Consultant Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), The World Bank, Washington D.C., USA
Led research and evaluations for Swami Krishi Sangam (SKS) and Trickle Up India financial inclusion programs Regularly monitored the implementation of the CGAP Graduation program in Pakistan Disseminated key findings and lessons learnt through blogs for the Community of Practice, Microfinance Gateway, and other CGAP sitesheaded up research and evaluation activities for a financial inclusion initiative that sequences livelihood support, financial services and social safety nets to graduate households out of extreme poverty Jul 2008 Jul 2009 Visiting Fellow - Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Brighton, United Kingdom Generating awareness and interest around combining productive assets and social protection among the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection teams through teaching MA classes, meetings, speaking engagements, and publications Disseminating evaluation results and strategies Designing research and organizing workshops for IDS Bulletin 41.2 (special issue on social safety net strategies) Sep 2007 Jul 2008 Evaluation Specialist Concern Worldwide, Port- au- Prince, Haiti Designed and implemented evaluations for Pathways out of Extreme Poverty programme, a financial inclusion initiative using livelihoods and consumption support in Haiti Conducted mid- term evaluation (Sep March 2008) and final evaluation (May 2009- Nov 2009), combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Currently designing a follow up evaluation planned for summer 2012 Designed the evaluation framework, supervised the data collection and field work Responsible for analysis, writing and dissemination of results Held monthly workshops with program staff to discuss how research findings can be used to strengthen existing operations Published final evaluation results in microfinance and development journals, presented key findings at social protection conferences in the UK, India, and Vietnam The evaluation was extremely well received. Implementing organisation s Executive Director published a blog about it: http://graduation.cgap.org/2011/09/22/fonkozes- learning- from- a- mixed- methodology- evaluation/ Implementing organisation utilised key recommendations put forth in the evaluation to improve program in scale- up phase Evaluation results published in the Journal of Microfinance and Enterprise Development Evaluation set precedence for similar studies across other pilots implementing a similar model Regarded so highly by stakeholders that a follow- up evaluation has been requested Feb 2006 Jun 2007 Program Associate, Social Performance Management Imp- Act Consortium - Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, United Kingdom Assisted Imp- Act in getting a global SPM network established
Organised Global Learning Programme conference and workshops in India and Canada Microcredit Summit Conducted an SPM informational seminar for Concern Haiti and Fonkoze Liaised with Imp- Act partners to answer questions/concerns regarding SPM implementation Worked closely with Imp- Act partners to write a series of case studies to use for trainings and Imp- Act publications Jan 2007 Jun 2007 Research Assistant United Nations Development Group (UNDG), New York, USA Worked with a body of consultants from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) to evaluate UN agencies roles in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Processes (PRSPs) in 9 countries Completed a desk review for the following publication: Synthesis Report: Findings and Recommendations from a Seven Country Study of UN Engagement in Poverty Reduction and National Development Strategies Organised a conference in Brighton, UK to present the results Jan 2007 Jun 2007 Livelihoods Intern Concern Worldwide (Haiti) / Fonkoze, Port- au- Prince, Haiti Conceptualized, pilot tested and documented Fonkoze s targeting methodology for its Chemin Levi Miyo (CLM) financial inclusion program Leader of the Targeting Implementation team; managed 5 team members Adapted BRAC s Ultra Poor targeting methodology to the Haitian context Pilot tested the targeting model in 5 rural areas of Haiti Conducted a training for the branch managers and field agents in all Fonkoze branches in Haiti on the new targeting model Conducted an informational workshop on social performance management for senior management and board members of Fonkoze and Concern Haiti Produced a process documentation report entitled Targeting Documentation: Steps for Identifying the Ultra Poor for Fonkoze s Chemin Levi Miyo Program Methodology was implemented throughout the entire organisation Apr 2004 Apr 2005 Research Associate, Research and Evaluation Division (RED) Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Dhaka, Bangladesh Performed action research (social and economic) in rural north Bangladesh on BRAC s social protection programme, Targeting the Ultra Poor (TUP) Initiated and managed research projects (from inception to publication); duties included designing and conducting field research, designating tasks to research team, producing literature reviews, analysing field data, writing final research output, supervising all steps leading to publication Interviewed, selected and trained 40 field researchers for the BRAC Social Capital Baseline Survey Worked closely with RED Director (Imran Matin) in writing and editing the TUP Baseline Survey publication Authored a published BRAC working paper and journal article based on research
Presented the published work at the International Social Capital conference: Malta, July 2005 Jan 2005 Apr 2005 Microfinance Consultant International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI), Dhaka, Bangladesh Documented a national conference with INAFI partner organisations regarding their involvement in demand- driven microfinance Prepared and presented a project proposal entitled Microfinance as a Tool to Rebuild Livelihoods for Tsunami Victims Published a research report entitled Life is More Than Making a Living: Measuring Social Impact Indicators of Microfinance The above mentioned document evolved into an action research project and the building of a software programme to measure the social impact of microfinance among INAFI partners in Bangladesh Sep 2002 Nov 2003 Career history Microfinance Field Consultant / American India Foundation (AIF) Fellow Institute for Motivating Self- Employment Grameen Replication Project, Dhaka, Bangladesh Completed a comprehensive three- month, field level microfinance training Stayed on as a member of IMSE staff upon completion of the AIF fellowship Created and published a 17- page booklet entitled MSE: A Focus on Micro- Credit, which is used as the organisation s primary marketing collateral Created and managed a microcredit centre; duties included forming groups and selecting borrowers, training recipients on microcredit regulations/social development clauses, assisting in the development of their businesses, issuing their loans Developed a loan utilisation tool, enabling the organisation to keep loan recipient profiles and monitor each recipient s yearly progress Utilised microfinance Participatory Action Research tools to prepare an internal document recommending improved microfinance products/services from a borrower perspective Grant writing, fundraising Senior Social Policy Specialist, Development Pathways, August 2012 - date Freelance Consultant, January 2012 - date Social Protection and Financial Inclusion Specialist (AusAID), Laos, Feb 2012 date Lead Researcher, Non- formal education program (BRAC International), South Sudan Nov 2011 June 2012 Research and Evaluation Manager, (BRAC Development Institute BDI) London, UK, June 08 Jan 12 Consultant, Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP) (The World Bank Washington D.C.),USA, March 10- Jul 10 Visiting Fellow (Institute of Development Studies - IDS) Brighton, UK, Jul 08 Jul 09 Evaluation Specialist (Concern Worldwide) Port- au- Prince, Haiti, Sept 07 Jul 08 Program Associate, Social Performance Management (Imp- Act Consortium - Institute of Development Studies) Brighton, UK, Feb 06 Jun 07 Research Assistant (United Nations Development Group - UNDG) New York, USA, Jan 07 Jun 07
Livelihoods Intern, Concern Worldwide (Haiti) / Fonkoze Port- au- Prince, Haiti, Jun 06 Aug 06 Research Associate, Research and Evaluation Division - RED (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Dhaka, Bangladesh, Apr 04 Apr 05 Microfinance Consultant (International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions - INAFI) Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jan 05 Apr 05 Microfinance Field Consultant/ American India Foundation (AIF) Fellow ( Institute for Motivating Self- Employment - Grameen Replication Project), West Bengal, India, Sep 02 Nov 03 Languages English, first language; Bengali, fluent; Spanish, conversational; Creole, basic Selected publications* Kabeer, N. and Huda, K., (2011), Productive Safety Nets for the Extreme Poor: Examples from Pilots in India and Pakistan, IDS Research Report 70, Brighton: IDS Huda, K. and Kaur, S. (2011), It s as if we were drowning : shocks, stresses and safety nets in India, Journal of Gender and Development 19 (2), Oxfam: Oxford Huda, K. (2011), Overcoming extreme poverty in India: Lessons from SKS, IDS Bulletin 41(4), Brighton: IDS Huda K. Simanowitz, A. (2009), A Graduation Pathway for Haiti s Poorest: Lessons Learnt from Fonkoze, Enterprise Development and Microfinance 20(2), Practical Action Publishing Huda K., Rahman S., Guirguis C., (2008), Social Capital and What it Represents: the Experience of the Ultra Poor in Bangladesh, Journal of Power 3(1), Routledge Guenther B., Huda, K., Macauslan, I. (2007) Broadening Social Risk Management: Risks, Rights, and the Chronic Poor, IDS Bulletin 38 (3), Brighton: IDS Huda K., Rahman S., Guirguis C., (2005) Building Social Capital for the Ultra Poor: Challenges and Achievements, Dhaka and Ottawa: BRAC and Aga Khan Foundation * comprehensive list provided upon request Selected conference presentations Productive Safety Nets for the Extreme Poor, United Nations University, Maastricht, Netherlands, September 2011 Graduating out of extreme poverty: what have we learned?, Second International Microfinance Conference, Greenwich University, July 2011 A Graduation Pathway for Haiti s Poorest, University of Manchester., September 2010 A Pathway for the Poorest: CLM and Fonkoze, Savings and Credit Forum, Berne Switzerland, December 2009
And Who Listens to the Poor? Life histories from India and Pakistan, CGAP/Ford Foundation Global Graduation Conference, Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 2009 Social Protection meets Credit, Social Protection in Asia Conference, Hanoi, Vietnam, June 2009 Targeting the Ultra Poor in Bangladesh, International Social Protection Conference, Entebbe, Uganda, September 2008 What is Social Capital? hosted by The Social Capital Foundation, Malta, September 2005