Interests:
Maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, health policy, health systems, aid architecture, aid effectiveness, governance, civil society.Skills:
Programme design and management, evaluation design and implementation, team leadership and facilitation, strategy development, institutional analysis and development, communication and coordination.Background and relevant experience:
Fiona has worked in developing countries since 1976 starting in Swaziland where she founded and managed the national NGO – the Family Life Association of Swaziland (still operational). In 1987, as a Technical Cooperation Officer with the Overseas Development Organisation (ODA) in Bangladesh, Fiona developed the Bangladesh Population Health Consortium under the national SWAp, a funding umbrella and capacity building programme for 60 NGOs and by default, engaging in emergency work. (Programme still operational as self-sustaining organisation) Fiona managed ODA’s (and subsequently DFID’s) health sector programmes in Nigeria (1995-1999) and then worked from the London office as Pakistan and Asia health advisor. She has been a freelance consultant since 2002, working predominantly for DFID and returning for 6 short term staff jobs in Nigeria, Ghana and London. Consultancies also undertaken for World Bank, UNAIDS, UNFPA, WHO, AusAID/DFAT. She has significant experience in national strategic planning (National HIV Strategies for Bosnia, Liberia, Nigeria, Nutrition Strategy Zambia), capacity building and mentoring (Kenya, Malawi), and implementation of programme design and evaluation.Key consultancies undertaken over the past two years include: a gap analysis for strategic planning for Centre for Women’s Global Health of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; being Member of Technical Review Panel (TRP) for NGO projects submitted to DFID/UK Aid Direct; leading team on DFID funded scoping exercise in Mandera and Wajir Counties in North Eastern Kenya to assess potential scale up of current Reducing Maternal and Newborn Deaths in Kenya Programme; undertaking a review of Marie Stopes International Programme in Bangladesh for DFID; working as the MNH advisor in Ethiopia on the M&E Team of the DFID-funded Reproductive, Maternal & Neonatal Health Innovation Fund project.