Capacity4dev Podcast Series

In the first episode of the new Capacity4dev Podcast Series, the team sat down with Francine Pickup, Deputy Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support at UNDP, who shared insights from her field days and reflections on her work today.

Takeaways from the field: a candid interview with Francine Pickup, UNDP

In episode 2 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we interview Isabella Olsson, Head of Global Advocacy at LM International, and discuss the importance of local and rooted advocacy and the challenges of operating in conflict zones like Sudan. In answering our questions, amongst other things, Isabella calls for the need to foster community ownership if we hope project achievements are sustainable and can be replicated even after the project's implementation has ended.

Rooted advocacy to foster community ownership: challenges and lessons learnt

In episode 3 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we interview Sara Jazaeri, who has been working with different UN agencies in conflict and post-conflict contexts for almost nine years. Sara shares tips on how to implement projects whose impact is sustainable in the long run and really address local needs in a flexible and adaptable way.

Sustainable impact in project implementation: collaboration, adaptability and stakeholder engagement

In episode 4 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we interview Franco Conzato, Senior Expert Sustainable Development Policy and Coordination at the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships. Franco gives us insights into the Financing Not Linked to Costs approach (also known as FNLC), according to which cost is not a key determinant of EU funding as, sometimes, it can be challenging to quantify how much money will be needed for a specific project action. The approach strongly incentivises a shift towards thinking about what needs to be achieved rather than how much will be spent.

From cost-based input to result-based output: the Financing Not Linked to Costs approach

In episode 5 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we interview Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Kyiv, Ukraine and Sven Coppens, Director of Plan International’s Ukraine Crisis Response. Both give us insights into their work in Ukraine as representatives of two fundamental sides of crisis response, the so-called humanitarian-development nexus. The discussion then focusses on how to facilitate and support the inclusion of young people in finding solutions for the future of Ukraine.

Towards a more youth-inclusive approach in reconstruction efforts in Ukraine

In episode 6 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we hear from Natalia Gomez, Former Special Adviser on Youth to the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen. She shares what the EU is currently doing to strengthen youth skills and the reasons why we should foster the creation of similar roles to the one she has held until recently.

Strengthening youth skills and youth engagement at EU level and beyond

In episode 7 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we hear from Lionel Dieu, Fund Manager at EDFI AgriFI. He discusses EU Agriculture Financing Initiatives, which aim to invest in small-scale farming, particularly in fragile contexts, specifically in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Mr Dieu highlights the challenges associated with agri-finance and discusses the effective measures taken to address them.

Impact investment in sustainable agriculture

In episode 8 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we meet João Maldos, Analyst at the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) in Brazil. He shares the work his civil society organisation has been doing since 1994 to support indigenous, quilombola and extractive communities (meaning communities involved in the traditional extraction of fruits, nuts, seeds, oils, flours of the native ecosystems) in the protection of their territories and much more.

Strengthening biodiverse productive systems for the restoration of the Amazon: tips from the field

In episode 9 of the Capacity4dev Podcast Series, we hear from Raquel Lagunas, Global Director of Gender Equality at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ms Lagunas discusses what UNDP calls “Equanomics,” a flagship initiative with the objective of dismantling economic structures that, unfortunately, still generate and perpetrate gender inequality.

Understanding Equanomics and the importance of gender equality in development

In this podcast episode, we interview Mr Gaetano Vivo, Deputy Head of Unit for Prevention and Preparedness Capacity Building at the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (DG ECHO). Mr Vivo highlights the importance of prevention and preparedness when dealing with emergency situations, regardless of where they occur.

An emergency is an emergency: strengthening Europe’s preparedness

In this podcast episode, we interview Ana Coimbra, former Head of Finance & Contracts at the EU Delegation to Malawi and now Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to El Salvador, and with Michele Crimella, Team Leader for Social Sector and Infrastructure in the Cooperation section, also at the EU Delegation to Malawi. Ms Coimbra and Mr Crimella share some very interesting insights on the FNLC (Financing Not Linked to Costs) pilot project in Malawi which is being implemented with the Ministry of Education. 

Financing Not Linked to Costs: piloting the approach in Malawi

In this podcast episode, Thierry Dudermel, Team Leader for Biodiversity in the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), discusses his career in EU external cooperation, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Global Gateway initiative. He highlights the five "P’s" as a foundation for development, the importance of nature-based solutions, and the role of knowledge sharing through platforms like Capacity4dev.

Reflecting on the evolution of international partnerships: adaptability and knowledge-sharing

In this podcast episode, we interview Michele Bianchi, an international consultant and practitioner in the sport for development field. Michele is also the co-founder of We Football, a non-profit organisation using football as a tool for social change. Michele explains that sport for development is about intentionally using sport to address broader social goals like education, gender equality, and community cohesion, provided it is applied with structure, purpose, and ethical care. He also shares powerful insights from his grassroots work, demonstrating how sport - when paired with mentorship and safe spaces - can transform individual lives and entire communities.

Sport for social change: lessons from the field

In this podcast episode, we interview Thomas Eekhout, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the Center for Evaluation and Development (C4ED). Thomas explains how rigorous data collection and analysis help improve interventions. He highlights the distinction between standard monitoring evaluations and impact evaluations and outlines the primary challenges evaluators encounter. Thomas concludes by urging international development professionals to embrace digital data and foster early, ongoing collaboration between researchers, evaluators, and implementers.

Beyond result-oriented monitoring evaluations: the case for impact evaluations

This episode explores how the impact of EU external action is assessed and evaluated. Through interviews with Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Points from DG INTPA, DG ENEST, DG MENA and FPI, the Capacity4dev team sheds some light on roles and responsibilities, common challenges, and practical tips for improving results reporting. 

Learn more on Capacity4dev.europa.eu. 

From Logframes to OPSYS: Inside EU Results Reporting

In this podcast episode, Evaluations Expert Rob van den Berg reflects on his 35-year career and tells our audience about the importance of using evaluation evidence to tackle today's sustainability challenges. Rob encourages international cooperation professionals to listen to the real needs of communities so that local initiatives driving real, impactful change can be supported.

Evidence for Hope: Reflections on evaluation and sustainability

In this episode, our team interviews Giorgia Linardi, Project Lead Coordinator of TACKLE, and digital campaigner Hajar Drissi. TACKLE is an EU-funded initiative under the Directorate-General for International Partnerships' DEAR Programme, and it promotes youth activism against discrimination and structural racism across Europe and the Euro-Mediterranean region. Both Giorgia and Hajar share their experiences about the project, from two different but very insightful perspectives.

Empowering youth activism against racism and discrimination: the TACKLE project

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