Project management

Program & project management

Year: 2019

Project: Develop KPI monitoring and evaluation system

Job title: Consultant M&E 

Client: Dutch Committee for Afghanistan/Brooke

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

Thematic areas: Animal health, animal production, poverty reduction, value chain development, animal welfare

The overall objectives of this consultancy are a) to initiate, develop and guide the development of a program level M&E system, b) in line with Brooke mission and vision, giving animal welfare more prominence within DCA work. 

Specifically:

  • Define program level key performance indicators (KPIs), which reflect DCA’s mission and vision
  • Assess requirements in terms of: staff, training  software and hardware, and budget for setting up such a program level M&E system
  • Define one or more KPIs that reflect Animal Welfare
  • Assess how equine welfare related messages can be disseminated through other DCA projects

Year: 2017

Project: Green Initiative for Afghanistan’s Agriculture (GIAA)

Job title: Gender and Natural Resource Management expert

Client: GFA Consulting group GmbH

Location: Kabul, Parwan & Bamyan, Afghanistan

Skills: Capacity building, project management

Thematic areas: Gender & Natural Resource Management

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Gender and NRM expert for the ‘Green Initiative for Afghanistan’s Agriculture (GIAA)’ project in Afghanistan funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by GFA
  • Stakeholder mapping of organisations involved in gender and NRM
  • Explore opportunities for collaboration
  • Train project staff on gender and NRM issues 
  • Developing a gender-sensitive project strategy and work plan

Year: 2013

Project: Baghlan Agriculture Project (BAP)

Job title: Gender and livestock expert

Client: GFA Consulting group GmbH

Location: Baghlan & Badakshan, Afghanistan

Thematic areas: Gender, sheep production, poultry production, animal health, gender

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Development of a concise gender approach within all BAP activities, but especially in the animal husbandry component,
  • Development of monitoring and evaluation methods and tools for BAP livestock activities,
  • Assessment of possibilities for improving animal health within the project area,
  • Liaising with Government extension services and identify training needs in the area of livestock production and health

Year: 2012

Project: Baghlan Agriculture Project (BAP)

Job title: Livestock expert

Client: GFA Consulting group GmbH

Location: Baghlan & Badakshan, Afghanistan

Thematic areas: Gender, sheep production, poultry production, animal health, livestock value chains, gender

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Review of sheep and poultry value chains in the BAP project area,
  • Critical analyses of BAP livestock project activities and their relevance for improving household income,
  • Building the BAP-livestock’s team capacity in conducting situational and problem analyses through PRA training sessions,
  • Assisting the BAP livestock team in managing monitoring data,
  • Identification of bottlenecks and issues within the poultry and sheep husbandry system and value chains through secondary data analysis and on-site research,
  • Give recommendations for realistic improvements/adaptations

Year: 2007 & 2008

Project: Animal Health, Breeds and Livelihoods (AHBL) project

Job title: Consultant project coordination and supervision

Client: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Thematic areas: farm animal genetic resources, livelihoods, animal health, animal production

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Coordinating and supervising ‘Animal Health, Breeds and Livelihoods (AHBL)’ project activities in Cambodia. The objective of the project is to define HPAI control strategies that have neutral or positive impact on the livelihoods of small-scale poultry keepers and also help in maintaining poultry breed biodiversity. 
  • Identification of suitable local partners and national consultants.
  • Determine training needs of local partners and national consultants and organize and contribute to training programs accordingly.
  • Provision of technical and administrative support.

Year: 2006 & 2007

Project: HPAI impact assessment

Job title: Consultant project coordination and supervision

Client: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Thematic areas: avian influenza, livelihoods, poultry, animal health, animal production, gender

Brief description of responsibilities:

The underlying objective of this consultancy is to support the national government of Egypt in the development of effective and enforceable livestock policies and strategies, in mitigating the effects of the Avian Influenza emergency and control measures on food security and livelihoods.

  • Preparation and implementation of a national research skills training program. Specifically, organise, co-ordinate and carry out training of 15 national researchers, including classroom theory and exercises, and field practice.
  • Formulation of data collection methodologies and supervise data collection teams in Egypt.
  • Tailor and adapt socio-economic impact assessment checklist and toolkit (developed in previous assignment) within the national poultry production systems, genetic resources, and policy constraints.
  • Developing analysis procedures for the data collected and assistance in the initial data analysis.
  • Analyses and evaluation of results and findings of mission work with the aim of assisting national government policy development.

Research

Research

Year:  2018

Project: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) project. Supporting Evidence-Based Policy: a longitudinal study of AMR risk behaviors among livestock keeping communities in India. 

Job title:  Research Associate

Client: Royal Veterinary College, University of London

Location: Maharashtra, India

Thematic areas: Antimicrobial resistance, animal health, human health, animal production, risk perception, behaviour

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Review of the AMR  literature related to India
  • Development of research methods and tools particularly relating to AMR risk perception and behaviour.
  • Conducting household interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and observation.

Year:  2015

Project: One Health project 

Job title:  Research Fellow

Client: University of Reading, England

Location: Maharashtra, India

Thematic areas: One Health, animal health, human health, animal production, dairy sector, mastitis

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Review of the One Health literature
  • For the purpose of the development of a mobile diagnostic App for mastitis: collecting cow bio-data, taking common and thermal pictures of the udder, taking temperature of the udder and to test each quarter of the udder with the Draminski mastitis counter.

Year: 2013

Project: Baghlan Agriculture Project (BAP)

Job title: Livestock expert

Client: GFA Consulting group GmbH

Location: Baghlan & Badakshan, Afghanistan

Thematic areas: Sheep production, goat production, cashmere production, cashmere value chain, fodder quality

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Developing and managing an livestock extension training program for district government agricultural extension staff,
  • Developing and implementing a cashmere goat production feasibility study,
  • Analyzing possibilities of improving fodder quality and fodder management for sheep project beneficiaries

Year: 2012

Project: Baghlan Agriculture Project (BAP)

Job title: Livestock expert

Client: GFA Consulting group GmbH

Location: Baghlan, Afghanistan

Thematic areas: Gender, sheep production, poultry production, animal health, livestock value chains, gender

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Review of sheep and poultry value chains in the BAP project area,
  • Critical analyses of BAP livestock project activities and their relevance for improving household income,
  • Building the BAP-livestock’s team capacity in conducting situational and problem analyses through PRA training sessions,
  • Assisting the BAP livestock team in managing monitoring data,
  • Identification of bottlenecks and issues within the poultry and sheep husbandry system and value chains through secondary data analysis and on-site research,
  • Give recommendations for realistic improvements/adaptations

Year: 2010

Project: Poultry value chain study

Job title: Consultant 

Client: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Thematic areas: poultry, value chain, backyard poultry sector,  livelihoods, poultry trade, poultry production

Brief description of responsibilities:

Consultant for the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD). The value chain study took a socio-economic approach principally studying the rationales of poultry producers in the value chain. 

  • Developed the research capacities of three National consultants through a 3-day research skills training program including quantitative as well as participatory research methods.
  • Identified linkages between producers and other stakeholders in the poultry sector.
  • Characterised practices and attitudes of farmers regarding poultry keeping in general and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in particular.
  • Gained a better understanding of underlying believes and norms with regards to practices and behaviour that might facilitate disease maintenance and spread in order to move from ‘dictating’ certain behaviour changes to targeting certain believes underlying these potentially risky behaviours.
  • Contributed to the design of better-targeted pro-poor disease control efforts and thus to achieve more efficient disease control through analyses and evaluation of results and findings.

Year: 2007 & 2008

Project: Animal Health, Breeds and Livelihoods (AHBL) project

Job title: Consultant project coordination and supervision

Client: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Thematic areas: farm animal genetic resources, livelihoods, animal health, animal production

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Coordinating and supervising ‘Animal Health, Breeds and Livelihoods (AHBL)’ project activities in Cambodia. The objective of the project is to define HPAI control strategies that have neutral or positive impact on the livelihoods of small-scale poultry keepers and also help in maintaining poultry breed biodiversity
  • Identification of suitable local partners and national consultants
  • Determine training needs of local partners and national consultants and organize and contribute to training programs accordingly
  • Provision of technical and administrative support

Year: 2006 & 2007

Project: HPAI impact assessment

Job title: Consultant project coordination and supervision

Client: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Thematic areas: avian influenza, livelihoods, poultry, animal health, animal production, gender

Brief description of responsibilities:

The underlying objective of this consultancy is to support the national government of Egypt in the development of effective and enforceable livestock policies and strategies, in mitigating the effects of the Avian Influenza emergency and control measures on food security and livelihoods.

  • Preparation and implementation of a national research skills training program. Specifically, organise, co-ordinate and carry out training of 15 national researchers, including classroom theory and exercises, and field practice.
  • Formulation of data collection methodologies and supervise data collection teams in Egypt.
  • Tailor and adapt socio-economic impact assessment checklist and toolkit (developed in previous assignment) within the national poultry production systems, genetic resources, and policy constraints.
  • Developing analysis procedures for the data collected and assistance in the initial data analysis.
  • Analyses and evaluation of results and findings of mission work with the aim of assisting national government policy development.

Year: 2006

Project: Consultant HPAI impact assessment and toolkit development

Job title: Consultant rapid assessment HPAI impact and toolkit development

Client: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Location: Ankara, Turkey

Thematic areas:  livelihoods, poultry, avian influenza

Brief description of responsibilities:

Consultant on rapid assessment of livelihoods, social and gender impacts of HPAI for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Ankara, Turkey.  Collaborating with the Commodities and Trade Division (ESC), the Gender and Population Division (SDW) and the FAO Representative in Turkey.

  • Developed a checklist and toolkit for rapid assessment of livelihoods, social and gender impacts of HPAI. This included use of participatory tools and their adaptation for use in the context of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
  • Field-tested and evaluated the checklist and toolkit during a three-week mission to Turkey, including Ankara and selected field locations.
Picture of HPAI infected premisses Turkey

Year: 2003

Project: MISEREOR

Job title: Trainer sustainable management of farm animal genetic resources

Client: MISEREOR

Location: Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Noakhali and Dhaka, Bangladesh

Thematic areas: Farm animal genetic resources, animal production

Brief description of responsibilities: 

  • Assisting 9 Bangladeshi NGOs in developing data collection methodologies for research on animal production systems and animal genetic resources. The methods used consisted of participatory workshops including practical fieldwork where participants put their newly gained knowledge and skills into practice.
  • Clarifying concepts of sustainable livestock management and,
  • Making recommendations for the development of a strategy strengthening the issue of sustainable livestock management for each of these NGOs.

Year:  2003

Project: Supporting Pastoral Livelihoods by Facilitating Adaptation and Innovation of Sheep Production Systems in Rajasthan, India

Job title:  Researcher 

Client: League for Pastoral Peoples

Location: Rajasthan, India

Thematic areas: sheep production, sheep genetic resources, sheep breeding, sheep husbandry, gender, ethnoveterinary medicine

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Development of research methods and tools for research on sheep genetic resources, breeding system, gender-based knowledge and labour division
  • Conducting participatory research using focus group discussions, Household interviews, key informant interviews and observation

Year:  2001

Project:  Sheep husbandry and ethnoveterinary knowledge of Raika sheep pastoralists in Rajasthan, India

Job title:  M.Sc thesis research

Client:  University of Wageningen, The Netherlands

Location: Rajasthan, India

Thematic areas:  sheep production, sheep genetic resources, sheep breeding, sheep husbandry, gender,  sheep disease prevalence, animal health services, ethnoveterinary medicine

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Development of research methods and tools for my M.Sc. thesis on Sheep husbandry and ethnoveterinary knowledge of Raika sheep pastoralists in Rajasthan, India
  • Conducting participatory research using household interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observation

Year: 1998

Project: B.Sc. Thesis research

Job title: Research for B.Sc. thesisOrganization: Instituto de Estudios Indígenas – Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas

Location: Chiapas, Mexico

Skills: Research

Thematic areas: Animal health, animal production, ethnoveterinary medicine

Brief description of responsibilities:

  • Research on traditional veterinary practices and sheep husbandry system of the Tzotzil shepherdesses through observation and interviews (group and individual),
  • Collection of medicinal plants and sheep faeces samples for ongoing research of the I.E.I on the efficiency of medicinal plants on endo-parasites.

Skills

Skills

Professional skills

Software skills

Microsoft office
EndNote
SPSS
WordPress
Adobe Photoshop
Data visualisation and Infographic software (Datawrapper, Canva, Visme, Piktochart)
KoBo Toolbox

Photography

I have always felt compelled to give a face to contemporary social and development issues by presenting the perspectives of everyday people impacted by issues such as poverty, the food crisis, infectious animal diseases and environmental degradation among others.

I have interviewed farmers in Afghanistan, India, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Cameroon on a wide range of issues pertinent to their livelihoods. In 2010 I interviewed garbage collectors in the slums of Cairo affected by the culling of their pigs due to swine flu. Photos taken during these interviews and others have been exhibited at a gallery in Cairo in 2010. Recently I interviewed a family of livestock keepers in Afghanistan who used to be nomadic (Kuchi) but due to conflicts over grazing land, widespread insecurity, local militias, and landmines, their access to grazing land is severely limited. This coupled with years of drought and environmental degradation has further deteriorated their access to pasture land forcing them to sedentarize and find other sources of income.

My photography skills were developed through self-study, courses, and workshops but above all by going out there and practicing observation and experimenting with different shutter speeds, aperture and viewpoints.

Exhibitions

  • November 2011
Group exhibition ‘Egypt and the revolution‘. The photo exhibition was organized by Studium Generale of the University of Maastricht (Netherlands) and Theater aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht (Netherlands). The Exhibition was part of the Global Culture Festival in Maastricht which took place from 24 – 27 November 2011. Theater aan het Vrijthof, Maastricht, Netherlands.
 
  • September  2011

Group photo exhibition ‘Everyday life in Egypt’ (‘Leven van alledag’).  The exhibition was organized by Saxion University Deventer and myself at Saxion University Deventer, Netherlands.

  • November 2010

‘Urban Expo’ group exhibition at the Technical University Eindhoven main building on urban photography organized by ‘Dekate Mousa’ photo society of the Technical University Eindhoven,  Netherlands

  • July 2010

Panorama’ a solo exhibition of 28 photos at el Balad gallery for contemporary and visual arts, downtown, el Tahrir, Cairo, Egypt

Publications and features

  • National Geographic

One of my pictures was selected by National Geographic editors for publication in National Geographic’s Daily Dozen on August 20th, 2013.

  • New Agriculturist

Geerling, Ellen (2013) Afghan nomads – changing lives. New Agriculturist, May 2013 WRENmedia

  • New Agriculturist
 
  • Bikyamasr

‘Egypt photo exhibit looks at farmer and farmed’ a feature on my photo exhibition in Cairo by bikyamasr an Egyptian and regional independent news site.

  • National Geographic

My entry ‘airbag’ was selected by National Geographic editor Susan Welch for publication in National Geographic’s Daily Dozen in December week 4 2009.

  • Thomas Cook

My photos ‘Floating on air’ and ‘Sognedal fjord’ are being used by Thomas Cook to promote travel to Norway. My photos are displayed on their website.

  • Other features

My photos have been used for lesson materials and as cover photos and illustrations for several journals, magazines, books and other publications including for United Nations Organizations.

Fieldwork Afghanistan

ellengeerlings.wordpress.com

a view from my window

Qualifications

University degrees

University of Reading logo

Ph.D. Agriculture

2008-2014

Wageningen UR logo

M.Sc. Environmental Sciences

1999-2001

Larenstein logo

B.Sc. Tropical Agriculture

1992-1998

Professional Development

Certificate
Food systems

2021
An e-course facilitated by Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation Wageningen, the Netherlands

Certificate
Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience

2021
a course developed by experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR) with support from the European Union, in collaboration with the SDG Academy and the EdX Platform.

Certificate
Evaluating Social Programs

2020
a course of study offered by MITx, an online learning initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Certificate
Programme Strategy and Evaluation

2020 a course of study offered by StanfordOnline, an online learning initiative of Stanford University

Certificate
Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace

2020
a course of study offered by SDGAcademy, an online learning initiative of SDG Academy

Certificate
Results-Based Project Management: Monitoring and Evaluation

2019
a course of study offered by WitX, an online learning initiative of the University of the Witwatersrand.

download

Professional Certificate
Sustainable and Inclusive Landscapes

2019
a program offered by WageningenX, in collaboration with edX.

Africa center for project management logo

Diploma
Monitoring & Evaluation

2016

family health international logo

Certificate
Research Ethics

2010

University of Reading logo

Certificate
Statistics Made Simple

2008

About EGRID

Ellen Geerlings Research & International Development (EGRID)

EGRID logo

Welcome to EGRID!

EGRID builds upon 20 years of experience in international development. The timeline below provides a quick overview of the qualifications and  international work experience of the founder of EGRID.

Click to enlarge

Main skills provided by EGRID include monitoring & evaluation, (mixed-method) research, project management and capacity building. Among others EGRID has experience in leading (designing, coordinating and undertaking) large-scale, mixed-method evaluations.

EGRID offers expertise in the thematic areas of rural development,  agriculture, animal husbandry, public health, gender, food security and natural resource management. 

EGRID has provided services to a wide range of clients including United Nations Organisations, INGOs, NGOs, funding agencies, Universities, consultancy firms and the Government of Afghanistan.

At EGRID we love working in the field and engaging with people from all walks of life. We perform well under time-pressure and are not afraid to work under challenging conditions.

For more detailed information please use the menu below or contact us directly. 

Reports & Publications

Reports, Publications & Conferences

  • Geerlings, E. (2019) Support to National Priority Program (SNaPP2) – Mid-Term Evaluation. Consultancy report written for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Afghanistan. October 2019. p. 142.
  • Geerlings, E. (2019) Community Livestock & Agriculture Project (CLAP) – Socio-Economic Impact Evaluation. Consultancy report written for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Afghanistan. August 2019. p.98.
  • Geerlings, E & Heffernan, C (2018) Predicting risk of avian influenza a(H5N1) in Egypt: the creation of a community level metric. BMC public health, 18(1), 388. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5288-x
  • Geerlings, E (2018) CLAP Kuchi Baseline survey report for Additional Financing ‘Livestock Development among Kuchi. Project period: 1st July 2019 – 30th June 20122. Consultancy report written for the Dutch Committee for Afghanistan. Kabul, Afghanistan. February 2018. p. 170.
  • Geerlings, E (2017) Mid-Term Evaluation Report ‘Community Livestock and Agriculture Project (CLAP)’. Consultancy report written for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. Kabul, Afghanistan. December 2017. p. 99.
  • FAO (2011) Household producer value chain assessment. A consultancy report by E Geerlings for FAO-ECTAD Egypt.
  • Geerlings, Ellen (2009) The impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza and soaring food prices on household level food security in Egypt. Paper produced for the Multi-disciplinary Conference for PhD students: Current Debates in International Development, School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, June 25th-26th 2009.
  • FAO (2009) Characterisation of domestic duck production systems in Cambodia. Prepared by M.T. Dinesh, E. Geerlings, J. Sölkner, S. Thea, O. Thieme and M. Wurzinger. AHBL – Promoting strategies for prevention and control of HPAI. Rome.
  • FAO (2009) Characterisation of domestic chicken production systems in Cambodia. Prepared by M.T. Dinesh, E. Geerlings, J. Sölkner, S. Thea, O. Thieme and M. Wurzinger. AHBL – Promoting strategies for prevention and control of HPAI. Rome.
  • FAO (2009) Rural livelihood and biosecurity of smallholder poultry producers and poultry value chain – Gender and socio-economic impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and its control in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. Prepared by Suon Seng, Coordinator, Yun Samnol, Ly Sok,Team, Khieu Khemrin, Uy Thol and Ellen Geerlings. AHBL – Promoting strategies for prevention and control of HPAI. Rome.
  • FAO/WFP (2007) Highly pathogenic avian influenza: A rapid assessment of the socio-economic impact on vulnerable households in Egypt. A joint study by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme, Cairo, Egypt.
  • FAO (2006) Rapid assessment of HPAI socio-economic impacts in Turkey, by E. Geerlings. Report produced for the FAO ECTAD Socio-economic Working Group, November 2006. Rome.
  • Van’t Hooft K, Millar D, Geerlings E and Django S (2006) Endogenous Livestock Development in Cameroon: Exploring the potential of local initiatives for livestock development. Agromisa Foundation, ETC Foundation/Compas, Heifer Netherlands/Heifer Cameroon/Heifer USA.
  • Geerlings, E (2004) The Black sheep of Rajasthan. Seedling, October 2004, p 11-16.
  • Geerlings E., Mathias E. & Köhler-Rollefson I. (2002) Securing tomorrow’s food. Promoting the sustainable use of farm animal genetic resources. Ober-Ramstadt, Germany, League for Pastoral Peoples.

Contributed to

  • FAO (2007). The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, edited by Barbara Rischkowsky & Dafydd Pilling. Rome.

FAO (2006) Planning Livestock Interventions with a Gender and HIV/AIDS lens. FAO’s Socio-Economic and Gender Analysis (SEAGA) Programme.

  • Upton M. (2006) A Framework for Identifying Market and Trade Impacts of HPAI and its Control. Paper presented at the Symposium on The Market and Trade Dimensions of Avian Influenza. Rome, Italy, 14 November 2006.

Conference presentations

ISVEE 2018

15th International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology & Economics held in Chiang Mai from 12-16 November 2018.

 

ISVEE 2012

13th International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology & Economics held in Maastricht from 20-24 November 2012.

 

Health and production indicators of small ruminants in the care of migratory pastoralists serviced by DCA-trained veterinary paraprofessionals in Afghanistan

“HPAI risk perception of poultry keepers within the traditional poultry sector in Egypt”