Catherine Allen

Catherine Allen is a seasoned social development specialist with a rich background in sustainability, inclusion, and poverty reduction. With over 25 years of experience, Catherine has worked extensively in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, engaging with diverse stakeholders from NGOs, governmental agencies, private sectors, research institutions, and international donor agencies like the EU, USAID, DFID, and UN. Her expertise spans across rural development, agricultural value chains, food systems, social impact analysis, climate change adaptation, and community development.

Catherine holds a Professional Diploma in Development Oriented Research in Agriculture from ICRA in Wageningen, an MSc in Applied Parasitology and Medical Entomology from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Zoology from the University of Leeds. Her educational background complements her practical experience in the field.

Throughout her career, Catherine has led various roles such as Team Leader for evaluations, Director, Principal Consultant, and Technical Advisor in organizations like INTRAC, Environments and Livelihoods, IMC Worldwide, Sustrans, and Concern Worldwide. She specializes in designing and conducting complex assessments, evaluations, and studies using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including agricultural value chain analysis, social impact assessments, due diligence, vulnerability assessments, and scoping studies. Catherine has a wealth of experience in different countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Kenya, Nigeria, USA, and many others, gaining insights into international and sectoral standards.