• Anna McCord – Research Fellow, Social Protection Programme
• Liam Sollis – Events Coordinator
• Marta Foresti – Head of Programme for Politics and Governance Programme
• Richard Biscoe – Previously Group Coordinating Officer and now Directorate Programme Officer

Anna McCord – Research Fellow, Social Protection Programme

When and why did you join ODI?
I joined ODI in September 2008. I had been involved with ODI indirectly, as a member of the NGO and then academic community for almost 20 years, and had always been very impressed by the quality and range of the work they did, so I was excited to have the opportunity to join them when a suitable post became available.

What does your role involve?
A real range of research activity, ranging from literature review, to primary research, to policy analysis and advisory work, often as part of multidisciplinary teams.

What do you most enjoy about working at ODI?
I enjoy the freedom to work on issues which interest me, with a range of excellent colleagues and collaborators from around the world, and having policy debates with donors and governments.

What are the challenges of your role?
There is always too much interesting work and too many opportunities!  The challenge is to try to work in such a way that each piece of research has direct constructive consequences, in terms of government and donors better managing their social protection programmes and budgets!

What is your most rewarding moment?
Being invited this year by the International Labour Organization, World Bank and the UK Department for International Development to share my work on Public Works programmes in Africa and how their design can influence whether they provide meaningful support for the chronically poor. This is an issue I have been working on for many years and is dear to my heart, so it is great to be able to have a discussion about it with the major donors who support these kind of programmes. 

How does ODI benefit your career aspirations?
I enjoy being at ODI, and have no plans to move on. But it is certainly a well respected institution, and being a part of it will, I am sure, always represent a positive marker on my CV for any future employers.

Liam Sollis – Events Coordinator

When and why did you join ODI?

I joined ODI in early 2008 as a temp looking for experience in a vibrant communications team with global reach. I was keen to take the opportunity to learn about using communications to promote research in affecting development policy for the better and I knew that ODI would be a good place to develop my capacity to do this.

What does your role involve?

I work within the Communications Team, trying to take a strategic view of the policy environment and how ODI research can best be promoted within it. We organise dozens of public meetings each year, it’s a key way of disseminating our work and generating discussion and debate. I organise our programme of events, hopefully ensuring that they are well prepared, lively, stimulating and that they reach our target audiences.

What do you most enjoy about working at ODI?

Luckily, my work allows me to work with people right across ODI, spanning all research interests. ODI has such a mix of interesting and talented individuals from around the world and of all age groups that no two events or projects are ever the same.

What are the challenges of your role?

ODI holds around 80 events a year so I have to manage a vast load of competing priorities from week to week. Making sure that each event reaches the high standards of content and delivery that both our staff and colleagues expect is a constant challenge that must always be met.

What is your most rewarding moment?

Watching the ODI rooms full to their capacity with dozens of people jostling to ask questions (and the same number again watching online) is always great. Knowing that the events we host have generated such a level of enthusiastic discussion amongst large numbers of engaged professionals really demonstrates to me the importance of holding public gatherings like we do. Luckily this is quite a regular occurrence, which helps keep me happy!

How does ODI benefit your career aspirations?

ODI has given me the opportunity to work in some fantastic locations with a range of influential and inspirational people. I can take this experience with me wherever I go and be confident that this and the support and training I have received will stand me in good stead wherever I may go next.

Marta Foresti – Head of Programme for Politics and Governance Programme

When and why did you join ODI?

I joined ODI in early January 2006. Having worked in the NGO and government sectors before, here in the UK and Italy, I wanted to work in an organisation where I could do quality research which is also relevant and useful for taking policies forward in practice.

What does your role involve?

I am responsible for the Politics and Governance programme, which means that I lead research and policy advisory work on such issues as fragile states, political governance in developing countries, justice and human rights.  My responsibilities include delivering a consistent and realistic programme of work in these areas, overseeing the production of good quality outputs, leading specific projects in my areas of expertise, line management and support of my team and keeping an eye on the wider debates to make sure that our work continues to be  relevant and cutting edge.

What do you most enjoy about working at ODI?

My colleagues, who are fun and engaging to work with. The variety of the work in which I am involved. The flexible working practices at ODI, which means I am trusted to deliver on my responsibilities in a way that allows me to balance my work and my life. The fact that I am learning new things all the time, from my colleagues, clients and the broader development community.

What are the challenges of your role?

As a Head of Programme a key challenge can be combining the tasks of having a financial target to ensure that the Politics and Governance programme contributes to ODI’s sustainability, project work, and programme management and coordination.

What is your most rewarding moment?

When my work – and more importantly, the work of my colleagues – is found to be useful and relevant by people who have the power to change things.

How does ODI benefit your career aspirations?

I have progressed in my career at ODI, from Research Fellow to Head of Programme. And I am learning new things all the time, both in terms of the issues on which I work, and on the practicalities of managing both people and finances.

Richard Biscoe – Previously Group Coordinating Officer and now Directorate Programme Officer

When and why did you join ODI?

I joined ODI in November 2008 having previously worked at the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for a year. While at DFID, I saw ODI’s then Director Simon Maxwell take part in a ‘question time’ session with Douglas Alexander, then Secretary of State for International Development. I was so impressed with Simon’s input to the debate I was prompted to find out more about ODI on its website and this led me to apply for my previous post in the Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme. A desire to work in international development with a group of like-minded people at the highest level was a key factor in my decision to join ODI.

What does your role involve?

As Group Coordinating Officer for RAPID I had a wide range of responsibilities. My main role was managing the budgets and administrative aspects of projects across the Institute through a funding agreement with DFID that is managed within RAPID. I also provided project support to one of ODI’s major internal projects to implement new internal project management processes and a new supporting IT system. Combined with financial reporting and providing support to other colleagues in RAPID, I was always busy. And I remain just as busy in my new role as Directorate Programme Officer, working with ODI’s Deputy Director on ODI operations!

What do you most enjoy about working at ODI?

There are two main things that make working at ODI enjoyable. Firstly, there is a very friendly working environment, with lots of social activities! More seriously, there is the opportunity to be involved in and learn about a wide variety of topics relating to international development. Each day brings about new challenges, but also new opportunities to learn.

What are the challenges of your role?

The challenges vary from project to project, but some common ones are tight deadlines for pieces of work and having a number of things of equal importance to do at once. However, I get great support from my colleagues of all levels and there are plenty of approachable people to offer advice if needed. Being involved in such a wide variety of tasks can take some getting used to, but careful planning is the key!

What is your most rewarding moment?

Part of the internal project to design and implement and new IT system in ODI has involved learning new project management techniques as we have proceeded with the project. As this was my first taste of formal, clearly structured project management it was highly rewarding to hear from the ODI Board that the documents produced by both myself and colleagues were some of, if not the best that they had seen. Given that the Board contains a number of people involved in very high level projects across a variety of industries this was a particular rewarding experience. However, the challenge now is too keep the high standards going throughout the project.

How does ODI benefit your career aspirations?

My role has, and continues to; provide me with new skills ranging from better budgeting and financial planning skills to formal project management training. It has also made me more aware of the wide variety of work that takes place in the name of international development, from the more widely seen projects dealing with water and agriculture to the less seen linking of good research with policy making. Finally, working at ODI has also made me more aware of the wide variety of organisations that work in international development. The skills and knowledge that I have learned and am continuing to develop will put me in an excellent position to pursue a career in project management in international development. However, the skills are also highly transferable should I ever wish to move into a career outside of this sector.