Funding cuts and a growing number of consultants competing for work are changing both the scale and the nature of demand for their services in the international development and humanitarian assistance sectors. Yet a shrinking market does not shrink evenly: within the overall decline, some openings remain, and the question is whether consultants can see them and position themselves to secure them, rather than taking whatever work comes their way.
DevelopmentAid, in collaboration with Maria Ghazzaoui, an independent consultant in research, design, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and learning, invites professionals considering a move into independent consulting and those already exploring this career path to join the webinar “How Independent Consultants Can Win Work in a Shrinking Aid Sector”, which will take place on Thursday, November 19th, at 4 pm (Brussels) / 10 am (Washington, DC).
During this live session, Maria will discuss how consultants can come out stronger even during shocks and uncertainty. She will explain what market signals are and why they matter, how to identify your ‘Ideal Customer Profile’, and how to sharpen your market positioning, with examples and live demonstrations on the DevelopmentAid platform.
Maria Ghazzaoui, Independent Consultant
Research, Design, M&E, Learning, Lebanon
With more than 18 years of experience in the international cooperation sector, Maria Ghazzaoui works across the program cycle, from research to program and strategy design, to monitoring, evaluation (M&E) and learning, with a focus on economic development, gender equality and social inclusion, and localization. Based in Lebanon, she has delivered assignments across the Middle East and Africa for organizations such as UNDP, UNICEF, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services, CARE International, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation and others. Prior to launching into consulting five years ago, she held full-time roles in program leadership, implementation and M&E in the MENA region with Oxfam, UN Women and Global Affairs Canada.
Irina Bondarenco
Head of the Career Center at DevelopmentAid
For more than 15 years, Irina and her team have assisted individual consultants to create winning CVs, connect with potential employers, and identify short- and long-term projects in the development sector.