THE SECRETARIAT

The APP Secretariat was established in Geneva in 2008 to support Panel members in their outreach and public advocacy work. It also publishes a fortnightly news Bulletin; and action-oriented Policy Briefs and Information notes on topical and timely issues.

Caroline Kende-Robb

Caroline Kende-Robb

Executive Director

Caroline Kende-Robb is the newly appointed Exectuve Director of the APP. She was formerly with the World Bank where she has been working as a senior manager in the Sustainable Development Division for the past six years.  In this capacity, she has been charged with wide-ranging responsibilities including leading policy analysis and research on complex global issues including governance and accountability; resource mobilization in a changing and diverse aid environment; and assembling teams of world-class experts for operations and support.

Prior to the World Bank, Caroline held several positions that bring particularly useful background and experience for her new role at the APP.  She has been an Senior Advisor at the IMF, NGO Field Director, UNDP National Poverty Manager, Community Organizer, and Private Sector Manager. She has long demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable development and poverty reduction in Africa beginning her career as a volunteer in a small rural fishing village in The Gambia. She also is the author of the book ‘Can the Poor Influence Policy: Participatory poverty assessments in the developing world’ published by the World Bank.

She holds a BA in Geography from the University of Liverpool, UK (1983) and a MSc in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK (1994). She is married and has three daughters.

Violaine Beix

Violaine Beix

Partnerships Manager

Violaine has worked in development and communications in the public, private, and non‐profit sectors. Before joining the Africa Progress Panel, she was a researcher for Femmes Africa Solidarité and prior to that the Linguistic Attachée and Head of EduFrance at the French Embassy in Bangkok. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and IT from the University of Lille III and an MBA in management of International Organizations from the University of Geneva. She is also the co-founder of Hungry Man Books that publishes satires on international development
Jared Bloch

Jared Bloch

Communications Manager

Jared Bloch's biography will be available shortly

Alinka Brutsch

Alinka Brutsch

Intern, Research and Communications

Alinka recently completed an MSc in Media, Communication and Development at the London School of Economics (LSE). Her research interests include communication for development, community media, and citizen journalism in Africa. For her end-of-year dissertation, Alinka wrote about community media in her home country, South Africa, and focused specifically on the Iindaba Ziyafika Citizen Journalism Project at Grocott’s Mail, the country’s oldest independent newspaper. Prior to attending LSE, Alinka worked as a journalist and has written for various newspapers and magazines in South Africa and Switzerland. Alinka is a 2009 recipient of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.
Peter da Costa

Peter da Costa

Senior Advisor, Policy and Strategic Communications

Peter da Costa is a development policy and strategic communication specialist who has worked extensively in Africa as well as on global issues and initiatives for more than two decades. A trained journalist, he reported from West Africa during the early 1990s for a range of print, broadcast and multimedia outlets. In 1994 he became Regional Director for Africa of Inter Press Service, a global media and development communication agency, and moved to Zimbabwe. In 1997 he was appointed Senior Communication Adviser to the UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, headquartered in Ethiopia. In 2003 he left the UN to pursue doctoral studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and was subsequently awarded a Ph.D. in Development Studies. His areas of expertise include Translating Research into Policy; Strategic Communication; Monitoring and Evaluation; and Organizational Development. He consults extensively with multilateral and bilateral development agencies, philanthropic foundations and civil society organizations. He originates from The Gambia and Ghana, is married with two children, and is currently based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kibrom Mehari

Kibrom Mehari

Intern, Research

Kibrom is a master’s candidate in Development Studies, specializing in conflict and development at the Graduate Institute, Geneva. He has previously worked as a teaching and research assistant at the University of Asmara and as a socio-economic development planner at the Ministry of National Development, Eritrea, where he worked for more than four years. He was active, among other things, in the preparation of Eritrea’s First Indicative Five Year Development Plan. He holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Asmara. His research and career interests include post-conflict state-building, migration and development, and rural and agricultural development.

Temitayo Omotola

Temitayo Omotola

Programme Officer/Special Assistant to the Executive Director

Temitayo joined the Africa Progress Panel in October 2008. A Nigerian national, she previously worked at the International Bureau of Education (IBE/UNESCO) as a Program Assistant under the HIV/AIDS Cross-cutting Program and as a Consultant for UNIDO. Temitayo holds a master’s degree in Political Science from Fordham University, is a volunteer for ICVolunteers and is married with 2 children.
Zelalem Teferra

Zelalem Teferra

Intern, Research

Zelalem is an Ethiopian PhD student in International Law at the Graduate Institute of Geneva University. He has earned his Bachelor Degree in Laws with honor from Jimma University, Ethiopia, and his Advanced Masters in International Humanitarian Law with distinction from the Geneva Academy of Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. He also worked as an assistant lecturer of law at the School of Law, Jimma University, between 2007-2010.


If you are passionate about Africa and think you can be an asset to our team, please send your CV to HR@africaprogresspanel.org. Please visit our Job page

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