Lala Kasimova is an M&E specialist in MSI’s Strategy, Evaluation and Analysis practice area with ten years of research experience. Ms. Kasimova has a strong background in research methods, reporting, and managing learning outcomes. Currently she serves as evaluation specialist for a large-scale final performance evaluation of the Office of Transition Initiatives’ 10-year program in Pakistan. She supported USAID’s largest M&E support contract for USAID/Pakistan under the Evaluations and Assessments and the Performance Monitoring and Learning units, managing a range of analytical assignments and third-party monitoring activities. Prior to this, she was engaged with the firm’s third-party monitoring efforts in Sudan as M&E Knowledge Manager; this role emphasized her skills in data collection, analysis, and client reporting to support learning and evidence-based decision-making in a conflict-sensitive environment. In 2016, MSI completed the Evaluation Utilization Study for USAID’s PPL Bureau, under which she supported the study team as both researcher and team manager. She supported various USAID Missions and USAID’s strategic planning and policy guidance efforts in a program management role for various support mechanisms between 2012 and 2016. Lala is fluent in Russian and German, and has conversational Azerbaijani and Arabic. She holds a B.A. from Cornell University and is pursuing a master’s degree from The George Washington University.

Kathryn Rzeszut is a Senior Expert in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) who recently relocated to Integrity’s Washington, DC office after spending four years working on the Syria crisis response. As a conflict and stabilisation specialist, she focuses primarily on MEL in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS). Between 2014-2019, she led Integrity’s Third-Party Monitoring of a multi-donor security & justice stabilisation programme in Syria. In 2017-18, she led ICAI’s Review of DFID’s Humanitarian Support in Syria. Prior to joining Integrity, she spent nearly four years as a Research Fellow at the University of York’s Post-war Reconstruction & Development Unit (PRDU) where she was responsible for the management and expert delivery of applied research projects and evaluations. This position provided her with broad cross-sectoral experience in thematic areas as varied as aid financing and effectiveness, disaster risk reduction, education in emergencies, gender, governance, and resilience. Kathryn has worked in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Turkey amongst other countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Africa. She holds a BA in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and an MA in Post-war Recovery Studies from the University of York.

Sonia Moldovan is the Senior Technical Lead for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) at Mercy Corps. She is a development practitioner with more than a decade of experience implementing MEL systems, developing learning agendas and managing evaluations. At Mercy Corps Ms. Moldovan leads the MEL team, provides technical assistance to program teams, conducts annual learning workshops and contributes to thought leadership on resilience measurement and adaptive management. At RTI Ms. Moldovan developed the governance learning agenda, designed and led evaluations including a developmental evaluation for the Aspen Institute and impact evaluations in Uganda and Indonesia. Ms. Moldovan managed MEL teams for USAID and DFID-funded program in Afghanistan, South Sudan and the Sahel and trained teams on qualitative approached including outcome mapping and Most Significant Change. She holds a Master of Economic Development and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University.

Travis Mayo is an Evaluation Specialist with USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL). Within PPL Travis specializes in the use of monitoring and evaluation to support adaptive management and organizational learning. He’s the Activity Manager for PPL’s Global Learning for Adaptive Management (GLAM) contract. His past professional experiences include working for the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group, USAID Global Health Bureau, and serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa. He has an undergraduate degree from Penn State Univ. in Political Science and a graduate degree from George Washington Univ. Elliott School in International Development Studies.