2nd Annual Forum of the Water Community Bangalore, 23 - 25 July; contact for more information 3rd Annual Forum of the MCH Community Udaipur, Rajasthan; 17 & 18 March 2008 read more
Visioning Workshop of the Disaster Management Community New Delhi; 13-14 February 2008 read more
2nd Annual Forum of the Work & Employment Community Patna, Bihar; 20-22 February 2008 read more
The Solution Exchange Team works in the United Nations Agencies in India.
Click on the links in the box below to see our details.
Meet the Solution Exchange Team
UN Resident Coordinator's Office
UN Resident Coordinator India: Dr. Maxine Olson Has served as the UN Resident Coordinator in India since 2003, and has championed the development of Solution Exchange from its inception. Nineteen UN agencies are active in India with programmes on all aspects of the MDGs including health, education, governance, environment and livelihoods. Solution Exchange is the Country Team’s effort to build knowledge in these areas.
Coordination Unit
Co-ordinator: Anand Kumar
A rural development professional with 20 years of experience in rural livelihoods, natural resources management, and rural energy issues. Has worked in different roles in varied settings - as an activist, programme manager, and strategist.
Adviser: Steve Glovinsky 33 years as a UN official, as a manager of UNDP’s development programmes and adviser to over thirty governments in public management and reform. Created UNDP’s knowledge networks and the UN’s Solution Exchange in India. Currently taking Solution Exchange to other countries.
Mailgroup & Web Administrator: Vinita Aggarwal
An IT professional with over 10 years of experience in IT training, Software Development, Server Administration, Website Development for private, public sector and development sectors. She holds M.Sc (Computer Science) and various international certifications like M.C.S.D(Microsoft Certified Solution Developer)..etc.
Editor: Sarah Figge
A development professional with 6-years of experience, is primarily responsible for editing Consolidated Replies for Solution Exchange India and reviewing the knowledge products and communication material generated by and for the Communities.
Operations Assistant: Mayank Aggarwal
Mayank comes to us with over 4 years of experience working with Pratham, both in Programme and Operations roles. Among other things, he started Pratham’s education project with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in Uttarakhand, and has managed the ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) 2005 and 2006, facilitated by Pratham for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh
Office Assistant: Rajender Kumar
Has nearly two years experience working with Solution Exchange, providing a range of support to the Resource Teams, including operational and event management assistance.
AIDS Community
aids-se@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Dr. E. Mohamed Rafique Venereologist by profession, a McArthur fellow and IT professional with twenty one years of experience in HIV and STI
Research Associate: Dr. Nabeel MK
A Medical doctor with six years of experience in teaching hospitals, Dr Nabeel had been a Trainer on HIV related areas. He has been recently nominated as the National Coordinator for the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. An Informatics enthusiast, he holds IT related certifications and was associated with ISRO's telemedicine project at one of the previous institutions where he Coordinated the Centre for Tele-Health & Medical Informatics. He is trained in Bioethics and loves to pursue an interdisciplinary approach.
Decentralization Community
se-decn@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Vacant
Research Associate: Tina Mathur Holds a Masters Degree in Governance and Development from IDS, Sussex with a specialization in decentralized service delivery. Has provided advisory services and conducted research and training in public policy for organizations like the UN, DFID, ASCI and state governments.
Disaster Management Community
se-drm@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: G. Padmanabhan “GP” handles UNDP India’s Disaster Management portfolio since 1995, and was Team Leader implementing the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme. Worked one year for UNDP in Northern Iraq as senior manager of a large Electricity Network Rehabilitation Project.
Research Associate: Nupur Arora Before joining UNDP, spent 5-years as a Programme Officer with Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society, working on school safety initiatives for disaster mitigation and preparedness and contributed to the 2004 tsunami response efforts.
Education Community
se-ed@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Vacant
Research Associate: Sudakshina Mallick Researcher in education with an M.phil in the Sociology of Education from J.N.U. Also worked as a lecturer in the Dept. of Sociology, Delhi University and taught courses in education and sociology. Written articles and presented papers on elementary education in urban areas and worked as a development professional in Action Aid prior to joining Solutions Exchange.
Food & Nutrition Security Community
se-food@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Gopi N. Ghosh
A Fulbright Scholar with over 28 years of development experience in agriculture and rural management. Key competencies are: knowledge management, planning, policy analysis, project management. Manages the NFS network along with acting as Officer in Charge of FAO India.
Research Associate: T. N. Anuradha
A development professional with 9-years of grassroots experience in natural resource management and ICT for Development. Key competencies are: project planning and management, research, capacity building, development communication and advocacy.
Gender Community
se-gen@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Dr. Malika Basu
Malika comes to us with over 15 years of experience in research, evaluation, and policy analysis, especially focussing on gender, covering issues of participation and inclusion of marginalized communities, women’s empowerment, self help groups, livelihoods, development induced displacement and related problems . She has a MA in Political Science (JNU) and did her PhD in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague/The Netherlands.
Resource Associate : Vacant
ICT for Development Community
se-ictd@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Rajen Varada
Rajen has over 20 years of experience in both the private and the development sectors. Prior to joining us, Rajen worked as the Founding Director of “Technology for the People” (TFTP), a NGO based in south India. he brings a mix of technological solutions and practical experience in implementation of ICT solutions at the grass roots.
Research Associate: Gitanjali Sah
Has 6-years of experience with ICT for Development projects covering research, planning, initiation, fundraising, implementation and monitoring. Holds an M.Phil. in Development Studies from University of Cambridge and an M.A. in Political Science from JNU.
Maternal & Child Health Community
se-mch@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Meghendra Banerjee The first to join, in 2004, Meghendra previously worked as project manager, researcher, evaluation specialist and trainer in reproductive and child health. Has an MA in Economics, an MS in Demography & Health, and a post-graduate degree in Business Management.
Resource Associate: Vacant
Microfinance Community
se-mf@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Navin Anand
Has 20 years of experience of working in the rural development sector, especially co-operatives. Worked with CARE- CASHE micro-finance project, IFAD funded Livelihood Promotion Project (LIPH) and also in national and regional cooperative research & training institutes in India. Has PhD in Micro Finance from the University of Pune - on Self Help Groups in the development process of the Non-Farm sector.
Research Associate: Monika Khanna Monika holds a Masters degree in Social Work from Jamia Millia Islamia. She comes with over 4 years of grassroots experience in livelihoods, microfinance and skill development. She has worked with SRIJAN, a national level organization committed to promoting community, especially rural women run and owned livelihood initiatives. At Aide et Action she coordinated the organization's initiatives in 5 states, aimed at training the youth in market driven employable skills.
Water Community
se-wes@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Nitya Jacob
A media professional working in print, television and internet, with over 20 years of experience in social development and media, covering- water & environmental sanitation, traditional water management systems, and natural resource management.
Research Associate: Sunetra Lala
Sunetra has studied environmental management and environmental law. She has over 7 years of experience in the areas of project management, training, research and writing in the developmental sector. The areas of multidisciplinary developmental, research and writing work covering both the rural and urban milieu include, Corporate Sustainability Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Reporting, Urban labour, Water management and water-harvesting, Bio-diversity, its management and education, Waste management, Environment education, and others
Clean Technologies Community (Resource Team under recruitment)
Sustainable Environment Community (Resource Team under recruitment)
Work & Employment Community
se-emp@solutionexchange-un.net.in
Resource Person: Ranu Bhogal
Development professional with more than 20 years experience in the areas of NRM based livelihoods, empowerment and inclusion of marginalized communities, with substantial hands-on grassroots development work. A Hubert Humphrey Fulbright Fellow with specialization in Gender and International Development Planning
Research Associate: Warisha Yunus
Warisha has a Masters in Public Policy and Women's Studies from George Washington University, USA. She also has a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from Jamia Millia Islamia, India. In USA, she interned with ‘Gender Action’ and conducted a gender analysis of the World Bank administered Post-Tsunami Reconstruction Projects implemented in Indonesia. In India, she worked at the grassroots in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan with SRIJAN, an organisation that is engaged in reducing rural poverty.
