Darren Connaghan

connaghanInitially trained as a Cartographer and as a GIS scientist, Darren has over 12 years consultancy experience in the UK and overseas. He has worked on a variety of short (2-4 months) and longer term (18-21 months) projects in 4 distinct regions (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia). Darren is able to apply his GIS skills to a variety of specialist fields ranging from Oil and Gas exploration, Fisheries management, Tourism, Environment monitoring, GPS/GIS training, Cartographic design and more recently, the important field of Humanitarian activities in post disaster scenarios via his voluntary involvement in www.mapaction.org. His leadership skills and flexible approach to problems enables him to see the answers to many technical and difficult problems.

Emaildarren.connaghan @ thenrgroup.net

CVConnaghan CVConnaghan CV

Country ExperienceArmenia, China, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, USA, Yemen

Paul Schoen

Paul Schoen

Paul Schoen is seasoned agricultural economist with over 29 years of international experience in development projects.  After undertaking three university degrees (Hull University, London School of Economics (MSc International Relations, Law and Politics) and Wye College (MSc in Agricultural Economics), UK) he undertook various long and short term assignments in Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, and other parts of Asia (South, South East, and Far East), all regions of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and CIS States. He is experienced in monitoring and evaluation (including mid-term, terminal and ex-post evaluations), economic and financial analysis, project identification, project-preparation, and appraisal and cost-benefit analysis. Evaluations have also utilized tools such as multiplier effects (employment generation and gross margin analysis across sectors analysed) and value chain analysis. He conducts studies as well as business planning and SME support.  He has worked mainly on agricultural development programmes and projects including design of sector support initiatives and strategies for agrarian change such as trade, finance and investment options.  In addition, he provides independent project monitoring and evaluation services to a wide range of organisations including development agencies, NGOs, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and charities. He has also lead a team on developing a portfolio to access climate change funds available worldwide for Nigerian agricultural development. Most of his missions have  been undertaken for UNDP (he worked initially as a Junior Professional Officer when he first started in 1992), EC, FAO, DFID, LuxDev, IFAD, SNV, USAID and USDA, World Bank and numerous private sector corporations and foundations including Agha Khan and ACDI VOCA.

In recent years he has been asked to work on regional SME development (such as for SADC which covered 16 member states), value chain development and strategy formulation.

Other recent work has been supporting the complete overhaul of the Novi Sad Commodity Exchange (NSCOMEX – formerly Produktna Berza)) in Serbia where he is leading a small team of technology, trading and legal specialists) for GIZ and the Government of Serbia (Ministry ion Agriculture). He has also worked in Saudi Arabia in 2018 and 2019 on aquaculture Red Sea development and a global strategy formulation for the National Date Palm Centre.

Emailpaul.schoen @ thenrgroup.net; paul_schoen@yahoo.com 

CV: http://Paul Schoen CV (June 2020) (y).docx

Country Experience: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Hungary, India, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Laos, Liberia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, PNG, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudia Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, the Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia.

Availability: Please enquire.

Roger Bancroft

Roger Bancroft - Plant Pathologist

Roger Bancroft is a plant pathologist and has worked with plant diseases and physiological disorders for 30 years. His specialism is the post-harvest management of fresh horticultural produce (fruits, flowers, vegetables, spices, bulbs and root crops etc.) and agricultural crops (such as grains, cereals and oilseeds etc.) and the identification and amelioration of rots, moulds and quality defects that arise during their trading and marketing. He is often commissioned to: investigate the defective ripening of fruits or the cause of deterioration, spoilage and mycotoxin production in storage facilities, containers, reefer and ships’ cargoes etc.; undertake studies to determine weaknesses in supply chains; appraise post-harvest handling practices; quantify biological and economic losses, and prepare forensic expert witness reports and testimony. With over 20 years experience of teaching storage biology, pathology, physiology and post-harvest technology to a wide range of clients from producers, traders, extension staff, importers/exporters to university and PhD students, he is well placed to design and deliver bespoke training courses and prepare dissemination materials. Roger has been engaged in technology transfer, and research and development projects in the UK, the Caribbean and Africa. Most initiatives have involved the study and application of technical interventions and the modification of handling practices to reduce post-harvest losses. He has experience in all aspects of project realisation from conception and design to day-to-day management, reporting and evaluation. Inherent in all such projects has been capacity building of individuals, teams and resource groups.

Email:  roger.bancroft @ thenrgroup.net

CV:  Roger Bancroft CV

Country Experience:  Algeria, Antigua, Barbados, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Egypt, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom.

Availability:

Alan Mills

Alan MillsAlan is a geographer with over 20 years experience of information management, natural resource management, bio-geographical research and development. He is a specialist in development issues in small island developing states and shared information sources for cross-agency use, and is working currently in Africa, Caribbean, and South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. He has extensive experience in knowledge management, Geographical information Systems (GIS), database design and execution, mapping and programming, analysis and in management of corporate scale GIS. Alan has a Masters degree in remote sensing and has worked with aerial photography, low and high-resolution satellite imagery. Interests include island systems environmental management, coastal zone management, fisheries information, disaster management, land use and management, property titling,  pest control and physical planning. Alan has strong teaching skills and has trained personnel in GIS, remote sensing, programming and natural resource management.

Alan was awarded an MBE in the UK 2021 New Year’s Honours List for his services to International Development.

Email:  alan.mills @ thenrgroup.net
CV:  CV English 

Country Experience: Anguilla, Argentina, Ascension Island, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Burundi, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Congo Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ghana, Italy (FAO), Fiji,  Guinea, Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius (inc. Rodrigues), Montserrat, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles (Curacao), Philippines, SerbiaSierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Tanzania (inc. Zanzibar), ThailandTrinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda,  US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, VanuatuZambia, Zimbabwe

Availability:  Short term overseas up to 3 months, longer term inputs from UK or multiple trips.

Links:
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