Judith Randel
Profile
Judith is a co-founder and Director of Development Initiatives and provides strategic direction for the organisation.
Prior to establishing Development Initiatives in 1992, Judith job shared the role of Director of Public Affairs at
ActionAid.
Judith is well known in the NGO and donor communities for her work on data and financing related to poverty
eradication and people living in crisis. As ED of Development Initiatives, she has lead work on trackingresources, access
to data and the International AidTransparency Initiative. Her work on financing and trends includes The Reality of Aid
(1992 -2003), the Global Humanitarian Assistance reports (2000 - date) and Investments to End Poverty (2013) - see
www.devinit.org and www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org
Appointments

2014 -2016
Independent Expert Group, Global Nutrition Report

2014 -2016
World Humanitarian Summit, effectiveness group

2013 to 2015
Member of Council for the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex

2013 - 2014
Member of the OECD/DAC “Expert Reference Group” on development finance

2009 - 2013
Member of the International Aid Transparency Initiative Steering Group

2000 -2001
Member of the Africa Partnership Initiative under then UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair

1999 - 2001
Honorary Secretary, Development Studies Association UK

1999 - 2001
Trustee ODI and Member ODI Council

1992 - 2000
Visiting Fellow, University of Bath, Centre for Development Studies

1994 - 1996
Trustee and Executive Member, VSO
Qualifications
UNIVERSITY OF BATH
MSc (Distinguished), Development Studies
BATH, UK
1981
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, SCHOOL OF LAW
Bachelor of Laws, LLB
SOUTHAMPTON, UK
1977
Country Work Experience
UK, USA, Europe, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia
Professional Experience
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
DIRECTOR
ESTABLISHMENT OF AIDINFO PROGRAMME
 DI is implementing a major programme with support from the Gates and
Hewlett Foundations to increase access to information on resource flows for
poverty reduction. This work involves in depth analysis of statistical systems,
BRISTOL, UK
1992 - PRESENT
2006 - PRESENT
www.devinit.org
Name |2
engagement with a range of stakeholders to build support for necessary action,
technical work to propose appropriate methodologies
ONE / DATA
 Provide research, monitoring and analysis on the extent to which G8 countries 2004 - 2012
are fulfilling commitments made on progress towards the MDGs
CHRONIC POVERTY RESEARCH CENTRE
 Linking research and policy, promoting attention to Chronic Poverty in
development policy
SWEDISH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
 Study on overhead charges in humanitarian assistance, reviewed implications 2007 - 2008
of the current approach to overheads and identified possible
recommendations for consideration by the Good Humanitarian Donorship
Initiative
IRISH AID – VULNERABILITY STUDY
 For Irish Aid, the concept of ‘vulnerability’ has repeatedly emerged as one 2007 - 2008
which can help inform and frame thinking and approaches towards enhanced
poverty reduction. Studied Irish Aid programme and identified how it could be
improved to better meet the needs of vulnerable populations
IRISH AID – SPECIAL GHA REPORT: PRIVATE AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL FUNDING FLOWS FOR
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS
 Through detailed analysis and a report, this project identified volumes and 2007 – 2008
characteristics of private givings to NGOs, identified implications of scale of
private funding and reviewed and validated key findings with EU NGOs and
coalitions
DANISH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
 Study on earmarking and visibility in humanitarian assistance. Investigation 2007 - 2008
and explanation of the impact unearmarked funding has on multilateral
disbursements, identifying patterns, exploring the needs for visibility and
sought out examples of best practice
OECD: OECD PEER REVIEWS
 Ran a training programme for the DCD Peer Review Team on the assessment 2007
of humanitarian assistance and supported the DCD on peer reviews for Spain
and Finland
SAVE THE CHILDREN UK – NUTRITION ADVOCACY
 Research, stakeholder consultation and drafted an Evaluation Report on 2006
Nutrition Advocacy
TSUNAMI EVALUATION COALITION (TEC
 Analysis of overall funding flows in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2005 - 2006
December 2004 and the UN appeal
COMMISSIONED BY FORUM – INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER CO-OPERATION SURVEY AND REPORT
 Completed an annual survey and report on international volunteering trends, 2005 - 2006
involving contact with over 25 International Volunteer Sending Organisations
in the USA, Europe, Asia and Africa
www.devinit.org
Name |3
Pre2005
ROLE OF NON-DAC DONORS IN HUMANITARIAN AID EXPENDITURE
 Contributed a chapter which featured in research report published September 2005
2005 titled ‘Diversity in donorship: The changing landscape of humanitarian
aid’. Carried out a detailed examination of the aid expenditure of non-DAC
donors between 1999 and 2004
WATERAID AND TEARFUND – EUROPEAN UNION WATER INITIATIVE
 Carried out a review of the European Union Water Initiative (EUWI)
2005
ODI – ROLE OF NON-DAC DONORS IN HUMANITARIAN AID EXPENDITURE
 Contributed a chapter which featured in their research report published in 2005
September 2005 titled ‘Diversity in donorship: The changing landscape of
humanitarian aid’. Carried out a detailed examination of the aid expenditure
of non-DAC donors between 1999 and 2004
COMMISSIONED BY THE UK, NETHERLANDS, CANADA, DENMARK AND SWEDEN
 The aim was to reach consensus with key UN partners and donors on the 2005
establishment of pooled fund mechanisms in Sudan and DRC, in order to
deliver the humanitarian workplan
COMMISSIONED BY WHO – WHO TSUNAMI EVALUATION
 Analysed funding flows for health in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami. 2005
Presented at the WHO Phuket conference on Health Aspects of the Tsunami
Disaster in Asia, May 2005
COMMISSIONED BY CIDSE – EUROPEAN MDG REPORT
 Wrote an NGO report assessing EU performance on MDG Goal 8. Reviews of 2005
performance of all EU Member States against MDG Goal 8
COMMISSIONED BY THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT OFFICE
 Conducted research on Global Funds for development assistance
2005
 Commissioned background papers for the Human Development Report 2005 on New Thinking on Aid and Social
Assistance and Aid Data analysis
 Human Development Forum - Coordination of session on ODA challenges for UNDP and the Ministère des Affaires
Entrangeres
 Prepared paper for the Ottawa International Good Humanitarian Donorship Meeting October 2004 on donor and
international agency funding models for humanitarian assistance
 DFID: Making Development Work for the Poorest – commissioned by DFID to research and organise a high level
international donor seminar
 International Finance Facility and 0.7%
 Evaluation of Swiss Bilateral Engagement
 Researching and editing eight annual editions of The Reality of Aid
 Provision of detailed analysis of aid flows to Afghanistan to UN Special Representative on Resource Mobilisation
during 2002
 HelpAge: Policy analysis, advice, research and policy engagement on social pensions
 Report commissioned by Eurodad to enable European NGOs to prepare a position on the IFF
 Independent review of ActionAid funding and advocacy relationships with Northern donors
www.devinit.org
Name |4
 Evaluation of Global View NGO campaign on aid volume for six major UK development NGOs
 Poverty Elimination: The role of Economic & Social Research
 War on Want evaluation of Global Workplace
 Background paper on non-governmental aid flows for White Paper on Globalisation
 DFID: Designed and facilitated International Donor Workshop on Relations with Civil Society
 Analysis of selected donors for Alternative Approaches to Poverty Reduction Strategies
 Analysis of ‘Challenges to Promoting Basic Education for All through Sectoral Approaches in Education’
 Development Information and Using Southern Research
 Study in collaboration with UNICEF, UNDP, the OECD and Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs on ‘Aid for Basic
Social Services’
 Finance & Development Research Dissemination
 Managing Consultation Exercise for DFID NGO Unit on Strengthening Links with Civil Society
 Social Development Systems for Coordinated Poverty Eradication
 Evaluation of BOND
 Survey of Trends in Public Opinion and Political Attitudes to Aid
 Case studies of NGO - government relations in 16 OECD Countries for OECD
Career History
 1992 - Present
Director, Development Initiatives
 1989 - 1992
Director, Public Affairs, ActionAid
 1987 - 1989
Director, Home Division, ActionAid
 1977 - 1987
Various posts within ActionAid
www.devinit.org