R4D Welcomes Three New Senior Fellows, Revamps Fellowship Program

December 14, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Results for Development (R4D) has welcomed three new senior fellows: Nathaniel Otoo, a director at the Ubora Institute in Accra, and former CEO of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Authority; Maureen Samms-Vaughan, the first chair of the Early Childhood Commission, a body established by the Government of Jamaica to develop the country’s early childhood sector; and Muchiri Nyaggah, who serves as executive director of the Local Development Research Institute in Nairobi. Mr. Otoo will provide leadership for a new health Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC), which R4D will launch in 2018, Ms. Samms-Vaughan will advise R4D’s education team on early childhood development projects, and Mr. Nyaggah will provide guidance on data for decision-making projects.

Since it was founded in 2008, R4D has invited prominent individuals with significant experience in the global development community or in implementing national reforms in their own countries to act as advisors and work alongside R4D staff. Recognizing the strategic importance of this role, R4D decided to reinvigorate its senior fellow program in 2017.

The new program formalizes and strengthens the relationship between R4D and its senior fellows, who are often internationally recognized experts in health, education, nutrition or in cross-cutting topics, such as sustainable financing and innovation.

“We are excited to welcome Nat, Maureen and Muchiri as our newest senior fellows,” said Gina Lagomarsino, president and CEO at Results for Development. “The senior fellows bring proven experience, expertise and leadership to R4D — often through a local lens — which complements the skills and expertise of our staff and helps us to better serve our partners.”

Mr. Otoo brings invaluable experience, from leading Ghana’s National Health Insurance Authority to moving Ghana toward universal health coverage. As a senior fellow, he will provide critical guidance on SPARC and R4D’s work with health and finance authorities to advance UHC in other countries and make public budgets work harder for health.

Ms. Samms-Vaughan is known for her seminal research, clinical work and policy development in the field of child health, child development and behavior. This expertise as well as her insights on multisectoral coordination and multistakeholder engagement in early childhood development will be a valuable asset to R4D’s health, education and nutrition teams working to identify more effective ways of working across various federal agencies and across sectors.

Mr. Nyaggah, a recognized expert on open data and open government, also brings extensive experience in technology and innovation. At R4D, he will strengthen efforts to leverage data and data-informed strategies to solve real-world problems.

Other senior fellows who were added this year include: Nicholas Burnett, a renowned economist focused on education, who previously led R4D’s education portfolio; Teresa Guthrie, an expert on health financing in Africa; and Michelle Neuman, a highly-regarded early childhood development expert.

For a full list of R4D fellows, click here.

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About Results for Development

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too. For more information, visit our website at: www.r4d.org.

Photo courtesy of the Center for Education Innovations.

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