Valentine J. Gandhi
A results-driven senior executive and strategic consultant with over 24 years of leadership across monitoring, evaluation and learning, digital innovation, and policy advisory. Founder of the international think tank The Development CAFE, working with governments, donors and institutions in more than 40 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
Bridging the worlds of technology and evidence
Valentine Joseph Gandhi (Val) began his career in information technology before crossing into international development, founding The Development CAFE to connect two worlds that rarely spoke to each other: frontier technology and rigorous evaluation. Two decades on, that bridge has carried large-scale programmes across Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, including crisis and fragile contexts such as Myanmar, Afghanistan and Somalia.
He has held six Chief of Party appointments on flagship USAID monitoring, evaluation and learning platforms, and his advisory work extends to the FCDO Cyber Authority, national cybersecurity agencies across the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN sectoral bodies, the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group, IFAD, IAEA and Sida.
As developer of the FRAME methodology for responsible AI in evaluation, he now leads the conversation on how generative AI, blockchain and data science can strengthen, rather than shortcut, the evidence that development decisions depend on.
- PhD, Economics & Social SciencesIndian Institute of Technology, Bombay
- Executive Diploma, Strategy & InnovationSaïd Business School, University of Oxford
- Master of Social WorkMadras Christian College
- Founder, The Development CAFEInternational research & development think tank, active since 2001
- Global NetworksINTEVAL member · EES EvalEdge host · IDS Livelihoods Network (Hon. Chair, 2010-12)
A career you can read in the data
Engagement intensity by domain and the sectors where that evidence has been put to work.
Engagement by domain
Sectors evaluated
- Governance, Health & Education
- Infrastructure, Energy & ICT
- Agriculture, Food Security & Climate
- Digital, Cyber & Innovation
- Trade, MSMEs & Economic Growth
Six domains, one standard of rigour
Select a domain to explore the projects behind it, with clients, roles and years.
Six-time Chief of Party on USAID MEL platforms and evaluator for the world's leading institutions. From mission-wide CDCS strategies to ex-post cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure portfolios, the throughline is evidence that decision-makers actually use.
DFC Critical Infrastructure Portfolio Evaluation
One-year, multi-country evaluation of 15 infrastructure projects across energy, transport, logistics and ICT, combining qualitative assessment with ex-post cost-benefit analysis.
USAID PIMMELA
Led the 14-country Indo-Pacific MEL Activity across performance management, third-party monitoring, evaluation, CLA and health MEL services.
USAID MELSA Southeast Asia
Directed the regional MEL Services Support Activity across four CLINs; delivered 46 service requests, grew the portfolio five-fold, and earned consistently excellent CPARs.
MEL Support for USAID/Indonesia
Supported the Mission's five-year CDCS; delivered 30+ workshops and evaluations including USAID CEGAH, KUNCI, the Natuna study and the GESI Assessment of Papua.
IAEA Regional Cooperation Review
Expert panel review of the Agency's inter-regional cooperation mechanisms, including site visits to nuclear facilities in Indonesia and Vietnam.
World Bank Results & Performance Report
Analysis for the IEG's flagship RAP 2021, coding outcomes and risk across the World Bank Group portfolio and explaining ten-year performance trends.
IFAD Indonesia Country Strategy Evaluation
Field-led evaluation of IFAD's Indonesia investments on NRM, climate change, innovation and scaling to inform the next country strategy.
Safe Online Evaluation Support
Advised the Safe Online pillar on grantee selection and MEL frameworks; convened the Evaluation Advisory Group.
USAID Zambia CDCS Evaluation
Performance evaluation of USAID Zambia's entire country portfolio: 45 projects spanning health, education, governance, food security and climate.
Developer of the FRAME methodology for responsible AI in evaluation. From blockchain pilots for refugees to a forthcoming Routledge volume on generative AI, this is frontier technology held to evidence standards.
From Algorithms to Evidence
Co-editing (with Kerry Bruce and Steffen Bohni Nielsen) a volume on using generative AI responsibly across the evaluation cycle, grounded in the FRAME methodology.
FRAME Methodology
A structured framework for responsible adoption of AI across the evaluation cycle, presented to evaluation societies and applied in donor MEL systems.
GEI Launchpad, Tech4Good
Advised the GEI's Launchpad on building evaluation capacity in the global south using digital technologies, incubator design and mentorship networks.
NIRAS Data Futures Hub
Co-founded a centre of excellence for harnessing big data, blockchain, AI, drones and IoT for development, with evaluation frameworks for frontier tech.
Blockchain for Refugees
Designed and piloted an R4D project exploring blockchain-based payment and identity mechanisms for refugee populations, with scoping visits to Helsinki's fintech ecosystem.
Drones for Development
Expanded drone use by NGOs, governments and universities: 3D precision-farming maps with Balinese rice farmers, emergency-response fleets, and multi-stakeholder policy assessments across East Africa and Southeast Asia.
Trusted by the FCDO Cyber Authority and national cybersecurity agencies across the Indo-Pacific. Frameworks, roadmaps and training that make cyber capacity measurable.
Indo-Pacific Cyber Programme
Advised Work Stream 5 on cyber skills and awareness, providing MEL guidance and capacity building for four national cybersecurity agencies.
FCDO Actor-Agnostic Cybersecurity Pathway
Developed an adaptable cybersecurity engagement framework applicable across diverse country and institutional contexts.
Satu Sehat Health App Security
Designed and delivered cybersecurity training modules for the national One Health digital platform serving Indonesia's health system.
SME Cybersecurity, Indonesia
Designed and executed nationwide cybersecurity training for small and medium enterprises through Indonesia's national agency.
Fintech & Crypto Exchange Guidance
Developed technical cybersecurity guidance for Indonesia's fintech sector and cryptocurrency exchanges.
US-ASEAN Cybersecurity Roadmap
Designed and delivered cybersecurity capacity-building and roadmap training for ASEAN member state IT staff and Secretariat personnel.
Digital strategy from village-level MIS to bilateral donor policy. Turning transformation from a buzzword into working systems, adopted institutions, and measured outcomes.
Sida Digitalisation Capacity Assessment
Conducted and published a multi-region digitalisation capacity assessment to shape the Swedish Government's digital strategy for Africa.
Ministry of Villages Digital Tools
Led an organisational capacity assessment and development of a mobile application for managing village interventions across Indonesia.
Social Impact Digital Strategy
Developed the firm's corporate digital strategy and Tech4Good initiative portfolio.
KOMPAK MIS & MEL Framework
Developed management information systems and the MEL framework for the Governance for Growth programme.
GIZ Indonesia M&E System
Designed and built the monitoring and evaluation system for GIZ Indonesia's portfolio.
ICT4D Tools & Wearables
Built ICT4D applications for the development sector, including IoT and wearable technology for farmers, with curricula co-developed with local universities.
Trade facilitation research across ASEAN and AANZFTA economies. Evidence for regional integration, from e-licensing systems to the barriers facing women-led exporters.
AANZFTA E-Licensing Case Study
Led a multi-economy case study on electronic licensing among AANZFTA members, working with multiple national banks and synthesising findings into policy recommendations.
Women MSMEs in Export Markets
Mapped barriers and opportunities for women-led MSMEs in export markets, delivering an integrated research report, ecosystem map, export guidebook and stakeholder action plan.
ASCC M&E Enhancement
Mapped M&E frameworks across ASCC Sectoral Bodies and designed capacity-building workshops on results-based planning and AI integration in M&E.
DFID Prosperity Fund Evaluation
Evaluated the Low Carbon Programme and the Human Capital, Innovation and Technology programme across Southeast Asia.
KickStart International
Seconded as Associate Director for Impact Evaluation and Monitoring at a social enterprise scaling irrigation technology for smallholder entrepreneurs.
Addressing Extreme Poverty
Lead qualitative researcher for South India in a three-country study on balancing prevention and protection in extreme poverty programming.
A decade of field science before the boardroom. Doctoral research on vulnerability and HIV/AIDS in the semi-arid tropics, and multi-country agricultural R4D leadership with CGIAR.
Africa RISING, Feed the Future
Project leader and Principal Investigator for the IWMI component, evaluating multi-stakeholder farm interventions across three African regions and introducing solar innovations untested in Ethiopia.
LIVES & Humid Tropics
Measured livestock and irrigation value chains with a gender lens; developed livelihood typologies and ICT-based knowledge transfer to farmers via mobile.
SILC Impact Evaluation, Zambia
Led a large-scale RCT under the eight-country USAID Implementation Science Investment, assessing savings-group impacts on child and household wellbeing while mentoring nearly 200 local researchers.
IRRAD Research Centre
Head of research at a grassroots organisation in Mewat, Haryana, evaluating water, health, life-skills and agriculture programmes and establishing the centre as a funded think tank.
Tracking Rural Poverty
Researched coping strategies of poor households facing shocks, with focus on HIV/AIDS impacts and climate resilience in fragile lands.
PhD: Vulnerability in Marginal Lands
Doctoral research on migration and HIV/AIDS linkages and their impact on poverty, published with UNU-WIDER.
40+ countries, four continents, one hub
Programmes led or supported from a base in Jakarta, radiating across the Indo-Pacific, South Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
Southeast Asia & Pacific
- Indonesia (base)
- Philippines
- Thailand · Malaysia
- Vietnam · Myanmar
- PNG & 12 Pacific Islands
- Mongolia
South & Central Asia
- India
- Afghanistan
- Multi-country ASEAN & AANZFTA platforms
Africa
- Kenya · Ethiopia
- Zambia · Nigeria
- Somalia
- Regional digitalisation for Sida
Europe & Americas
- United Kingdom
- Sweden · Finland
- United States
- World Bank & IEG engagements
Creating Sustainable Impact: "Feel Good" vs. "Real Good"
In this TEDx talk, Valentine unpacks the difference between technology that merely feels good and interventions that do real good: building safety nets, reducing vulnerability, and creating resilience that leads to genuine sustainability.
"Technology does not replace evidence. Used with rigour, it makes evidence faster, fairer and harder to ignore."
Shaping how the field thinks
EvalEdge Podcast
Host of the European Evaluation Society's podcast on innovations in evaluation. Recent conversations include:
- AI, monitoring and evaluation in challenging environments
- How AI reshapes relationships between evaluation stakeholders (with fteval)
- Participatory futures with ParEvo creator Dr. Rick Davies
- Navigating AI and policy evaluation
From Algorithms to Evidence
Co-editing this Routledge volume with Kerry Bruce and Steffen Bohni Nielsen on using generative AI responsibly across the evaluation cycle, grounded in the FRAME methodology he developed. A practical guide for evaluators navigating the AI transition.
INTEVAL & Publications
Member of the International Evaluation Research Group; published with UNU-WIDER on livelihood risk from HIV in the semi-arid tropics; former Honorary Chair of the IDS Livelihoods Network Steering Committee; TEDx speaker ("Feel Good vs. Real Good", 2018); regular speaker at MERL Tech and evaluation conferences worldwide.
Let's build the evidence together
Whether you are scoping an evaluation, designing a digital transformation strategy, strengthening cybersecurity capacity, or exploring responsible AI for your MEL systems, the first conversation is always the most valuable one.