The year 2020 marks the start of the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. From eliminating poverty and hunger to reversing climate change, this period was set to advance a shared vision and accelerate responses to the world’s gravest challenges. Ever since the 2030 Agenda launched in 2015, some gains were visible: the share of children and youth out of school had fallen; the incidence of many communicable diseases was on the decline; access to safely managed drinking water had improved; and women’s representation in leadership roles was increasing. However, the year greeted us with an unknown – The COVID-19.
M.K. Padma Kumar is involved in developing strategies and managing operations for the IPE Global Group.
He has over 25 years of experience in the development sector, working in civil society organisations and international development agencies like DANIDA and DFID. As the Head of State Partnerships at the DFID India, he was responsible for developing partnerships, programme design, management and strategic oversight of all programmes implemented in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. He has managed various development programmes. His expertise lies in driving operational, financial and programmatic transformations. Before DFID, he was associated with Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Help Age and World Wildlife Fund.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management and Finance. He is extensively trained in Project Cycle Management, Grant Management, Performance Management, Leadership Skills and Change Management.
