2021

-2023

South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition & Growth (SAPLING): Ensuring equitable access to food in South Asia

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

SAPLING

Launched to support South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal & Sri Lanka) on policy leadership, SAPLING is a multi-stakeholder, regional, policy advocacy platform.

Launched to support and work closely with South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal & Sri Lanka) on policy leadership areas to adopt a ‘food systems approach to solve all forms of malnutrition in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’, the South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth (SAPLING) is a multi-stakeholder, regional, policy advocacy platform.

We performed a food systems landscaping analysis focused on South Asian diets, food, nutrition, and agricultural policies embedding the cross-cutting themes of gender, youth, and climate change. This was drawn from secondary agri-nutrition datasets and consultations with policymakers across the five countries. We also evaluated Phase I of the programme and prepared a new strategy and theory of change for SAPLING’s next phase. Having organised several learning sessions with governments, private sector entities, development partners, philanthropies, and research institutes across South Asia. Currently, we are assisting BMGF to design SAPLING’s second phase, developing the programme governance structure, activity plans, and monitoring and evaluation framework.

FROM THE DESK

Latest Projects

Nikos Papachristodoulou

Chief Operating Officer

Expertise

Partnership Development • Operations Management • Business Development • Project Management • Advocacy • Leadership Development and Change Management

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.

 

Abdul Rahim

Chief Knowledge Officer

Expertise

Management Consulting • Finance • Governance • Change Management • Knowledge Management • ICT4D • Communications • Business Strategy

Abdul Rahim is a senior development professional with over 20 years of experience across diverse sectors, including urban, health, rural & social development, and IT & e-governance. He has led several large, multi-year, multi-departmental projects such as the Health Systems Development Initiative (HSDI) for the Government of West Bengal; Odisha Modernising Economy, Governance & Administration (OMEGA) programme for the Government of Odisha, and Growth Resources and Opportunities for Wealth Creation (GROW) with the Government of Bihar.

He played a key role as the Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Expert in the DFID-supported Knowledge Partnership Programme (KPP), Knowledge Management (KM) and M&E Specialist in USAID-supported SAMRIDH and SAMVEG Projects. He has served as the Cross-Learning Platform Expert for the BMGF-supported WeCan programme. He has been an advisor to several government agencies throughout India and internationally across Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Jordan.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from XLRI Jamshedpur (India). He is an accredited Management Teacher from AIMA. He’s a a certified Trainer, NLP Practitioner and a member of Toastmasters International & Junior Chamber International.

LIFE AT IPE

Learning &
Development (L&D)

We inspire people to be better.

Our intuitive and personalised programmes provide clear path for growth, leadership development, and help people sharpen their skills.

0 %
People trained in last 3 years
0 %
Participation in L&D Initiatives in 2021

Your journey starts from Day One….

Structured Onboarding

Helps align expectations and lays the foundation for your success

New Hire Training

Makes you familiar with the organisation; helps you settle down in a new work environment

Customized L&D Platform

Helps upskill at your own pace through continuous learning and training programmes

Linkage with
Performance Management

Aligns resources and training needs based on your skill set

Learning is not always a formal process. We also align our organisation values to a culture of learning