message from PEP’s leadership team

PEP’s innovation and diversification in 2019 lay the foundations for long-term impact

As we move into this new decade, PEP does so with a new Board of Directors. On behalf of PEP and the Board, I wish to express enormous gratitude to the outgoing members: Mustapha Nabli, Marie-Claude Martin and Pramila Krishnan. They have contributed immensely to the institution since the founding of this Board and no doubt will contribute in other ways in the future. I also warmly welcome the three new Board members: Hanan Morsy, Carol Newman, and Dominique van de Walle, and thank Haroon Bhorat, Santiago Levy, and Xiaobo Zhang for their continued service to PEP.

In 2019, for the first time, initiatives involving mixed government-research teams got underway. They are on track to establishing a new benchmark for policy-engaged research. Indeed, PEP’s innovation helped secure renewed funding from IDRC and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. We look forward to building upon these foundations over the coming months and years. 

On behalf of the PEP Board of Directors, I thank PEP, its management, staff, partners and donors for their continued dedication to fulfilling our mission. Most importantly, I thank the large number of PEP researchers in developing countries who go further to both provide an evidence base of the highest quality and bring that evidence to strategic stakeholders and decision-makers. Together, we are making a difference and I look forward to seeing our achievements in 2020 as we work towards building a better world.

I am proud to say that 2019 was another successful year for PEP. We have diversified the project portfolio and teams to dramatically expand the evidence base and promote Southern voices. Multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals by PEP researchers continue to raise our profile, and our expertise in capacity building for evidence-informed decision-making is recognized internationally. In close collaboration with our stakeholders, we will continue to develop and build upon the hard work of this past year in 2020.

I am excited to work closely with PEP’s new Board of Directors as we look to make an even greater impact on sustainable development policy. I wish to make special recognition of the enormous contribution the outgoing Board members, Mustapha Nabli, Marie-Claude Martin and Pramila Krishnan, have made to PEP during their tenure. I also personally thank Mustapha for his excellent leadership and mentorship over the past three years.

I take this opportunity to wish our donors, the PEP Board, management and staff, including those from partner and collaborating institutions, resource persons, researchers and all other stakeholders a very productive and collaborative year.

Prof. Jane Mariara-Kabubo
Executive Director, PEP