About UsZeroPoverty Solutions, LLC is a small, minority-led consulting operations competing with leading contractors to implement innovative projects in research, program design, measurement, data analytics and strategic communications.
We support international organizations, the United Nations system, NGOs and government agencies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our core belief is a shift in how development is thought about and practiced is needed in order to rise to the global ambition embodied in the phrase "zero poverty," from economic to social and environmental deprivations. We aim to support development of the innovative approaches, tools, concepts and platforms needed to create new ways of working together to achieve zero poverty by 2030. |
Round Table policy dialogue, Addis Ababa, October 2017
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A set of core principles guides ZeroPoverty Solution's approach.
ZeroPoverty Solutions places at the core of our approach co-creation with our partners. We emphasize the development and transfer of tools, methodologies and approaches to partners and ensure that they have the best evidence, knowledge and skills available to identify and implement initiatives in the political economy context of the intervention.
We believe that economic growth, environmental sustainability, gender equality and other leading development challenges must be addressed by a process bringing together local knowledge stakeholders with global tools and ideas jointly adapted to solve the challenge at hand.
- Focus on people’s relationships to and experiences with development programs as services.
- Apply locally-grounded expertise supported by a top-tier international team.
- Development interventions form only part of a broader system we need to understand.
- Human development progress requires evidence, problem-solving and iteration.
- Poverty is a human creation: it can be undone.
ZeroPoverty Solutions places at the core of our approach co-creation with our partners. We emphasize the development and transfer of tools, methodologies and approaches to partners and ensure that they have the best evidence, knowledge and skills available to identify and implement initiatives in the political economy context of the intervention.
We believe that economic growth, environmental sustainability, gender equality and other leading development challenges must be addressed by a process bringing together local knowledge stakeholders with global tools and ideas jointly adapted to solve the challenge at hand.
Recent Projects
Policy and Strategic Advisory Services
Women’s Economic Empowerment Advisory Services, UN Women South Sudan, 2021-2022
• Lead development and coordination of women’s economic empowerment framework to support livelihoods and intersectionalities analysis in context of insecurity and humanitarian crises.
• Advise UN Women to take lead in UN Country Team to support government in design and fundraising for livelihoods, care, and climate change programming in response to COVID-19 impact.
• Work with national implementing partners, government ministries, UN agencies, international donors to develop platform for women’s economic empowerment and position new thought leadership.
Gender Statistics Assessment, Asian Development Bank in partnership with AARC, 2021
• Led team preparing Gender Statistics Gap Report, developing strategic recommendations to strengthen gender-related SDG indicators, and to improve enabling environment for gender analysis.
• Developed and delivered workshops to support the State Committee on Statistics, Ministry of Labour & Employment, other line ministries on gender-responsive analysis of economic domain indicators.
Strategic Framework and Programme Design, UNFPA Pakistan, 2019-2020
• Designed and conducted participatory research process and extensive consultations with leading experts, government officials and civil society representatives to propose new strategic direction for UNFPA’s Multi-Year Population & Development Framework and Action Plan in Pakistan 2020-2025.
• Developed Strategic Results Framework for $10 million+ programme, including definition of activities, benchmarks, and SMART indicators to ensure high quality, impactful Action Plan.
In-Country Study on Gender Financing, UN Women Jordan, 2016–2017
• Research design, data collection, key informant interviews, and strategic advisory report to measure UN Country Team allocation and expenditures to gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment.
• Conducted one of the first United Nations Country Team-wide evaluations of UN system performance in meeting gender equality and women’s empowerment financing in Jordan in the aftermath of the Syria response.
Programme Implementation and Monitoring & Evaluation Services
M&E Advisory Services, Hybrid AU-UN Assistance Mission to Darfur (UNAMID), 2020-2021
• Led design & adoption of M&E Framework to assess USD 45 million in stabilization programming in conflict hotspots, supporting transition of functions from peacekeeping mission to peacebuilding.
• Translated M&E Framework results chain and indicators into data collection tools, creating checklists, qualitative and quantitative data collection surveys, and capturing human interest stories.
• Provided research and drafting for Deputy Joint Special Representative’s speeches, reports & engagements with Government, UNCT, donors to share lessons learned, Mission legacy and impact.
• Led teams conducting Monitoring and Validation Site Visits, reviewing dozens of activities to assess quality; draft synthesis reports based on findings and generate reporting storylines and actions.
• Managed and oversaw Data Mapping platform – unique data visualization and infographic tool to inform data-driving decision-making on programme design and results, built in Power BI.
Innovation Prize Fund Coordination, UN Volunteers, 2019-2020
• Coordinated 7 international teams on UNV Innovation Challenge Fund generating measurement studies into the impact of volunteers on the 2030 Agenda; facilitate knowledge community & peer learning.
• Produced Toolkit on measuring volunteering and Anthology of papers, ensuring visibility around Fund, including content for blog posts, factsheets, and infographics launched at the HLPF 2020.
Gender Statistics and SDGs Monitoring Technical Advisory Services, UN Women, 2018
• Technical advisory support to Make Every Woman and Girl Count flagship programme initiative to advance gender statistics for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Preparing first analytical brief on the Leave No One Behind commitment and gender equality, inclusive of statistical analysis, field research, and assessment of policy and data tools for global scale-up.
Capacity Building and Training
Gender Mainstreaming, Gender-Responsive Programming and Gender-Responsive Budgeting Training, Government of South Sudan, African Development Bank, 2018-2019
• Led design of gender budgeting material – training over 200 heads of departments, finance officers, and officials across 30+ ministries in South Sudan, directors and Members of Parliament.
Policy Formulation and Government Planning, UNDP Libya, 2016
• Training on evidence-based policymaking to Libyan Government of National Accord.
Research and Data Analysis
Human Development Adviser, Montenegro Human Development Report, UNDP Montenegro, 2019-2020
• Generated analysis to ensure human development lens is applied to Report theme, on the digital transformation of work, education, innovation and e-services in Montenegro’s emerging society.
• Led and coordinated unique Statistics Panel to capture the impact of COVID-19 on human development and updated thematic analysis in line with the emerging pandemic.
Human Development Adviser, Namibia Human Development Report, UNDP Namibia, 2019
• Provided technical policy and data analysis to finalize NHDR on multidimensional inequalities.
• Edited and redrafted Report based on National University Team draft.
Research, Data and Policy Analysis, Asian Development Bank, 2016–2018
• Research, data collection, statistical analysis, and analysis for Benchmark Publication on Gender Equality and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific
Research, Data and Policy Analysis, Ethiopia Human Development Report, UNDP Ethiopia, 2017–2018
• Research design, background study development, analysis, and drafting of the Ethiopia National Human Development Report 2018, on industrialization and the youth economic empowerment.
• Designed field research, data collection, and undertook vital informant interviews.
Data and Analytical Research Services, World Health Organization, 2016–2017
• Compiled the first SDGs-era database on health targets related to women, girls, and adolescent progress.
Women’s Economic Empowerment Advisory Services, UN Women South Sudan, 2021-2022
• Lead development and coordination of women’s economic empowerment framework to support livelihoods and intersectionalities analysis in context of insecurity and humanitarian crises.
• Advise UN Women to take lead in UN Country Team to support government in design and fundraising for livelihoods, care, and climate change programming in response to COVID-19 impact.
• Work with national implementing partners, government ministries, UN agencies, international donors to develop platform for women’s economic empowerment and position new thought leadership.
Gender Statistics Assessment, Asian Development Bank in partnership with AARC, 2021
• Led team preparing Gender Statistics Gap Report, developing strategic recommendations to strengthen gender-related SDG indicators, and to improve enabling environment for gender analysis.
• Developed and delivered workshops to support the State Committee on Statistics, Ministry of Labour & Employment, other line ministries on gender-responsive analysis of economic domain indicators.
Strategic Framework and Programme Design, UNFPA Pakistan, 2019-2020
• Designed and conducted participatory research process and extensive consultations with leading experts, government officials and civil society representatives to propose new strategic direction for UNFPA’s Multi-Year Population & Development Framework and Action Plan in Pakistan 2020-2025.
• Developed Strategic Results Framework for $10 million+ programme, including definition of activities, benchmarks, and SMART indicators to ensure high quality, impactful Action Plan.
In-Country Study on Gender Financing, UN Women Jordan, 2016–2017
• Research design, data collection, key informant interviews, and strategic advisory report to measure UN Country Team allocation and expenditures to gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment.
• Conducted one of the first United Nations Country Team-wide evaluations of UN system performance in meeting gender equality and women’s empowerment financing in Jordan in the aftermath of the Syria response.
Programme Implementation and Monitoring & Evaluation Services
M&E Advisory Services, Hybrid AU-UN Assistance Mission to Darfur (UNAMID), 2020-2021
• Led design & adoption of M&E Framework to assess USD 45 million in stabilization programming in conflict hotspots, supporting transition of functions from peacekeeping mission to peacebuilding.
• Translated M&E Framework results chain and indicators into data collection tools, creating checklists, qualitative and quantitative data collection surveys, and capturing human interest stories.
• Provided research and drafting for Deputy Joint Special Representative’s speeches, reports & engagements with Government, UNCT, donors to share lessons learned, Mission legacy and impact.
• Led teams conducting Monitoring and Validation Site Visits, reviewing dozens of activities to assess quality; draft synthesis reports based on findings and generate reporting storylines and actions.
• Managed and oversaw Data Mapping platform – unique data visualization and infographic tool to inform data-driving decision-making on programme design and results, built in Power BI.
Innovation Prize Fund Coordination, UN Volunteers, 2019-2020
• Coordinated 7 international teams on UNV Innovation Challenge Fund generating measurement studies into the impact of volunteers on the 2030 Agenda; facilitate knowledge community & peer learning.
• Produced Toolkit on measuring volunteering and Anthology of papers, ensuring visibility around Fund, including content for blog posts, factsheets, and infographics launched at the HLPF 2020.
Gender Statistics and SDGs Monitoring Technical Advisory Services, UN Women, 2018
• Technical advisory support to Make Every Woman and Girl Count flagship programme initiative to advance gender statistics for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Preparing first analytical brief on the Leave No One Behind commitment and gender equality, inclusive of statistical analysis, field research, and assessment of policy and data tools for global scale-up.
Capacity Building and Training
Gender Mainstreaming, Gender-Responsive Programming and Gender-Responsive Budgeting Training, Government of South Sudan, African Development Bank, 2018-2019
• Led design of gender budgeting material – training over 200 heads of departments, finance officers, and officials across 30+ ministries in South Sudan, directors and Members of Parliament.
Policy Formulation and Government Planning, UNDP Libya, 2016
• Training on evidence-based policymaking to Libyan Government of National Accord.
Research and Data Analysis
Human Development Adviser, Montenegro Human Development Report, UNDP Montenegro, 2019-2020
• Generated analysis to ensure human development lens is applied to Report theme, on the digital transformation of work, education, innovation and e-services in Montenegro’s emerging society.
• Led and coordinated unique Statistics Panel to capture the impact of COVID-19 on human development and updated thematic analysis in line with the emerging pandemic.
Human Development Adviser, Namibia Human Development Report, UNDP Namibia, 2019
• Provided technical policy and data analysis to finalize NHDR on multidimensional inequalities.
• Edited and redrafted Report based on National University Team draft.
Research, Data and Policy Analysis, Asian Development Bank, 2016–2018
• Research, data collection, statistical analysis, and analysis for Benchmark Publication on Gender Equality and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific
Research, Data and Policy Analysis, Ethiopia Human Development Report, UNDP Ethiopia, 2017–2018
• Research design, background study development, analysis, and drafting of the Ethiopia National Human Development Report 2018, on industrialization and the youth economic empowerment.
• Designed field research, data collection, and undertook vital informant interviews.
Data and Analytical Research Services, World Health Organization, 2016–2017
• Compiled the first SDGs-era database on health targets related to women, girls, and adolescent progress.
Publications
- 2020. Montenegro National Human Development Report. On the Verge of a Digital Future for All. UNDP Montenegro.
- 2020. Sourcebook on Measuring Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda. Secretariat of the Plan of Action to Integrate Volunteering into the 2030 Agenda for the GTM on Volunteering in 2020.
- 2018. Ethiopia National Human Development Report. Industrialization with a Human Face. UNDP Ethiopia.
- 2018. Benchmark Publication on Gender Equality and SDGs in Asia-Pacific. Gender Equality and the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific: Baseline and Pathways for Transformative Change by 2030. Asian Development Bank and UN Women.
- 2017. "Mapping Progress Related to the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: A Rapid Review of the Evidence." World Health Organization.
- Country Data, Universal Accountability. Monitoring Priorities for Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescent's Health (2016-2030). World Health Organization.
Relevant studies
- PLANNING AND FINANCING FOR GENDER-RESPONSIVE PEACEBUILDING. UN Women Policy Brief, 2013.
- TRACKING IMPLEMENTATION OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1325 (2000) ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY. UN Women Policy Brief, 2013.
- GEOGRAPHY OF PEACE: PUTTING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AT THE CENTRE OF PEACE IN SUDAN. Sudan National Human Development Report 2012.
- IN THE SHADOW OF THE INSURGENCY IN AFGHANISTAN: CHILD BARTERING, OPIUM DEBT AND THE WAR ON DRUGS. Book Chapter, Children of the Drug War, 2012.
Our Team
Andres Montes
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Atal Ahmadzai
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