Team

As a team of DPPD experts, we provide advice, guidance and training. We’re working with a large network of domain experts, data scientists and behavioral scientists to provide subject matter expertise based on the respective needs of our partners.

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Basma Albanna

In 2022, Basma earned her PhD in Development Policy and Management from the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester. In her doctoral research, she studied the use of non-traditional data to identify and characterize outperformers in development-related challenges. This research evolved into the Data-Powered Positive Deviance method, which was developed through its implementation with the partners of the DPPD initiative.

Basma holds Master's degrees in both Computer Science and Technology Management and lectures at the Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences at Ain Shams University.

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Andreas Pawelke

Andreas has scoped, designed, and executed various initiatives, workshops and trainings focused on digital innovation, data, and technology.

As part of the DPPD initiative, he developed conceptual frameworks, methods, and tools to design, implement, and document the DPPD pilot projects. He co-authored various knowledge products on the DPPD method including the DPPD Handbook.

Andreas has an academic background in public policy, political science and business strategy and innovation.

Advisors

A group of individuals who were instrumental in the early days of DPPD continue to serve as our trusted advisors.

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Catherine Vogel

Catherine is Head of the Data Lab and DPPD lead at GIZ. She kick-started the DPPD initiative, brought partners on board and provided guidance on the application of the method across sectors.

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Richard Heeks

Richard is the director of the Centre for Digital Development at the University of Manchester. Together with Basma, he developed the method's preliminary framework which integrates big data in the positive deviance approach.