Announcing Radha Rajkotia as IPA’s New Chief Research & Policy Officer
I’m thrilled to share that Radha Rajkotia joined IPA as our Chief Research & Policy Officer. This relatively new role came out of the realization that to be a research organization that effectively translates evidence into practice and policy, we need to have even more experienced leadership at that intersection to ensure that we are asking questions that are not just of interest to academics, but address the problems that policymakers are actively grappling with. As Chief Research & Policy Officer, Radha will bring together various parts of IPA, executing our 2025 strategic ambition to create and share evidence, while equipping decision-makers to use it to reduce poverty.
Radha is an experienced humanitarian and economic development professional and combines expertise in strategy, operations, management, research, policy, and partnership development. Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Economic Recovery and Development at the International Rescue Committee, where she worked for eleven years. She has worked in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Her career to date has enabled her to think creatively about how to make tangible improvements in the way aid is delivered and to test new ideas on the ground, whether delivering cash-based relief or creating jobs for people living in conflict settings. She has delivered programs directly, but also holds a Ph.D. and uses research to answer questions that can help influence global level policies. She has written and commissioned a number of papers on financial sector strengthening, employment creation, and cash transfer programming. I am incredibly excited to bring Radha's expertise across so many areas - her, deep understanding of the development and humanitarian fields, of implementation, and her commitment to evidence-based practice and policy into IPA.
Radha tells us: “I am delighted to join the dynamite team at IPA to further the use of evidence in policy and practice. IPA’s new strategic ambition provides an opportunity to not only make evidence a greater part of policy-making but also make evidence generation more relevant for some of the world’s most pressing policy and practice questions. I am excited to be part of this journey with IPA’s team and partners.”
As Chief Research & Policy Officer, Radha will oversee a team of senior research and policy staff which lead IPA’s policy outreach and communications, Right-Fit Evidence team, sector programs, the development of policy-relevant research agendas and replications, and new activities that further IPA’s strategy to equip decision-makers to use evidence. She and her team will also work with IPA’s regional and country leadership, as well as leading academic partners, to develop policy-relevant research agendas and strategies to influence practice and policy at the country level.
We’re excited to welcome Radha to the team and the 22-country IPA family!