NATURAL
RESOURCES
INSTITUTE

Knowledge for a sustainable world

Professor Adrienne Martin

Professor Adrienne Martin
Director of Programme Development, Professor of Development Studies, Social and Institutional Development Specialist

Directorate

Natural Resources Institute, Faculty of Engineering & Science

+44 (0)1634 88 3055

A.M.Martin@gre.ac.uk

Biography

Adrienne joined the Natural Resources Institute in 1990. She has designed and undertaken research projects on the social and institutional aspects of agricultural development and natural resource management in rural and urban locations, completed numerous consultancy assignments including project feasibility studies and evaluations; advised on the social and institutional dimensions of agricultural development and supported the training and capacity building of rural development and agricultural specialists. Prior to her current role, she was head of the Livelihoods and Institutions Group at NRI (2001-2010) responsible for the professional and business management of the group; leader of the People, Natural Resources and Livelihoods Programme (2008-2001) and head of the Social Development Group (1993-2008). Before joining NRI she worked as a freelance consultant and researcher, including work in drought affected areas of Kenya and Sudan. From 1977-1980 she worked in the Farming Systems Programme of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria, conducting studies of smallholder crop and livestock systems to support the research programmes. Prior to this she undertook intensive socio-economic studies for rural development planning in Darfur, Sudan (1975-1976) after 2 years as a volunteer teacher in Sudan (1972-1974).

Her work has covered a wide range of countries, topics and clients. She has worked on DFID (now FCDO) and formerly ODA funded projects; for the EC, and for non-government organisations. Overseas partners have included Ministries of Agriculture, research institutes, local NGOs and private enterprises.

Adrienne has long term overseas experience in Sudan and Syria and professional experience in over 30 other countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Adrienne supervises several PhD students researching livelihood related topics (e.g. post Tsumani livelihood recovery in Indonesia; Determinants of Effective Functioning of Partnerships for Innovation among Agricultural Service Providers in Uganda; Migration and rural livelihoods in Nigeria; Impact of staple crop value chain development on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in Nigeria and Malawi; Water and livelihoods in Accra, Ghana).

Main research interests and expertise

  • Design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment of rural development, agricultural and trade and standards projects and programmes.
  • Gender and diversity analysis; gender analysis in value chains
  • Institutional analysis and capacity building.
  • Methodologies, training and capacity building for analysis of rural and urban livelihoods
  • Household strategies for food security and income generation
  • Agricultural policy and development of multi stakeholder approaches within national agricultural research and innovation systems
  • Community based natural resource management
  • FCDO (formerly DFID) 2009-2012 Assessing the Impact and Governance of Sustainability Certification and Labelling Schemes focussing on the impact on smallholders and workers of Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified tea and cocoa in Kenya, India, Ghana and Ecuador. Overall methodological support (design, sampling, baselines, questionnaire design and analysis) for the project
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2008-2013, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi. Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) project. Coordinator of Monitoring & Evaluation and Gender analysis and learning. Development of programme level M&E and impact assessment methodology, including country specific frameworks and indicators and design of baseline studies and monitoring formats. Design of gender and diversity analysis methodology and implementation of gender studies in cassava value chains.
  • ESRC 2007-2010. Kenya. Governance implications of private standards initiatives in agri-food chains. Examination of the role and effects of private standards initiatives on their evolution and on key actors in the value chain. Contributed to stakeholder workshops with government, NGO and private sector groups.
  • FCDO (formerly DFID) 2007-2011 Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa'. SCARDA. Development of the programme gender strategy and advice on M&E. Contribution to the methodology for institutional analysis and facilitation of the institutional analysis of the Crops Research Institute. In Ghana, facilitated the institutional analysis of the Crops Research Institute, CSIR, the Ghanaian focal institution for the programme to identify capacity strengthening needs and an agenda for organisational change. Conducted participatory workshops and interviews and stakeholder consultations to identify capacity strengthening needs.
  • EC FP6 2006 – 2011 Ghana and Egypt. 'Sustainable Water management Improves Tomorrow's Cities' Health' (SWITCH). Establishing a new paradigm for integrated urban water management, using a 'learning alliance' approach. Management of NRI inputs to governance, learning alliance, social inclusion and urban agriculture research areas. Design and implementation of social inclusion and urban agriculture training for project teams and research conducted at demonstration sites in Accra and Alexandria.
  • 2008-2013: Management of the Monitoring, Evaluation, gender and communication components of the project Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) which is developing cassava value chains in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. Responsible for design and management of project's M&E and learning, gender analysis and communications, including impact assessment methodology, country frameworks and baseline studies (for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).

As NRI's Director of Programme Development, responsible for leading the development, winning and management of major programmes of work of strategic importance.

  • A lead author in Chapter 3 of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), Global Report. 2009.
  • Member of the Editorial Board of Experimental Agriculture since 2002
  • Social Development advisor on FCDO RNRRS, Crop Protection Research Programme Advisory Committee (1995-2006);
  • Social Science advisor to the Natural Resources Systems Programme, Socio-economic methodologies component research (1996-1999).
  • 1990-95 Trustee of Intermediate Technology Development Group now known as Practical Action.

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9305-7302

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