Lauren Whitehead

Lauren manages a talented technical team to design and deliver high-quality technical assistance, advisory services, and policy advocacy to governments and an array of partners including development banks, UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and international NGOs. As a Graduation Approach expert, Lauren brings experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of Graduation programs globally.

Opening Session on Smart Grid Technologies and Implications for Inclusive Development in Sri Lanka

How can smart grid technologies and systems contribute to reducing poverty, addressing social inclusion, and improving gender equality and women empowerment?

This session features welcome remarks from representatives of ADB and the Government of Sri Lanka, followed by a discussion of the workshop objectives.

Capacity Development for Growth and Poverty Reduction in Mindanao and Bangsamoro: A Medium- to Long-Term Approach

With its abundant natural resources, the second largest island of Mindanao has the potential to contribute more to the development of the Philippines. Poor capacity, institutional weakness, and ineffective service delivery, however, hinder the effective implementation of local development plans and investment programs in the different regions comprising Mindanao. Addressing this challenge will require improving coordination, strengthening institutional mechanisms, and promoting capacity development.

Orietta Valdes Rojas

Orietta has more than 10 years of experience in the field of project evaluation, leading projects to develop methodologies for the social evaluation of projects and coordinating medium-term ex-post evaluation projects for public investment.

Her main area of interest is the strengthening of public policies for poverty reduction, adaptation to climate change, disaster risk, and environmental public policies.

 

 

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Post-Conflict in Colombia

Citizen participation remains a big challenge in post-conflict Colombia despite the economic and social progress achieved in the early 2010s. Planning for peacebuilding started with the creation of a national development plan that highlights the sustainable development goals as a core component of the peacebuilding process.

Tackling Extreme Poverty Using a Household-based Approach

Asia’s extreme poor are becoming more vulnerable as prices of goods soar and climate change becomes more imminent. This can be aggravated by any crisis that could hit the region, such as the recent Asian financial crisis.

To help alleviate the plight of the poorest of the poor, the Asian Development Bank assisted the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada to use a household-based approach designed to implement livelihood programs based on comprehensive information on the aspirations, assets and plans of the poor.

Socially Inclusive Development in the Urban Sector: The Case of Wastewater Management in Colombo

This presentation, through an inclusive and targeted checklist as the tool, highlights the synergies between Asian Development Bank and the Cities Development Initiative for Asia in project preparation, and shows the collaboration process in improving wastewater management in Sri Lanka's City of Colombo. The tool ensures that poverty reduction and social issues are considered in the preparation of a pre-feasibility study.