M&E Specialist · Researcher · Epidemiologist
EmmanuelNeneOdjidja
I build evaluation systems in places where they’re hardest to build.
About
“If a programme works, it should be proven using sound evidence, not anecdotes.”
Emmanuel Nene Odjidja
M&E Specialist · Researcher · Epidemiologist
Originally from Ghana, I have spent over a decade working at the frontlines of global health and international development, from pastoralist communities in South Sudan to health facilities in rural Burundi and research institutions in the United Kingdom.
I hold a Master of Science in Global Health (Distinction) from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, with a focus on epidemiology. My professional conviction is simple: if a programme works, it should be proven using sound, methodologically rigorous evidence, not anecdotes.
My career has been defined by a singular commitment to building credible evaluation systems in the most challenging operational environments. I have designed and managed evaluations of programmes aimed at preventing violent extremism, strengthening health systems, and addressing the intersection of climate change, food insecurity, and conflict across West Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, North Africa, and South Asia.
My research spans maternal and child health, infectious disease control, nutrition, health financing, and the nexus between climate change, food insecurity, and violent extremism. I am bilingual with full professional proficiency in English and French.
Outside of work, I am a committed runner and semi-marathonist, still chasing the dream of completing a full marathon.
Education
MSc Global Health (Distinction), Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Languages
English (Native) · French (Full Professional)
Expertise
Experience
A Decade at the Frontlines
Building evidence across fragile and conflict-affected settings, from pastoralist communities to multi-country evaluation programmes.
2021 – Present
Geneva
M&E Specialist: Research, Design & Learning
GCERF — Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund
Design and manage evaluations of PVE programmes across the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger), Tunisia, and Sri Lanka. Lead evaluation design, quality assurance, and evidence synthesis. Co-authored research on the climate–conflict–food insecurity nexus.
2024 – Present
Section Editor, Case-Based Evaluations
Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation (JMDE)
Provide editorial leadership for the case-based evaluations section, guiding its thematic direction and standards for methodological rigour and practical relevance, while managing submissions end-to-end from initial screening and peer review coordination to final decisions.
2018 – 2021
Burundi
Research, Monitoring & Evaluation Technical Lead
Village Health Works
Led impact evaluations, set up M&E systems, and published peer-reviewed research on malnutrition, neonatal survival, hypertension, and TB. Founded the Kigutu M&E Institute, training 32 clinicians and staff on epidemiology, evaluation, and health systems.
2016 – 2018
South Sudan
M&E Advisor / Research Lead
AVSI Foundation
Conducted SMART nutrition surveys, designed quasi-experimental evaluations, and researched infectious disease control among pastoralist populations in humanitarian settings.
2013 – 2015
Ghana
Programme & Research Officer
Ghana Health Service / CRC / USAID
Early career in programme design, monitoring, and classroom-level learning assessments in education and health.
Publications
Tuberculosis mortality and drug resistance among patients under TB treatment before and during COVID-19 in Burundi
BMC Infectious Diseases · Iradukunda, Getnet & Odjidja
Small Fish Big Impact: Improving Nutrition during Pregnancy and Lactation, and Empowerment for Marginalized Women
Nutrients (MDPI) · Saha, Ng, Odjidja et al.
Survival of newborns and determinants of their mortality in Burundi: A prospective cohort study
Research Square (Preprint) · Ndayishimiye et al. incl. Odjidja
The effect of health financing reforms on incidence and management of childhood infections in Ghana: A matching DiD impact evaluation
BMC Public Health · Odjidja et al.
Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 cited articles on HIV/AIDS
Annals of Infection · Gatasi, Musa & Odjidja
Coronavirus disease 2019 and viral hepatitis coinfection: Provide guidelines for integrated screening and treatment
Journal of Medical Virology · Odjidja, Laurita Longo, Rizzatti & Bandoh
2030 Countdown to combating malnutrition in Burundi: Comparison of proactive approaches for case detection
International Health (Oxford) · Odjidja et al.
Delivery of integrated infectious disease control services under the new ANC guidelines: A service readiness assessment in Tanzania
BMC Health Services Research · Odjidja, Gatasi & Duric
AI for Good Lab
PRAXIS
An AI for Good lab with two research tracks: programme evaluation infrastructure and conflict early warning.
Evaluation
Programme evaluation infrastructure
Twelve years of field evaluation experience encoded into free, open-source browser tools. Six live tools covering 298 indicators across 11 sectors. Sample size calculation, evaluation design advising, data exploration, and more. Everything runs on your machine with zero data transmission.
Open the toolkitEarly Warning
Conflict prediction
Econometric research using ACLED geocoded conflict data to predict violent extremism escalation. A stacked event study design shows that kidnapping spikes predict subsequent VE surges in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, with spatial spillover at 50km and 100km radii. The platform translates these signals into actionable alerts.
PRAXIS EWSCommentary
Writing & Ideas
Commentary
The Evaluation Gap: Why Development Programmes Fail to Prove Their Worth
Billions flow into development programming each year, yet fewer than one in five programmes undergoes a rigorous impact evaluation. The consequence is not merely academic. Without credible evidence of what works, funders recycle failed approaches, practitioners lose institutional memory, and the communities these programmes claim to serve bear the cost of well-intentioned guesswork. Closing this gap requires more than technical fixes. It demands a fundamental shift in how organisations value and invest in evaluation from the outset.
Read“The most valuable evaluations are not necessarily the most methodologically sophisticated ones. They are the ones designed with enough pragmatism to survive first contact with the field.”
Contact
Let's talk.
If you are exploring a research collaboration, designing an evaluation framework, or rethinking how evidence shapes policy, I would welcome the conversation.