SERVIR Profile of Lalu M. Kadel
Name: Lalu M. Kadel
Affiliation: SERVIR-HKH
Role/Title: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
Year you joined SERVIR: 2013
Please introduce yourself. What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about learning and being exposed to new ideas. Growing up in a remote village in Nepal and working in mountain areas, I have come to understand people's hardships, first-hand. I started my professional career as a natural resource management (NRM) officer for a bilateral programme in Nepal, and found numerous opportunities to interact with people from different strata. I often ask myself if my efforts make any difference in people's lives, and how it affects future generations. I believe that asking such critical and reflective questions is a first step towards learning and making a real difference in people's lives.
What initially attracted you to this field of work?
Witnessing, first-hand, the deplorable conditions in villages in remote Nepal despite interventions by the development sector, and a strong passion and drive to work for rural people, attracted me to monitoring and evaluation. This was indeed a turning point in my professional life.
What SERVIR activity are you currently working on?
At SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH), I focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and help check our alignment with the expected results. To facilitate this process, we have developed a theory of change and impact pathways approach for the hub and its services. I also organize training and orientation programmes for staff and partners in results-based management.
How does your work generate positive change?
By introducing the theory of change and impact pathway approach in the programme implementation, the SERVIR team will be able to understand the necessary preconditions to better expected results, and strategize implementation accordingly. Implementation of a MEL plan provides opportunity for learning and adjusting to the plan, for more effective resource management. Through trainings on results-based management, MEL aims at effective implementation of monitoring and evaluation as an integrated function, and enhances evaluative thinking among team members. Overall, my work is oriented towards facilitating effective implementation of service concepts for lasting SERVIR results.