Khaled Rajab

About Khaled Rajab

Passionate about driving transformative change and delivering impactful results, I am a seasoned senior development professional with over 20 years of hands-on expertise in leadership, program management, strategic planning, governance, MEAL, and institutional development. My journey in development spans various sectors and regions, with a particular focus on the MENA region, including Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Tunisia, and Morocco. I have navigated the complexities of fragile states and conflict zones, contributing to positive change in challenging environments.Key Competencies:Exceptional Leadership in Development, Governance, and Impact EvaluationKey experiences: Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF) Director of Operations• Successfully managed, monitored, and evaluated programs exceeding USD 100 million, encompassing local government development, municipal services, capacity building, emergency services, and social accountability in Palestine.Government of Canada Senior Development Officer• Led the strategic management of development programs worth over CAD-100M, spanning inclusive governance, rule of law and security, gender-based violence, civil society strengthening, humanitarian assistance, and TVET sectors across the MENA region.Enabel Belgium Technical Agency Strategic Advisor• Established a substantial EUR 70 million Country Portfolio for Belgium in Palestine, comprising interventions in education, civic engagement, skills development, climate action, and local government services.Team Europe Initiatives (TEI) Initiatives Lead• Led working groups on Entrepreneurship and the digital economy, fostering collaboration among EU member states and spearheading a 14 million EUR Digital Economy Project.Leadership in Evaluation and Monitoring:• Led the Evaluation of Development Impact Bond Effects (DIB) in the West Bank & Gaza contracted by the World Bank.• Served as the MEL Lead for a USD 30 million program supporting the Palestinian Government\'s financial, planning, and technical reform process.• Served as a Team Leader and Principal Evaluator for tens of evaluation assignments focusing on country level evaluations, as well as program level. Training and Facilitation Expertise:• Conducted extensive training and facilitated workshops for organizations including USAID, the World Bank, UN agencies, EU, GIZ, Enabel, Sida and local communities.• Led a broad training program for government senior managers, emphasizing M&E, strategic planning, project management, local economic development, and soft skills.

Experience

1. Senior Technical Consultant and Co Founder

   Progress Impact Consulting Llc

   Oct 2007 — Present

   As a Senior Consultant, I orchestrated the successful delivery of consultancy services across 100+ projects, specializing in local governments and governance within the MENA region. Examples: Key Expert - European Union: Supported the \"Review and Enhancement of the European Joint Strategy to Aid Palestine,\" focusing on local government and public sector reform.International Evaluation Expert - UNDP IEG: Served as the LG and Service Delivery Expert for the Evaluation of the UNDP Programme of Assistance to Palestinian People.Strategic Planning Expert - GIZ/Local Governance Reform Programme : Supported the Ministry of Local Government to enhance participatory local development planning.Local Governance Consultant - Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI): Assisted in preparing proposals for USAID\'s Local Governance Strengthening Activity and MA’ONA Water Project.Local Governance - EVOLUXER S.L-Iraq: Supported the \"Third-Party Monitoring service for Iraq\" for the European Commission\'s Local Government and Civil Society Program.Team Leader - DT Global- World Bank: Led a dynamic team for the long-term impact evaluation of the World Bank-funded \"Finance for Jobs/Development Impact Bond-DIB\" project.MEL Lead - Tetra Tech: Served as Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Lead for a USD 30 million public sector reform program funded by FCDO.Institutional Expert - AECOM/USAID: Provided governance and institutional technical assistance for the development of Wastewater Strategy and Regional Utilities Reform in Palestine.Emergency Planning Consultant - UNICEF: Collaborated with the Ministry of Education to formulate strategic emergency/contingency plans, ensuring the resilience of education systems.Governance Expert - UNFPA Tunisia: Led the assessment and development of governance models for the Centre of Excellence for Youth in Tunisia.Mid-Term Evaluation Expert: Assessed the €24.2 million \"Giving for Change\" Programme across multiple countries.

Education

• Maastricht University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Governance and Policy Analysis

  2011 — 2018

• Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering

  Master of Engineering , Environmental Engineering

  2002 — 2005

• Birzeit University

  Bachelor’s Degree, Civil Engineering

  2000

• Morgan State University

  Master's degree, City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning

  2002 — 2005