Development Research
Dr Neeraj Labh is Managing Partner, Initiatives in Development Support (IIDS), Patna, a leading consulting firm that is closely associated with Swiss Red Cross (SRC), Berne. Dr Labh is Coordinator of the Programme Support Unit set up in Patna in 1990 at the behest of SRC to provide support to a SRC-funded network of NGOs implementing long-term community development projects conceptualised in the aftermath of Bihar Earthquake, 1988.
Dr Labh led the assessment mission team at major natural disaster sites during the drought in Rajasthan, floods in Bihar, and Gujarat earthquake. Subsequently, he was in-charge of the overall coordination, facilitation, monitoring and supervision of the relief and rehabilitative interventions that were initiated with SRC's support.
Dr Labh began his professional career in 1988 as Research Associate with the Centre For Science and Environment, New Delhi. In these years, he has also worked closely with German research foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Indienhelfe, a German NGO, GTZ, Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi (RGVN), and others on projects ranging from evaluation studies to preparing feasibility reports. He has co-authored a book entitled 'Floods, Flood Plains And Environmental Myths'.
Dr Labh holds M.Phil and Ph.D degrees. He is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and St Xavier's College, Ranchi.
R R Kalyan is Regional Coordinator with Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi (RGVN), a non-profit that provides funding support to voluntary agencies working towards the social and economic upliftment of rural and urban poor. Mr Kalyan oversees the activities of over 300 partner non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. As financial and administrative head of the RGVN regional office at Patna, he supervises the development of project proposals for funding of livelihood promotion, micro-credit, micro-finance, and housing programmes. He joined RGVN as Project Executive and Senior Project Executive in 1994.
Mr Kalyan started his professional career as a Social Scientist with Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HFCL), Hazaribag, Jharkhand. Among his many accomplishments at HFCL, he influenced the farmers in the region to adopt modern agricultural practices, introduced high-yielding seed varieties, and promoted effective natural resource management practices.
Mr Kalyan has attended a number of training programmes in India and abroad, and has several published articles and reports to his credit. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ranchi University and received a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development from Xavier Institute of Social Service (XLSS), Ranchi.
Amitabh Sharma is Managing Partner of Initiatives in Development Support (IIDS), Patna, a leading consulting firm that is closely associated with Swiss Red Cross, Berne.
He is involved in the capacity building of IIDS clients/partners in strategic planning, developing monitoring and evaluation systems as well as designing advocacy strategies.
Mr Sharma is working as part of a three member team engaged by Swiss Red Cross, Berne, to provide consultancy services to a network of NGOs implementing community development projects in Bihar and Jharkhand.
Mr Sharma has also been involved in providing consultancy services to address natural disaster situations, such as, Rajasthan Drought, Bihar Flood and Gujarat Earthquake. He has played a lead role in planning relief and rehabilitation activities, providing management support in implementation of rehabilitation intervention, planning and coordinating appropriate livelihood interventions, planning and coordinating water and sanitation activities, and planning and coordinating primary healthcare projects.
He has worked with other international development organisations, such as, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Terre de Homme (TDH), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Actionaid.
