Nard Huijbregts Email & Phone Number

Lead Social Policy Advisor at the Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI), a global institution specialized in social protection research, advisory and implementation support, based in Cape Town, South Africa. Leading a team of ten Social Policy Advisors and 20 research consultants, I have conducted research in and provided policy advice to over 50 countries, primarily in Africa (South Africa, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Madagascar, among others), Asia and the Pacific (including China, India, Fiji, Kazakhstan and Viet Nam) and the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen). I am specialized in the design, implementation and evaluation of social protection policies, programmes and delivery systems.Since 2014, I have led over 60 implementation support projects, studies and evaluations for UNICEF, ILO, UNDP, WFP, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, UNHCR, UNAIDS, FCDO, Save the Children, the African Union and various government ministries.

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  Lead Social Policy Advisor

  Economic Policy Research Institute

  Oct 2016 - Present - Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

  Since 2014, I have led the design and/or implementation of various social protection programmes, including i) cash transfer programmes in Nigeria, Uganda, Benin, Lao PDR, the Gambia and Kenya, for UNICEF, and ii) active labour market programmes in Nauru and Tonga, for ADB. In addition, I have led several evaluations of social protection programmes or reform processes, including recently in Kazakhstan (the targeted social assistance scheme reform) and the Philippines (the Social Amelioration Program, a 2 billion USD COVID response cash transfer programme). Beyond programmatic technical assistance, I have extensive experience supporting governments in drafting national social protection policies/strategies, having supported their development in Lesotho, Tanzania, Central African Republic and Mauritania for UNICEF, Cook Islands and Nauru for ADB, and Malaysia for UNDP.Thematically, I have extensive experience in i) shock responsive social protection, evaluating programmes or supporting governments in Yemen, Central African Republic, Philippines, Dominica, Nepal and the DRC), ii) social protection information systems, overseeing or supporting their development in Nigeria, Lao PDR, Malaysia and Niue and iii) financing social protection, by conducting fiscal space and cost-benefit analyses for UNICEF, ILO, Save the Children and WFP in Brazil, Uganda, Lao PDR, Tanzania, the Gambia and several other countries. Finally, I have led several large-scale data collection and analysis projects, including COVID socio-economic impact assessments in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa and the Philippines (the latter with a 3,600 household strong sample).I have presented my research at conferences in a range of countries, including Armenia, Mauritius, Brazil, the Republic of Congo, the Netherlands and Argentina.