Thando Malambo, Phd(C) Email & Phone Number

I lead knowledge translation strategy and policy for IDRC, providing guidance on organizational capacity strengthening and grant-making practices to enhance research dissemination, communication and uptake. I also develop resources and lead an organizational culture shift to support the mainstreaming of knowledge translation across the organization, including specific guidance for staff on equitable approaches to research, research uptake and knowledge exchange.Key achievements: *Developed and implemented a corporate knowledge sharing strategy for IDRC’s $40million+ global health research portfolio on the health and social impacts of COVID-19 on marginalized populations, leading a 15-member task force. *Developed a corporate vision, theory of change and programming framework to enhance research communications, and knowledge translation practice. *Led research and learning on knowledge translation, managing research projects on evidence use; organizing learning events and training for staff; co-leading a community of practice to support peer learning and exchange.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

I led gender equality programming, communication, and knowledge translation activities for a 5 year, $16million program in partnership with Global Affairs Canada and the International Development Research Centre, the Centre of Excellence for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Systems, with a focus on supporting social protection to help improve maternal and child health outcomes in Africa. Key Achievements:*Contributed to expanding the knowledge base on gender and CRVS, leading the development, peer review, and dissemination of research and policy papers on gender, including the Knowledge Brief Series on Gender and CRVS containing 12 papers; a compendium of 6 country case studies on linking CRVS and identity management systems, to support social protection and inclusive development; and CRVS country profiles to guide strategic decision making on technical assistance and closing gender data gaps. Actively contributed to the gender equality framework of the Maternal and Child Health program. *Led a multifaceted portfolio of research and advocacy projects, championing the inclusion of gender within the global CRVS agenda. Organized impactful global events shedding light on the health and socioeconomic consequences of under resourced civil registration and social protection systems. Represented the program at technical conferences and meetings and led engagement with a broad spectrum of internal and external stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, as well as gender, data and civil society partners. *Developed and implemented the program’s communication and knowledge sharing strategy. Expanded gender-related content on the program's virtual global learning platform, increasing website traffic by more than 35%, and enhancing social media engagement. Ensured high-quality reporting in the context of the overall maternal and child health program.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

*Developed the program’s initial directory of experts, with ~ 100 experts, identifying gender gaps at global level and laying the foundation for the program’s capacity strengthening strategy towards improving maternal and child health outcomes.*Operationalized the program's monitoring and evaluation strategy, developing program level monitoring tools and commissioning the midterm evaluation.*Supported implementation of the program’s communication and knowledge management strategy, including writing and editing technical and promotional content, organizing program level knowledge sharing events and meetings, and analyzing and synthesizing complex CRVS-gender research.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

*Conducting qualitative field-based research on donor engagement in and barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Zambia, through a feminist, antiracist lens. *Developing peer reviewed publications on reproductive justice, social and political challenges to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Zambia, and in Africa more broadly.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Taught the third year undergraduate course on women, gender, and development. Developed syllabus providing a critical introduction to women and gender studies in development, from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Topics of study included the intersections of gender and health; sexual and reproductive health and rights; gender and climate; gender-based violence; as well as race, gender and development. Developed lectures and case studies to help students examine key international development paradigms and their potential impact on the health and needs of women in the global south.

As a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellow in Population Intervention for Chronic Disease Prevention (PICDP), I conducted an original, qualitative gender and health research project, examining women’s experiences of cancer screening services and HIV treatment, to inform more inclusive prevention programs and policies in rural communities in Eswatini, Southern Africa. I conducted literature reviews and environmental scans to synthesize available evidence, carried out community surveys, recruited study participants, conducted interviews, focus group discussions and in-depth data analysis, prepared reports of the research for varied audiences, including two original peer-reviewed journal articles.

Ghana

I organized and led a multi-disciplinary team of staff and student volunteers in planning the Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) Africa Regional Conference, held October 2013 in Ghana, and attended by over 300 women scientists from across Africa. I developed and managed the conference website; coordinated abstract review, and program planning; prepared conference reports for academic and policy audiences; proactively sought and maintained external partnerships; researched funding opportunities and prepared grant applications; and managed communication and knowledge translation around key conference outcomes.

Boston, Massachusetts

I managed the STRIDE organizational website, external relations, communications, advisory board operations, financial planning and annual budget. I planned and executed several community-based humanitarian outreach projects, community health fairs, community service programs, reversing disease seminars in rural communities across East and West Africa – including Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Liberia. I supervised and mentored a team of nine STRIDE staff and interns. I managed editing, publishing, and dissemination process for two book manuscripts.

Greater Boston Area

As part of a multi-disciplinary research team, I conducted qualitative data analysis, environmental scans and knowledge synthesis supporting research to inform policies and programs on preventing gender-based violence, supporting survivors, and improving access to reproductive healthcare, family planning and medical services for vulnerable women in conflict-affected regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, and Sudan. I compiled research results using qualitative statistical software; reviewed and prepared research summaries for publication; and provided strategic advice to management. Publications contributed to include: Characterizing sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Global Health And International Development

Thesis - Canada’s engagement in reproductive health and rights in Zambia: narratives of empowerment, ownership and coloniality Doctoral.

Master Of Science (Msc), Global Health

Specialized in gender, health and race. Thesis: Cervical screening in Swaziland - an ethnographic case study Winner of the 2016 Virchow.

Bachelor Of Arts (A.B.), Chemistry

Activities and Societies: Harvard Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa, Harvard College Fund, Harvard Christian.

International Baccalaureate Diploma, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics Hl

Activities and Societies: Peer Counseling. Adult ESL tutoring