CEO
Frontline Development Solutions LLC

Senior Fellow
African Center for Economic
Transformation (ACET)

Deepak Adhikary

Management Consulting

Over 40 years of operational and management experience with international development agencies, governments, private sector and grassroots organizations; leveraging private sector participation in the design and implementation of financially sustainable, outcome-based programs.

Deepak Adhikary

Management Consulting

Actively working with a range of international development agencies, governnments, private sector and grassroots organizations.

Deepak has worked/is working with the World Bank Group, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Swisscontact; and has taught sustainability of technical assistance, value chain analysis, investment climate, entrepreneurship development, monitoring, and evaluation methods at various universities as Guest Faculty.

Deepak has substantial country experience in Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda, Seychelles, Lesotho, and Namibia), Asia/Middle East, North Africa (Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North East India, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palestine Territories, Jordan, Egypt), and Latin America (Brazil, Peru, Argentina) on Market Systems Development/Value Chains, SME, Entrepreneurship and Investment Reform. In addition, Deepak has specific sector experience in Textile/Garments, Agribusiness, Tourism, Light Manufacturing; and thematic experience in Business Climate Reforms, Gender, Green Recovery, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Strategies, Social Inclusion, and Learning Design/Facilitation.

Actively working with a range of international development agencies, governnments, private sector and grassroots organizations.

Deepak has worked/is working with the World Bank Group, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Swisscontact; and has taught sustainability of technical assistance, value chain analysis, investment climate, entrepreneurship development, monitoring, and evaluation methods at various universities as Guest Faculty.

Deepak has substantial country experience in Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda, Seychelles, Lesotho, and Namibia), Asia/Middle East, North Africa (Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North East India, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palestine Territories, Jordan, Egypt), and Latin America (Brazil, Peru, Argentina) on Market Systems Development/Value Chains, SME, Entrepreneurship and Investment Reform. In addition, Deepak has specific sector experience in Textile/Garments, Agribusiness, Tourism, Light Manufacturing; and thematic experience in Business Climate Reforms, Gender, Green Recovery, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Strategies, Social Inclusion, and Learning Design/Facilitation.

Deepak has worked/is working with the World Bank Group, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Swisscontact; and has taught sustainability of technical assistance, value chain analysis, investment climate, entrepreneurship development, monitoring, and evaluation methods at various universities as Guest Faculty.

Deepak has substantial country experience in Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda, Seychelles, Lesotho, and Namibia), Asia/Middle East, North Africa (Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North East India, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palestine Territories, Jordan, Egypt), and Latin America (Brazil, Peru, Argentina) on Market Systems Development/Value Chains, SME, Entrepreneurship and Investment Reform. In addition, Deepak has specific sector experience in Textile/Garments, Agribusiness, Tourism, Light Manufacturing; and thematic experience in Business Climate Reforms, Gender, Green Recovery, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Strategies, Social Inclusion, and Learning Design/Facilitation.

Current and Recently Completed Assignments

Consultant

World Bank/IFC
3
  • Designing a Gender Empowerment/Women Entrepreneurship Program in Tanzania
  • Program Design for MENA StartMasreq program (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestine) in building technology-based startups through investment fund and their accelerators
  • Preparing and supporting implementation of a private sector development program in Liberia and Guiana through Technology Driven Agribusiness and building agri-entrepreneurship and investment promotion strategy
  • Supporting building a Trade Corridor Program in Pakistan
  • Designed private sector development strategy for World Bank Group program in Kenya and Rwanda on how to leverage private sector participation and investment in Agribusiness, Tourism, Affordable Housing and Manufacturing while bringing SMEs in the chain
  • Designed a Simulation for G 20 Finance Track engagement process through Global R Reimbursable Advisory Services
  • Prepared a Tourism Strategy for Nepal through engaging multiple stakeholders in the design of a proposed World Bank Group support to Nepal’s tourism. Also, contributed to a major study “ CREATING MARKETS IN NEPAL- Country Private Sector Diagnosti”, 2018.

Consultant

Global Environmental Facility (GEF)
3
  • Contributed in the review of Green Tourism with a focus on the SMEs and private sector investment in Fiji and Vanuatu as part of a COVID -19 recovery plan.

Consultant

Asian Development Bank (ADB)
3
  • Worked as an Evaluation Validation Expert to review ADB’s selected Technical Assistance Projects in various thematic areas – sector value chains, agribusiness, climate change and energy, country assistance programs and investment climate.

Senior Research Fellow

African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET)
3
  • Reviewed and carried out research on the state of Industrial Innovation in ACP countries
  • Designed an Industrial Innovation Strategy for Ghana, currently being implemented
  • Carried out in-depth analysis of the Industrial Innovation Ecosystem in Tunisia, and Senegal
  • Prepared 2 policy papers under publication “Accelerated Investment and Industrial Innovation -Learning from the case studies of Senegal and Tunisia – Implication for future analysis” 2022 and “Accelerated Investment and Industrial Innovation – A Knowledge Document Informing Reform Partnership Framework” April 2021.

Consultant

GIZ’s Connective Cities Program
3
  • Designed various strategies of how the Cities and Municipalities can respond to the COVID -19 crisis and leverage private sector investment, through energy efficiency/renewable Energy with Cities (Eastern Europe), Energy Financing (MENA); and how the tourism industry is working with the cities in responding to post COVID -19 recovery (Asia and Africa).

Consultant

International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC)
3
  • Designing strategies to address global sanitation program and disaster preparedness
– Bangladesh, MENA, Turkey.

Areas of Specialization

Economic & Sector Analysis

Your Subtitle Goes Here
3
  • Sector Value Chain Analysis
  • Global Value Chain Analysis
  • Business Development Models
  • Market Failure & Opportunit Analysis
  • SME Development

Project/Program Design & Management

Your Subtitle Goes Here
3
  • Logic Model and Theory of Change
  • Project and Program Design
  • Project Management Training and Implementation
  • Monitoring & Evaluation

Organizational Change & Learning

Your Subtitle Goes Here
3
  • Stakeholder Analysis
  • Organizational and Thematic Group Effectiveness
  • Learning Curriculum
  • Simulation Design
  • Business Case Development
  • Change Management

Thematic Areas

Your Subtitle Goes Here
3
  • Agribusiness
  • Light Manufacturing
  • Ready Made Garments
  • Social Enterprise
  • Corporate Governance
  • Investment Climate
  • Gender and Social Inclusion

Areas of Specialization

Economic & Sector Analysis

  • Sector Value Chain Analysis
  • Global Value Chain Analysis
  • Business Development Models
  • Market Failure & Opportunit Analysis
  • SME Development

Project/Program Design & Management

  • Logic Model and Theory of Change
  • Project and Program Design
  • Project Management Training and Implementation
  • Monitoring & Evaluation

Organizational Change & Learning

  • Stakeholder Analysis
  • Organizational and Thematic Group Effectiveness 
  • Learning Curriculum
  • Simulation Design
  • Business Case Development
  • Change Management

Thematic Areas

  • Agribusiness
  • Light Manufacturing
  • Ready Made Garments
  • Social Enterprise
  • Corporate Governance
  • Investment Climate
  • Gender and Social Inclusion

Experience

Aug 2019 – Present
Principal Consultant and CEO
Frontline Development Solutions (FDS)
Vienna, Virginia, United States
Currently consulting the World Bank, IFC, GIZ, ACET and Asian Development Bank on various subjects like private sector development strategies, Connective Cities and Local Economic Development, Program Evaluation, Industrial Innovation, Renewable Energy, Investment Climate, Tourism, Green Recovery with speical focus on how private capital can be leveraged for development.
July 2016 – July 2019
Chief Learning Specialist
The World Bank Group Washington D.C., United States
Worked as an internal resource with the World Bank Group operations team to optimize team outcomes through delivery effectiveness by developing customized solutions for technical/thematic challenges/opportunities focused on business-specific issues related to investment climate, agribusiness, SMEs and linking them with program outcomes.
Oct 2014 – June 2016
Program Manager/Lead Learning Specialist
The World Bank Group Washington D.C., United States
As a member of the LLI Senior Management Team, worked with the Regional Management and HQ Senior Management Team to construct and offer an Outcome Focused Team Collaboration Engagement Process – branded as Synergize and built a delivery-oriented Learning Architect and Framework for the Global Practices focusing on critical priorities and shared vision.
Aug 2008 – Sep 2014
Principal Operations Officer and Member/Secretary of Advisory Learning Council
The World Bank Group Washington, United States
Designed and implemented various Learning and Onboarding Programs to support Quality at Entry through a systematic onboarding, program design process, and providing support to the Project Teams in program implementation- especially on SME, Value Chain development.
Sep 2002 – Aug 2008
Head and Deputy General Manager
International Finance Corporation (IFC) Bangladesh
Managed a five-year, $45 million regional multi-donor funded IFC Advisory program (raised 40 million funding from the donors) covering Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Northeast India and provided overall supervision (including staff management, human resources, learning, and onboarding) to a team of sixty international, regional, and local professionals offering market-led sector development services through access to finance, investment climate and working with firms in improving their competitiveness (sectors covered– textile and garments, agribusiness – seed, fertilizer, poultry, and light manufacturing).
2000 – 2002
Program Director
Swisscontact
Bangladesh
Worked as a Program Director for Business Development Services Program in Bangladesh. I facilitated local business service providers to access to the small/medium enterprise entrepreneurs to commercially sell their services instead of providing the classic subsidy. I also facilitated the expansion of the program through a multi-donor initiated funding of roughly $55 million that is now considered one of the largest market development initiatives in the world.
1987 – 1988
Technical Advisor
Office of the Govt and Cabinet Lilongwe, Milawi
Set up a Monitoring and Evaluation System of how market-led approaches can create jobs at rural growth centers in disaster-prone areas; trained more than 400 extension officers and government staff on providing SME consulting and entrepreneurship training, with particular focus on women entrepreneurs and unemployed youths.

Worked with the ILO in offering entrepreneurship training for young adults coming out of basic vocational and skills training.

2000 – 2002
Consultant
Small Enterprise Development and Cooperative Organization (SEDCO)
Harare, Zimbabwe
Engaged with 500 SMEs and identified feasible projects for small enterprises to invest, working with the demobilized freedom fighters in setting up income generation activities.

Got a Project or Partnership in Mind?

Phone

+1 (571) 214 3148

Email

deepak.adhikary@frontlinesolutions.io

Phone

+1 (571) 214 3148

Email

deepak.adhikary@frontlinesolutions.io

4 + 4 =

Publications

Carried out innumerable impact assessments; Provided technical inputs, especially in SME, Value Chains, and trained and coached many staff of NGOs/government institutions and the private sector in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Published more than 20 articles, technical reports, research studies, and manuals on sector work, program design, gender, entrepreneurship development, M&E guidelines, culture, and entrepreneurial personality (Available on request).

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