Make it happen! Supporting the implementation of visionary policies in the face of complexity
 
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations demonstrate that there is not only a need for high specialization on sector policies and single technical subjects. Instead, it needs also the skills to lead, coordinate and implement cross-sector and multi-stakeholder strategies including horizontal and vertical cooperation and related interface and process management. This is the point where my expertise comes into play.

My clients are institutions at a local, national and international level. They ask for my services especially when it is about challenges and opportunities to improve cooperation. These situations are common whenever institutions think big and aim at complex development goals and institutional strategies. Be it the United Nations, national governments, local and regional authorities, development agencies or academic institutions, the broad range of institutions has in common that they want to increase the likeliness of goal achievement by complementing in-house capacities with external experience and expertise. They turn to me either to provide a solution or to complement their team in its search for solutions to overcome challenges and to implement programmes.

My unique selling proposition is the provision of tailor-made solutions based on my own international experience which I gained over more than twenty-five years in public service across all policy levels and in increasingly responsible academic, advisory and management positions aiming at sustainable urban, regional, national and international development.

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What am I doing as consultant and senior adviser?

As independent expert in international cooperation and development I support clients and partners in establishing and improving cooperation and development processes.

Typical tasks include:
-    Institutional and Context Analyses
-    Development and implementation of cooperation and development strategies
-    Monitoring and Evaluation of projects and programmes
-    Adviser to political leadership and senior managers
-    Advocacy and strategic communications
-    Capacity building and teaching


Who requests my services?

I have a broad range of clients and partners (see below) but they are all linked to the same multi-level system of governance where I gained my experience. They usually face common challenges like the lack of coordination between policies and across institutional boundaries, and they all aim at effectiveness and goal achievement. The UN takes benefit e.g. of my local and regional experience; local and national authorities appreciate among others my UN insider view while academic institutions ask for my recommendation from a practitioner’s point of view. And they all benefit from my global network of contacts and cooperation.

The list of institutions asking for my advice includes the following:
 
International organizations:
-    United Nations
-    European Union
-    UCLG / Metropolis
-    Cities Alliance

National and subnational organisations:
-    Federal Republic of Germany: German Development Cooperation (GIZ)
-    Federal Republic of Germany, Land Berlin: Berlin Senate Department
-    Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA)

Academic Institutions
-    Academy of Social Science (AcSS, UK)
-    Regional Studies Association (RSA)
-    Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IÖR) / Dresden Leibniz Graduate School

In addition, I am frequently invited to contribute to conferences and expert group meetings in Europe, America, Africa and Asia.

Here is a the example of my most recent peer reviewed paper"Local Authorities Acting Globally for Sustainable Development“ published on Taylor & Francis Online for the journal Regional Studies.
The paper is about the challenge of the UN to implement its development goals like SDG at the local level while fully respecting the principle of sovereign member states. At the same time the article explains why local actors should be alert and raise their voice whenever the UN elaborates new policies and goals requiring local implementation and affecting local people. See the abstract in multiple languages attached to this mail.
The paper can be accessed free of charge by following this link:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00343404.2016.1161740.