My CV

You can also download my CV in pdf format: Chris Allan.

CHRISTOPHER C. ALLAN

345 Manhattan Drive

Boulder, CO 80303

Tel: 720-841-0277

www.chrisallan.info

Email:  chris@chrisallan.info

EDUCATION

The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, MA, 1988
International Economics, concentration in Social Change and Development

Wesleyan University, BA, 1983, Phi Beta Kappa
Double Major: Biology, African Studies

SUMMARY

I have three decades of experience in environmental and social programs. I am experienced in managing complex international networks, resilience assessments, grantmaking, design of community based projects, workshop organization, organizational development, participatory evaluation, adult facilitation and training, private and public fundraising.

Languages: Fluent in French (FSI 3+) and Swahili (FSI 4), conversational Spanish (including training at La Democracia Spanish School in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala July 2007), basic reading knowledge of Portuguese and German.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CONSULTING

PICHER ALLAN ASSOCIATES LLC
Boulder, CO    
2008 – present

Consulting with organizations on organizational development, strategic planning, strategic fundraising, training design and delivery, and research. Selected products are available at here at http://chrisallan.info/writing/, and a list of clients is available here, http://chrisallan.info/clients/.

Selected Consultancies:

  • Global Disaster Preparedness Centre, International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent – Prepare a toolkit to guide coalition building for resilience for use around the world, including a manual, training, workshop tools, and an introductory video.
  • CARE International in Mali – Conduct a Climate Change Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis in the Mopti Region of Mali using Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, Key Informant Interviews, and secondary literature.
  • Management Assistance Group — Document the Reflection, Analysis, and Planning (RAP) process for assessing past performance and future strategies of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. 
  • International Funders of Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) — Conduct a Strategic Assessment, including review of the past five years and creation of a Strategic Framewok and Impact Assessment Plan for the next five years. 
  • The Kiisi Trust — Conducted a Request for Proposal process for a Donor Advised Fund Manager for a new grantmaking foundation in Nigeria funded from the settlement of a lawsuit against Shell.
  • Mercy Corps International – Led a Resilience Assessment in Niger. Worked with staff from headquarters and field offices to carry out a process involving dozens of participants in multiple countries, created research design for community level Focus Group discussions, Key Informant Interviews, and Expert Interviews, reviewed secondary literature, and wrote a comprehensive report with a Theory of Change for a new 10 year strategy.
  • Ecology and Environment – Facilitated stakeholder meetings in Larimer and El Paso Counties, Colorado as part of a County Resilience Planning process supported by the State of Colorado Recovery and Resilience Office. Designed and/or facilitated four workshops with other colleagues, and co-wrote the strategy sections of the County Resilience Plans.
  • Governor’s Climate and Forest Task Force – Designed and delivered a training workshop in Brazil for staff from seven Amazonian states in expanding donor resources for sustainable Amazon protection programs. Co-wrote profiles for all seven states for use with public donors at the Paris 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.
  • American Red Cross International Programs — Developed a conceptual framework and training materials for the American Red Cross International Programs staff to develop strong community programs around the world to build resilience to climate and urbanization. Provided guidance on how to start programs in African cities, including connecting all scales of action to build resilience for vulnerable groups. Analyzed ten Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments, and recommended extensive changes to handle the complexity and scale issues in urban areas. Conducted a resilience training in Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Arcus Foundation — Presented results of a study I led of using small grants to support social movements in Ghana and Peru, in support of a global effort to learn how to monitor and evaluate social movement grantmaking for LGBT issues. Arcus Foundation staff designed the session to learn from other movements to improve the grantmaking program.
  • ISET International — Conducted a study of resilience in the Boulder area during the September 2013 floods, which is available here. The study drew in perspectives of dozens of stakeholders from all sectors, and analyzed resilience in terms of physical systems, organizations, and legal and cultural norms. Described by Prof. Ron Brunner as “by far the most comprehensive and detailed account of last year’s floods I’ve seen….It is also among the best case studies I’ve seen on disaster mitigation and climate adaptation in other local communities.” 
  • Colorado Interfaith Power and Light — Facilitated a strategic planning process following a leadership transition to build a stronger faith constituency, diversify board membership, and raise resources. 
  • Other Worlds Are Possible Giving Circle — Coordinating grantmaking for a giving circle of donors across North America in support of alternative economic initiatives in Haiti. The Giving Circle sought to support Haitian movements concerned about the loss of local control from the mass UN and NGO presence following the earthquake.
  • Cultural Survival — Provide expert input to documenting an ongoing human rights situation in northern Kenya. Conducted interviews with eyewitnesses, human rights NGOs, and government institutions. Wrote portions of the final report and worked on an advocacy strategy, described at culturalsurvival.org
  • Global Greengrants Fund — Management of grantmaking in Africa in support of socioenvironmental groups, provide programmatic information to fundraising staff, general support for programmatic planning. Conducted two studies, one on donor advised grantmaking, and another on how to build movements to deal with the social and environmental effects of mining.

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSITION (ISET)
Boulder, CO
January 2012 – May 2013
Chief Operating Officer

Guided programmatic, administrative and finance staff. Built the institutional capacity of the organization, including boosting administrative systems, generating consensus across the organization on two continents about organizational philosophy and priorities, managing staff, and assisting the President to transition to a role suitable for a larger and more complex organization. Guided proposal development for public donors.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FUND            
Boston, MA
August 2008 – October 2009
International Programs Advisor                             

Prepared funding proposals for European governments and US foundations. Coordinated an international campaign of five networks on education and advocacy about toxic chemicals in cooperation with the International Persistent Organic Pollutants Network (IPEN). Managed two grants from the United Nations Environment Program to support the campaign. Set up and ran a mini-grants program that made 51 grants in 36 countries in a period of three months. Wrote a global Citizens Report on the state of chemicals and health with contributions from other organizations in every region of the world that was presented at a major UN meeting (available at www.ipen.org/campaign).

GLOBAL GREENGRANTS FUND                           
Boulder, CO
Consultant                          July 2008-present     
Director of Programs         January 2002 – June 2008
Development Director       November 1999 – December 2001

Developed and implemented a fundraising and outreach plan to support a small grants program for grassroots environmental groups in developing countries. Identified funders, attended foundation conferences, developed and followed up proposals, reported on existing grants on schedule, and refined web strategy. Developed activist-advised Grantmaking Advisory Boards around the world, and facilitated their grantmaking to grassroots environmental organizations. Developed grantmaking strategies and procedures appropriate to differing conditions on five continents.

Highlights:

    • Started as the second employee of the organization, and built it from two employees and a $300,000 budget to fourteen employees in the United States and fourteen overseas with a $4 million budget.
    • Created the extractive industry civil society grants program in West Africa, and made 132 grants to organizations there from 2003 to 2010, including building up the Ghana National Coalition on Mining and many of its members.
    • Raised funds from dozens of foundations, including the Packard, Ford, Rockefeller Brothers, Mott, Park, Threshold, Turner Foundations.
    • Expanded the existing three grant programs and created eleven more. Expanded grants from 40 per year to over 600.
    • Developed systems for orienting and managing staff and advisors around the world, balancing program cohesion with the need for decentralized decision making.
    • Created new program for creation of new grantmaking organizations to further expand reach in Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia. These programs have leveraged an additional half a million dollars in their first two years of existence.

LUTHERAN REFUGEE SERVICES                          
Denver, CO 
February – October 1999
Employment Administrator                                     

Developed and administered an employment placement program for newly arrived refugees using federal, state, county and private funds and volunteer donations. Researched and developed relationships with major area employers, supervised job placement staff, developed and implemented a management information system.

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES                              
Baltimore, MD
October 1996 – January 1999  
Strategic Alliances Advisor, Investment Analyst                     

Promoted strategic alliances with potential European and domestic partner agencies, coordinated agency policy and advocacy on Africa-wide policies of the US government and multi-lateral institutions, and promoted collaboration with other faith based agencies domestically and overseas. Analyzed the US$32 million budget for seven headquarters departments and approximately 50 overseas CRS offices for trends in program and administrative spending and external fundraising. Developed policy on overseas management and administration to deal with recurrent management problems.

Highlights:

      • Concluded agreement with Irish partner which generates $4 million per year
      • Led policy group which develops agency positions on US policy toward Africa and related legislation
      • Coordinated four agencies in New York and Baltimore in common education and direct mail fundraising programs
      • Coordinated alliance of US based health care systems to provide assistance overseas.

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES                              
Harare, Zimbabwe
Regional Representative                       April 1994 – October 1996   
Acting Regional Director                       December 1992 – April 1994
Assistant Country Representative       June 1992 – December 1992

Project Manager (Nairobi, Kenya)     July 1988-June 1992

Managed the CRS project portfolio of US$2.4 million per year with over twenty local non-governmental organizations throughout the Southern Africa region and a staff of ten in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Developed proposals with local organizations, procured funding, monitored implementation and assisted staff in strengthening management systems and community development approaches. Accounted for all funds and reported to donors on a timely basis, set up and reviewed audits. Managed the US$200,000 office budget. In Kenya, assisted local organizations to develop proposals for funding in Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan in sustainable agriculture, community based health care, maternal and child health care, water, small enterprise development, adult education, AIDS patient care, and emergency response.

Highlights:

      • In 1994 supervised development of a new three year strategic plan that refocused the program to five countries in the sectors of small enterprise development, HIV/AIDS education and care for People with AIDs and AIDS orphans, human rights, and emergency response
      • Procured and managed US$10 million in US government funds, including proposal development, implementation, procurement, and reporting.
      • Developed office systems for personnel procedures, local and international procurement, project management, budgeting and budget review, project appraisal, and cash flow management
      • Reoriented a top down, service delivery maternal and child health program to a far more community based, participatory program
      • Created and ran CRS’ first HIV/AIDS program, focused on community based patient care and education
      • One of two staff in charge of reorienting the CRS approach from direct implementation of projects to strengthening local organizations
      • Designed and implemented a diagnostic tool with other staff for assessing organizational development of African development organizations
      • Wrote a study entitled “Strengthening African Development NGOs: A Guide for the Perplexed”
      • From February 1991 to June 1992 created and ran a newly formed Program Department, with responsibility for seven staff and US$1,000,000 per year in privately funded projects and US$2,700,000 in US government funded projects
      • Team leader on evaluations in Rwanda and Tanzania

TvT ASSOCIATES                                                    
Washington, DC
September 1986-May 1987
Research Assistant                                                   

Created a consultant database for US government funded projects. Implemented information systems for tracking a job training project in the Caribbean and evaluation plans for all AID missions in Latin America. Reviewed and summarized project evaluations for the AID Latin American and Caribbean office.

US PEACE CORPS                                                     
Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Asst. to the Associate Dir. of Agriculture      March-July, 1986
Fish Culture Extension Agent                         September 1983-February 1986

On a Personal Services Contract directed agriculture programs for the Kivu Region of DR Congo. Major project was assistance to large animal husbandry cooperatives. Responsible for nineteen volunteers and eight national employees, and coordinated relations with other aid agencies and government ministries. As a Volunteer Fish Culture Extension Agent, taught farmers the principles of raising freshwater fish for increased protein and income. Mastered adult education techniques to teach simple principles of aquaculture.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

MacClune, K.L., Allan, C., Venkateswaran, K., & Sabbag, L. (2014). Floods in Boulder: A Study of Resilience. Boulder, CO: ISET-International.

Tyler, K.H., MacClune, K.L., Allan, C. (2014). Engaging Stakeholders in a Preliminary Urban Assessment: Workshop Facilitation Materials and Background Reading On Using Stakeholder Engagement and The Resilience Approach to Identify Entry Points for Building Urban Resilience. Boulder, Colorado: ISET-International.

MacClune, K., Tyler, K. H., & Allan, C. (2014). Introduction to a new approach to urban resilience: Final report to American Red Cross on urban resilience. Boulder, CO: ISET-International.

Akabzaa, Thomas and Raphael Hoetmer, edited by Chris Allan. (2011). Small Grants and Social Movements: Two Case Studies of Grantmaking and Extractive Industries in Ghana and Peru. Boulder, CO: Global Greengrants Fund.

Allan, Chris, Doug McAdam, and David Pellow. (2010). What is the Role of Civil Society in Social Change, Boulder, CO: Picher Allan Associates LLC. Palmer, Paula, and Chris Allan. (2010) An Investigation of Human Rights Violations by Police in Samburu East and Isiolo Districts, Kenya. Cambridge, MA: Cultural Survival.

International POPs Elimination Network. (2009). Citizens’ Report: Global Outreach Campaign on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). Berkeley, CA: IPEN. Allan, Chris. (2008). Climate Change and the Call to Global Solidarity. Baltimore, MD: Catholic Relief Services.

Publications are available at http://chrisallan.info/writing/.

BOARD MEMBERSHIPS AND VOLUNTEERING

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER, BOCO STRONG, a multi-stakeholder group devoted to building resilience throughout Boulder County, 2014-present 

BOARD MEMBER, Treasurer, E-Tech International, 2003-present

BOARD MEMBER, Partners for Rural Development in Ethiopia (PRIDE), 2005-2009

MEMBER OF QUAKER UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE, providing oversight of the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva, 2014 – present 

MEMBER OF COORDINATING COMMITTEE, Other Worlds is Possible, a funders collaborative, 2010-2012

VOLUNTEER, Afropop Worldwide, volunteer foundation fundraiser, 2007

VOLUNTEER, Boulder Society of Friends (Quakers), Teacher, 2002-5, Peace and Social Justice Committee, 2007 – present (Convener 2007-9, 2013-14)

VOLUNTEER, Push Literacy Action Now (PLAN), Washington, DC, April-May, 1987: Advised the staff and Board of an adult education center on how to ensure authentic participation in a new campaign to organize communities across the city to fight illiteracy.

MEMBER OF SOUTH AFRICA INVESTMENT TASK FORCE, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 1980-83: Conducted research commissioned by the Board of Trustees on University holdings in American corporations active in South Africa. Researched South African economy and economic history, met with corporate officials and as Chair in 1983 directed and wrote major portions of a report on three corporations in the mining sector.

HONORS, AWARDS: Cum Laude, German Honor Society, Bertram Bond International Relations Cup