The DCED Secretariat was established in 2004. It implements the strategy of the DCED under the overall guidance of the ExCo.
The Secretariat manages, supports and oversees the implementation of DCED activities. Knowledge management and external engagement with a view to generate and share knowledge on effective PSD practice are among its core tasks. This includes the communication of results and impacts of PSD, building on the promotion of results measurement in member agencies. Further services of the Secretariat include technical support to member agencies and coordination with field-level programmes. It is also responsible for financial management and reporting, in coordination with the IFC Trust Fund management.
Contact the DCED Secretariat at admin@enterprise-development.org.
Melina Heinrich-Fernandes, Coordinator
Melina has supported all aspects of the DCED’s work since 2011. From 2019 to 2023 she acted as Deputy Coordinator, with close involvement in strategic oversight, quality control and coordination of the DCED’s work. Melina has played a leading role in the DCED’s knowledge management on different PSD approaches and, over time, provided support to most DCED Working Groups. Since 2017, she has facilitated the Private Sector Engagement Working Group and has authored many of the DCED’s thematic flagship papers. She also has a track record of delivering learning events on PSD and technical support to member agencies. She has been working in the field of PSD since 2008, including short-term advisory roles and assignments with different organisations as well as field programmes in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. She studied Political Science, Development Economics and International Law at the Universities of Bonn, Germany, and Geneva, Switzerland.
Mike Albu, BEAM Exchange Director
Mike Albu joined the DCED Secretariat in May 2018. He leads the work on inclusive market systems and runs the BEAM Exchange. BEAM supports knowledge exchange and learning about how to use the MSD approach to improve access to income, jobs, products and services for people living in poverty. Before DCED and the BEAM Exchange, Mike managed projects and consulted for PwC, Practical Action and other NGOs, specialising in issues of technological capabilities, micro-enterprise development, and economic recovery in humanitarian crises. He studied Engineering Design at the University of Warwick, and has a MSc in Technology Policy from the University of Sussex.
Jim Tanburn, Senior Advisor
Jim Tanburn has been Coordinator of the DCED from 2004 to 2023 and now acts as a Senior Advisor. He has been involved in all aspects of the work of DCED, including as focal point for the Standard for Results Measurement. Jim also led the writing of guiding principles for donors on stimulating service markets (the ‘Blue Book’). Before DCED, Jim worked for the ILO in Geneva, and organised a decade of annual conferences on systemic approaches in PSD, attended by over 1,000 people from 110 countries. He also established an NGO focusing on enterprise development. Previously, he worked in industry for some years. Jim is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, UK.
Harald Bekkers, Deputy Coordinator
Harald Bekkers joined the DCED Secretariat in April 2023 to support overall management and co-ordination, including a particular focus on results measurement, green growth and market systems development. Harald has twenty year of experience in institutionalizing market systems development in programs and international NGOs. From 2011 to 2018 Harald led the Market Development Facility (MDF) as the Team Leader and built this out to become the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) flagship market systems development program, active in five fragile economies with a strong focus on women’s economic empowerment, inclusion, and knowledge management. Harald is the Founder and CEO of an international consultancy firm specializing in private sector development. Harald completed his Ph.D at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research on the role of business services in emerging Asian economies.
Ella Duffy, Assistant Coordinator
Ella Duffy has a particular focus on gender and women’s economic empowerment in private sector development, and how gender relates to issues around climate change. She supports the DCED’s work in social and environmental inclusion and sustainability through facilitating working groups for members on women’s economic empowerment and green growth. Ella is also responsible for disseminating relevant information to members, in part through the newsletter and website. She holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a BA in Geography from the University of Oxford. Ella also has experience working at Nesta, the UK’s Innovation Foundation, as well as living and working in Guyana.
Nabanita Sen Bekkers, Results Measurement Specialist
Nabanita Sen Bekkers joined the DCED Secretariat in July 2010 where she leads the work in results measurement including the DCED Standard for Results Measurement. She has authored many of DCED’s knowledge products on the application of the DCED Standard for Results Measurement. Nabanita has extensive experience in developing and implementing results measurement systems that can support effective program management. She is also experienced in conducting evaluations. She works with programs, value driven enterprises, donors and impact investors to advise them on monitoring, evaluation and learning. Nabanita studied Economics and Actuarial Science at the University of Toronto.
Isabelle Gore, BEAM Exchange Digital Community Manager
Isabelle Gore is responsible for managing the BEAM Exchange website and other online channels, facilitating knowledge sharing and networking among market systems practitioners. She helps to shape and share content that benefits the BEAM Exchange community. Isabelle has been working as a digital specialist in website content management and development since 2005. She has previous experience with various NGOs working in the areas of corporate and environmental responsibility. She spent two years living and working in Ghana.
Mike Klassen, MSD Specialist
Mike Klassen joined the DCED Secretariat in November 2019. He is a market systems specialist with the BEAM Exchange, where he leads inter-organizational learning processes related to the MSD approach. Key projects include the MSD Competency Framework (2018), MSD Procurement & Contracting Clinics (2020) and the MSD Leadership Clinics (2023). Mike also works as an independent consultant with a variety of leading MSD organizations, including Swisscontact, ACDI/VOCA, Mercy Corps, ILO, Practical Action, The Canopy Lab and Vikara Institute. Mike holds a BASc in Engineering Science, and an MA and PhD in Higher Education, all from the University of Toronto.
Holger Grundel, Green Growth and PSD expert
Holger Grundel advises the Secretariat on Green Growth and other technical PSD themes. Having joined the Secretariat in 2019, he has supported a variety of DCED work streams, including PSE, Green Growth, FCAS and digitalization. Holger worked for 18 years as Senior PSD Adviser for the UK FCDO in the UK, China, the DRC, and Senegal. He also has a track record in consultancies focusing on the transition to green energy and transport, natural resource management and sustainable forestry. As a founding member of the FCDO’s PSD cadre, he led on policy and programming for topics including post-conflict PSD, PSE, entrepreneurship, and extractive industries. He studied International Business at the Fachhochschule Dortmund, Germany, and the University of Plymouth, UK. He also has a Master’s degree in International Development from Bath University, UK.
Muneeb Zulfiqar, Results Measurement Specialist
Muneeb Zulfiqar has been working with the DCED Secretariat since September 2020, where he has been supporting DCED’s work in results measurement. He has more than eight years of experience in developing and implementing monitoring and results measurement systems aligned with the Standard for various programmes across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Muneeb’s experience as a development practitioner extends to multiple areas, broadly including the MSD approach, private sector engagement, women’s economic empowerment, and inclusion.