Program Performance · Evaluation · Learning · Quality
Catherine Gilford
Program Performance & Learning Specialist | International Development
Working across DFAT-funded programs in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, I turn program
evidence into practical improvements in how programs are designed, delivered and
strengthened. My work spans mixed-methods evaluation, MEL systems, organisational processes
and locally led partnerships, with a focus on making evidence useful for decision-making,
adaptation and accountability.
388 survey responses49 key informant interviews22 focus group discussions5 recommendations
As MEL Specialist for CUFA PNG, I led the independent Mid-Term Review of the Children's
Financial Literacy program in Papua New Guinea, a DFAT ANCP-funded initiative teaching saving,
budgeting, and needs-versus-wants decision-making to primary school students in Port Moresby,
running from a 2023 pilot through to a planned 2028 close. I designed the evaluation framework
and methodology from the ground up: a mixed-methods
approach structured around the OECD-DAC criteria (impact, effectiveness, efficiency,
sustainability) plus a GEDSI cross-cutting lens, built to DFAT's Design and Monitoring,
Evaluation and Learning Standards. Fieldwork ran across October–November 2025 and drew on 388
survey responses, 49 key informant interviews, and 22 focus group discussions with students,
teachers, parents, volunteers, school leadership, and system-level stakeholders including a
former Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion representative and MamaBank. I analysed
the resulting data, scored the program against each DAC criterion, and authored the final
report, including five targeted recommendations covering teacher-led handover, household
reinforcement, disability inclusion, and system-level financial inclusion partnerships.
Reviewed at each stage by Be BlueRock Foundation advisers and an independent consultant.
Coronation Primary SchoolClassroom, Coronation PSCFL Volunteer Training & MentoringTeacher Training Session & MEL
As MEL Specialist for CUFA PNG, I designed the monitoring and reporting architecture for
EmployAbility, a disability-inclusive employment program delivered in partnership with APEP
across two implementation sites, Lae and Port Moresby. I built the project's digital data
collection tools and dashboards, oversaw performance tracking across a cohort of 39 training
participants (against a target of 30) drawn from nine PNG organisations of persons with
disabilities, and analysed data from 247 participant surveys to inform program reporting and
adaptive management. Twelve participants progressed into employer internships, including
placements at Glory Group, Digitec/Vodafone, the Hilton Hotel, and the Stanley Hotel, with the
MEL system tracking outcomes throughout. Alongside the data systems, I integrated GEDSI
(gender equality, disability and social inclusion) principles into the project's monitoring,
reporting and performance frameworks, feeding into the program's broader evidence base and
later drawn on in the publicly released EmployAbility Toolkit.
Independent Consultant · Glory Foundation Inc.Dec 2025 – Aug 2026
Governance & Strategy Consulting
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Governance modelTiered partnership frameworkTheory of ChangeImplementation roadmap
Engaged as an independent consultant to help a newly established foundation in Port Moresby
move from concept to a pilot-ready operating model. Following in-country stakeholder
discussions, I developed a governance and organisational structure proposal covering board,
executive, and project-level oversight, along with a tiered partnership model that separated
delivery partners, technical advisers, private operators, and donors by function. I authored
the foundation's Theory of Change, impact pathway, and MEL framework for its first proposed
programme, then drafted the phased implementation roadmap that set out its path from concept
to operational testing.
CS·04
ADRA Papua New Guinea · DFAT Church Partnership ProgramJun 2023 – May 2024
Program Quality & MEAL Systems Design
Lae, Papua New Guinea
MEAL infrastructure built across 5 program areasFirst governance SOP across ADRA's Programs DepartmentFirst org-wide pilot of Logalto reporting platform
As Program Quality Manager at ADRA PNG, I was responsible for building out the
organisation's MEAL infrastructure across a Programs Department spanning WASH, TB/HIV, SHAPE,
Emergency Response, and the Church Partnership Program (CPP4), a four-year, DFAT-funded
partnership with the PNG Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I was tasked
directly by the Programs Director with designing ADRA PNG's first standardised quarterly and
annual reporting template, consulting with project managers and coordinators across the
department to capture what each team could realistically report against. I also authored the
department's Standard Operating Procedure covering its organisational structure, reporting
lines, escalation pathways, emergency (NEMP) activation protocols, and decision-making and
conflict-resolution procedures for the Programs team. On the analysis side, I produced a
budget variance review of the acquittal for ADRA's Tropical Cyclone Harold recovery response,
setting out options for tighter budget controls, contingency planning, and post-project
evaluation. I also took and wrote up the minutes for ADRA PNG's Program Committee (PROCOM)
meetings, condensing long, multi-agenda governance sessions into structured summaries with
clear action items for leadership. Alongside this, I supported ADRA's outcome-harvesting work,
collecting and writing up Most Significant Change stories from program participants, including
a 10,000 Toes NCD-screening ambassador and adult literacy graduates, to complement the
quantitative reporting.
CS·05
Anglican Overseas Aid · DFAT ANCPMay – Dec 2020
Safe, Strong Communities: Baseline Report
Isabel Province, Solomon Islands
115 baseline participants27 key informant interviews10 focus group discussions
Analysed baseline data and authored the 2020 Phase 1 report for Safe, Strong Communities, a
DFAT-funded project addressing gender-based violence and economic empowerment across four
villages in Isabel Province. The baseline drew on 115 participants, including 27 key informant
interviews and 10 focus group discussions, examining social-cultural norms, Gender Equality
Theology (GET) training with faith leaders, and women's financial empowerment through Savings
with Education (SWE) groups. Working from raw qualitative and quantitative data, I built the
report's data tables and charts and wrote the analysis identifying key emergent themes,
including shifts in women's financial decision-making power and the influence of church
leadership in shifting attitudes toward gender-based violence.
02 / CHRONOLOGY
Work Experience
Independent Governance & Strategy ConsultantDec 2025 – Aug 2026
Glory Foundation Inc. (project-based) · Port Moresby, PNG
Developed a governance structure and tiered partnership model for a newly established foundation
Authored its Theory of Change and phased implementation roadmap
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) SpecialistJun 2025 – Feb 2026
CUFA PNG (Credit Union Foundation Australia) · Port Moresby, PNG
Led the Children's Financial Literacy Mid-Term Review (DFAT ANCP)
Designed MEL architecture and GEDSI-integrated monitoring for the EmployAbility Project (APEP)
Medical Administration OfficerJun 2024 – Jun 2025
Sleep and Respiratory Group, Cabrini Hospital · Melbourne
Managed patient triage, claims, scheduling, invoicing and payments across six physicians and two clinic locations
Coordinated clinician schedules and mentored new administration staff
Program Quality ManagerJun 2023 – May 2024
ADRA Papua New Guinea · Lae, PNG
Designed ADRA PNG's first standardised reporting template across a five-program Department
Authored the department's first governance SOP and led its first org-wide pilot of the Logalto reporting platform
Employment Placement Support OfficerFeb 2021 – Jan 2022
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre · Melbourne
Managed a caseload of 15 asylum seekers, supporting employment pathways through individualised case management, coaching and capacity building
Worked with clients and employers to address barriers to employment and support sustainable workforce participation
Charity Lead & Monitoring and Evaluation SpecialistApr 2021 – Dec 2021
Evaluation design, mixed-methods research, participatory research, quantitative and qualitative analysis, evidence synthesis, Theory of Change, program logic, OECD-DAC evaluation
MEL Systems & Performance Frameworks
MEL/MEAL framework design, indicator development, performance measurement, data quality assurance, digital data collection, reporting systems, dashboards
Program Quality & Organisational Systems
Program quality standards, policy and framework implementation, systems design, SOP development, governance, risk and assurance, organisational improvement
Locally led partnerships, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, training and mentoring, cross-functional collaboration, partner capability strengthening
GEDSI & Inclusive Development
Gender equality, disability and social inclusion, disability-inclusive programming, participatory approaches, inclusive monitoring and evaluation
DFAT Programs & Compliance
Australian Government aid policy, ANCP and DFAT-funded programming, performance and reporting requirements, risk and quality assurance
Data & Technology
Excel, Power BI, SPSS, Power Query, Kobo Toolbox, LogAlto, digital data collection and visualisation
Languages
English, French (Advanced Working Proficiency), Tok Pisin (Working Proficiency)
04 / CREDENTIALS
Education & Certifications
Education
Masters of Development Studies, University of Melbourne2020
Bachelor of Arts, Major in Politics & International Studies, Minor in Development Studies, University of Melbourne2016
Diploma of Languages in French, University of Melbourne2016
Certificates
Financial Management for Development Professionals, ITCILO2026
