MARTINA NICOLLS – Senior International Consultant – Head of MEAL

Martina Nicolls has over 25 years of International experience in delivering and managing rights-based, results-based humanitarian and aid development interventions, research, capacity development, monitoring and evaluations, and data quality audits. This includes evaluations in child labour, human trafficking, and migration. This builds upon 10 years of experience in Australia in communication, education, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), including primary, secondary, technical vocational education and training (TVET), STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), higher education, employment skills for youth and women, and projecting future employment needs.

Her evaluation consultancies include baseline, mid-term, end-line, longitudinal, and ex-post assessments, cross-cultural research, curriculum development, educational management, scholarships, budget and finance, EMIS (education monitoring information systems), peace in education, education in emergencies, resilience building, conflict mitigation, and distance education technologies.

She has held positions such as chief of party (Chef de Mission), director, principal investigator, team leader, sole evaluator, and team member.

Her cross-cutting experience includes youth, gender, equity, inclusivity, MHPSS, dignity in society and in the workplace, and the United Nations sustainable development goals 2030 agenda.

Martina Nicolls has worked for various international organizations and entities, including ADB, AusAID/DFAT, European Union, FCDO/UKAID, GTZ, UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, and the World Bank, extensively across South-East Asia, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Educational Background

Martina Nicolls holds:

• Master’s degrees in Science Communication from Central Queensland University, Australia.
• Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the South Australian College of Advanced Education, Australia.
• Graduate Diploma of Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies from the Australian National University, Australia.
• Diploma of Primary Teaching from the Salisbury College of Advanced Education, Australia.`
• Psychological First Aid from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Psychosocial Centre, Denmark.
• Psychological First Aid from the Alberta Health Services, Provincial Addiction & Mental Health Programs & Services, Canada.
• Climate Change Diploma, Centre of Excellence, United Kingdom.

Contributions and Achievements

• Certified AusAID Civilian Corps Disaster Relief Expert, Australia.
• Marine Science Journalism Prize winner awarded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
• KeyNote Presenter of the Webinar: Wellbeing for Human Rights Activists, hosted by the International Civil Society Centre, Germany.
• Presenter at the “Stand Up! Eliminating all forms of Violence against Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Women” Conference for the First National Australian Migrant & Refugee Women’s Alliance, Australia.
• Panel Member at the Comparative International Education Society International Conference on “Development as Freedom: The Role of Education: Furthering Development through Accelerated Learning.
• Several presentations to UNESCO Member States in education, education in emergencies, capacity development, evaluation of a UNESCO institute, communication, and social media.
• Several conference presentations in education, conflict mitigation, and literature.
• Several evaluations in Iraq in gender, governance, education, and dialogue/negotiations for GIZ, SPARK, USAID, and Global Affairs Canada.

Martina Nicolls is dedicated to defending, raising, and maintaining the dignity and rights of all people, particularly the marginalized and disadvantaged, through her work in global human rights, social services, peacebuilding, governance, economic rights, food security, humanitarian relief, aid development, and the transparency and quality of statistical data and information that inform the results and accountability of interventions.