We are

Our work

of development practitioners and organizations passionate about supporting and facilitating adaptive approaches to identify locally driven and innovative solutions to complex social development and democratic governance problems.

Doing Development Differently and Problem-driven Approches for Social Change. We facilitate participatory processes for designing adaptive portfolios of development solutions to be tested with our clients and partners. In addition, we conduct problem-driven political economy analysis and integrate them into the design monitoring and learning systems for adaptive management.

development partners, local governments and government agencies, the private sector, foundations, NGOs and policy research organizations to support adaptive programme design and implementation.

in Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In addition, we have conducted show-term assignments with partners in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Somalia, Honduras, Serbia and Albania.

Our projects

Arnaldo is a senior researcher in the team led by Akanksha Bapna studying the edtech innovation ecosystem in Bangladesh as part of EdTech Hub programme. The aim of the project is to understand system-level factors and behaviours that enable or constrain edtech innovations to develop and scale.  The research involves collaboration with HundrED.org in Finland and a2i in Bangladesh at includes testing the research methods that draw from systems thinking theories and principles.

Client : ODI Funder : FCDO Duration : 07/2022-12/2023

Arnaldo led the design and implementation of an Outcome Harvesting exercise to assess the contribution of the KIAT programme to the strengthening of the quality of infrastructure investment enabling environment in Indonesia.

Client : Cardno. Funder : DFAT. Duration : 02-05/2022

Arnaldo led the ODI’s team for a political economy analysis of the evidence systems in three policy areas: education and employment, child labour, economic policy and planning in Pakistan as part of the Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact (SEDI) programme funded by FCDO.
 

Client : ODI/OPML Funder : FCDO Duration : 07/2019-03/2020

Arnaldo led the review of the planning, monitoring, and learning system of Fingo, the umbrella organisation of Finnish international cooperation development NGOs Client:
 

Client : Fingo Duration : 10/2021-03/2022

Arnaldo is working in close collaboration with the MEL Director of BRAC International’s Ultra Poor Graduation Initiative and provides technical inputs and advice on designing the learning elements of the MEL system of the programme. The tasks involve:
  • Facilitating the design of eight country portfolios
  • Identifying learning measures to be tracked during implementation
  • Facilitating portfolio sensemaking workshops
 

Client : BRAC International Duration : 01-12/2022

Arnaldo led the design of a sectoral political economy analysis including the design and implementation of a portfolio sensemaking workshop with the GIZ International Services team in Afghanistan
 

Client : GIZ International Services Duration : 02-08/2021

Arnaldo Pellini

Co-founder and director of Capability

Arnaldo is a founding partner of Capability. Over the past twenty years, he has been involved in designing, monitoring, and implementing social development and democratic programmes seeking to strengthen public services delivery and the contribution of different forms of evidence to policy processes.

Arnaldo has extensive experience in context analysis and political economy analysis to help inform programme design and implementation. He has facilitated and supported the design of monitoring, learning and evaluation systems for adaptive management. Arnaldo has spent 15 years living and working in Nepal, Cambodia, Viet Nam the Philippines and Indonesia.

Katja Pellini

Co-founder of Capability

Katia is a founding partner of Capability. Ashe is an ecologist, international development cooperation practitioner and entrepreneur with fifteen ears of experience in environmental governance and policy. She has worked and lived in Nepal, Cambodia, Viet Nam, the Philippines and Indonesia. She is currently working with Plan International Finland and advising their programme strategy and practice for climate change adaptation. Katja is a life-long learner pursuing a master’s degree in degrowth and is also involved in the warm data international community of practice

Our partners