We are Capability
Capability is dedicated to designing solution portfolios to address complex development problems by providing research and consulting services for social development and democratic governance using systems thinking, political economy analysis, and monitoring evaluation and learning for adaptive management.
Our work
We are an international multidisciplinary team 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.
We embrace Doing Development Differently and Problem-driven Approaches 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.
We work with development partners, local governments and government agencies, the private sector, foundations, NGOs and policy research organizations to support adaptive programme design and implementation.
We have long-term experience working 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.
About us
Katja Pellini
Co-founder of Capability
Katja is a founding partner of Capability. Ashe is an ecologist, international development cooperation practitioner and entrepreneur with fifteen years 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.
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.
Our partners
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Common Thread is a social and behavioural change company that bridges well-meaning public health plans with actual human behaviour. We design creative, compassionate, and strategic tools to help people make healthier choices.
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Fortiko is a Finnish policy research organisation and service provider offering science-based solutions for sustainable development pathways, with extensive experience in applied multidisciplinary research, capacity-building, and expertise in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
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Dala Institute is dedicated to elucidating and identifying durable solutions to contemporary issues at the nexus between nature and society. We are a team of highly experienced researchers and consultants who understand that environmental and societal challenges are inseparable. Our core services are social science research, performance and impact evaluations, and technical assistance.
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The Sustainable Development Policy Institute is an internationally recognized policy research think tank established in Islamabad (Pakistan). SDPI carries out policy research on inclusive economic growth, governance, climate change, education, health, energy, gender and sustainable livelihood.
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The Foundation for Development Management is a development consultancy established in Kathmandu (Nepal) that provides advisory services in the areas of policy research, monitoring and evaluation, institutional development and strengthening, strategic planning and policy analysis.
Our projects
We have provided research, analysis, and strategic advice to the following selected 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: 7/2019-3/2020
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
Contact us
We would love to hear from practitioners, researchers, consultants and organisations committed to testing and applying problem-driven approaches. Let us know your thoughts and ideas!