International Policy | Practical Solutions

International Policy | Practical Solutions

What We Do

Acacia Development Associates Ltd helps development partners to plan for and adapt to change in complex political or security environments.

What We Do

Acacia Development Associates Ltd helps development partners to plan for and adapt to change in complex political or security environments.

Development programmes are about understanding, supporting, promoting and delivering change. But that change is rarely just technical. Working to understand the incentives and motivations of key actors and issues which affect a programme’s context is critical. Capable, resilient and adaptive programmes do this well.

Acacia Development Associates Ltd works with development partners in civil society, government and the profit and not-for-profit sectors to ensure that their programmes are as fully effective as possible.  We work with programme teams to help them develop the means to do this for themselves. Real-time contextual analysis is a vital team behaviour which informs management decision making; and is essential to the adaptive programming approaches which distinguish successful programmes from others.

Development programmes are about understanding, supporting, promoting and delivering change. But that change is rarely just technical. Working to understand the incentives and motivations of key actors and issues which affect a programme’s context is critical. Capable, resilient and adaptive programmes do this well.

Acacia Development Associates Ltd works with development partners in civil society, government and the profit and not-for-profit sectors to ensure that their programmes are as fully effective as possible.  We work with programme teams to help them develop the means to do this for themselves. Real-time contextual analysis is a vital team behaviour which informs management decision making; and is essential to the adaptive programming approaches which distinguish successful programmes from others.

Distance training for a group of 20 Slovakian CSOs to help them adapt their projects to take into account COVID-19.

Designed, implemented and led an innovative programme to improve citizen-state engagement in Sudan at a time of heightened tension and change.

Led a specialist team of consultants to analyse the security, stabilisation and political context for support to people displaced by fighting inside Syria.

Designed and led an awareness raising programme, promoting positive alternatives to illegal, informal and unsafe migration within the Horn of Africa.

Designed and led a team providing near real-time analysis and policy during a turbulent change of leadership in the Zimbabwe.

Preparation of strategic policy advice to the British Government about how to support both security and development objectives in Sierra Leone.

Provided country expertise to a learning review of support to civil society in Ethiopia; and helped to design a programme extension against the backdrop of contentious elections and the Coronavirus pandemic.

Developed and implemented tools to measure and use political access and influence in UK security and stabilisation programmes in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

Who We Are

Drawing on more than thirty years of combined experience, Acacia Development Associates Ltd is an effective partner to development programmes operating in complex political and security environments.

Who We Are

Drawing on more than thirty years of combined experience, Acacia Development Associates Ltd is an effective partner to development programmes operating in complex political and security environments.

Jeremy Astill-Brown
An experienced policy manager and analyst with over 22 years of experience as a British diplomat and a further 14 years as a British diplomat and subsequently as a consultant, mostly in Africa focussing on the fields of development, human rights, peace and security. Primary focus has been the promotion of sustainable peace and security in order to allow development to flourish.

Wide experience of working at a senior level with UK, European Union, African Union, United Nations, African sub-regional peace and security organisations, national governments and international and national NGOs, including on peace building and emerging security and development policies. Successful track record in the design, implementation and the monitoring and evaluation of new policy approaches and programmes, including on human rights and peace and security.

Extensive experience of living, working and travelling in Africa. Management and oversight of humanitarian, peace building and security and justice programmes in highly complex political and security environments, including in East and Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. Experienced in working across the Whitehall Departments of the British Government and with other donors. Good track record in team leadership and in managing diverse teams.

DOWNLOAD JEREMY’S CV
Marisa Astill-Brown
Marisa is an independent consultant with experience in humanitarian/emergency and development situations. She has worked in Uganda, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania. During this time she has held senior management positions and worked as an independent consultant in complex political and security situations, including during the civil war in Angola and the (repeated) chronic emergency situations in Mozambique. She has provided expert input at various levels, from civil society to international forums, helping to develop, shape and implement advocacy on issues ranging from food security and livelihoods to child rights and protection. Since returning to live in the UK full time, Marisa has been running Acacia Development Associates Ltd.

Latest Insights