Ellora Guhathakurta (India) has over 25 years of experience working with UN agencies, donors, and national partners to enhance monitoring, evaluation, and results-focused management systems. Her work encompasses complex programs in climate change, gender, governance, and crisis response, often in fast-paced or politically sensitive settings.

She has advised UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF, UNOPS, and FAO on designing practical results frameworks, establishing performance tracking systems, and ensuring that evidence guides both strategy and implementation. Her experience includes developing digital monitoring and evaluation systems across 19 cities in Bangladesh, supporting evaluation frameworks for the UNDP’s Climate Promise in over 100 countries, and managing multi-country reviews on gender equality and institutional effectiveness.

Ellora’s strength is in linking big-picture strategy with daily implementation. She has worked closely with program teams, senior leadership, and government partners to clarify what success looks like and how to measure it, without making the process overly complex. She also brings extensive experience in managing evaluations, with a focus on equity, participation, and learning.

She has contributed to post-crisis recovery efforts in Liberia, monitored the COVID-19 response in South Asia, and conducted poverty reduction assessments in urban settings. Her approach is grounded, collaborative, and informed by what works in real-time delivery.

Ellora holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Delhi and a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management from the Open University, UK. She is fluent in English, Hindi, and Bengali.