I am a sociologist with a PhD in economics, and three decades of experience in international development, the first decade in the NGO sector working on humanitarian interventions and then social policy, and the second two in government, academe and research, working on various aspects of social protection with a wide range of national and international agencies.   I am currently focussing on the question of social protection as a mass response to climate change-induced livelihoods and environmental degradation in the medium term and studying part time for a Masters in Environmental Science with the Open University.

I have led the independent reseach agency The Poverty and Inequality Practice for the last ten years and work as a research economist specialising in the design and appraisal of social protection policy, systems and programmes in developing countries, with a focus on public works programmes and am also a Senior Research Associate with ODI.  I have a particular interest in the implications of climate change in the medium term  for future social protection policy and programming,  leading the Climate Change and Social Protection Research Initiative, which I co-founded in 2022 with Cecilia Costella, taking forward a work agenda with DFAT. I am also the Climate Lead for the FCDO funded STAAR Inititive as well as working with the European Commission to develop climate and social protection programming guidelines. 

I also work on the political economy of social policy interventions and the national policy impact of external interventions.  I convene, moderate and facilitate workshops and conferences on aspects of social protection and teach on a number of post graduate university courses and government training programmes.  I have had the pleasure of working throughout north and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as central, southern and south eastern Asia, with a range of UN agencies, bi- and multi-lateral donors, governments and non-governmental organisations.  I have published widely in a variety of media and written extensively on the political economy of social protection, as well as public works and labour market interventions.

CV

https://annamccord.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/anna-mccord-cv-december-2023.docx