Roland Charles

Development professional with more than 25 years' experience in economic development working with Governments, Corporations, and NGOs, coupled with degrees in Economics and training in project management. Able to use a broad range of specialist enterprise, rural development and private sector development practises and approaches to tackle the challenge of pro-poor development including Extreme Poverty Graduation Models, Making Markets Work for the Poor, Business Development Services, Value Chain Development, Access to Finance, and experience of working directly with big companies on supplier development and business linkage programmes. Extensive MSME Policy development for national governments (Tonga, Uganda, Malawi & SA). * Market development project experience in dairy, livestock, rubber, fruit and vegetable and soya market systems including supporting voluntary standards and climate smart agriculture in South and South-East Asia and Southern Africa. * SMME development experience including SMME policy development, strategies for construction sector, retail, light engineering and finance sectors to increase access to finance and new technologies and lead the private sector engagement work through changing business models to change the market systems in favour of SMMEs. * Private sector expertise including developing business linkage programmes, managing supplier development schemes, transforming business models to promote economic development, and CSR. * Expertise in incorporating refugee livelihood development, positive youth development, women's economic empowerment (WEE), gender-based violence and support for vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities in development programmes.