We bring the grit to get things done right — and the experience and skill to match.
Without the noise, the filler, or templates — we bring multidisciplinarity to new heights, from micro-details to regional and global stakes. Because problems — like life — are never one-dimensional.
meet the people behind the work...
The IRSAAN team brings together deep and varied experience across humanitarian programming, civil society leadership, multilateral coordination, and international engagement. Members of the team have led crisis responses, developed strategic frameworks, managed complex projects, and advised institutions on inclusion, rights, and systems-building. With backgrounds spanning project management, funding strategies, research, and organizational design, our team engages across technical sectors and institutional levels with credibility and depth.
We’ve supported work on youth development, public engagement, and participatory governance, while contributing to programming in peacebuilding, food security, protection, livelihoods and early recovery. From designing frontline interventions to shaping national strategies, each member brings more than technical skill — they bring insight born from hands-on responsibility. We’ve worked through complexity, responded under pressure, and delivered results in environments where impact is hard-won.
OUR TEAM
Majidi is an institutional development specialist with over 15 years of experience supporting NGOs, ministries, and civil society in fragile settings. He combines strategic planning, project design, and governance structuring with hands-on leadership across humanitarian, development, and capacity-building work.
Full Profile
Majidi brings over 15 years of experience in institutional development, humanitarian programming, and crisis response across fragile and protracted settings. He has coordinated multi-sectoral projects, authored program strategies, designed monitoring systems, led evaluations, and supported institutions in structuring internal governance and procedures. His work spans education, protection, food security, livelihoods, civil society, and disaster coordination — including the leadership of emergency responses and the development of recovery frameworks in displacement-affected settings.
In addition to his field and advisory work, Majidi is a highly active trainer, having designed and facilitated a wide range of capacity-building sessions for staff, ministries, NGOs, and community institutions on topics including project design, MEAL, governance, strategic planning, protection systems, and institutional structuring. His approach blends technical depth with contextual awareness, always grounded in real implementation challenges.
Majidi has held project manager or senior roles with organizations including the Spanish Red Cross (CRE) , Algerian Red Crescent (CRA), Saharawi Red Crescent (MLRS), Mundubat Fundazioa, comitato internazionale per lo sviluppo dei popoli (CISP), American Institutes for Research (AIR), Infocom, and Leioako Sahararen Aldeko Elkartea (LSAE). As a consultant, he has supported CRE, Infocom, MLRS, Oxfam, AIR, and various ministries and associations operating in the Saharawi refugee camps and in Spain.
He holds a degree in Information Systems Engineering from the University of Mascara, and two master’s degrees from the University of the Basque Country (UPV): one in International Cooperation, Peace, and Security, and another in Areas and Models of Scientific Research in the Social Sciences. At IRSAAN, he leads strategy, service architecture, and quality assurance — ensuring that support is not only tailored, but credible and fit for the environments it serves.
Bechraya is a humanitarian programme leader with experience managing and supporting multi-sectoral projects since 2015. A telecommunications engineer by training, he combines project management, emergency response coordination, and operational problem-solving with practical experience across education, health information, data, and civil society work.
Full Profile
Bechraya is a humanitarian sector professional with experience spanning programme management, operational delivery, and field coordination since 2015. Working in fragile and fast-changing settings, he has built a solid profile as a project manager, with responsibility for planning, implementation follow-up, coordination, and results delivery across multiple workstreams. His background also includes emergency response engagement, strengthening his ability to operate under pressure while keeping logistics, resources, and priorities under control.
Alongside direct programme management, Bechraya contributes to strengthening teams through practical guidance on implementation organisation, coordination routines, and field problem-solving. He has supported the operational use of information systems and structured data follow-up, linking day-to-day implementation needs with reporting quality and decision-making. His technical mindset as an engineer supports a structured approach to analysis, troubleshooting, and improving how work is organised and monitored.
Bechraya has worked primarily with comitato internazionale per lo sviluppo dei popoli (CISP) and has collaborated closely with local institutions and humanitarian partners. His experience includes work across education-related initiatives, psychosocial support in school environments, support to health information system operations, education information systems, youth engagement, and civil society strengthening. Through frequent professional engagement across the wider region, including regular work travel to Spain, he has built strong cross-cultural communication and coordination skills.
At IRSAAN, Bechraya serves as Managing Director, ensuring the Institute’s operational leadership and overall delivery coherence. He allows IRSAAN to scale by translating strategy into execution, keeping teams aligned, deadlines respected, and projects moving with discipline and clarity. For IRSAAN clients, he strengthens reliability and accountability by ensuring that interventions are well-managed, operationally feasible, and implemented with consistent follow-up from planning to reporting.
Carlos Grijalva-Eternod is a Senior Research Fellow at the UCL Institute for Global Health, specialising in public health, child development, and the assessment of nutrition and well-being in vulnerable populations. He evaluates humanitarian and development interventions using robust quantitative methods, including surveys, biomarkers, and statistical modelling.
Full Profile
Carlos Grijalva-Eternod is a Senior Research Fellow at the UCL Institute for Global Health, with a background that combines clinical nutrition with public health and child development. Trained originally as a clinical dietitian in Latin America and later specialised in Europe, his research focuses on assessing nutritional and well-being status in vulnerable populations. He brings particular expertise in evaluating health and nutrition interventions in humanitarian and development settings using robust quantitative methods, including surveys, biomarkers, and statistical modelling.
In addition to his research delivery, Carlos contributes to strengthening evidence use in practice through collaboration, technical guidance, and policy engagement. His work supports institutions and teams to generate reliable data, interpret results responsibly, and apply findings to improve programme design and decision-making. He helps connect field realities with strong measurement choices, ensuring that quantitative tools are used in ways that are scientifically sound and operationally feasible.
Carlos has led and contributed to research across Latin America, Africa, Central and South Asia, and Europe. His work spans diverse topics, including cash transfers in crisis contexts, maternal, child, and adolescent development, infant malnutrition, and the developmental origins of undernutrition and chronic disease. He has collaborated extensively with international organisations such as UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, Concern Worldwide, and comitato internazionale per lo sviluppo dei popoli (CISP), and has led studies in refugee and displacement settings, remote rural communities, and dense urban environments.
Within IRSAAN’s work, Carlos strengthens our ability to design and evaluate health and nutrition interventions with scientific rigour and practical relevance. For IRSAAN clients, he brings high-level research leadership that improves the credibility of assessments and evaluations, supports strong measurement strategies, and helps translate evidence into actionable recommendations in fragile and complex contexts.
Fatma is a support operations and coordination professional with experience enabling multi-activity programmes in fragile settings. She combines administration and finance follow-up, internal coordination, and stakeholder liaison with a strong academic background in languages and communication.
Full Profile
Fatma is a support operations professional with several years of experience enabling programme delivery through strong administrative systems, finance follow-up, and structured coordination. Her work supports teams operating in fragile and time-sensitive environments, where clarity, consistency, and operational discipline directly affect results. She brings a practical profile grounded in day-to-day delivery needs, while maintaining a clear understanding of how operations connects to quality, compliance, and credibility.
In addition to her operational experience, Fatma contributes to capacity support and internal guidance through hands-on coaching, task organisation, and process clarification. Her training background in languages and communication strengthens her ability to streamline information flows, maintain clear documentation, and support team coordination with diverse staff profiles. This also translates into strong client-facing communication and reliable follow-up on commitments, deadlines, and deliverables.
Fatma has worked with international organisations and multidisciplinary teams across humanitarian and development programmes, supporting administration, finance processes, and programme coordination functions. She is also actively engaged in youth and civil society spaces, which has strengthened her experience in collaboration, representation, and coordination with a wide range of stakeholders, including institutions, community actors, and international partners across the wider region.
At IRSAAN, Fatma serves as Support Operations Manager. She ensures that our internal operations are structured, responsive, and aligned with our delivery standards, including documentation, administrative compliance, finance tracking, and logistical follow-up. For IRSAAN clients, she strengthens reliability and execution by keeping projects organised, ensuring smooth coordination across teams, and helping protect the quality and credibility of outputs through disciplined operational management.
Khadiya is a multilingual humanitarian professional with deep expertise in field coordination, translation workflows, and cross-sector project support. Her background in international cooperation and development makes her a vital link between strategic planning and frontline delivery.
Full Profile
Khadiya brings over a decade of experience in international cooperation, project coordination, and institutional support, with a strong focus on field operations, multilingual environments, and cross-sector implementation. She has worked with humanitarian organizations and UN-supported missions in roles spanning translation management, field logistics, and cross-border coordination. Her ability to ensure coherence between strategic planning and field-level delivery makes her a key asset in fragile and high-stakes operational contexts.
Her academic background includes two master’s degrees — one in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, and another in Languages and Development Studies. This dual foundation allows her to bridge technical rigor with cultural and linguistic nuance. She has coordinated field teams on research, mine action, protection, livelihoods, and education access — always with an eye for operational precision, ethical alignment, and accountability to affected communities. Her experience covers both grassroots implementation and the orchestration of multilingual workflows across dispersed teams and geographies.
Khadiya is fluent in Arabic, Spanish, and English, and works confidently in French. This linguistic fluency is matched by her cultural agility, enabling her to act as a bridge in complex, politically sensitive settings. She has contributed to documentation, strategic communication, and community outreach in contexts where narrative, clarity, and diplomacy are vital. Her work is marked by quiet reliability, attention to context, and the ability to sustain momentum in environments where coordination is both difficult and essential.
At IRSAAN, Khadiya ensures that our operations are both locally rooted and internationally coherent. She supports implementation logistics, quality control across language workflows, and the integrity of our field-level engagements. Her presence reinforces our commitment to precision, accessibility, and trust — especially in settings where misunderstandings can carry high stakes. She plays a key role in translating strategic plans into actionable, ethically grounded delivery across diverse institutional and cultural landscapes.
Abida is a civic engagement strategist and founder of NOVA, a platform that gained international recognition for advancing Saharawi voices through rights-based advocacy and dialogue. With 12+ years of experience, she bridges principled leadership with operational clarity across civic, academic, and multilateral spaces.
Full Profile
Bachir is a journalist and risk analyst specializing in crisis communication, public discourse, and regional security. With over a decade of experience, he helps institutions navigate fragile environments with ethically sound messaging and strategic clarity.
Full Profile
Rafael is a humanitarian operations and strategy specialist with extensive experience managing multi-sector programs in fragile and conflict-affected settings in the Middle East, South Asia and West Africa. He brings deep expertise in program coordination, risk-informed planning, and systems management.
Full Profile
Ghali is an informatics engineer, software developer, and project manager with experience supporting humanitarian organisations since 2012. He combines information systems delivery, data management, and applied analytics with hands-on project leadership across health, social assistance, and operational support services in fragile settings.
Full Profile
Ghali is an informatics engineer, software developer, and project manager with more than a decade of experience supporting humanitarian and public service delivery through information systems and practical data solutions. Since 2012, he has worked across fragile and resource-constrained environments, helping institutions organise information, strengthen decision-making, and improve service continuity. His profile combines strong programming capacity with operational leadership, allowing him to translate field realities into tools and workplans that teams can deliver and sustain.
In addition to systems development, Ghali supports teams through technical accompaniment, troubleshooting, and practical coaching on data use and digital workflows. He has contributed to the design and operation of databases, reporting structures, and analysis tools that support health and social programming, including work linked to nutrition and maternal and child health data, as well as beneficiary and assistance tracking. As a project manager, he brings structured planning, coordination, and follow-up, ensuring that technical work stays aligned with timelines, roles, budgets, and delivery constraints.
Ghali has worked with a range of humanitarian organisations and institutional partners, including the Spanish Red Cross (CRE), the Algerian Red Crescent (CRA), comitato internazionale per lo sviluppo dei popoli (CISP), and Triangle Génération Humanitaire (TGH). Across these roles, he has supported institutional capacity strengthening, information system development, data management functions, and project leadership, including in health-related service environments where logistics and continuity of supplies are critical. He has also contributed through volunteer engagement with local humanitarian structures.
At IRSAAN, Ghali leads the Information Solutions Development Division. He is responsible for shaping our software solutions portfolio and ensuring that our systems are robust, secure, and adapted to real operational constraints. For IRSAAN clients, he brings the capacity to lead end-to-end delivery of fit-for-purpose information systems, strengthen data workflows, and provide reliable project management that improves coordination, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making across humanitarian and public programmes.
Full Profile
Samira Kaidi brings a unique combination of technical training and field experience to IRSAAN’s work in crisis-affected environments. With a background in applied engineering and systems analysis, she has supported project planning, operational coordination, and monitoring across humanitarian initiatives in the Saharawi refugee camps. Her work has spanned budgeting, activity tracking, inter-partner coordination, and data-based performance review — underpinned by a systems-thinking approach to operational problem-solving.
Samira holds a Master’s degree in engineering with specialization in system reliability and quality control, with a background in modeling, she has completed internships with SONATRACH and ENPEC — two of Algeria’s leading industrial institutions — where she strengthened her capacity for structured diagnostics, technical documentation, and efficiency analysis. She is certified in evalua-tion using an age, gender, and diversity (AGD) lens and has supported initiatives focused on envi-ronmental resilience, service delivery, and cross-institutional coordination. Her strength lies in articulating complex operational models and translating them into coherent, field-level action.
Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, and with working knowledge of Spanish, Samira contributes to IRSAAN’s programming and local partnerships in Algeria and the Saharawi refugee camps. She supports implementation logistics, planning, and inter-agency coordination. Her engineering mind-set, combined with hands-on humanitarian experience, allows her to transform complexity into clarity — and strategy into effective, grounded action.
Raquel is a humanitarian logistics and emergency response specialist with over 15 years of experi-ence leading complex field operations in crisis-affected settings. She brings deep expertise in rapid deployment, multisite coordination, and logistics systems — reinforcing IRSAAN’s capacity for grounded, responsive, and high-stakes delivery.
Full Profile
Raquel brings extensive experience in humanitarian logistics, emergency deployment, and field-level coordination across diverse contexts including Syria, Nigeria, Mozam-bique, Venezuela, Haiti, Bangladesh, Guinea, and the Saharawi refugee camps. She has managed logistics operations during acute emergencies such as floods, epidemics, earthquakes, and dis-placement crises — often across multiple field bases simultaneously. Her responsibilities have included procurement, warehouse and fleet management, stock systems, risk mitigation, and the development of operational security plans — all under fast-evolving conditions.
Trained through multiple Emergency Response Unit (ERU) certifications and Red Cross deploy-ments, Raquel has also led inter-agency coordination, built local logistics capacity, and designed evacuation protocols in volatile environments. She has worked with major INGOs and provided support to local teams, government-linked partners, and community-led efforts. Her leadership of logistics teams — often comprising dozens of staff across remote or high-risk zones — has been central to delivering results under pressure, sustaining continuity, and upholding safety standards in field implementation.
Fluent in Spanish, English, French, Catalan, and Portuguese, Raquel contributes to IRSAAN’s opera-tional readiness, deployment strategy, and risk-sensitive program design. Her experience navi-gating complex field logistics, rapid-response protocols, and resource mobilization mechanisms positions her as a critical asset in ensuring IRSAAN can operate reliably, efficiently, and ethically — even under severe constraints.
Rodrigo is a psychologist and political scientist with over 20 years of experience in education, psy-chosocial support, and protection. His background blends field implementation with institutional policy, research, and academic leadership — reinforcing IRSAAN’s work across crisis-affected and inclusive learning environments.
Full Profile
Louali is a field and logistics professional with experience supporting humanitarian operations through coordination, transport and supply follow-up, and real-time problem-solving. He combines strong field leadership and stakeholder communication with a security-aware approach to delivery, strengthened through formal training and long-term volunteer engagement.
Full Profile
Louali is a field coordination and logistics professional with extensive experience supporting humanitarian and community-based programmes through operational leadership and day-to-day delivery follow-up. He has worked in complex and fast-changing environments where plans must be adapted to reality, and where implementation depends on strong field presence, reliable logistics, and clear coordination. His core strength is making activities happen on time and with quality, while managing constraints, priorities, and communication across multiple actors.
In addition to direct field delivery, Louali supports teams through practical guidance, rapid troubleshooting, and the organisation of routines that keep implementation on track. He has a strong track record in transport and logistics support, including the coordination of mobility and assistance services for vulnerable people. He has also strengthened his capacity through professional safety training, including a World Food Programme (WFP) security certificate, which supports a risk-aware approach to field operations and movement planning.
Louali has collaborated with a range of organisations and stakeholders across the wider region, including the Spanish Red Cross (CRE), Mundubat Fundazioa, comitato internazionale per lo sviluppo dei popoli (CISP), and Handicap International (HI). He has also maintained long-term volunteer engagement with local humanitarian structures and has been active in civil society initiatives, strengthening his experience in coordination, community interface work, and stakeholder communication. His roles have covered logistics functions, field assistant positions, and project coordination within NGO programme structures.
At IRSAAN, Louali serves as Field and Logistics Coordinator, a core role that protects delivery quality from planning to implementation. He ensures that logistics, field coordination, and operational follow-up are aligned with programme objectives, and that constraints are identified early and managed proactively. For IRSAAN clients, he strengthens execution by keeping activities realistic, responsive, and results-focused, ensuring that commitments translate into credible outcomes on the ground.
Asma is an outreach and communication support professional with strong multilingual capacity and experience supporting coordination and information management in dynamic settings. She combines English, Spanish, and Arabic communication skills with disciplined administrative follow-up and practical support to stakeholder engagement and day-to-day coordination.
Full Profile
Asma is an outreach and communication support professional who brings strong multilingual communication and practical coordination skills to institutional work. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic, and she is recognised for her ability to communicate across cultures and support collaboration with diverse stakeholders. Her profile combines energy and responsiveness with an organised, detail-aware approach to managing information and follow-up.
In addition to communication and outreach support, Asma contributes through structured administrative work and information handling. She has completed training in automated information management, strengthening her capacity to organise data, maintain records, and use digital tools to support efficient workflows. She also brings experience in preparing clear communication, supporting agendas, and handling time-sensitive coordination tasks in environments where plans evolve quickly.
Asma has worked in roles that combine teaching, administration, and multilingual support. She has taught English across different learner levels, designing simple learning plans and developing materials to support progress. She has also supported administrative functions within an institutional setting, including document organisation, meeting coordination, and internal communication, using tools such as Microsoft Office to improve efficiency. In addition, she has supported international engagement through interpretation and delegation support, ensuring smooth communication and practical follow-up around visits and official activities across the wider region.
At IRSAAN, Asma serves as Outreach and Communication Administrator. She supports our external communication, stakeholder follow-up, and coordination routines, helping ensure that messages, schedules, and commitments are managed clearly and consistently. For IRSAAN clients, she strengthens accessibility and responsiveness by supporting communication flows, multilingual engagement, and organised follow-up that helps partnerships run smoothly and professionally.
Buchra is an office coordination and administration professional known for disciplined execution, strong organisation, and high attention to detail. She combines methodical administrative follow-up with a background in law and specialised exposure to the management of humanitarian demining operations, supporting teams to keep workflows clear, complete, and reliable.
Full Profile
Buchra is an office coordination and administration professional who strengthens delivery through discipline, structure, and consistent follow-up. She is known for her ability to handle detailed and demanding tasks with patience and accuracy, working methodically until completion. In fast-moving environments, she helps create stability by keeping processes organised, documentation complete, and routines respected, even when workloads are heavy or priorities shift.
In addition to her core coordination work, Buchra supports internal efficiency through practical organisation of files, records, and administrative workflows. Her strength is sustained, careful work that protects quality over time, especially for tasks that require long concentration, repetition, and strict attention to detail. This makes her a reliable support for compliance-related documentation, internal tracking, and the operational cleanliness that teams often need but do not always have time to maintain.
Buchra has an academic background in Law, having completed university studies in Law and Political Sciences at the University Ali Kafi in Tindouf. She has also completed specialised introductory training in the management of humanitarian demining operations through a training centre in Argentina, which reflects exposure to humanitarian operational environments and structured management procedures linked to safety, risk awareness, and compliance. In addition, she holds training linked to primary education, strengthening her capacity for clear communication and structured support.
At IRSAAN, Buchra serves as Office Coordination and Administration. She ensures that our internal work is properly organised, documented, and followed through, so that teams can focus on delivery without losing control of the basics. For IRSAAN clients, she strengthens reliability by keeping administrative processes clean, consistent, and audit-ready, supporting the professionalism and credibility that our work requires.
Beyond technical expertise, what sets our team apart is how we work: with discretion, humility, adaptability, and a deep sense of responsibility. We listen closely, move with intention, and adjust without losing direction. We know that trust is earned through presence, respect, and consistency — and we bring those qualities into every collaboration. What we build is not just effective; it’s reliable, and it’s human.
multidisciplinary
The people at IRSAAN come from a wide range of backgrounds — humanitarian operations, institutional development, education, research, MEAL, and technical sectors. This mix gives our team the ability to look at challenges from different perspectives, making our support both comprehensive and practical.
experience
We’ve worked in difficult environments — under pressure, with limited time, and often with incomplete information. Our team knows what it means to carry responsibility, face trade-offs, and still deliver. That experience isn’t theoretical — it’s lived, and it shapes how we support others.
Adaptiation
What defines our team is not just what we know, but how we adjust. We adapt quickly to shifting conditions, political sensitivities, or operational constraints without losing direction. Whether scaling up, simplifying, or pivoting, our people know how to stay useful when conditions change.
orientation to details
We care about how things actually work. From designing a tool to organizing a workshop or writing a report, we pay attention to details — timelines, roles, formatting, logistics, clarity. That’s not a side note; it’s part of how we ensure our partners can rely on us fully.
innovative and forward-thinking
At IRSAAN, innovation isn’t about trends — it’s about making support more effective. We improve tools, rethink processes, and adapt methods to ensure our work leads to better results, not just activity. Being forward-thinking helps us solve problems today without creating new ones tomorrow — and sets our partners up for stronger outcomes ahead.