About

Hello – I’m Dr Desire Mpanje, a humanitarian-action and resilience strategist with 15 years’ experience designing and steering multi-country programmes that strengthen disaster preparedness and social capital in vulnerable communities. I currently serve as a senior Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at University College Dublin’s School of Agriculture and Food Science and International Coordinator of the Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA), where I coordinate postgraduate modules in Social Anthropology, Intercultural Studies and Resilience Research Design. Alongside my academic role, I’ve led portfolios as a Programme Manager and Director of Programmes, translating evidence into policy and guiding diverse teams toward measurable impact. My research and field work focus on urban resilience, disaster-risk reduction and the practical use of social capital to empower at-risk populations. I’m passionate about building robust PMO frameworks that optimise resources, uphold accountability and keep stakeholders meaningfully engaged from concept to closure. I’m excited to connect with fellow practitioners, researchers and PMO enthusiasts to explore collaborative ventures and amplify our collective impact.