David Connolly
Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit
Monitoring and Evaluation team
Berlin, Germany
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David Connolly is Head of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Unit at the Berghof Foundation. A specialist in the impact of conflict transformation, he has held leadership roles at the United States Institute of Peace (2018-2025), The Hague Institute for Global Justice (2014-2018), and the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York (2005-2013).
David has led numerous evaluations and learning agendas in more than 15 conflict-affected countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. His work has shaped programming and policy for key donor organizations, including GIZ, the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and the UK FCDO, as well as multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, UNICEF, and UNDP. His independent studies have been supported by national research councils in the Netherlands, the UK, and Qatar.
David is a frequent speaker at international conferences and has published widely for both professional and academic audiences. He holds a PhD from the University of York, and an MA and BA from Queen’s University Belfast.
External Commentaries and Reports
- 2023. ‘From Evidence Review to Practicing with Tools: Insights on Evidence-Informed Dialogues from USIP’s Learning Agenda’, Commentary, DRG Group, September (with J. Baggerman).
- 2022. ‘The Promise and Perils of a Humanitarian Ceasefire in Ukraine’, Commentary, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), July.
- 2022. ‘Why Learning Matters in Preventing Violent Conflict’, Commentary, QUB, May.
- 2022. ‘Reassessing Conflict Prevention in an Increasingly Turbulent World’, Commentary, QUB, March.
- 2018. Education in Conflict-affected Areas, Report, British Council and QUB, December. pp.31 (with T. Gallagher, G. Robinson, and J. Hughes).
- 2018. Strengthening Accountability for Attacks on Education during Insecurity and Armed Conflict, Working Paper, Education Above All, Doha, April, pp.33 (with E. Aloyo, J. Coster van Voorhout, P. Klanduch, and M. Malik).
- 2017. The Motivations of Civil Society in Designing Evidence-based Approaches to a Human Security Strategy in Mali, Policy Brief, The Hague Institute, May, pp.10 (with T. Boubacar)
- 2017. ‘Making SDG 16.3 Work for the Rule of Law and Access to Justice: Measuring Progress in Fragile and Conflict-affected States’, Commentary, Knowledge Platform for Security & Rule of Law, December (with M. Smits and P. van Sluijs).
- 2014. ‘Deliberate Starvation: Impact on Peace and Reconstruction in Syria’, Commentary, openSecurity.net/The Broker, July (with A. Macaluso).
Academic
- 2012. ‘The Role of Basic Education in Post-war Recovery’, Comparative Education, June, pp.1 - 19 (with S. Barakat, F. Hardman, and V. Sundaram).
- 2010. ‘Participatory Research in Programme Evaluation: The Mid-term Evaluation of the National Solidarity Programme in Afghanistan’, in R. Bowd and A. Ozerdem (eds) Participatory Research Methodologies in Development and Post-Disaster/Conflict Reconstruction, London, Ashgate: pp.211 - 229.
- 2005. ‘Can Proactive Humanitarianism create Sustainable Solutions? Challenges to Third-Party Intervention in Aceh’, in S. Barakat, (ed.) After the Conflict: Reconstruction and Development in the Aftermath of War, London and New York, I.B. Tauris, pp.67 – 86 (with S. Barakat and J. Large).