In January 2023 Nina started working at The Broker and she will be the lead in diversifying The Broker’s thematic fields and focus on climate and sustainable transitions. Nina has a broad background in international development and has a passion for sustainability challenges. She brings over ten years of experience in international development, working with UN agencies and civil-society organizations on climate resilience. Prior to joining The Broker she was based in Nairobi supporting companies with their global reporting frameworks and observing the exciting dynamics of the East African social impact space and its enabling environments.
Get to know Nina and learn how she can be of assistance to you and your organization by reading this short interview.
Why do you want to work at The Broker?
I strongly believe in connecting people and projects, in line with the famous proverb “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Most of the challenges we face call for collective action: ideas and solutions are clearly shaped by partnerships between civil society, business, academia and other actors. The Broker is known for making knowledge actionable and practical for international development. My role is to engage more stakeholders in the necessary conversations about value definition, trade-offs and inclusive approaches in the transition to more resource-efficient economies. Everyone strives for solutions at the scale and speed the challenges call for, yet how to get there requires broad engagement. We see our role in mapping all the collective intelligence making up the Dutch research and policy landscape and in steering conversations based on mutual interest and common cause.
What will be your thematic focus within The Broker’s projects?
The Broker is growing and so is our ambition to engage with new partners in both public and private sectors. The solutions to the climate crisis are complex and the Dutch policy approach on mainstreaming climate action focuses primarily on the priority sectors of water and food security. Yet, climate adaptation policies are a particularly dynamic sphere and here The Broker seeks to foster knowledge exchange and steer the learning processes; we don’t need more single spinning wheels but coherent, transparent and accountable policy approaches and I am excited to explore our role in this! The biggest challenge both The Netherlands and its partner countries face is linking the efficiency of resource transformation into social outcomes. In this sense, the recognition that environmental and social value considerations also make business sense benefit from regular exchange with civil society organizations and their strong expertise in rights-based approaches. The Broker seeks to intensify the collaboration and aims to link it to policy making for better outcomes.
What are you most excited about working at The Broker?
Joining a team that is as dedicated and interested in fostering innovation and the transfer of knowledge and skills to benefit people and our planet is a real privilege and I am super excited to use our joint sector knowledge and facilitation skills for new adventures. The Broker is a unique combination of coalition building for inclusive development, advisory services and a convener of smart thinking. Understanding, highlighting and where possible steering Dutch engagement with its partner countries and their communities is a fun endeavor to be part of and I am curious to see who will join us on the ride this year!
Are you curious to explore how Nina could support your project or organization? Or do you want an exchange on effective science-policy engagement and ways to meet the needs of your stakeholders best? Just reach out at nina@thebrokeronline.eu or via LinkedIn.