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LAAPS Institute

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Consultancy & Advisory

Evidence-based advisory for
complex decisions

LAAPS's consultancy and advisory work supports partners to use research and evidence to make better decisions. It builds directly on the Institute's research and focuses on helping policymakers, program teams, and investors navigate complex choices in fragile and climate-affected contexts.

We advise, we do not implement — our role is to provide analysis, insight, and advisory support that strengthens decision-making, improves design, and enhances learning.

Applied Research & Analytics

Problem-driven analytical support to inform policy, programme, and investment decisions

LAAPS provides problem-driven analytical support to inform policy, programme, and investment decisions across fragile and climate-affected contexts. Our analytical work is designed to answer specific operational questions and support evidence-based decision-making in complex environments.

Core Services:
  • Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis (CRVA) with GESI integration
  • Livelihoods and Household Economy Analysis (HEA)
  • Food systems and market analysis
  • Anticipatory action analytics and trigger analysis
  • Scenario-based stress testing and risk modeling
  • Political economy and governance analysis

Programme Design & Strategic Advisory

Systems thinking and evidence-based advisory for programme and portfolio design

LAAPS supports the design of policies, programmes, and portfolios by applying systems thinking, theory of change development, and evidence-based advisory. We help partners translate analysis into actionable programme designs that are contextually appropriate, conflict-sensitive, and resilient to shocks.

Core Services:
  • Theory of Change (ToC) development and results frameworks
  • Anticipatory action design and early action protocols
  • Shock-responsive systems and adaptive programming
  • Resilience programming and climate adaptation strategies
  • Strategic positioning in complex and fragile environments
  • Programme feasibility studies and risk-informed design

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL)

High-quality MEAL services designed to strengthen learning and adaptation

LAAPS delivers high-quality MEAL services across sectors, including baselines, evaluations, outcome harvesting, learning reviews, and accountability systems. Our MEAL work is designed to go beyond compliance—strengthening learning, adaptation, and evidence use in decision-making.

Core Services:
  • Baseline studies and endline evaluations
  • Mid-term reviews and formative evaluations
  • Outcome harvesting and contribution analysis
  • Real-time learning reviews and adaptive management support
  • Accountability and feedback mechanism design
  • MEAL system design and capacity strengthening
  • Impact assessments and cost-effectiveness analysis

Capacity Building & Executive Learning

Applied training and learning engagements for practitioners and decision-makers

LAAPS designs and delivers applied training and learning engagements for practitioners, technical teams, and decision-makers. Our capacity support focuses on strengthening analytical skills, evidence use, and adaptive management rather than generic training delivery.

Core Services:
  • Analytical skills development (CRVA, HEA, market analysis)
  • Evidence use and adaptive management training
  • Anticipatory action and early warning system capacity building
  • Programme quality and M&E strengthening
  • Climate risk and resilience programming workshops
  • Executive learning sessions for senior leadership
  • On-the-job mentoring and embedded support

Environmental & Social Risk, Safeguards & Compliance

Supporting partners to identify, manage, and reduce environmental and social risks

LAAPS supports partners to identify, manage, and reduce environmental and social risks across programmes and investments. This includes environmental and social screening, safeguards integration in design, compliance reviews, stakeholder engagement support, and safeguards coordination.

Core Services:
  • Environmental and social screening and scoping
  • Safeguards integration in programme design
  • Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP)
  • Stakeholder engagement and consultation design
  • Compliance reviews and safeguards monitoring
  • Grievance mechanism design and implementation support
  • Do-no-harm and conflict sensitivity assessments
  • Safeguards coordination and capacity strengthening

Note: Where full technical ESIA studies require licensed inputs, LAAPS partners with specialist firms while providing analytical leadership and coordination.

Cross-Cutting Integration

All consultancy services integrate LAAPS's cross-cutting lenses. These lenses shape how LAAPS works across all thematic areas and ensure research is rigorous, ethical, relevant, and usable in complex and fragile contexts:

Governance & Institutions: Analysis of policies, institutions, incentives, and power relations influencing system performance, implementation feasibility, and reform pathways.
Gender, Equity & Social Inclusion (GESI): Ensuring research examines who benefits, who is excluded, and why, across gender, age, disability, displacement, and vulnerability dimensions.
Conflict Sensitivity & Do-No-Harm: Integrating conflict analysis and social cohesion considerations to ensure research and recommendations do not exacerbate tensions, particularly around land, water, and resource access.
Ethics, Safeguarding & Research Integrity: Commitment to ethical research practice, including informed consent, safeguarding of vulnerable populations, data protection, and research integrity standards.
Knowledge Translation & Uptake: Focusing on how evidence is translated into decisions and action through policy engagement, decision briefs, advisory support, and learning feedback loops.

Together, these lenses ensure LAAPS's research is not only technically sound but socially inclusive, conflict-sensitive, and usable by those making real-time decisions.