Dr. Farman Ali, is a prominent economist. He is a Chief Advisor in the company. He has earned his Ph.D. in Economics from University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich, England, U.K. ‘Thesis was on Models of household behavior in subsistence Agriculture.’

He has served as Professor and Chief of Research at Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Agricultural University Peshawar (1985-2014). He was senior researcher in ‘Socio-Behavioral Research’, HIV Social, Behavioral and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada (2010-2011).

He had played a pivotal role in Forestry Sector (Community based) Project in Pakistan, financed by the Asian Development Bank and government of the Netherlands. Objective of the project was initiation of institutional reforms in the forestry sector, decentralization of powers, poverty alleviation and gender development. His responsibilities included: assisting team members in data collection, interpretation and report writing; assisting community members in undertaking need assessment; Preparation of Operational Plans; Budgeting project’s activities; developing proposals for funding; liaising with government agencies; providing leadership to the team members to coordinate efforts, making presentations to donors, staff and community members; submitting periodical reports;

Project Coordinator, Planning and Development Department NWFP, Pakistan. (1995 & 1996) Community-based Development Project Financed by the Asian Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Project was designed to alleviate poverty. Responsibilities included: Fostering team building and supervision of staff responsible for forming and supporting 500 community organizations; coordination between service providers and community organizations for services delivery; preparation of feasibility reports for new activities; monitoring the flow of funds to the executing departments; motivating village communities for participation in proposed activities; presenting results to and sharing bottleneck with a variety of audience; and, writing quarterly and annual reports on the overall progress.

He had been researching the Livelihoods strategies, Natural Resource Management and Governance in Afghanistan with interactions with Ministries such as MEW, MAIL, MARRD), at Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit at Kabul. He has rich experienced and ability in monitoring and evaluating community based projects.