Juliet Parker named as ALNAP's New Acting Director

27 May 2021

ALNAP’s Deputy Director Juliet Parker will become Acting Director of the network on 14 June, when John Mitchell steps down after 19 years of service.

John will continue working with ALNAP as a part-time Special Advisor helping to pilot a new leadership structure over the next 12 months.

Commenting on the transition, John said: “It has been a great privilege to have been at ALNAP’s helm for so long. I have seen the ALNAP membership grow from 30 to over 100 members and I have had the good fortune to work with so many talented and committed colleagues, all of whom have contributed to the improvements we see today in the performance of the humanitarian system.

“I am delighted that Juliet will become the Acting Director and ALNAP will greatly benefit from her vision, passion and dedication to the humanitarian cause. You can expect Juliet to bring in many new ideas from the way we plan our work to the way we extend our reach and deliver value to the ALNAP network. I am sure that ALNAP will go from strength to strength.”

Juliet joined ALNAP in September 2020, following five years as Director of Operations at Action Against Hunger.

Juliet said: “Speaking on behalf of the Secretariat and our members, I’d like to thank John for his many years of service as Director of ALNAP. I am so pleased that he will be staying on to share his wealth of experience with us and enable us to learn and benefit from the strong relationships he has built across the network.

“I’m really excited about ALNAP’s work in the coming year. We will deliver our Annual Meeting in October which will enable the sector to take stock of issues brought to light during the global pandemic and discuss where it goes from here. We will lead system-wide learning on COVID-19 and update critical guidance on OECD DAC evaluation criteria. We are also working on our next State of the Humanitarian System Report which will capture key trends over 12 years of humanitarian action.

“I’m passionate about the role of evidence, learning and uptake in improving the delivery of humanitarian aid and will ensure ALNAP continues to support our members and the wider sector in providing the most appropriate and timely responses to communities affected by crises across the world."

ALNAP’s new leadership structure will involve a modified Director’s role supported by a Special Advisor. Juliet as Acting Director, along with the Steering Committee, will provide strategic leadership and manage the Secretariat, including ALNAP’s work plan, communications and finance. Juliet will also focus on working better together with our expanding network. John, in his new capacity as Special Advisor, will continue to advocate for ALNAP, stay abreast of current trends and changes in the system and advise the Secretariat on how ALNAP can continue to meet the needs of humanitarian organisations.