Decolonising consultancy: building a rooted network of ethical values-driven consultants. Kate Newman (INTRAC) interviewed.

In this week’s episode, we talk to Kate Newman, INTRAC CEO, about the organisation’s shift in order to respond to the changes happening in the international development sector. She talks of realising that rather than exclusively responding to each organisation’s needs, they realised they could be more impactful by taking on an ecosystem approach.

INTRAC’s goal is to build a network of ethical values-driven  consultants, where local context and lived experience is prioritised. This strengthens civil society and promotes locally-led development, as well as empowering consultants within their work. Kate also speaks about understanding decolonisation as a verb, as well as a commitment to processes of critical reflection, learning and unlearning.

Kate has worked in international development for over 25 years, as part of local civil society in Mexico, for large international NGOs (ActionAid and Christian Aid), as an independent consultant and an academic; she joined INTRAC as CEO in April 2022.  Throughout all these roles she has championed the importance of participatory and rights-based approaches; focused on understanding and shifting power, listening to, and learning from the knowledge, insights, perspectives and aspirations of people living in poverty, collaborating to ensure these knowledges are influential for development policy and practice.  She describes herself as a feminist and anti-racist and works to ensure her leadership approach builds from these commitments.

If you’re interested to find out more about Kate’s work, take a look here:

• Facebook
• Twitter / X
• INTRAC LinkedIn
• Kate’s LinkedIn

Relevant resources:

• Kate’s INTRAC staff profile
• A reflection on 2023 from the Chief Executive
• Decolonising consultancy: framing the discussion
• Blog on ethical and values driven consultancy
• Decolonising consultancy – panel event