Moderator: Sanja Nikolin

Sanja Nikolin is a Western Balkans aficionado and a big supporter of innovation, entrepreneurship –and more broadly — collaborative problem-solving approaches. She has 25+ years of international development experience, 20 years of management experience, 15 years of consulting experience and 3 years of coaching experience. She is an entrepreneur in the knowledge economy, activist of the Women’s Platform for the Development of Serbia, and active supporter of disability rights and other groups working towards equality and non-discrimination.

She holds a Master of Science Degree in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Ms. Nikolin’s work focuses on social innovation, entrepreneurship development, economic empowerment of women and institutionalization of gender responsive budgeting.

Examples of her diverse engagements include

• INNOSERV project https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/101831/reporting/it,
• Europe Calling Belgrade https://www.fes.de/europecalling/europe-calling-belgrade,
• Collaborative M&E https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/belgrad/12991.pdf
• Evaluation of a 17 year long implementation of Community Mobilizers’ Project http://www.amity-yu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Amity-Evaluacija-NetMT-EVI-2000-2017.pdf
• Gender responsive budgeting in Serbia: budget execution report, forthcoming

Ms. Nikolin is a seasoned researcher, policy impact monitor and evaluator. Most recently, she led a UN Women-funded National Alliance for Local Economic Development’s comprehensive gender impact analyses  of economic policy outcomes in Serbia, including review of national and local measures and programmes, Innovation Fund Serbia Mini and Matching Grants and local government calls for proposals to support civil society organizations. The total value of analyzed programmes amounts to 28,456,545 Euro. These four publications are forthcoming.

Ms. Nikolin served two terms as President of the Board of Serbian Association of Management Consultants. She is an advocate for economic development measurements that go beyond GDP and tackle work-life balance and quality of life issues.