Prabal Sen

Senior development-sector professional with 24+ years of experience in programme strategy, government and institutional partnerships, sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience across Assam and Northeast India.

Currently Programme

Lead at Caritas India, providing state- and multi-state-level strategic leadership for large-scale programmes engaging government departments, CSR partners, research institutions and community institutions. Proven ability to translate strategy into field-level delivery: directed the FARM Northeast Programme across seven northeastern states, reaching 45,000+ smallholder households while building and leading an interdisciplinary team of approximately 80 personnel. Extensive, hands-on experience coordinating with district administrations and state government departments across 20+ districts of Assam under World Bank-supported initiatives, together with flood-response and humanitarian recovery coordination.

Skilled at building and stewarding institutional partnerships (15+ government departments, research institutions, CSR foundations and civil society partners), strengthening community institutions such as FPOs, SHGs and cooperatives, and designing capacity-building and training programmes reaching 100+ field staff and community leaders. Comfortable with extensive field travel across Assam and the wider Northeast; working proficiency in Assamese, Hindi and Bengali.

Programme Lead at Caritas India (2013-08 – Present)

Provide strategic and technical leadership for multi-state programmes on sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience, institutional strengthening and disaster-resilient community development, working closely with government departments, CSR foundations, research institutions and civil society organisations.

• Own strategic direction and delivery for multi-state programmes, translating organisational priorities into state- and district-level execution plans.
• Serve as a principal representative in engagements with government departments, CSR foundations, research institutions and civil society partners, building and managing partnerships with 15+ institutional stakeholders.
• Directed the FARM Northeast Programme across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, reaching 45,000+ smallholder farming households through climate-resilient agriculture, agroecology, biodiversity conservation and market-linked livelihood interventions.
• Built, led and mentored an interdisciplinary programme team of approximately 80 personnel, providing strategic direction, technical guidance and performance oversight across multiple states and programme locations.
• Lead the WE-LAMPS Programme in partnership with the West Bengal Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation (WBTDCC), strengthening tribal cooperative institutions, sustainable livelihoods, value-chain development and government convergence.
• Designed and delivered capacity-building and training programmes for 100+ field staff and community leaders, alongside multi-stakeholder consultations and technical workshops involving government officials and implementing partners.
• Strengthened Farmer Producer Organisations, Self-Help Groups, producer collectives and community institutions through governance strengthening, market linkages and institutional development.
• Directed participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and feasibility assessments across 40 villages, generating evidence for programme strategy, institutional strengthening and livelihood planning.
• Promoted agroecological farming systems contributing to up to 30% increase in agricultural productivity and approximately 40% reduction in chemical input use.
• Coordinated humanitarian response and livelihood-recovery initiatives during floods and other emergencies, including rapid needs assessments, relief planning, stakeholder coordination and integration of disaster risk reduction into long-term development programming.
• Developed monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting frameworks; authored programme strategies, donor reports, concept notes and knowledge products; represented programmes at stakeholder consultations, technical workshops and policy dialogue platforms.

Development Programme & Technical Consultant at Independent Development Consultant (2022 – 2023)

• Provided technical advisory support to development organisations on climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, natural resource management and programme development.
• Developed technical proposals, concept notes and project documents; reviewed programme designs, logical frameworks and implementation strategies for donor-supported programmes.
• Prepared analytical reports, technical documents and knowledge products supporting programme planning and resource mobilisation.

Associate Programme Manager at Action for Food Production (AFPRO) (2010-02 – 2012-07)

• Coordinated implementation of externally funded rural development and infrastructure programmes, ensuring compliance with environmental and social safeguard requirements under World Bank-supported initiatives across 20+ districts of Assam.
• Worked closely with district administrations, government departments and implementing agencies to strengthen programme delivery and inter-agency coordination.
• Facilitated stakeholder consultations and community participation during project implementation; prepared technical reports and monitoring documentation.

Environmental Officer at Abir Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. (2009-08 – 2009-10)

• Supported Environmental Impact Assessment compliance for infrastructure development projects.
• Facilitated community consultations and stakeholder engagement for environmentally and socially responsible project implementation.

Junior Research Fellow → Senior Research Fellow → Project Coordinator at G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (2001-07 – 2009-07)

Progressed through research and programme coordination roles leading field-based research and community development initiatives in biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, watershed management and climate-resilient agriculture.

• Coordinated ecological and community development programmes covering 2,500+ households in Arunachal Pradesh; conducted participatory ecological assessments, resource mapping and community-based planning.
• Built partnerships with government agencies, research institutions and local communities; led watershed restoration and soil-health improvement initiatives.
• Contributed to 24 publications and 19 technical knowledge products on biodiversity, natural resource management and sustainable development.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Ecology and Environmental Sciences – Assam Central University (2001)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) – Karimganj College (1999)