We believe that a strong team is the key for success
Chairperson
Email : [email protected]
Surya Prasad Newpane holds an M.Phil. in Development Studies from Kathmandu University and a Master’s Degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He is also a PhD scholar in Environmental Management at Prince Songkla University, Thailand, with a research focus on Green Governance. He has over 28 years of experience in governance, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), capacity building, policy development, and training facilitation. His expertise includes gender-responsive budgeting, governance policy formulation, stakeholder engagement, disaster risk reduction, and SDG localization.
He has extensive experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research, facilitating strategic planning processes, and designing impactful programs for local governments, NGOs, and community organizations. As a seasoned trainer and facilitator, he has conducted numerous Training of Trainers (TOTs) and workshops on leadership, governance, and policy formulation.
He has played a key role in formulating GESI policies, conducting GESI audits, and developing strategic plans for multiple municipalities and institutions. His contributions to governance and development are recognized through his research publications and training manuals on gender equality, governance, and sustainable development.
Vice-Chairperson
Kamala Devi Shrestha is a highly dedicated retired government officer with over 25 years of professional experience in agricultural development, seed quality assurance, and farmer capacity-building in Nepal. She has served in key technical and leadership roles under the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Seed Quality Control Centre (SQCC), Agriculture Development Directorate, and Seed Lab Gandaki.
Throughout her career, she played a major role in improving crop productivity, enhancing seed quality standards, and empowering farming communities through practical, field-based training. She has designed and conducted numerous agricultural trainings covering fruit tree propagation, commercial vegetable production, cereal crop development, integrated pest management, sustainable agriculture, and seed production technologies.
Her expertise also includes training need assessment, curriculum development, participatory facilitation, seed inspection and germination testing, and monitoring agricultural enterprises at the grassroots level. She has completed more than 30 professional workshops in Nepal and abroad, strengthening her skills in laboratory systems, PRA tools, gender sensitivity, and agricultural enterprise management.
Ms. Shrestha remains actively engaged in supporting sustainable agriculture and rural livelihood enhancement initiatives, continuing her lifelong commitment to community development and food security in Nepal.
Secretary
Email: [email protected]
Mr. Kum Bahadur Gurung is a development and governance professional with extensive experience in peacebuilding, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), local governance, and community resilience in Nepal. He holds a Master’s Degree with Merit in Peace and Reconciliation Studies from Coventry University, UK, and a Master’s Degree in Economics from Mahendra Multiple Campus, Nepal. He also completed specialized professional development programs in peace and conflict resolution from Rotary Peace Centre, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and development studies from the University of Birmingham, UK.
With more than 20 years of professional experience, Mr. Gurung has served in senior leadership roles, including as Program Director at NEST Nepal and Program Manager at INF Nepal and F-SKILL Pvt. Ltd. He has provided strategic direction, program planning, research oversight, and capacity-building support to government agencies, I/NGOs, and civil society organizations across Nepal.
His expertise spans political economy analysis, gender audits, baseline surveys, participatory planning, governance strengthening, and peace and conflict transformation. He has led and contributed to major research and development assignments, including a peace research project under Saint Paul University, Canada; baseline surveys for INF Nepal; GESI-focused Political Economy Analysis for USAID Pact; and preparation of periodic municipal development plans.
Mr. Gurung has strong competencies in qualitative and quantitative research, including designing survey tools, conducting FGDs and KIIs, and producing analytical reports. His work has consistently focused on improving public accountability, inclusive governance, social protection, women’s economic empowerment, and climate resilience at local levels.
Skilled in relationship management and diplomacy, he has built effective collaborations with government authorities, donors, political actors, private sector partners, and community institutions. Throughout his career, he has contributed to strengthening democratic practices, advancing inclusion, and fostering peace within communities.
Mr. Gurung continues to support Nepal’s development sector through his leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to sustainable and inclusive social change.
Treasurer
Email: [email protected]
Sandesh Subedi holds a Master’s Degree in Business Studies (MBS) with an emphasis on finance from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He has extensive experience in financial management and administration, having worked in a variety of roles across different organizations. Mr. Subedi began his career as a Senior Accountant and Finance Officer at Pokhara Foods Pvt. Ltd. and has since held various key positions, including Admin and Finance In-charge at Hotel Tulsi Pvt. Ltd., Regional Resources Center Officer at a DFID-funded capacity building project with the NGO Federation, and Admin and Finance Officer for USAID and FHI Nepal-funded projects with the Nepal Red Cross Society.
He has also served as Finance Coordinator for the EU-funded project of Naulo Ghumti and as Senior Audit Officer at N S and Associates, formed by FCA. In addition to his experience, he has led the Administration and Finance Department of NEST.
As a lead trainer in accounting and financial management, Mr. Subedi has designed and delivered numerous training programs related to saving and credit management, financial literacy, strategic and business planning, financial resource mobilization, laws for cooperatives, and general audit procedures. His diverse skill set and experience continue to contribute significantly to the financial governance and growth of the organizations he works with.
Joint Secretary
Prabha Acharya holds a Master’s Degree with an emphasis on Population Studies, a Bachelor’s in Population and Sociology, and an Intermediate in Arts from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. She has a diverse professional background, with experience in counseling, community mobilization, and operations management. Mrs. Acharya was employed as a Psychosocial Counsellor at Advocacy Forum Nepal, where she provided counseling services, including advanced and evidence-based counseling.
Before her work at Advocacy Forum, she served as a Community Mobilization Officer at Child Welfare Scheme Pokhara, where she implemented community mobilization activities for the Early Grade Reading Program (EGRP) to increase family and community support for early-grade education in Kaski district. She also worked on forming and strengthening the capacities of school management committees, parent-teacher associations, and other community forums such as Early Grade.
Additionally, Mrs. Acharya worked as the Operations In-charge at Ace Trading Pvt. Ltd., where she managed strategic logistics plans, budgets, and key logistics activities. She also held an administrative position at Nepal Water Supply Corporation, where she supported administrative tasks and managed customer billing systems, office management, communication, and secretarial work.
Her broad range of experience in community work, administration, and operations continues to contribute to her leadership role at NEST.
Member
Padam Shrestha holds a PhD in Rural Development and a Master’s Degree in Rural Development, with academic and research expertise focused on reducing inequalities through development policy and practice. He is a senior development specialist with over 30 years of professional experience working with UN agencies, bilateral donors, INGOs, and national institutions in Nepal. His core areas of expertise include programme design and management, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), community mental health, health systems strengthening, governance, and sustainable livelihoods.
He has extensive experience in leading large-scale development and humanitarian programmes, mobilising and managing multi-year donor funding, and establishing strong institutional systems aligned with UN and EU standards. As the Founder and Executive Director of LEADS Nepal, he has successfully designed and implemented integrated mental health, livelihoods, and social inclusion programmes, including emergency response and post-earthquake recovery initiatives. His work reflects strong competencies in results-based management, monitoring and evaluation, donor compliance, and multi-stakeholder coordination.
As a seasoned trainer, facilitator, and researcher, he has designed and delivered hundreds of capacity-building programmes for government institutions, NGOs, and community organisations. He has led qualitative and quantitative research, baseline studies, and impact evaluations, contributing to policy dialogue and evidence-based programming at national and international levels. His professional contributions are recognised through peer-reviewed publications, training curricula, and knowledge products on mental health, social inclusion, governance, and sustainable development.
Member
Hira Kumari Gurung holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University and professional training as a Civil Sub-Overseer from CTEVT. She is an experienced trainer and community development professional with over 30 years of experience working in the water supply, sanitation, and community development sectors in Nepal. Her professional expertise is centered on training design and delivery, community mobilisation, gender inclusion, water and sanitation (WASH), and capacity building, with extensive engagement at grassroots and institutional levels.
She has worked with national and international organisations including NEST, WSSTP/RDC-UMN, and the Nepal Red Cross Society, contributing to both technical and social development programmes. Her core competencies include training needs assessment, curriculum and manual development, facilitation of technical and non-technical trainings, programme coordination, monitoring, reporting, and follow-up evaluation. She has delivered a wide range of trainings on water supply system maintenance, sanitation, user committee management, women’s participation, basic health and hygiene, and skill development, often working closely with community groups and local stakeholders.
As a seasoned trainer and facilitator, she has successfully designed and delivered participatory trainings for diverse groups, supervised new trainers, and supported institutional programme planning and implementation. Her professional practice demonstrates strong skills in communication, leadership, project management, problem-solving, and community engagement, with a sustained commitment to improving water, sanitation, and social development outcomes, particularly for women and underserved communities.
Member
Mahendra Prasad Lamichhane holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education from Tribhuvan University, with strong academic grounding in social sciences, gender studies, project management, and community development. He is a senior governance, social development, and training specialist with over 25 years of professional experience working with Government of Nepal institutions, UN agencies, bilateral donor–funded programmes, INGOs, and national consulting firms. His core areas of expertise include local governance and decentralization, social mobilization, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), local development planning, health education, disability and rehabilitation, social accountability, and capacity building.
He has extensive experience leading and coordinating local governance reform programmes, development planning processes, organizational and management (O&M) studies, environmental and social assessments, and large-scale training initiatives across municipalities and rural municipalities in Nepal. As an Executive Director and senior consultant, he has successfully led the preparation of periodic development plans, tourism and strategic plans, organizational reform studies, revenue improvement and property tax trainings, and environmental examinations, while ensuring alignment with government policies and donor requirements. His professional practice reflects strong competencies in programme design and management, results-based planning, monitoring and reporting, stakeholder coordination, and institutional strengthening.
As a seasoned trainer, facilitator, and researcher, he has designed and delivered hundreds of capacity-building programmes for elected representatives, government officials, NGOs, and community institutions on local governance operations, social accountability, leadership, GESI, planning and budgeting, and livelihood improvement. He has led qualitative and quantitative research, impact studies, social audits, and evaluations, contributing to evidence-based local development and policy dialogue. His professional contributions are further reflected through published articles, training manuals, evaluation reports, and knowledge products on governance, disability, nutrition, gender, and inclusive development in Nepal.
Member
Coordinator
Mona Bhandari holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies (BBS) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. She is currently serving as the Admin and Finance Manager at LEADS (Livelihoods Education and Development Society), where she oversees the overall management of the admin and finance department. Prior to joining LEADS, Mrs. Bhandari was employed at NEST, starting as an Office Assistant, then progressing to Admin and Finance Assistant, and finally to Finance Assistant.
Before her time at NEST, she worked with the United Mission to Nepal (UMN) Rural Development Center (RDC) on the CODE project in Achham district. Mrs. Bhandari is also a general member of Youths in the Empowerment Sector (YES Nepal).
She has received extensive training in office management, secretary training, organizational development and management, accounting, training of trainers, basic graphic art, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), and conflict transformation. As a lead administrative staff member, she has managed tasks related to Photoshop and webpage design. Her work in the development, communication, and publication sections contributed to the organization’s publications, including books and articles focused on the institutional aspects of community development.
Member
Kedar Dhamala
Member
Giridhari Pokharel
Program Manager
Email: [email protected]
Hari Prasad Luitel holds a Master’s Degree in Business Studies (Finance specialization) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He is a dynamic Programme Manager with over five years of progressive experience in financial management, governance, project implementation, and organizational development within government, NGO, and INGO settings.
He currently serves as Programme Manager at the Nucleus for Empowerment Through Skill Transfer (NEST), a national-level NGO in Nepal, where he leads program design, implementation, and monitoring while ensuring financial efficiency, donor compliance, and strategic alignment with organizational goals. His role involves coordinating with development partners, government agencies, and community stakeholders to promote inclusive and sustainable development.
Mr. Luitel has extensive expertise in budgeting, financial planning, donor reporting, and capacity building. He is proficient in accounting and data management tools including Tally, Finpro, Excel, and SPSS, and skilled in using digital platforms for data collection and analysis such as KoBo Toolbox and Google Forms. He has also contributed to the development of migration profiles, baseline surveys, and local governance plans through his involvement in various research and field projects.
As a certified trainer, he has successfully facilitated professional workshops and Training of Trainers (ToT) programs on project finance management, leadership, and compliance. His leadership and commitment to excellence were recognized when he was awarded Best Employee of the Year (2022) by NEST.
Mr. Luitel is passionate about promoting accountable governance, financial transparency, and community empowerment through effective program management and innovation in development practices.
Finance & Admin Assistant
Email: [email protected]
Muna Majakoti
Office Helper
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