Nicola joined UNRISD in January 2008. During her tenure she assisted Thandika Mkandawire in the
Social Policy and Development programme and coordinated the "Social Policies in Small States" project.
She also worked with Naren Prasad on two research programmes;
Social Policy and Development and
Markets, Business and Regulation. She has worked primarily on "Social Policies in Small States" and the "Social Policy Index" but has also been involved in the project on "Social Policies and Private Sector Participation of Water Supply" and has contributed to the Flagship Report on Poverty.
Nicola holds a MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and a BA in Economics with Hispanic Studies from the University of Nottingham. Her MSc thesis focused on community participation in municipal housing policies and the extent to which this can be effective in alleviating social exclusion.
Prior to UNRISD she worked in the public sector in the UK, at the Housing Corporation as a Senior Statistical Officer and as a Consultant, and at the Independent Police Complaints Commission as a Data Analyst.
Her research interests included social policies, poverty alleviation, social service provision and solutions to low quality housing.