Dr. Irene Guijt is the Head of Evidence and Strategic Learning at Oxfam Great Britain.  Her work bridges theory and practice, creating knowledge processes that support collective action for social and environmental justice. Her agricultural engineering degrees and PhD on messy learning partnerships in rural resource management  have shaped her understanding of the science and art of societal transformation. She draws on feminist epistemology, systems thinking, social justice, and advocacy. Thematically, her work has focused on intersectional inequalities.

She has undertaken much methodological innovation so ignored voices can better influence decisions (Participatory Learning and Action, unpacking the politics of evidence, and the use of SenseMaker in international development). Recent work includes leading a global analysis of emergent agency in a time of Covid and designing Oxfam GB’s new learning and accountability approach that decolonises knowledge and shows systemic change. She has written on epistemic justice, megatrends and all things to do with evaluative practice. She is currently researching her eighth book, which focuses on an evidence base for honest hope that speaks of and to changemakers. This includes work on how climate activism influences – or not – climate financing flows.