Jana Mazancová, Ph.D. is a seasoned evaluation specialist and academic with over 17 years of experience in the design, management, and delivery of complex evaluations and monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems across the development sector. Her expertise spans decentralised evaluations, mixed-method approaches, and quality assurance of evaluation deliverables. She has led and contributed to high-level evaluations for the World Food Programme (WFP), including decentralised evaluations in Armenia and São Tomé and Príncipe, applying globally recognised frameworks such as UN SWAP GEWE, WFP SABER and VCA4D to assess program impact, policy alignment, and institutional capacity strengthening. Besides her evaluation work, Dr. Mazancová is a senior researcher at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), where she has also served as Vice-Dean for Development at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences. Her research focuses on sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on socio-economic aspects of waste-to-energy solutions and rural resilience, especially through biogas technologies. She has played lead roles in over 20 Official Development Assistance projects across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, funded by the EU and Czech Development Cooperation. Dr. Mazancová has a strong academic portfolio, including curriculum development, international teaching, and doctoral supervision. She is a recognized lecturer in gender, rural development, and extension services, with invited teaching appointments at universities in Asia and Africa. Her work integrates gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) into both research and development practice. She is the principal investigator of the Horizon Europe AGRIGEP project, supporting the implementation of Gender Equality Plans in agricultural and life science universities across widening countries of Europe. She is an active member of the Czech Evaluation Society and multiple international networks focused on sustainable development, gender equality, and higher education reform. Her unique combination of technical evaluation expertise, field-based project leadership, and academic depth makes her a valuable asset for evidence-driven development initiatives and policy shaping.