Íñigo Barrena

Founder of On Egin International Consulting

based in Spain

Bachelor's in Law by the University of Deusto, with a Master's Degree in International Law by the University Aix III-Marseille, and a diplomat in Corporate Social Responsibility by the University of International Cooperation in Costa Rica with more than 30 years of experience working and volunteering in the international cooperation and aid sector.

Íñigo worked within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement since 1995 and in very different managerial and technical positions. From social development leading community processes with Red Cross branches, up to organisational development supporting strategic changes in several national societies and policy development at HQ level; from disaster risk reduction and community resilience approaches up to managing disaster response operations in important occasions as Hurricane Mitch, the tsunami operation in Asia, Zika outbreak in America, Ecuador Earthquake and Hurricanes Irma and Maria among others. His last position was as Head of IFRC's Disaster and Crisis Department for America. Between 2005 and 2011 he worked as freelance consultant for UN agencies, governments, universities, research institutes, International NGOs and RC Movement.

He has treasured many years of training experience as invite professor in several Universities (Comillas, UOC, San Marcos, San Martín de los Andes), as adult learning expert and regular facilitator of hundreds of trainings at field and HQ level both as consultant and as member of IFRC. He is also Tutor and professor of ILO/ITC in DELNET's Local Development and DRR course. He is author of several training packages and master's degree training modules.

Among his capacities and abilities, Íñigo has a well proven capacity of analysis, strategic thinking, planning, team management, team building, solution driven approach, adaptability to any context, third sector institutional and political understanding and ethical commitment.

Íñigo is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Basque. Since September 2019 based in Bilbao, Spain.

Jorge Menéndez

Founder of On Egin International Consulting

based in Argentina

Jorge Menéndez Martínez is an international consultant with over 25 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector. He has served as an international delegate of the Red Cross Movement and as a consultant, leading evaluations, mid-term reviews, final assessments, and strategic analyses for organisations operating in complex humanitarian and development contexts. He has worked extensively with the IFRC, the German, French, and Netherlands Red Cross, UNDP, and National Societies and NGOs across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. His experience includes evaluations of disaster response operations, projects and programmes, national and regional strategies, organisational development processes, and large multi-country programmes, making him a trusted adviser for institutions seeking evidence-based decision-making and stronger accountability.

Throughout his career, Jorge has supported organisations in navigating operational challenges, refining governance and management systems, and strengthening program quality. He specialises in designing and conducting evaluations that integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches, with a strong focus on learning, effectiveness, and strategic relevance. His work spans a wide range of thematic areas, including disaster risk management, migration, livelihoods, climate-related challenges, and institutional resilience. In addition to his consulting practice, he serves as an HQAI-registered auditor (www.hqai.com), contributing to the application of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) through independent assurance processes.

Before focusing fully on consulting, Jorge held senior leadership roles, most notably as Executive Director of the Peruvian Red Cross, where he expanded project portfolios, improved financial sustainability, and implemented modern management systems. His background also includes executive and technical positions in Mozambique, Indonesia, and Spain, giving him a deep understanding of both field operations and organisational strategy in diverse environments.

Jorge holds master's degrees in Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility and International Relations, along with a B.B.A., and multiple specialised diplomas in project evaluation, disaster risk management, and e-learning. He is recognised for his analytical clarity, collaborative style, and commitment to helping organisations transform evidence into action.

He is fluent in Spanish and English, and he is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Jan Gelfand

Senior consultant

based in Canada

Jan Gelfand brings over two decades of senior leadership and advisory experience across humanitarian, development, and evaluation contexts. Until December 2023, he served as Special Advisor to the Europe Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), providing strategic and operational guidance, particularly in relation to the response to the conflict in Ukraine. His previous roles with IFRC include Head of Delegation for the Indonesia, Timor-Leste Country Cluster and ASEAN Representative, as well as Deputy Regional Director for the Americas, where he provided oversight on the implementation of IFRC strategies and areas of focus. Jan's expertise spans senior management, disaster risk management, community development, programme management and evaluation, training, and large-scale emergency response.

Earlier in his career, Jan was General Director and principal consultant of Development Focus International, leading consultancy assignments for the United Nations, the European Commission, the UK Department for International Development, the Canadian International Development Agency, and numerous international NGOs across the Americas, Africa, Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. He has extensive experience in strategic planning and in building inter-institutional and inter-sectoral partnerships with governments, civil society organisations, and community groups. Jan has also taught sociology and community development at the University of Alberta and worked closely with community-based organisations in Canada and Latin America. A Canadian by birth, he has recently returned to Calgary after 22 years abroad. He holds a Master of Science in Rural Sociology with a focus on participatory research and is married with three children.

María José Catalán

Cash and voucher assistance and protection expert

based in Spain

María José Catalán Puche is Onegin Consulting's Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Protection Expert, bringing more than 15 years of frontline and strategic experience across humanitarian settings in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Her career spans the full cycle of CVA and protection programming, design, feasibility assessments, implementation, capacity building, and independent evaluations, working with leading humanitarian organizations such as IFRC, Spanish Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross, Caritas Luxembourg, and the Pan American Development Foundation.

She has served as a CVA specialist for multiple emergency responses, strengthening Red Cross National Societies in Aruba, Argentina and Panama through feasibility studies, service provider onboarding, operational rollout, and staff and volunteer training. She also acted as CVA Specialist in the evaluation of several projects, programmes, and operational responses, assessing the effectiveness, relevance, and scalability of cash-based interventions while producing evidence-based recommendations to optimize future deployments.

María José's protection expertise is equally robust. She has held roles dedicated to gender-based violence response, psychosocial support, child protection, detention visits, and restoring family links, most notably within the Spanish Red Cross, the Netherlands Red Cross, and PADF, where she served as Country Director for Aruba and Curaçao. In these positions, she led multidisciplinary teams, coordinated referral pathways, managed social services for migrants and refugees, and supported communities facing acute vulnerability and displacement.

Her evaluation portfolio includes climate resilience, disaster preparedness, emergency response, refugee protection, and migration stabilization projects across Colombia, the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, Turkey, and Venezuela, consistently integrating protection standards, accountability, and community engagement into program recommendations.

María José holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, a Master's in Journalism & Digital Communication, and postgraduate diplomas in Development Project Management and Social Work in Drug Addiction, complemented by specialized trainings in CVA, Livelihoods, Protection, Gender & Inclusion, Emergency Response Units, and psychosocial support. She combines operational rigor, analytical depth, and a people-centered approach, making her a trusted expert for organizations seeking to strengthen cash-based assistance and protection outcomes in crisis contexts.

She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Malena Correa

Public health expert, ID, sexual health and menopause specialist

based in Argentina

Dr. Malena Correa is a Public Health Expert at On Egin Consulting specializing in infectious diseases, sexual and reproductive health, menopause, and gender‑responsive health strategies. Her career spans more than 15 years across clinical practice, global health research, academic teaching, and the design and evaluation of public health programs in Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe.

She has delivered impact‑driven assignments for major humanitarian and development organizations including IFRC, UNICEF, the French Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, German Red Cross, and Netherlands Red Cross. Her portfolio covers epidemic preparedness and response, sexual and reproductive health initiatives, disability inclusion, community engagement, and health system strengthening. Notable work includes the design and coordination of Argentina's DeSeAr with Inclusion program on sexual rights for people with disabilities; adolescent‑focused digital health innovation funded by Grand Challenges Canada; and pioneering research on low‑cost diagnostic tools for childhood pneumonia.

In addition to her consulting and research work, Malena has held academic roles in both international and national institutions. She serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and has also taught at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de José C. Paz (UNPAZ), contributing to the academic training of future health professionals.

Her academic background includes a Master of Public Health (Manchester Metropolitan University), a Post‑Doctorate in Emerging Infectious Diseases (Tulane University/NIH), a MSc in Medicine Research, a Master in HIV/AIDS, a Diploma in Tropical Medicine, and a Diploma in Gender and Health in a Global World. Fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, she combines scientific rigor, field expertise, and a human‑centered perspective to help organizations strengthen public health outcomes for diverse populations.

She is fluent in Spanish and English.

Juan Mastrorilli

Information management and digital tool developer expert

based in Argentina

Juan Pablo Mastrorilli is On Egin Consulting's Information Management and digital tool developer expert, specializing in the design and implementation of advanced data systems that strengthen humanitarian evaluations and operational decision‑making. With more than 30 years of experience in software development and information architecture, he builds tailored platforms that include dashboards, monitoring systems, real‑time data‑collection tools, and self-assessment tools used by organizations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Within On Egin Consulting, Juan Pablo has played a key role in major evaluation assignments, including the Mpox Appeal mid‑term review and the Türkiye Earthquake Response evaluation, where he designed digital tools for survey deployment, coordinated complex data workflows, and produced data‑driven visualizations that informed strategic recommendations. His work enables project teams and clients to access clean, actionable information quickly, improving the quality and reliability of evaluation findings. 

His technical portfolio also includes leading the development of the organizational capacity self-assessment tool and project monitoring tool for the Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru Red Cross National Societies, as well as designing digital systems for the IFRC, the Netherlands Red Cross, and the American Red Cross. Beyond the humanitarian sector, he has built complex platforms for the insurance, health, communications, and logistics industries, ranging from CRM systems and emergency medical communication services to web-based quotation engines and analytics tools.

Proficient in Python, Ruby, PHP, JavaScript, FastAPI, Flask, Ruby on Rails, and multiple database technologies, Juan Pablo combines engineering excellence with a collaborative, problem-solving mindset. His ability to translate operational needs into intuitive, scalable digital solutions makes him a key enabler of Onegin Consulting's data-driven evaluation and monitoring work.

Gladys Gbegnedji Castaño

Senior humanitarian and development consultant

based in Spain

With an Engineer's Degree from UPM (Madrid), an MSc in Construction Project Management from Heriot-Watt University (UK), and a Professional Master in International and Geopolitical Analysis from UDIMA, Gladys Gbegnedji has over 19 years of dual-sector experience navigating complex environments in both the private sector and the international development sphere.

Gladys has worked extensively within the United Nations system, occupying technical leadership and management positions in high-stakes contexts. Her background includes extensive field experience in Ghana, Iraq, Libya, and the Caribbean (Aruba/Trinidad & Tobago). Between 2017 and 2024, she served in critical roles for the Funding Facility for Stabilization in Iraq and for the Resilience and Recovery in Libya. In these capacities, she managed portfolios exceeding US$350 million, coordinating large-scale post-conflict recovery interventions—including hospitals and essential services—while navigating volatile security environments.

Currently, Gladys operates as a Management Consultant and serves as an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission. She brings a unique value proposition by bridging private-sector process optimization with humanitarian mission goals. Her private sector background in Spain and Ghana allows her to introduce rigorous efficiency, cost-saving strategies, and professionalized public procurement standards into development programs.

In addition to her operational roles, she possesses a strong background in capacity building. Gladys has delivered over 2,000 hours of professional training and has been instrumental in strengthening national capacities in Libya and Iraq, mentoring local teams to ensure sustainable project outcomes.

Gladys holds PMP® and CIPS 3 certifications, specializing in public procurement, project implementation, and strategic advisory. She is bilingual in English and Spanish, with working knowledge of French, and is based in Madrid (Spain).

Joanne O'Flannagan

Core humanitarian standards expert

based in Northern Ireland

Joanne O'Flannagan is a senior humanitarian and development consultant with more than 20 years of experience supporting international and national organisations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. She holds Master's degrees in Psychological Science and Information Management, alongside a BA in Russian and Political Science. She brings extensive experience in programme quality, accountability, safeguarding and organisational development, gained through senior roles in complex humanitarian settings.

As a Senior Auditor with the Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative (HQAI), Joanne leads and supervises Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) audits for organisations worldwide. She brings deep expertise in quality management systems, accountability to affected populations, and safeguarding, and has conducted audits for major international NGOs including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), CAFOD, CARE International, Oxfam, and ActionAid. Her audit work spans headquarters and country operations, combining rigorous assessment with a strong commitment to supporting the strengthening of organisational systems and learning.

Before becoming an independent consultant, Joanne held progressively senior roles with organisations such as Trócaire, ACTED, Mines Advisory Group, GOAL, and Amnesty International. Her experience includes leading large-scale humanitarian programmes, coordinating emergency responses, managing multi-disciplinary teams, and conducting evaluations in crisis-affected contexts including Sudan, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Lebanon, the Philippines, and Kyrgyzstan. She has designed accountability frameworks, facilitated strategic planning processes, and supported organisations to strengthen governance, risk management, safeguarding, and MEAL systems.

Since 2018, Joanne has worked independently, advising NGOs on strategic planning, due diligence, organisational assessment, CHS implementation, and programme quality. She has led validated CHS self-assessments, developed due diligence passporting frameworks, supported research on localisation and accountability, and supported organisations to embed learning and continuous improvement across their operations.

Joanne's work reflects deep sectoral knowledge, strong analytical and qualitative evaluation skills, and a long-standing commitment to principled, accountable, and locally led humanitarian action.

Daniel Rogers

Core humanitarian standards expert

based in United Kingdom

Daniel Rogers is a senior humanitarian and development professional with over 25 years ofexperience in programme design, evaluation, organisational assessment, and quality assurance.He holds an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS),University of London, and completed the International Health Leadership Development Programmeat Lancaster and McGill Universities.

As a Senior Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Auditor with the Humanitarian QualityAssurance Initiative (HQAI), Daniel leads international audit teams conducting quality andaccountability assessments for humanitarian organisations worldwide. He is a certified ISO LeadAuditor (ISO 19011) with extensive experience in management system reviews, programmeevaluations, and organisational compliance assessments. His audit portfolio includes majorinternational NGOs such as Concern Worldwide, World Vision International, Plan International,ZOA, Mission East, and Finn Church Aid, with field work spanning Bangladesh, Burundi, Colombia,Jordan, Kenya, Turkey, and Uganda.

Daniel's evaluation expertise draws on a career of progressively senior roles at leading internationalorganisations. At Frontline AIDS, he served as Head of Institutional Funding and Partnerships,overseeing the design and delivery of programmes worth over $250 million and managing technicalassistance for major clients including USAID and the Global Fund. At Plan International, hemanaged a $20 million tsunami response programme in Sri Lanka and led regional resourcemobilisation across 14 countries in Asia, developing deep sectoral knowledge in health, WASH,education, child protection, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction.

His technical expertise spans humanitarian response, global health, climate-resilient development,accountability to affected populations, and organisational capacity strengthening. Daniel hasconducted assessments, evaluations, and strategic reviews across 30 countries in South andSouth-East Asia, Eastern Africa, and Central America, bringing strong analytical skills and acommitment to learning and quality improvement to every engagement.

Nacho Román

Humanitarian aid, development and livelihoods expert

based in Spain

With a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Comillas University in Madrid, and a Master's in "Solidarity Action in Europe" from Carlos III University in Madrid, Nacho Román has more than 20 years of experience working and volunteering in the international cooperation and aid sector.

Nacho Román has worked within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement since 1999, occupying various managerial and technical positions. His background includes experiencies in the Saharawi refugee camps, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Angola, Gambia, Albania, or Phillipines, among other countries.

Between 2000 and 2018, he served as a Senior Officer and Head of Region at the Spanish Red Cross HQ, coordinating humanitarian interventions across Asia, Europe and MENA regional. In these roles, he played a pivotal part in the successful execution of humanitarian aid and development projects, demonstrating a robust capacity for strategic planning, coordination, and innovation.

His most recent role was as Director of the IFRC Livelihoods Resource Centre (LRC) from 2019 to 2023. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic planning and coordination of the Centre, conducting specialized training sessions, and creating essential technical resources. His efforts in communication and innovation have significantly enhanced the Centre's impact on global livelihoods support.

In addition to this, he has amassed significant teaching experience. He has served as a professor in various Masters and Postgraduate courses on Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation at prestigious universities, including Carlos III University Madrid, Complutense University Madrid, University of Santiago de Compostela, and University Jaume I Castellón. His expertise in adult learning and regular facilitation of numerous trainings at both field and HQ levels underscore his commitment to education and capacity building in the humanitarian sector. He is also an author of several training packages.

Among his capacities and skills, Nacho has a demostrated ability in learning solutions, project design and evaluation, MEAL processes, strategic thinking, facilitating process of organizational changes or team management.

Nacho Román is fluent in English and Spanish, and he is based in Valladolid (Spain).

Cristina López Fuentes

Senior humanitarian and development consultant

based in Kenya

Cristina brings over twenty years of international experience with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, INGOs and research institutions across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. She has led major evaluations, mid-term reviews, impact assessments and multi-country programme design and proposal development, providing rigorous analysis and practical guidance to strengthen programme quality, accountability and organisational learning.

Her expertise covers MEAL, livelihoods, migration, community engagement, cash-based assistance, shelter and settlements, public health, gender and inclusion, and social protection. She also contributes to organisational development, responsible tourism initiatives and applied research. With extensive field and remote-coordination experience in emergency, recovery and development settings, Cristina is recognised for her clear communication, collaborative approach and ability to support teams and partners effectively. Fluent in English and Spanish, and proficient in French, she works confidently in diverse cultural environments.