Introducing Humans of Development: Mariam Vadria

How to explain management consultancy focused on public service delivery

What’s one misconception about your work?

I am Mariam Vadria. Over the past seven years, I have lived in six cities, and across three regions before that. Each move has meant meeting people from all walks of life.

Outside the development world, I have often found that my work is hard to explain.

One common misconception is that international development is mostly feel-good work, broadly helpful, but not essential. People hear “nonprofit” or “development” and picture charity, not the structured, technical work that shapes how services are delivered.

The truth is, a lot of my work has been focused on designing studies, interpreting findings, aligning teams, and helping programs adapt. It involves evidence, strategy, negotiation, budgets, and timelines, just like any other sector. What makes it different is the goal, improving how public services reach people.

Even within the public sector, this part of the work is often invisible. Just last week, someone in the local government asked if I was really affected by USAID cuts, since I was at a consulting firm and “not directly with USAID.” It was a reminder of how large and interconnected the ecosystem behind this work is and how little of it is seen.

These days, I am trying to explain my role more simply. I say, “I was a management consultant focused on public service delivery, managing teams using data to improve programs and make better decisions.” You can tell me if that is simple enough or if I need a version three.

When did you realize this was the work you wanted to do?

There was no single turning point for me. It was more of a path I kept choosing, shaped by what I noticed and what I cared about.

I grew up in the Middle East and South Asia, moving countries around grade four. I was young enough to notice everyday differences in water, electricity, transport, and education, but not old enough to understand why. That curiosity stayed with me. I wanted to understand what shaped people’s lives and how.

At the same time, my parents encouraged us to give back early. In Karachi, I volunteered regularly through a strong local youth association. I remember decorating halls for a community event celebrating women home cooks, and later, helping identify and distribute education scholarships to families facing financial hardship. Volunteering was a part of life, and it shaped how I saw my role in a community.

That mix of curiosity and steady service shaped the kind of work I was drawn to. I began my career in market research, analyzing behavior to understand what drove consumption. But I wanted to use research to serve people, not only profit.

I came to the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship to study economic and political development. That gave me the structure and language I had been missing. I began to see how research, policy, and public delivery fit together, and how data could support smarter, more responsive systems.

This is the kind of work I have continued to grow into, one choice at a time.

Which project left a lasting impression on you personally?

This is always a tough question for me. Each project I have worked on, and the teams, communities, and stakeholders alongside them, has meant something to me.

I am a generalist at heart, and have played many roles over the years: data analyst, facilitator, project manager, qualitative and quantitative researcher, compliance lead, and change manager.

But if I have to choose one (because you are making me), I will go with Laos.

From 2022 to 2024, I led a mixed-methods evaluation of a $40 million maternal and child health investment by USAID in Laos. It was technically complex and threw curveballs regularly, and I learned to navigate them, sometimes by owning the decisions, sometimes by asking for help.

It was a high-visibility project with senior funders and internal leadership watching closely, and it gave me the kind of confidence I needed at the time, returning from parental leave and adjusting to new shifts in my life and career. That confidence has stayed with me, and I carry it with me now as I navigate this post-USAID landscape.

It also stayed with me because of what the research was able to do. We often talk about elevating community voice and bringing evidence into decision-making. In this case, it actually happened. The data was used to shape the next phase of the program, and I could trace that line from on-ground conversations to policy conversations.

I do not believe one project defines a career, and I still see myself as someone who flexes to what is needed. But this one reminded me what I am capable of, and what I care about most: helping insight travel, and making sure it lands where it counts.

Was there a time when data challenged your assumptions?

I was studying the effectiveness of a donor-funded fellowship program for early-career public servants in Washington DC. Like many others, I expected to hear success stories about fellows thriving, contributing to government teams, and that the program was widely seen as a win.

The data told a more nuanced story.

Fellows spoke about needing more structured onboarding and support to navigate government workplaces. Some supervisors appreciated the talent but were unclear on how best to guide them. And in a few cases, peers raised quiet tensions, pointing out that fellows had entered through a different route, bypassing the traditional barriers they themselves had faced.

It reminded me that surface-level numbers can miss what people are actually experiencing. When we listened closely to individuals across the ecosystem, fellows, supervisors, peers , we uncovered insights that performance reports alone could not show.

My value is not just in collecting data but in using it to uncover the stories, patterns, and tradeoffs that shape people’s experiences.

Data does not speak for itself. Yes, it can challenge our assumptions, but only if we ask the right people, approach it thoughtfully, and stay open to what it is showing us.

What is the challenge or opportunity that would truly stretch you next?

After more than a decade of translating complex data into actionable strategies, what would truly stretch me next is stepping into a strategic Program or Insights leadership role within a company or consultancy where data and strategy drive real-world decisions.

What I want to emphasize is the value professionals like myself who have led complex programs and data-driven work in the public sector, can bring to any other sector. As our sector undergoes significant shifts, there is a deep bench of high-performing talent ready to contribute. I am eager for more organizations to recognize how seamlessly these skills translate.

For me, the real challenge will be in applying my strategic problem-solving and collaborative leadership skills in a new environment, specifically in commercial insights and strategy or public service delivery. Those are the spaces where I know I can deliver, and where I am ready to keep learning different structures, jargon, and emerging tools.

I am not looking to reinvent myself. I am looking for an organization that values someone who can contribute meaningfully from day one and where I can continue to grow alongside a new mission. My career has been a path of continuous adaptation, and I am ready to bring that same energy, curiosity, and world-class humor to my next impactful role.

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