John Cropper

Senior Research Fellow

John Cropper is a 3ie senior fellow with 25 years of expertise in NGO program and project management. His work focuses on helping NGOs to improve the ways they design, plan, manage and deliver programs and projects.

He recently co-founded Pyramid Learning, a leader in developing sectoral norms, professional certifications and learning products. John is especially proud of his work on the Project (PM)DPro certification, which he helped develop.

John has worked for Oxfam GB in various international roles, the British Council and LINGOs/Humentum. John is also Chair of PM4NGOs, the organization that owns the Project (PM) DPro and Program DPro certifications. He has also served as Vice-Chair of Anti-Slavery International and Chair of the Dalit Solidarity Network.

He holds an MBA and an MA in Education. His work with Action Against Hunger in Nigeria won a Learning Technologies Global Silver award and he is a co- author of the Gower Handbook of People in Project Management.


The Research Fellows Program brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to provide intellectual leadership and technical support to strategic areas for 3ie. Our fellows work with our global team and are uniquely positioned to lead or support new and ongoing initiatives and programs in their areas of expertise.