Priyanka Thompson

• Co-founded T&S with the aim to enable non-profits to maximise efficiencies in program delivery and support funding agencies in optimizing program and investment strategies.
• Leads strategy development, learning documentation & strategic communications, and organizational strengthening projects for non-profits and donor agencies. A few partners include BMGF, WHO, ACS, CSBC, PSI, TRI, CEPT University, Prerana, Project Unlearn.

Provided strategic and technical advisory to development sector organizations, focusing on program design, institutional strengthening, and strategic communication across sectors such as health, sanitation, livelihoods, and inclusive growth. Supported donor agencies, think tanks, and non-profits in aligning initiatives with national and global priorities while building internal capacities for impact delivery.

Key areas of work included:

• Strategy & Program Planning: Provided advisory support to strengthen organizational strategy, program structuring, and internal systems. At CSBC (Ashoka University), contributed to development of startegic roadmap, designed financial forecasts, investment plans, and operational frameworks to support strategic growth. As Strategy and Project Advisor with Ernst & Young, supported the urban landscape division in developing new business models and robust monitoring mechanisms, with a focus on urban sanitation. Additionally, led the strategy refresh process for the WASH Institute, helping articulate a long-term institutional roadmap aligned with sectoral priorities and internal capabilities.
• Program Design & Documentation: Synthesized development efforts into fundable concepts and business cases, including large-scale program notes for UNDP and Transform Rural India focused on women’s empowerment, rural enterprise, and local governance.
• Strategic Communication & Storytelling: Supported clients in documenting complex program journeys through human-centered narratives and qualitative research. Helped productize their work to facilitate sharing of scalable models, evolution of programs and stakeholder briefs.
• Landscape Studies & Reviews: Led donor landscape analyses (WASH Institute), ecosystem mapping to identify policy and programmatic gaps (PATH India on NCDs), and rapid reviews (IDS Sussex on Swachh Bharat), combining secondary research with stakeholder interviews to generate actionable insights.
• Knowledge Management & Learning Systems: Strengthened cross-learning platforms and partner coordination for the Gates Foundation’s CWIS portfolio; developed knowledge products and collaboration mechanisms across city sanitation projects.
• Proposal Design & Strategic Program Development: Led end-to-end proposal development—including strategy, design, and results frameworks—for multiple development sector organizations across urban governance, WASH, and climate action.

Strategy Development & Planning Portfolio & Grant Management Capacity Building & Partner Engagement

• Led strategic planning and portfolio alignment for India’s WSH investments, ensuring coherence with program objectives.
• Co-developed outcome-based metrics and tracking systems to monitor progress and drive adaptive strategy.
• Prepared strategic materials including briefing notes, annual progress reports, and leadership presentations.
• Managed a diverse portfolio of grants across national, state, and city levels, supporting end-to-end grant lifecycle.
• Ensured investments were aligned with overall WSH program outcomes and monitored progress against goals.
• Analyzed performance data and coordinated reviews to compare actual outcomes with project strategies.
• Strengthened grantee capacity in results-based management, budgeting, and financial forecasting.
• Provided ongoing support to partners for timely implementation and strategic alignment.
• Facilitated engagement with national and state government stakeholders to amplify program learning and influence scale-up.

Strategy & Annual Planning Investment & Portfolio Management Financial Oversight & Operational Support

Contributed to the Strategy, Planning and Management (SPM) team, which is responsible for supporting development of strategy, leading business processes to ensure effective & efficient operations, ensuring financial compliance and rigor.

• Supported India Country Office’s strategic and annual planning processes in coordination with global teams.
• Developed high-quality deliverables for senior leadership, including grant scoring dashboards, strategy scorecards, and annual work plans.
• Facilitated internal alignment through data-driven planning tools and performance tracking systems.
• Managed end-to-end investment processes across WSH and State Health portfolios, ensuring timely grant execution and compliance.
• Coordinated internal workflows between program officers, grantees, and finance teams to streamline operations and reporting.
• Reviewed grant proposals, monitored disbursements, and maintained data integrity for decision-making and financial planning.
• Conducted detailed financial analysis and scenario planning to support investment decisions and program budgeting.
• Ensured grant performance and expenditure tracking aligned with program goals and internal compliance standards.

JPAG is a research and policy analysis division of Manipal City & Guilds that collaborates with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to shape the policy and practice of skills development in India through an evidence-based approach.

• Led stakeholder engagement and information management to support evidence-based policy advocacy in the skills development sector.
• Developed targeted engagement strategies for government, industry bodies, NGOs, and international partners;
• Contributed to communication planning and creation of case studies highlighting best practices. Represented JPAG at external forums, enhancing institutional visibility and fostering cross-sector collaboration.

Supported external and institutional donor engagement at UNICEF India by preparing fund utilization reports, donor toolkits, and financial analyses to strengthen strategic resource allocation. Contributed to corporate fundraising operations, coordinated donor field visits, and ensured effective communication of program impact through data and storytelling.

Managed institutional client relationships and provided investment advisory services across equity and fixed income products. Conducted market research and financial analysis to inform investment strategies, prepared reports on market trends, and supported portfolio planning for banking and non-banking financial institutions.