Mike Dahlgaard

Mike Dahlgaard

Partner

Mike has more than 25 years of experience from financial management and project/programme administration in a development context, including fragile and conflict-affected contexts, and before that from the private financial sector. He has solid organizational and people management skills together with extensive hands-on experience and have filled long-term positions as a financial management specialist in Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Afghanistan and as Regional Finance Manager for the Danish Red Cross in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He holds a master’s degree in economics and business administration from Copenhagen Business School complemented with continued professional education in e.g. appreciative enquiry and monitoring and evaluation.

Mike has undertaken appraisals and reviews of multiple projects and programmes and facilitated deep-dive administrative costs analysis leading to the development of new and improved cost allocation and cost recovery models. He has strong analytical skills and the ability to navigate and facilitate collaboration within and across organisations to find and co-create innovative and workable solutions. Aspects of combining results management and finances are a high priority as value for money considerations should always be considered to assess whether activities are undertaken in the most economic, efficient, and effective ways.

Expertise and services

  • Assessment, setting up, modernising, and streamlining administrative processes and financial management systems and procedures, including the way they affect an organisation and drive results, change and development
  • Organisational and financial management capacity assessment and due diligence
  • Support to the co-creation of new approaches to organisational planning and financial sustainability
  • Setting up, management and administration of challenge fund mechanisms
  • Development, review, and assessment of Theory of Change, results frameworks, monitoring and evaluation, learning, and accountability systems and routines
  • Development and execution of project and programme restructuring and exit options
  • Development and implementation of frameworks for systematic and participatory capacity assessment, development, and enhancements
  • Support and mentoring towards enhanced financial management and administrative capabilities - with integration and links to strategies, results frameworks, and monitoring, and
  • Value for Money integration and assessments.

Mike has experience from governments, civil society organisations, and private sector entities in e.g. Albania, Afghanistan, Armenia, South Korea, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Mongolia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Zambia, Malawi, Bangladesh, Somaliland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, and Vietnam