Holzaepfel headshot

Leland Fellow

Erica Holzaepfel

5th Class, 2009-2011

Field Placement: World Food Program, Laos

As the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer with the WFP in Vientiane, Erica Holzaepfel built the country office’s nationwide monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategy. She designed the data collection tools for program monitoring and also implemented an information management and learning system for WFP programs in Laos. These programs include the McGovern Dole School Feeding Program, the Food for Work and Food for Relief Programs, and the Feeding the Future Nutrition Education Program. In designing the data collection tools, Erica was in charge of integrating the Food Consumption Score, an indicator which helps measure food security, into the regular monitoring of WFP’s programs. Erica also managed the development of the M&E database as well as the design for the reporting templates for bi-annual program reports. A significant part of her work was dedicated to conducting the final evaluation of the WFP Cash for Work pilot program in which she designed the evaluation methodology and the data collection tools, trained the evaluation team, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the final evaluation report.

Policy Placement: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

Erica Holzaepfel was a program specialist in nutrition and monitoring and evaluation for the School Feeding and Humanitarian Branch of the Food Assistance Division of the Office of Capacity Building and Development of the Foreign Agricultural Services Department of USDA. Her three primary responsibilities were leading the implementation of the McGovern-Dole Micronutrient-Fortified Food Aid Products Pilot (MFFAPP) in collaboration with team members; supporting and guiding the Food Assistance Division’s Results Oriented Management process; and strengthening the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program’s proposal review, program implementation and monitoring and reporting processes. Specifically, Erica designed a strategy, practical tools, and an operational guide for FAS analysts to use when monitoring food assistance programs in the field. She developed technical guidelines for newly required baseline assessments, mid-term and final evaluations of Food for Education, Food for Progress and MFFAPP projects. Erica also served on the FAS nutrition resource team that supported USDA’s contributions to the Feed the Future initiative as well as the Interagency Nutrition Working Group with USAID. A major focus of Erica’s work was a series of overseas missions to monitor Food for Education and Micronutrient Pilot Projects in the field.

Pre-Fellowship Education/Experience:

Erica Holzaepfel completed a dual Master’s degree from Tufts University in May 2009. She received a MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts Fletcher School where she focused her studies on Human Security, Post Conflict Peace-building, and Program Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). She also earned an MS in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from the Friedman School with an emphasis on Emergency Nutrition, Livelihoods, and Food Security.  Erica has held several internship positions including a post with a USAID-funded natural resource and local governance project in Tambacounda, Senegal, a M&E position with Search for Common Ground in Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry, and a legal internship with a Guinean human rights NGO. Before graduate school, she worked as a Contracts Specialist for Associates in Rural Development, ARD, Inc. in Burlington, Vermont. Erica also served as an Americorps volunteer for the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program where she was the Family Literacy Coordinator. Erica grew up on a small island off the coast of New Hampshire and received her BA in Environmental Studies, Sociology, and African Studies from St. Lawrence University.

Publications