Protik is an evaluation specialist whose work focuses on several areas of international development including democracy, human rights, and governance; land formalization; agriculture; education; and energy. Protik is an experienced project manager, who leads teams consisting of researchers from around the world to provide research and learning support to local and international policymakers. An economist by training, Protik has designed and implemented several experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluations, participated in mixed-methods performance evaluations, and conducted cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses.

Protik currently directs the USAID Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance – Learning, Evaluation, and Research Activity II (DRG-LER II), under which NORC has 88 projects in 41 countries. He oversees the entire portfolio of research and provides technical guidance and oversight to all project teams, consisting of NORC in-house researchers, academic experts, international and in-country consultants, and data collection partners. Protik also directs a project on Women’s Political Participation and Leadership (WPPL) to assess the state of WPPL and the social and cultural constraints that inhibit them in countries where USAID works. NORC developed an assessment framework under his leadership that is intended to be a standard assessment tool for use by USAID and all their country Missions across the globe. Protik also leads several evaluations in different areas of international development at NORC. He currently leads an evaluation of a USDA-funded project aimed at improving food safety standards in Egypt and a USAID-funded land formalization program in Colombia. In addition, Protik provided technical leadership for USAID-funded impact evaluations in Bangladesh (combatting violent extremism), Cambodia (counter-trafficking in persons), the DRC (community-based trauma healing), and Tanzania (training for journalism students).

Prior to working at NORC, Protik directed a USAID-funded literacy project in Rwanda and co-led the impact analyses of USAID-funded school dropout prevention programs in India, Cambodia, Tajikistan and Timor-Leste. In addition, Protik has been involved in an impact evaluation of a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)-funded “girl-friendly” school construction program in rural Burkina Faso and of MCC’s energy sector projects in Liberia and Tanzania. He has also been involved in the design and impact analysis of an intervention providing financial incentives for high-performing teachers to move to low-achieving schools in selected U.S school districts.