He completed his undergraduate education at the Public Administration Department of Gazi University Faculty of Economics and Social Studies. He took his master’s degree on Marmara University Local Governments and Decentralization Program and Beykent University International Economic and Political Business Administration Program. He completed his Ph.D. in Marmara University Local Government and Decentralization Program. He continued post-doctoral language and finance studies in the UK.

He started his career in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1995; he worked as an Auditor, Director of Expenditures, Head of Financial Services Department, member of Executive Committee as well as the Chairman of the Board of Belbim Co., Bimtaş Co., and Istanbul Transportation Co. Since 2014, he has been working as Secretary General of Marmara Municipalities Union.

With more than 16 years of experience, out of which 7 years in UNDP, Sertaç Turhal’s focus was environment, local development and resilience. With UNDP Turkey, he is currently working as Project Manager of Turkey Resilience Project, Municipal Service Delivery Component. The Project aims give infrastructure and technical support Municipalities which is heavily affected by large number of refugees.

Harold Logie Tucker is currently the Mayor of Bo City, Southern Sierra Leone. He is also currently serving his second five years term. Mr.Tucker was involved in grassroots youth empowerment and entrepreneurship which graduated him into a community politician belonging to the Sierra Leone People’s Party. He served in senior project management positions in both local and international organisations for over 15 years before setting up his own Local Non- Governmental Organisation with interventions in Child and maternal issues, telemedicine, youth development, women’s development and empowerment and financial services training as a professional business coach.  He was nominated to represent all local NGO’S on the World Bank projects approval committee, a fund managed by the National Commission for Resettlement, reconstruction and rehabilitation after the end of the eleven years war in Sierra Leone. He studied Geography and Linguistics and several post graduate interventions in Project Development and management, Community Psychosocial development, Leadership Trainings for Chief Executives in the private sector. He taught for one year as an outstanding teacher at Saint Andrews Secondary school Bo City and pursued Business and fish farming. He was honoured best Mayor’s award for 2016 and 2017 among 19 chairpersons and Mayors in Sierra Leone. His Council has constantly won the best Council of the year. He has presented professional papers in leadership and development in institutions of higher learning in and out of Sierra Leone. His Council is in collaboration with Lamington and Warwick Cities in UK for waste Management research and implementation. He is 49 years old and married with four children.

Carmen Vélez is the Head of the Planning and Evaluation Unit of the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperationsince 2008. She also teaches economy at the University of Seville. Specialized in evaluation, before jointed the Agency, she carried out several evaluation work for both the European Union and the Spanish Central Administration, the regional government of Andalusia and various Local Administrations (Town Halls, Associations and Provincials), related to various programs, projects and initiatives. Among them, it is worth noting the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Equal Iniciative in Andalusia and the direct participation in the elaboration of three evaluation handbooks: “Managing Evaluation Handbook for the Spanish International Cooperation Policy”, “Guide for the Evaluation of Public Policies” and “Planning and Evaluation Guide for Local Development Agents ” He also has extensive experience in the organization and delivery of courses and seminars on Monitoring and Evaluation in Spain and Latin America.