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UNDP Guyana: Leadership and Structure Overview
At the helm of the UNDP Guyana Country Office is the Resident Representative, Katy Thompson, who provides strategic direction and oversight across all programme and operational areas. Supporting her in the day-to-day management of the office is Dhiraj Singh, the Programmes and Operations Management Specialist (POMS), who ensures the seamless coordination of internal systems and delivery mechanisms.
UNDP Guyana and Suriname Resident Representative, Katy Thompson
Prior to this role as Resident Representative, Ms. Thompson served as Co-Director of Governance, Rule of Law & Peacebuilding at the UNDP Headquarters in New York, where she led a global team focused on policy and positioning across a range of development priorities. These included institutional reform, access to justice, security sector reform, local governance, public sector reform, rule of law and human rights, and social cohesion. She collaborated closely with the United Nations (UN) system, UN Member States, development partners, private sector, global coalitions, and think-tanks to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ms. Thompson has held senior positions in UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support and the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery. With over 25 years of international experience, she has worked for the UNDP, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). She has supported strategic planning and programming in UNDP Country Offices, UN Missions, and UN Country Teams in more than 100 countries. She is recognized for scaling global and country programmes, building development partnerships, and investing in innovation to strengthen development frontiers.
Before joining the UN system, Ms. Thompson practiced law in England and Wales. She is a published expert and has worked in academia and civil society as a researcher and advocate for gender equality.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University (UK), a Master of Laws degree from Essex University (UK), and postgraduate diplomas in Law and Legal Practice from the College of Law (London).
Resident Representative, Katy Thompson is based in Georgetown, Guyana.
You can find her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter (@KatyThompson / @KathyThompsonROL).
UNDP Guyana Programmes and Operations Management Specialist, Dhiraj Singh
Prior to his current role as Programme and Operations Management Specialist at UNDP Guyana, Dhiraj served as Head of the Programme Support Unit at UNDP Papua New Guinea. In that capacity, he led results-based management, monitoring and evaluation, compliance, and operational support across the country office portfolio. He also played a key role in the reform of Papua New Guinea’s Public Finance Management System and led the Provincial Capacity Building initiative.
With over 15 years of experience in programme management, operations, donor relations, and institutional strengthening within the United Nations system, he has overseen the delivery of complex development programmes funded by partners such as the European Union, Global Environment Facility, DFAT Australia, MFAT New Zealand, KOICA, Japan, the UK, and Sweden. His leadership has ensured high standards of accountability, compliance, and reporting, including the preparation of Project Implementation Reviews for vertical funds.
A strong advocate of capacity development, Dhiraj has delivered numerous trainings for UNDP staff, government partners, civil society organizations (CSOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and low-value grantees. His areas of training expertise include the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT), Integrated Risk Management, Risk Quality Assurance, and Social and Environmental Standards.
He is recognized for fostering transparent communication, building effective teams, and creating enabling environments that support innovation and sustainability. His work is grounded in a commitment to delivering transformative results in complex development contexts.
Programme and Operations Management Specialist, Dhiraj Singh is based in Georgetown, Guyana.
Together, they are backed by a dynamic team comprising Monitoring & Evaluation, Communications, Programmes, and Operations units. Within the Programmes team, leadership is provided by Nadira Balram for Governance and Poverty Reduction, and Colin Mattis for Energy, Environment, and the Extractive Industries. These team leads play a pivotal role in driving forward UNDP’s development priorities in Guyana.