Diego Alejandro Peña

Financing and Financial Inclusion Consultant

Secretaria Distrital de Desarrollo Economico

Oct 2025 - Current (8 months)

My Role is to advice the design and implementation of high-impact strategies and programs in financial inclusion. Structuring and monitoring policies for financing access and risk management for productive units, driving their growth and sustainability. In charge of enrolling strategy for the Emprendópolis Program for strengthening through technical advice and capitalization of small size enterprises.

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Blended Finance Consultant

FAO Colombia

Feb 2025 - May 2025 (4 months)

At FAO Colombia, I was responsible for developing Blended Finance (BF) guidelines tailored to projects focused on sustainable agri-food systems, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12). I designed and facilitated a BF training workshop for project coordinators, covering key concepts and practical strategies for integrating blended finance structures into ongoing FAO initiatives in Colombia. Additionally, I provided technical advice for the design of a project to be financed through a blended finance structure, including a prioritized investment fund.

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Project Manager / Coordinator AVANTIA action 3.2.4

EQUILATERA (EQ)

Dec 2024 - Jun 2025 (7 months)

As Project Manager, I had the role of coordinating, supervising, managing, and creating alliances associated with the AVANTIA project action 3.2.4 "Moving towards recovery: Bogotá's transport system as a catalyst for environmental sustainability and gender equality in the post-COVID-19 era (AVANTIA)". This EU-funded project qualified and empowered 99 women with a C2 transit license, (29 of them got employed within 2 months after getting their C2 License), and advised two transport companies (With more than 1,200 employees) to promote gender equality in their organizations by adjusting infrastructure and policies.

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Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Consultant

EQUILATERA (EQ)

Nov 2024 - Dec 2024 (2 months)

I was responsible for designing the legal and operational framework to promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) for the Colombian Food and Beverage manufacturing sectors, as well as providing recommendations to the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Trade and the National Institute of International Trade (ANDI) to implement these guidelines. This work was commissioned by the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ) to EQUILATERA (EQ).

M&E Consultant

Ipsos

Jun 2024 - Nov 2024 (6 months)

Lead Monitoring and Evaluation guidelines for the Colombian Truth Commission - CEV (by its Spanish Acronym) 651 recommendations on the Colombian peace building process with a gender, territorial and ethnicity lenses, hired by The Special Jurisdiction for Peace -JEP (by its Spanish Acronym).

Palma Futuro Social Compliance Specialist

Partners of the Americas

Feb 2023 - Jun 2024 (1 year 5 months)

In charge of Social Compliance System (SCS) implementation promotion with Palma Futuro's private sector partners. Identifying and documenting best practices related to SCS implementation, and reviewing technical documents and tools developed by the project, to be disseminated in social compliance trainings. I worked in collaboration with, and oversee subgrantee Social Accountability International, for field actions implementation and reporting to the donor. I Also served as technical advisor to the Project's Director.

Colombia Avanza M&E Officer

Partners of the Americas

Oct 2021 - Jan 2023 (1 year 4 months)

Lead Colombia Avanza's Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. I worked in collaboration with and oversee subgrantee National Federation of Coffee Growers, for field actions implementing and reporting to the donor. I Also served as technical advisor to the Project's Director.

Lead Economist, Ecological Transition Group

Departamento Nacional de Planeación

Jan 2021 - Nov 2021 (11 months)

Coordinate the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the research agenda on Economic Studies for Ecological Transition. In this role, I structured several economic studies that support transition and designed the Sustainable and Resilient Economic Reactivation Strategy POST-COVID19, within the framework of the Presidential Green Growth Commitment. Also was part of the technical team who wrote the Colombian Sobering Green Bond Framework.

Coordinator, Study Group on the Economic Impacts of Climate Change Coordinator

Departamento Nacional de Planeación

Mar 2020 - Dec 2020 (10 months)

Coordinate the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the research agenda on Economic Impact Studies and financial instruments for green growth, climate change and disaster risk management. In this role, I supported the update modeling of the Nationally Determined Contribution and the joint study DNP-World Bank on the effects of climate change on social equity.

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Director, Equity and Special Populations Policies

SECRETARIA DISTRITAL DE PLANEACIÓN -SDP

Jan 2017 - Mar 2020 (3 years 3 months)

Led a team of 18 people, coordinating the design, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, plans, and programs related to social policies and the formulation of public policies by centering the perspectives of marginalized and underserved populations (DEIB promotion). Coordinated the inclusion of social and special population policies in the Land Use Plan (12 years span) and the District Development Plan (4 years span). Supported the development of the District Public Policy Monitoring and Evaluation System. Designed and implemented the Special Populations and Family Observatory of the District and developed the technical proposal (with functional and non-functional requirements) for the Integrated Population Information System and the Youth

Advisor for the National Economic and Social Policy Council –CONPES

Departamento Nacional de Planeación

Oct 2015 - Dec 2016 (1 year 3 months)

Advise ministries of the cabinet, as well as National Planning Department technical areas to design, monitor and evaluate public policies. I oversaw the public policies long-term action plans formulation in order to monitor and to perform results-based assessments. I designed the monitoring system online platform for CONPES documents "SisCONPES2.0".

Public Policy Monitoring Officer

Departamento Nacional de Planeación

Nov 2012 - Oct 2015 (3 years)

Monitor: Health, MDG, Culture and Sports, National Public Policies. Accountable to the presidential office (similar to the Cabinet Office in the UK). I was in charge of the President's annual accountability report to the Colombian Congress and the general public. I was part of the team who formulated the National Development Plan 2014-2018 and the team that re-structured budget programs according to results-based budgeting, with the support of the World Bank. Additionally, I was part of the team who worked in the Land Restitution Policy Delivery System Analysis -Project and the formulation for the action plan for the Disability and Social Inclusion policy.

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Researcher

SECRETARIA DISTRITAL DE PLANEACIÓN -SDP

Aug 2012 - Nov 2012 (4 months)

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Freelance Researcher & linguistics

Askew Research International Limited

Oct 2011 - Jan 2012 (4 months)

I worked on a report of the main subsidies and other financial incentives to fossil fuels companies operating or starting operations in the European Union. Part of the duties included are: the collection summarizing and reporting of the related legal documents. Inquiring companies which have benefited from National and EU Policies. Coordinating the work of other researchers to match deadlines and other client specifications.

Intern, High Finance Group

High Finance Group

Jun 2011 - Dec 2011 (7 months)

HFG is a leading headhunter in the financial/insurance sector in the UK. My role was not confined to an area. I attended the department of marketing, public relations (EU and Commonwealth) and other sub-departments such as actuarial, accounting, and insurance. I supported the activities of searching for and selection of candidates (applicants), updating and managing databases at EU level and assisting to the corporate relations team.

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Research intern

Age UK Group

Jan 2011 - Jun 2011 (6 months)

I assisted to the Public Services team to assess the impact of the ongoing chances in the NHS to the older population. Some duties included: • Attending to different meetings related to other teams and their projects. I learn the importance of research coordination between different areas. • Following up main stakeholder’s main reactions to the readings of the Bill. • Discussing critically with the team about the different scenarios as a consequence of the reform. • Collecting relevant data used for quantitative analysis as well as Modelling (join forces with other team members). I gain practical experience about researching in the health sector in the UK. During the time I was intern at Age UK, I got up to date knowledge of the structure

Diego Alejandro Peña

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