Mwayi Masumbu is a Research Manager at IPOR with over eleven years of social science research experience as a field work Research Assistant, field team Supervisor, Project Manager, and Team Leader. Mwayi holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies and Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Malawi. 

In the over seven years he has worked at IPOR, Mwayi has managed multiple research projects on higher education, agriculture, ethnicity and development, local development, behavior change, climate change, political participation and representation, and media habits, among other research areas. His expertise spans proposal writing, obtaining ethical research clearance, training field workers, planning and managing research projects, data analysis, and report writing.

Over a period of six years, Mwayi has engaged both the National Committee on Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities (NCRSH) and University of Malawi Research Ethics Committee (UNIMAREC) to obtain research ethics approval for various IPOR projects, and also provided guidance to colleagues, local and international students and partners on how to obtain such approval. Mwayi’s research areas of interest include development actors and processes, migration, public opinion polling, citizen attitudes on government, and social welfare. Before taking up the roles of Senior Research Associate and Team Leader for IPOR’s Research Section in October 2023, Mwayi served as Research Associate from July 2016 to September 2023.

Mwayi’s eye for detail has been instrumental in both his proactive approach to the various assignments he has taken part in, and ability to troubleshoot and take corrective measures to remedy challenges identified. The various project and task teams that Mwayi has been part of have afforded him the opportunity to learn from the best in various areas of social science research while contributing and honing his skills and competencies. Underpinned by organizational values of hard work and professionalism wherever he has worked, Mwayi strives to produce high quality work on each assignment given to him.

Edson is an enthusiastic Research Associate at IPOR, endowed with a strong academic background in economics and statistics. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Science (Economics) with a distinction from the University of Malawi and a Master of Arts in Economics from the same institution. His strengths are rooted in quantitative research methods and applied econometrics. His research interests encompass microeconomic modelling, impact evaluation, and spatial econometrics. On the technical front, he possesses data analysis skills and has gained experience working with various statistical software, such as STATA, R, EViews, GRETL, QGIS, GeoDa, and Microsoft Excel. Looking ahead, Edson aspires to further his academic pursuit by aiming for postgraduate studies, specifically a PhD in economics.

Eliphaz is Resource Mobilization Officer at IPOR with seven years’ experience in conducting research from different sectors. His role involves coordinating proposal development and research work. He holds BSc in Agriculture Economics from the University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture (now Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources – LUANAR). Eliphaz is currently studying Masters of Arts Economics at the University of Malawi. Eliphaz has worked with various institutions (both local and international) as a research associate, field supervisor and research assistant. He has experience in project management and coordination of various projects aimed at social protection, governance, gender, poverty reduction, rural livelihood, food security and building resilience. He has rich professional experience in monitoring and evaluating development projects, evidence-based programming and rural development with focus on Economic Empowerment, Agribusiness, Trade, Food Security, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management. He has impeccable leadership, coordination and managerial experience. He recently worked as a co-researcher on a baseline study and rapid impact assessment by Oxfam on a project known as Supporting Girls and other Vulnerable Children Education in Malawi. His experience is widely recognized by international organizations such as Plan International, UNDP, Save the Children, World vision, FEDOMA, Christian aid including the Government. He has done a number of professional courses, which include Enhancing Child Protection in Agricultural Societies obtained from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2014 and Food security and Poverty Measurement from SADC and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2015. He recently attended a short course training on Proposal Development by the Institute of Public Opinion and Research - IPOR.