Suzanne Kelly-Lyall is founder of Solution Lab, LLC., a research and policy advisory company focused on applying political economy analysis to development challenges around the globe. 

Suzanne is an independent senior policy advisor for ASEAN affairs, China, governance, environment, media, and security issues. She advises public, private and civil society organizations on capacity building, governance, security and media issues, as well as effective stakeholder engagement. Her career reflects the nexus of academic, policy and development concerns. Suzanne also serves as a Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of California, Berkeley in the Masters in Development Program (MDP).

Using a tailored political economy analysis methodology, Suzanne provides actionable research to USAID and its implementation partners. She conducts program evaluation and strategic planning, and policy advisory services for international donors in: Cambodia, China, Laos, Jordan, Ukraine, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Senegal, Sudan, Thailand, and Tunisia, and Vietnam. She currently serves as PEA Advisor to the Chemonics Governance Practice and Team Leader for PEA, USAID Tajikistan Rural Water Supply Activity.

Suzanne served as governance director to the $25 Million-USAID funded Mekong Partnership for the Environment (MPE) where she provided intellectual and strategic leadership to build regional multi-stakeholder cooperation on large-scale infrastructure projects and developed a regional EIA framework. She co-developed the Climate Change Leadership Initiative (CCLI), a project of the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs’ PISA program, a multi-year foundation funded project to address climate change through targeted capacity building, mainstreaming climate adaptation into development planning, and introduction of Climate Wise Development models to senior government officials in Vietnam and Myanmar.  As Team Leader and lead author for Cambodia and Sudan’s recent DRG Assessments, Ms. Kelly-Lyall was invited to brief White House and National Security Council decision makers on policy direction.  

Suzanne is deeply committed to global service. She strives to increase the impact individuals and communities can have through inclusive stakeholder engagement, policy-oriented research and evaluation, and application of smart policy solutions to complex international challenges.

meet more team members