Espera Donouvossi is a communications and policy expert born in Benin. He is bilingual in French and English and has over 10 years’ experience working as a project and programme manager at a continental level in Benin, Burundi, Burkina-Faso, Rwanda, South Africa and Togo. He has in-depth experience in stakeholder engagement (with special focus on civil society), media relations/management, advocacy and policy processes, including results-based project management as well as monitoring and evaluation. He is currently a PhD candidate exploring innovative, structural and participatory policy design approaches to support sustainable systems of governance for culture in West Africa. His work experience in the African development sectors has equipped him with requisite skills in the most effective approaches and methods of research methods, strategic planning and project management, as well as a comprehensive understanding of international cooperation principles. He is perfectly bilingual in French and English, and also speaks Fongbé, Ajagbé, and Ewé.