Fit for Purpose Logo

Policy. Evidence. Scale.

Fit for Purpose Logo

Policy. Evidence. Scale.

Fit for Purpose Logo

Policy. Evidence. Scale.

Fit for Purpose serves leaders in global development who want to magnify the impact of their work.
Fit for Purpose serves leaders in global development who want to magnify the impact of their work.

We mobilize evidence and continent-wide networks to help you chart a path to scale.

Fit for Purpose is an Africa-focused strategic and technical advisory practice based in Nairobi.

We provide right-sized, on-the-ground support to mission-driven innovators across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

Learn more about our approach

Scaling poses tough questions

Let’s answer them together.

How we can help

Our Services

Whether you need seasoned advice, an extra set of hands, or someone to pick up the reins,  we offer lighter-touch, moderate, or more comprehensive engagements that are ‘fit for purpose’ to match your needs. 

How can we help you?

ADVISE ME

Wise counsel and practical insights that you can translate into tangible results.

ASSIST ME

Technical assistance and support for your team as you tackle the challenges of scale and policy impact.

DELIVER FOR ME

We’ll get it done, executing your priorities on your behalf, translating your ambitions into action.

REPRESENT ME

Representation when and where you need it, giving you the presence to build and maintain critical relationships.

Find out more about how we can help you

Our Expertise

Fit for Purpose founders have taken on challenges across the fields of policy, evidence and scale.

We support leaders with a mission and ambitious goals, offering wise counsel based on decades of experience.
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Our Team

Patricia Mugambi Ndegwa
Patricia Mugambi Ndegwa

Our Clients

We work with leaders in global development and philanthropy who prioritize using data and evidence to drive their decision-making, and who strive to maximize the scale and impact of their work.
Learn more about our clients

Our Experience

During her time at Evidence Action and supported by the Global Innovation Fund, Karen provided strategic advice and technical assistance to…

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Patricia led the Africa Global Strategy and Partnership team at the Children's Investment Fund Foundation. There she built deep relationships with…

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The M-Pesa Foundation partners with Kenyans on large scale and long term highly impactful social projects. The foundation selected Fit for…

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New Incentives uses cash transfers to increase rates of immunization against deadly diseases in northern Nigeria. Fit for Purpose supports New…

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Dr Karen Levy

Dr Karen Levy

Co-Founder, FIt For Purpose

Based in Nairobi, Karen is a serial social entrepreneur with over twenty-five years of experience working in Africa and South Asia. She has played a key role in building the global ecosystem for evidence and scale in international development and has an extensive track record of bringing evidence-based programs and organizations from early concept stages to national-level scale. Before co-founding Fit for Purpose, Karen held senior leadership and founding roles at Evidence Action, Innovations for Poverty Action, Deworm the World, and the Tawasal Institute. A strategic thinker and creative problem-solver, she has extensive technical expertise in using evidence to design, implement, and monitor development interventions. Karen has a deep understanding of what it takes to build partnerships and coalitions. She earned her MSc in Social Policy from the London School of Economics and her PhD in Development Planning from the University of London. Karen participated in Y Combinator in 2017, and is a recipient of the Echoing Green Fellowship for her leadership as a social entrepreneur. She is a fluent Swahili speaker. 

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Patricia Mugambi

PATRICIA MUGAMBI-NDEGWA

Co-Founder, FIt For Purpose

Patricia is an economist by training and a seasoned development professional with over twenty years of experience in Kenya, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the United States. She brings extensive expertise in strategic partnerships; government engagement; Public-Private Partnership management; program delivery and management; coordination, convening, policy and governance; technical assistance and capacity building. Before co-founding Fit for Purpose, Patricia served in regional-level roles for Big Win Philanthropy UK; the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation; and the Global Business Coalition for Health, among others. She earned a BA in International Relations and Political Science (Hons) and an MA in Economics from New York University. Patricia serves in the National Leadership Group of the Commonwealth Business Women’s Forum, Kenya Chapter and the Kenya Women in Business network.
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Patricia Mugambi

PATRICIA MUGAMBI-NDEGWA

Co-Founder, FIt For Purpose

Patricia is an economist by training and a seasoned development professional with over twenty years of experience in Kenya, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the United States. She brings extensive expertise in strategic partnerships; government engagement; Public-Private Partnership management; program delivery and management; coordination, convening, policy and governance; technical assistance and capacity building. Before co-founding Fit for Purpose, Patricia served in regional-level roles for Big Win Philanthropy UK; the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation; and the Global Business Coalition for Health, among others. She earned a BA in International Relations and Political Science (Hons) and an MA in Economics from New York University. Patricia serves in the National Leadership Group of the Commonwealth Business Women’s Forum, Kenya Chapter and the Kenya Women in Business network.
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New Incentives

New Incentives uses cash transfers to increase rates of immunization against deadly diseases in northern Nigeria. Fit for Purpose supports New Incentives in this mission by providing coaching, mentoring, strategic advisory, and technical assistance services. Since 2017, Karen has advised Svetha Janumpalli, New Incentives CEO and leading social entrepreneur, on organizational strategy, government engagement, and planning for scale. Recently, she has helped New Incentives build on randomised control trial  results and successfully navigate GiveWell’s intensive ‘Top Charity’ assessment process.

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M-Pesa Foundation

The M-Pesa Foundation partners with Kenyans on large scale and long term highly impactful social projects. The foundation selected Fit for Purpose to create, deliver, and oversee Impact Philanthropy Africa, a new Forum to galvanise corporate giving in Kenya.

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The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

Patricia led the Africa Global Strategy and Partnership team at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. There she built deep relationships with governments across Africa, executing a new strategy across Africa and advising on its rollout in Asia. In this role, she negotiated funding commitments from governments to improve children’s lives, and forestalled policy changes that would have damaged CIFF grantees and delayed their mission.

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Young 1ove

Young 1ove connects youth to proven life-saving information. During her time at Evidence Action and supported by the Global Innovation Fund, Karen provided strategic advice and technical assistance to co-founders Noam Angrist and Moitshepi Matsheng, helping them navigate strategic planning, organizational development, advocacy, and government engagement.

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