Diala Makki

Experience

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  American University of Beirut

  Feb 2016 - Dec 2017

  Graduate Assistant

  Correcting assignments, supervising exams, and conducting lab sessions to help the students with the technical part of the course.

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  CIU Habitat III

  Jun 2016 - Jul 2016

  Urban planner and designer - Competition

  Third place in the CIU Habitat III Competition for the project of improving informal settlements in the city of Guasmo sur in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

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  The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS)

  Jul 2017 - Dec 2018

  Research Consultant

  Worked on the project “Lebanese Municipalities and Syrian Refugees: Building Capacity and Promoting Agency"

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  The London School of Economics and Political Science and the American University of Beirut

  Mar 2018 - Jun 2018

  Research Assistant

  Project ‘Geospatial analysis of housing insecurity and resident value of neighbourhood amenities in Beirut’

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  Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs

  Aug 2018 - Feb 2019

  Research Assistant

  Working on the ‘Beirut Building Database’ project

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  UPLoAD and Solidarités International

  Dec 2018 - Apr 2019

  Research Assistant

  Research Consultant for Water Trucking & Desludging Market Study (4 months)- Co-led the collection and analysis of quantitative spatial micro data, including householdsurveys across 10 cities in Lebanon- Contributed to the research and organisation of quantitative and qualitative urban fieldresearch, assisting in the production of a comprehensive report detailing the findings and insights from the study

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  Institute for Global Prosperity

  Apr 2019 - Apr 2022

  Associate Researcher

  - Co-led large-scale data collection and analysis for the Leverhulme Project and Prosperity Index, encompassing surveys with workers, employers, and households across Lebanon- Directed the Good of Our City initiative, from the Prosperity Index to design and execute community-driven urban agriculture projects in Beirut. Utilised ethnographic methods and behavioural analysis to understand community needs, resulting in enhanced urban liveability and increased green spaces - Conducted in-depth qualitative analysis on informal labour markets and decision-making processes in the context of mass displacement- Authored peer-reviewed reports and academic articles, contributing to the broader research landscape on prosperity and urban development Show less

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  The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

  Sept 2021 - Apr 2022

  Research Assistant

  - Managed large-scale databases and conducted archival research to provide a comprehensive geographical and historical context for the October 2019 protests in Lebanon- Analysed complex datasets to uncover alternative perspectives on the 2019 Lebanese protests, emphasizing their geographical scope and historical context

• 

  London Borough of Newham

  May 2022 - now

  Senior Research Officer

  - Spearhead the development and execution of the council's research programme, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and service needs- Lead qualitative research projects to identify drivers of resident satisfaction, resulting in evidence-based recommendations for council improvements- Designed and implemented a community research network in partnership with UCL, empowering grassroots organisations and increasing engagement from marginalized communities- Managed the end-to-end process of the 2023 Residents Survey, including questionnaire development, citizen scientist training, data analysis, and creation of interactive Power BI dashboards for result dissemination- Conducted user research and usability testing to optimise internal data platforms, enhancing staff access to census data Show less