Latest News

Reframing Security Sector Reform for Counterinsurgency – Getting the Politics Right

Libra Principal, Dr Andrew Rathmell writes for NDC’s 14th Forum Paper ‘Complex Operations: NATO at War and on the Margins of War’, reframing SSR for Counterinsurgency.

16-Jul-10 15:55 - Read more

Operationalising the Comprehensive Approach

In this Chatham House publication, Libra Principal Dr Andrew Rathmell, along with Professor Julian Lindley-French and Professor Paul Cornish, discuss how NATO can make a reality of its aspirations to apply a Comprehensive Approach to complex operations.

07-May-10 16:13 - Read more

Security Sector Evolution: Understanding & Influencing How Security Sector Institutions Change

Peter Wilson & Volha Piotukh analyse improved design, implementation and review of SSR programmes. Borrowing theory from economic and strategic management, they consider the implications of these insights for a new “evolutionary” approach to SSR

04-Aug-09 14:05 - Read more

Core Staff Bios

Mayssa Daye – Senior Manager

Mayssa Daye joined Libra Advisory Group as an Institutional Development Consultant in 2008, specialising in conflict and post-conflict environments. Mayssa recently returned from Baghdad where she was working as a Strategic Planning Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. Prior to joining Libra, Mayssa worked at Control Risks for three years (2005 – 2007) as a Governance Consultant. She focused mainly on the Middle East, working on crisis management issues, counter-terrorism, security sector reform programmes and a corporate social responsibility project which supported national development programmes. She also worked at the UK Government's Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit (now Stabilisation Unit) as a consultant from 2004 – 2005 helping to set up the unit during its initial inception phase. There she led a public and inter-departmental consultation into the role of Government in stabilisation work and initiated lessons learning workshops to link practitioners with policy makers. Mayssa began her career working for the United Nations (UN) in Syria as a Coordinator and Trainer for UN Staff.

Mayssa has worked in many countries across the Middle East including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, UAE and Iran, and speaks fluent Arabic. She holds an MSc in Middle East Politics, focusing on stabilisation and conflict issues, and a Bachelor Degree in Asian, African and Middle Eastern Politics, both from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Karen Ely - Project Assistant Manager

Karen Ely joined Libra Advisory Group in March 2009. She was previously employed by Crown Agents as a Response Assistant for the Stabilisation Unit through DFIDs Chase Operation Team. Before this she was working in education and development in Eritrea and Thailand. Outside of her work for Libra she currently volunteers and teaches English as a foreign language for a NFP organisation. Karen holds a Bachelor's degree in History of Art from the University of East Anglia.

Tania Mechlenborg – Stabilisation Consultant

Tania Mechlenborg joined Libra Advisory Group in June 2008 as a Stabilisation Consultant. Tania started her international career in 1994 with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an Assistant Desk Officer. From 1996, she worked for the European Commission Delegation to the United Nations (UN), responsible for reporting to EC Headquarters in Brussels on issues dealt with by the Security Council. In 1998, Tania was appointed Political Affairs Officer in the Policy Planning Unit in the UN Department of Political Affairs, UN Headquarters in New York, responsible for developing and coordinating UN policy on early warning, conflict prevention and post-conflict peace-building. After four years of policy work at UN Headquarters, Tania joined the UN Mission in Kosovo in 2000 where she worked as a Policy Adviser to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Following a parental break between 2003-2006, Tania returned to work as a consultant for the UK Government’s Stabilisation Unit in 2007, working on stabilisation lessons learning. Tania holds a BA and a MSc in Political Science, with specialisation in international relations, from University of Copenhagen.

Annabel Taylor – Operations Manager

Annabel Taylor joined Libra Advisory Group in August 2008 as Operations Manager, responsible for the coordination of projects and programmes, business development and client/associate relations. As a consultant, Annabel previously worked for the UK Government’s Stabilisation Unit, helping to define their deployment processes and Deployable Civilian Expert (DCE) management. Annabel started her career with a Commission as an Officer in the British Army (Royal Signals), but resigned in order to join the United Nations (UN) full time in Afghanistan, where she was the Civil Military Officer for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) from 2002-2004. Her chief responsibilities were to open and maintain channels of communication, coordination and where necessary co-operation between the humanitarian and development communities and the military, under the auspices of the responsible Afghan government ministries. The role involved travel across Afghanistan and close liaison with UN agencies, the humanitarian community, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Coalition Forces and Afghan Ministries.

In 2005, Annabel worked as a humanitarian aid coordinator for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Kilinochchi, northern Sri Lanka. Initially responsible for assisting in aid distribution and vulnerability assessments post-tsunami, the role quickly turned into delivery of and access to assistance for civilians affected by the conflict. She moved to East Timor when violence broke out in 2006 to assist in civil military relations and humanitarian coordination, working firstly for OCHA and then directly for the Ministry responsible for internally displaced persons (IDPs), sponsored by the Norwegian government. Annabel holds a Master’s Degree (with honours) from Kings College London in Conflict, Security and Development; and a Bachelor Degree in Human Geography from Nottingham University.