Dr. Jenny Paola Cervera-Quintero

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Doctor in Administration and Public Policy, Master in Social Policy, and Production Engineer with over 12 years of professional experience in public policy, governance, and applied research. Research professor and senior practitioner in participatory, intercultural and institutional policy processes, with a strong record in project execution with Indigenous and community-based organisations. Editor of a forthcoming Springer volume on ecological regeneration, recognised for bridging academic research, public institutions, and community-led governance processes, with a focus on dialogue, regeneration and bioeconomy.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Institutional Dialogue and Conflict-Sensitive Policy Processes
- Public Policy Design and Evaluation
- Indigenous Governance and Intercultural Policy
- Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Qualitative Methods
- Community-led Policy Co-construction
TECHNICAL AND SOFT SKILLS
- Research Tools: Atlas.ti, NVivo, R, Python, Tableau, Google Sheets
- Core Competencies: Policy Analysis, Strategic Leadership, Community Engagement, Intercultural Communication, Facilitation and Dialogue
- Languages: Spanish (native), English (B2), French (B2)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Research Consultant – SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje)
16 July 2025 – 15 December 2025
- Designed and implemented Participatory Action Research (PAR) projects with Indigenous and peasant communities across different regions of Colombia.
- Facilitated community-based research processes integrating local knowledge systems with institutional research frameworks.
- Supported capacity-building in collective diagnosis, co-creation of solutions, and community-led project formulation.
- Produced analytical inputs and methodological tools to inform public policy, training programmes, and territorial development strategies.
General Director & Co-founder – EMFOCAH Foundation
March 2021 – Present
- Legal representative and strategic lead of the Foundation.
- Directed interdisciplinary research and fieldwork teams focused on Indigenous governance, sustainability, and public policy co-construction.
- Led fundraising strategies and managed partnerships with academic institutions, public bodies, and international cooperation agencies.
- Designed and implemented projects on alternative economies, regeneration, and community-based public policy.
Professor and Researcher – ECCI University
February 2022 – 31 May 2025
- Led research on Indigenous knowledge systems, regeneration, and public administration.
- Director of the TEIN Research Group (Minciencias classification: B).
- Coordinated international academic mobility programmes focused on Indigenous public administration and intercultural governance.
Final Master’s Project Director – International University of La Rioja (Spain)
May 2022 – May 2024
- Supervised postgraduate research projects in public policy, sustainability, and social development.
Professor of Public Administration – Universidad Siglo 21 (Córdoba, Argentina)
October 2017 – December 2018
- Taught undergraduate courses in Public Administration.
- Developed course content on public management, policy analysis, and institutional governance.
Professor of Business Administration – Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO), Villavicencio, Colombia
2018 – 2020
- Delivered undergraduate courses in Business Administration.
- Integrated organisational management, sustainability, and public–private relations into teaching practice.
Specialized Professional – Public Policy Formulation
April 2016 – July 2016
- Led the formulation of Bogotá’s Public Policy on Animal Protection and Welfare.
- Contributed to the creation of the District Institute for Animal Protection.
Professional Advisor – Bogotá City Council
December 2013 – December 2015
- Provided technical advice on finance and public credit policy.
- Supported legislative and policy initiatives on gender equality, education, and Indigenous rights.
EDUCATION
PhD in Administration and Public Policy (2021) – National University of Córdoba, Argentina
Master’s in Social Policy (2015) – Pontifical Javeriana University, Colombia
BSc in Production Engineering (2011) – Francisco José de Caldas District University, Colombia.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING
- Diploma in Citizen Participation – ESAP (2021)
- Behavioural Economics for Public Policy – Inter-American Development Bank (2020)
- Protected Areas in Territorial Planning and Ethnic and Environmental Planning in Public Policy – National Natural Parks of Colombia (10 November 2025)
- Diploma Seminar: Innovation and Sustainability in the Popular and Peasant Economy – SENA (November 2025)
- Course on Care for Victims of Sexual Violence and Attacks with Chemical Agents – Universidad del Rosario (December 2025).

PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH
- Editor, Epistemologies of Ecological Regeneration – Indigenous and Afrodescendant Knowledge from Colombia and Mexico. Springer Nature Switzerland AG (forthcoming, 2026).
- Public Policies Against Misinformation in Latin America (2016–2022).
- The Role of Open Data in Colombia’s Public Policy (2016–2021).

CONFERENCES AND ACADEMIC EVENTS
- Panelist, ECOOVIDA – COP16, Cali (2024).
- Latin American Forum on Diverse Economies, Bogotá (2024).
- Sustainable Engineering for a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Future (2024).
- Perspectives on Popular Economy in Latin America – OECD, Bogotá (2024).