Rebecca Lawrence

Rebecca Lawrence joined RTI in June 2023 as Director of the Center for Governance in RTI’s International Development Group. She brings over 24 years of experience directing USAID programs worldwide.

Prior to joining RTI, Ms. Lawrence worked at DAI for 10 years and at the Urban Institute for 12 years, where she directed, advised, and supported programs and proposals covering integrated local governance, decentralization, service delivery, infrastructure, anti-corruption, institutional strengthening, housing, stabilization, and WASH.

As Social Impact’s Vice President for Program Management, Ms. Lawrence oversaw USAID Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and institutional support contracts in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.  As part of Social Impact’s senior management team, she contributed to corporate strategy and policy, risk management, talent acquisition, bid prioritization, mentorship and professional development, communications, quality control, and financial performance.

As a consultant for Dexis, she conducted USAID’s first urban policy implementation assessment. At DAI, as the Team Leader of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office-funded Mozambique DIÁLOGO Programme, she directed the inception phase of a democratic governance support program aimed at strengthening government accountability and service delivery in five rapidly urbanizing cities. After securing funding for the project's four-year implementation phase contract, she transitioned the program leadership to a Mozambican national.  

Ms. Lawrence is proficient in French and Portuguese.