Alison Dembo Rath leads Options' Technical Assistance Support Team (TAST) in West Bengal (2006-2009), which provides technical and management support to the Department of Health and Family Welfare's Health Systems Development Initiative. TAST is funded DFID. Alison works closely with senior management in the Department of Health and Family Welfare and with DFID to identify steps on the reform pathway and guide technical assistance to reach agreed milestones.

Before her assignment in West Bengal, Alison directed the final stage of the Nepal Safer Motherhood Project (also DFID-funded), with responsibility for team leadership, policy and planning support to government and evaluation and dissemination of findings. Alison has seven years' experience in DFID funded reproductive health projects delivered by government and NGOs in Orissa, India and five years experience as a consultant specialising in reproductive health and community based malaria control.

Alison has a strong track record in programme design, management, monitoring and evaluation. Her specific areas of technical expertise include capacity building for sexual health programmes, managing maternal health and contraceptive social marketing programmes; private sector provision of preventive health services and community-based malaria control.