Skilled Cross-sectoral Consultant

Sever Dzigurski

Independent Consultant and Former Head of Secretariat at the Knowledge Platform Security and Rule of Law

“I speak differently and can step into different roles when I am communicating with grassroots movements and activists as compared to government officials. It is a strength to have experience from both worlds.”

Meet Sever Dzigurski

• Throughout his career, Sever has worked in many different roles, ranging from youth work, research, freelancing policy advisor, managing international networks, in (local) governments and for international organisations such as the Council of Europe. Throughout these experiences, Sever has been guided by his values, advancing bottom-up approaches and pushing for change from within institutions. He is a testament to how it’s possible to work on your desired social change in many different roles.
• Over time, Sever has specialized in knowledge processes, applied research and organisational change / These are transferable skills that have enabled him to transition between different job positions and served as the foundation of his work at The Knowledge Platform for Security and Rule of Lawwhich involves supportinga large network of organisations in knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Unlike traditional career paths, where people usually attend university first and then gain professional experience, Sever gained work experience first and then went to university to deepen his knowledge in areas directly related to his career. In this way, he studied at university seven times, each time gaining the theoretical knowledge necessary to advance in his job roles.

Read more and find out everything!

Sector

Working in Peacebuilding, social justice and Rule of Law 

• Why this Path? Since starting his career in local peacebuilding and youth work initiatives, Sever’s activist drive and passion for social issues have played a constant role in his professional development. He reflects upon his experiences across sectors as means to bridge gaps between policy, research and practice by working across sectors to advance positive social change.
• What’s in the Sector’s Future? When reflecting on relevant trends of the sectors in which he is active, he mentions the increasing “winds of change” blowing across the development sector. He highlights the need to accelerate fundamental change within a sector in the mindset of tweaking existing agendas, often stemming from persisting Western ideals which can inhibit the balance of power between actors. He calls for the inclusion of community perspectives and advice to pay attention to language – such as referring to locally led development instead of localisation as a means individuals can help shift power balances within a large system.
• Sever also highlights the significant need for increased co-creation between policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to properly address relevant and complicated issues, such as navigating challenges. For example, the rise of right-wing populist politics

“I encourage everyone to explore jobs and opportunities that do not align with their ‘long-term career plan’. There is benefit in learning to work in different kinds of organisations, teams and across sectors.”

Skills

Want to find out how Sever landed the role he’s currently in?

• Stakeholder management – Sever’s roles in research, communication, community groups and government have served him well in learning to communicate effectively with different target groups across sectors.
• Communicating with the audience in mind – This ability to see things from the perspective of whom he is interacting with is a skill developed through experience and hands-on-learning, an overarching theme throughout his professional life. “I speak differently and can step into different roles when I am communicating with grassroot movements and activists as compared to government officials. It is a strength to have experience from both worlds.”
• (Applied) research methodologies – This transferable skill has served Sever greatly as a strong understanding of gathering, analysing and sorting through large amounts of information is a foundational building block of Sever’s work.

Advice & Tips

What advice would you give to students and young professionals?

• “Do not refrain from seeking advice on your personal development. If you feel stuck in your career or find it difficult to position yourself in the sectors you are interested in, consulting a career or personal development coach can allow someone else to help you identify your strengths. Methods such as skills stacking and Ikigai are great!”
• Sever highly recommends attending and making oneself visible at events to network and engage in current discussions. “Make sure to say something in the group setting to get the attention of attendees ahead of the networking. If people already recognise you, it is easier to start a conversation with them later.”

“Formal education is not the only way to gain valuable work experience. Often non-formal education is a great way to learn from the lived experiences of other participants while training both soft and hard skills.”

• Curriculum Vitae

  Multiple international organisations and initiatives, Freelancer and consultant, 2025-present

  KPSRL, Head of Secretariat, 2022-2025

  Organisations such as UNDP, UN Women, EU, government, government AID agencies, NGOs, Freelancer – Learning and change consultant & Policy advisor, 2008 – 2022

  Government of Serbia, Planning Coordinator (system reform, developing methodologies), 2007-2012

  Multiple youth-led organisations in the Balkan region, Supporting & coordinating youth work development, 2004-2007

  NGO Group 848, Participatory research, working with local partners and advocacy groups, 2003-2004

  Local/ national network organisations and NGOs, NGO Itaka in Becej, Vojvodina, Balkans), Development and cooperation/coordination, 1999-2003

Bonus: Sever’s Insights into time in the Hague

• Even with extensive free-lancing cross-sectoral experience, Sever initially found it challenging to transition to long-term employment contracts in the Netherlands after first moving here. To understand how to better present and position his skills and experiences towards the Dutch job market, he worked with a personal career development coach!

Sever is an active Humanity Hub Member and co-founder and moderator of the Fire Side Peace Chats an initiative of Leiden University College The Hague (LUC), Knowledge Platform for Security and Rule of the Law (KPSRL), and The Hague Humanity Hub (THHH).