[19] In 2011 Ramalingam worked on the UK Government's Humanitarian Emergency Response Review[20] and follow-up [21] under the overall leadership of Lord Paddy Ashdown.
[25] Ramalingam subsequently led a series of reform processes across donors and implementing agencies, emphasising adaptive management as a core competency for improved aid.
[35] The process and final report[36] were praised by senior leaders from the participating countries for their contribution to improved innovation efforts.
[41] Ramalingam was one of 5 authors of the resulting Harvard Business Review guide for decision-makers across public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
[49] An Amazon bestseller,[citation needed] it has been used by global development and humanitarian organisations to improve how aid is conceptualised,[50] designed,[51] implemented,[52] and evaluated.