Letter of Recommendation for Lucía Fernández
Dr. Samuel Osei Senior Researcher, [NGO name] [Address] [Email] | [Phone]
[Date]
Admissions Committee Master's Program in Environmental Policy [University name]
Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,
Introduction and Basis for My Recommendation
I am writing to recommend Lucía Fernández, without reservation, for admission to your Master's Program in Environmental Policy. I am a Senior Researcher at [NGO name], an agricultural NGO working with smallholder farming communities in Ghana, where I lead [research area / program name]. Over the past [number] years I have supervised 15 research assistants, and I have reviewed and designed field research for [number] programs. I therefore have a clear basis for judging both the quality of Lucía's work and how it compares with that of her peers.
How I Know the Candidate
Lucía worked under my direct supervision for two years as a research assistant, from [start month/year] to [end month/year]. In that role she was responsible for designing data collection tools, conducting fieldwork with farming communities, analysing results, and reporting findings to our program teams and external partners. I met with her weekly and reviewed all of her major outputs, so my assessment is based on close and sustained observation of her work.
Examples of Her Work
Designing and running a survey of 200 smallholder farmers
Lucía's most significant contribution was a survey of 200 smallholder farmers in [region], Ghana. She designed the questionnaire, planned the sampling, and managed the fieldwork herself, including [number] enumerators and the logistics of reaching dispersed rural households. Her findings directly changed how our organisation designed its irrigation program: [specific change, e.g. which communities were prioritised or how the scheme was structured]. It is rare for a research assistant's work to reshape an organisation's programming, and this is the clearest evidence I can offer of her ability to turn evidence into policy-relevant decisions.
Teaching herself R to analyse the data
When the survey data came in, Lucía recognised that the analysis required tools beyond what she had used before. Rather than wait for support, she taught herself R over [timeframe], built a reproducible analysis workflow, and produced the statistical results and visualisations that underpinned our recommendations. Her analysis was [reviewed by / adopted by] [team or partner], and the code she wrote is still in use within our team. This showed an initiative and a capacity for independent learning that will serve her well in a demanding graduate program.
Presenting findings to the regional ministry
Lucía presented the survey findings to the [regional ministry name] in [month/year]. She prepared the presentation, fielded questions from senior officials, and communicated technical results to a non-specialist policy audience with clarity and confidence. [Outcome of the presentation, if any]. Her ability to bridge field data and government decision-making is exactly the skill set an environmental policy program aims to develop, and she already possesses it.
How She Compares with Others
I have supervised 15 research assistants in my career. Lucía is among the best three. What distinguishes her is the combination of rigorous methods, genuine initiative, and the judgement to see what research findings mean for real programs and policies. Many assistants are capable of executing a research plan; very few design one that changes how their organisation works, and fewer still present it credibly to government.
Recommendation
I recommend Lucía Fernández for admission to your Master's Program in Environmental Policy with the strongest possible enthusiasm. She has the analytical ability, the self-discipline, and the policy awareness to excel in graduate study, and I am confident she will contribute substantially to your program and to the field.
I would be glad to discuss her candidacy further.
Sincerely,
Dr. Samuel Osei Senior Researcher, [NGO name] [Email] [Phone]