Oliver completed a PhD in the Development Studies department at SOAS, University of London entitled ‘Negotiating War and the Liberal Peace: National NGOs, legitimacy and the politics of peacebuilding in Sri Lanka 2006-7’, which explored the processes of legitimation and de-legitimation that surrounded NGOs’ engagement in peacebuilding during a peace to war transition. He has worked for NGOs in Sri Lanka and the UK and has experience of working as a consultant for a number of agencies including DFID and NORAD.