CGA Team
Scott Worden,
Senior Advisor
Scott Worden is a Senior Advisor at Cambridge Global Associates with a focus on counter-terrorism, conflict resolution, and post-conflict development. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Yale University, teaching capstone courses for the Jackson School of Global Affairs.
Worden has over two decades of experience working in Washington and in the field in senior roles with the U.S. government, United Nations, and non-profit organizations concentrating on development and security issues in Central and South Asia.
Worden was the Director of the Afghanistan and Central Asia Program at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) from 2016 through 2025. In this role, he spearheaded projects on counter-extremism, women’s rights, and building the rule of law, while advising senior U.S. officials, Congress, and international partners on regional policy.
Previously, Worden served as Director of the Lessons Learned Program at the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), producing independent reports that shaped U.S. reconstruction strategy. Worden was a Senior Policy Advisor at USAID’s Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, focusing on civil-military integration to improve governance and stabilization.
Internationally, Worden served as Commissioner of Afghanistan’s Electoral Complaints Commission, adjudicating election disputes during the 2009 presidential elections, and as a Legal Advisor with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. His work also extended to Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Laos, where he advised on anti-corruption, justice reform, and accountability efforts. He has managed multiple track 1.5 dialogues aimed at increasing regional security cooperation in Central Asia. Before his public service career, Worden practiced corporate law with an international firm in New York.
Worden has published widely on governance and security issues, with commentary in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Hill, and the Journal of Democracy. He has testified before Congress and is a frequent voice on Afghanistan’s elections, peace process, and governance. Worden was a Luce Scholar and received his BA from Colgate University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.