COLLEN RUTENDO MAWASA
1591 Sally Mugabe, Borrowdale Harare
Summary
Migration governance specialist with extensive experience in technical assistance and partnership development for international projects. Expertise in financial oversight, project reporting, and stakeholder engagement, particularly with government entities. Committed to advancing safe and orderly migration frameworks in Southern Africa through effective collaboration and community mobilization. Proven track record in capacity building initiatives that empower both government officials and vulnerable populations.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Project Associate
International Organization for Migration
Harare, Zimbabwe
02.2021 - Current
- Delivered expert technical support and project backstopping for various migration governance initiatives.
- Maintained active partnerships with government focal points on project implementation.
- Played a key role in planning and coordinating workshops, exchange visits, and strategic meetings involving government and donor officials.
- Liaised with governmental, non-governmental, and international stakeholders to ensure effective project rollout.
- Supported development and delivery of capacity-building initiatives targeting government officials.
- Assisted in organizing and implementing trainings, seminars, and missions, with periodic duty travel across regions.
- Tracked program expenditures, processed funding requests, and raised online procurement forms in coordination with finance teams.
- Monitored and reported project progress by tracking key indicators and documenting activities with internal reporting units.
- Facilitated internal coordination between Finance, Procurement, and technical units for smooth project execution and documentation.
- Assist the government with bilateral labor migration initiatives, including the pre-departure orientation for Zimbabwean teachers emigrating to Rwanda.
- Facilitate cross-border traders in Southern Africa during COVID-19.
- Coordinate the Migration, Environment, and Climate Change (MECC) project with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Wildlife, integrating migration into environmental and climate policies.
- Build capacity for disaster committees at district and ward levels to incorporate migration and mobility components into disaster risk management policies.
- Foster dialogue and cooperation among government and non-governmental actors on IOM's priority areas.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of project management methodologies and tools, applying best practices to project tasks.
Principal Immigration Officer
Department of Immigration: Government of Zimbabwe
Immigration Headquarters
12.2013 - 12.2020
- Supervised, coordinated, and monitored processing of immigration permits.
- Liaised with different ministries and departments on migration related issues.
- Processing of diplomatic accreditation for Embassies and International Organisations.
- Accountable for Asylum seeker profiling and regularization.
- Ensured safe and regular mobility by migrants.
- Coordinated, repatriated, and facilitated all procedures for processing irregular migrants, refugees in liaison with Registrar General office, Department of Social Development, UNHCR and Embassies.
- Placed vulnerable migrants in safety’ especially women and children who were victims of smuggling and trafficking.
- Conducted awareness campaigns in fighting human smuggling and trafficking with IOM and UNHCR.
- Maintained thorough understanding of current legislation and travellers' rights.
- Coordinated with international agencies to streamline immigration operations and share intelligence.
- Managed sensitive applicant data with utmost discretion and in compliance with data protection regulations.
- Attended meetings and recommended changes to policies, procedures and regulations to improve immigration enforcement processes.
- Communicated travellers' rights with people of low to no English-speaking ability successfully.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Honours - Industrial and Organisational Psychology
University of South Africa
Bachelor of Social Science Honours - Sociology
University of Fort Hare
Bachelor of Social Science Honours - Human Resource Management
University of Fort Hare
Bachelor of Social Science - Human Resource Management
University of Fort Hare
Skills
- Partnership development
- Planning and coordination
- Effective communication
- Technical assistance
- Interdepartmental facilitation
- Capacity-building organization
- Training and workshop preparation
- Financial accountability
- Project documentation
- Team building
- Community mobilization
- Program implementation
- Direct assistance to vulnerable populations
- Migration architecture knowledge
- Policy writing
- Project management
- Stakeholder engagement
References
Diana Cartier: Chief of Mission: International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
+263786370881 email: DCARTIER@iom.int
Tawanda Matanda: Project Associate: International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
+263782547031 email: TMATANDA@iom.int
Dr E Quarshie: Project Coordinator: International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
equarshie@iom.int
Accomplishments
- Updated and implemented Labour migration, Diaspora engagement and Migration Environment & Climate Change policies for enhanced migration management in Zimbabwe inline with international guidelines.
- Enhance social protection framework to ensure the inclusion of return migrants into the social protection of Zimbabwe.
- Advocate for enhanced government prioritisation of remittance to ensure that frameworks are developed to promote an inclined developmental use of remittance
Timeline
Project Associate
International Organization for Migration
02.2021 - Current
Principal Immigration Officer
Department of Immigration: Government of Zimbabwe
12.2013 - 12.2020
Bachelor of Arts Honours - Industrial and Organisational Psychology
University of South Africa
Bachelor of Social Science Honours - Sociology
University of Fort Hare
Bachelor of Social Science Honours - Human Resource Management
University of Fort Hare
Bachelor of Social Science - Human Resource Management
University of Fort Hare