Kenneth Harry Wala
Lilongwe
Summary
Organised Team Leader experienced in directing activities of workgroups. Develops strategies, provides training, sets goals and obtains team feedback. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Big picture focus with excellence in communicating goals and vision to succeed. Problem solver, networker and consensus builderenneth A Strategic Project Management and Inclusive Education Expert with over 12 years’ practical experience in humanitarian and transformational development programming at local, with 7 years at senior management level. With 10 years’ hands-on experience on strategy development and strategy execution.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Team Leader
NORAD Framework Agreement/Save the Children
03.2022
- Provides overall technical and administrative leadership and expertise for the Norad Framework Agreement Programme (with Inclusive Education, Protection and Child rights) and other complementary projects i.e
- Inclusive Early Community based Childhood Care and Development (IECCD) project and SIDA funded CSO Capacity Strengthening Programme
- Leads in strengthening engagement and collaboration with strategic and implementing partners and other stakeholders, leads in strengthening coordination and networking to enhance programmatic and institutional capacity among partners (internal and external) for effective project delivery
- Leads effective and efficient utilization of financial / funds in a timely manner and within the scope and Compliance by conducting realistic forecasting and phasing of activities and conducting effective monitoring to ensure finance spend is within budget and scope
- Provide continuous support to ensure Gender, Inclusion, Advocacy and Child Protection are integrated into the Norad Framework Agreement Programme, with a focus on children with disabilities and other excluded groups as defined locally, including overseeing quality control.
Consortium Team Leader
FCDO Girls Education Challenge- Link Community Development
01.2018 - 02.2022
- Led in initiation activities of TEAM Girl Malawi project funded by FCDO
- Designed, piloted and implemented key standards and guidelines for administrative liaison between Link Malawi, Link International in the UK, and partner organization in Malawi for efficient and effective communication and information flows
- Adapted and developed key policies including child protection and safeguarding, fraud prevention and data management and trained staff for comprehension and compliance
- Designed M& E framework and tools to help the consortium monitor progress and review and revise work plans and budgets as required
- Trained staff on the Theory of Change and M and E frameworks
- Led in conducting a needs assessment for the TEAM Girl Malawi Project, Beneficiary enrolment, beneficiary disability assessment and center access audits in Lilongwe Urban, Dedza and Mchinji Districts
- Represented the TEAM Girl Consortium project, maintained coordination, and networking relationships with government, DFID and other national and international development actors, making national alliances for national advocacy.
Associate Director -Child Sponsorship
World Vision
07.2013 - 02.2018
- Provided leadership to Child Sponsorship work in World Vision Malawi for transformation of children, families and their communities and managed child sponsorship risks and compliance to standards
- Led in ensuring that sponsorship funding is adequate to support World Vision programming, standards and policies for child focused outcomes in the communities through negotiation of five (5) new 15-year programmes in 3 years
- Led assessment and design of seven (7) new programmes, assessed institutional capacity of CSOs and designed capacity building plans for them for effective contribution to the program
- Led in rollout of an online internet based integrated data entry and transmission application that helped staff to access child bio data and digital images almost real-time radically simplified and improved sponsorship systems, processes, standards.
Regional Manager
World Vision Malawi
04.2010 - 07.2013
- Provided strategic leadership and guidance to designing of new programmes, grant proposals, budgets, work plans and procurement plans in line with World Vision’s global and national strategy
- Led 10 program teams with 99 employees in implementation of livelihoods and rights based projects that included integrated cross cutting themes like advocacy and child protection, gender and disability
- Led in conducting risk assessment, risk planning and management for the region
- Provided management oversight for ongoing program implementation using results-based management, ensuring all projects are managed to budget and to time
- Led in Management of 10 sponsorship programmes, one (1) food relief and recovery project, and six (6) grant projects funded by USAID, UKAID, Bill & Melinda Gates and Danone
- Increased funding from 10 million annually to 16 million US Dollars between 2010 to 2013
- Led in internal review process and approved all programming documents (project proposals, reports, learning documents, studies, etc.) before donor submission
- Led the development and implementation of participatory monitoring systems, community accountability within Core Humanitarian Standards
- Monitored project burn rates closely with the project managers to ensure that spending in projects are consistent with budgets
- Maintained a strong and committed team of 99 program staff through mentoring and skills development, ensuring setting of annual objectives, conducting performance reviews and led in recruitment of regular and temporally local staff.
Humanitarian Response Operations Manager
World Vision Malawi
07.2012 - 05.2013
- Conducted emergency operational planning (resource and staff operation’s needs) to ensure effective coordination & timely delivery of humanitarian activities and identify, report & refer operational blockages caused by external actors to Liaison to be addressed through advocacy
- Developed and implemented operations reporting systems to support timely and accurate Response reporting
- Coordinated with Supported Services for provision of funds, staff, equipment, vehicles & supplies to ensure rapid program implementation
- Piloted in Malawi an online and digital beneficiary registration and documentation process that brought efficiency and effectiveness in food distribution called LMMS.
Mentor for Managers
World Vision Burundi
11.2008 - 05.2009
- Led program design of 4 new 15-year livelihoods programs with support from sector specialists and cross cutting technical specialists within World Vision
- Provided mentorship role in leadership and capacity building to four (4) Program Managers on people management, disaster management, finance management, sponsorship and effective program ownership roll out and implementation.
Education
Master of Science in Strategic Management -
University of Derby
Derby, UK01.2015
Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies -
University of South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa01.2008
Diploma in Agriculture -
University of Malawi
Lilongwe, Malawi01.1995
Skills
- Resource mobilization
- Decision-making
- Results-based management
- Application of Theory of Change
- Problem-solving skills
- Safeguarding, safety and security management
- Partnership Management
- Performance Management
- Team Motivation
- Complex Problem-Solving
Certification
- 2014, Certificate in Christian Leadership, Haggai Institute, Maui, Hawaii, US
- 2013, Security Management Training, World Vision International, Cape Town, RSA
- 2012, PMD Pro1 Project Management Certificate, APM Group, Lilongwe, Malawi
- 2012, Gateway to Grants (USAID Grant requirements training), World Vision International, APM Group, Malawi
- 1999, Decentralization Local Government Capacity Strengthening, Malawi Government
Studies Conducted
- Njakwa new Area Program assessment in Feb 2020 in Mzimba under World Vision Malawi Office
- Thundu new Area Program assessment in Oct 2019 in Phalombe under World Vision Malawi Office
- Kande-Kachere new Area Program assessment in 2019 in Nkhatabay under World Vision Malawi
- Ngodzi Matowe End of Project Evaluation in 2017 in Salima under World Vision Malawi
- Chiwalo new Area Program assessment in 2017 in Phalombe under World Vision Malawi Office
- Bwanje new Area Programme Assessment in 2015 in Ntcheu World Vision Malawi Office
- Chamba new Area Programme Assessment in 2010 in Machinga under World Vision Malawi Office
References
- Frank Mwafulirwa, Operations Director, Save the Children, Wilbes Court 3, Off Presidential Highway, Area 14, Lilongwe, Malawi, frank.mwafulirwa@savethechildren.org, +265 999 844 008
- Harold Kuombola, Country Director, Link Education Malawi, P. O. Box 1608, Lilongwe, Harold.Kuombola@linkedmalawi.org, +265 999 568 014
- Assan Golowa-Phiri, National Director, World Vision Zimbabwe, P.O. Box 3576, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3, assangolowa@gmail.com, +265 (8) 88 982 982
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Timeline
Team Leader
NORAD Framework Agreement/Save the Children
03.2022
Consortium Team Leader
FCDO Girls Education Challenge- Link Community Development
01.2018 - 02.2022
Associate Director -Child Sponsorship
World Vision
07.2013 - 02.2018
Humanitarian Response Operations Manager
World Vision Malawi
07.2012 - 05.2013
Regional Manager
World Vision Malawi
04.2010 - 07.2013
Mentor for Managers
World Vision Burundi
11.2008 - 05.2009
Master of Science in Strategic Management -
University of Derby
Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies -
University of South Africa
Diploma in Agriculture -
University of Malawi
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