Christopher Apollo Awandu

CHRISTOPHER APOLLO AWANDU P.O Box-, Nairobi, Kenya Telephone no: - Email:-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-awandu-a19a6b138/ Personal Profile A highly-organized and dynamic professional with over 8 years of hands-on experience in different busy environments. Particularly effective in project management and time prioritization. I have a track record of handling challenging situations with tact, and skilled in risk mitigation strategy development. I also have experience in handling coordination, work planning, reporting, and network and communications work for designated projects. Exceptionally well-versed in organizing project meetings by provided directives for project management. A methodical individual who effectively manages and facilitates the flow of information between departments to ensures that each project meets its deadline effectively. Education 2010 - 2014 2006 - 2009 Bachelor of Disaster Management and International Diplomacy (Social Science) Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Onjiko Boys High School Skills ▪ Communication Skills: Excellent oral and written communication with good presentation skills and people handling techniques. ▪ Development and Operational Effectiveness: I can lead strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting. Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, propose new approaches, which expand the range of programs. ▪ Planning and Organizing: Refined planning and organizational skills that balance work, team support, and ad-hoc responsibilities in a timely and professional manner. ▪ Time Management: Ability to prioritize work and manage time effectively. ▪ Analytical Skills: I can recognize areas of weaknesses requiring improvements and makes recommendations to the management for consideration, approval, and implementation. ▪ Decision Making and Problem-Solving Skills: I can make timely, well-considered, and logical decisions on problem situations that may arise to make sound judgment and find appropriate and workable solutions with the capacity to see the big picture. ▪ Flexibility: I can fit into most environments, maintain calm under pressure, and can adapt well to changes in the workplace. ▪ Leadership: Strong leadership skills to inspire and motivate team members, facilitate collaboration, resolve conflicts, and keep everyone focused on the project's objectives. ▪ Team player: I can work as a competent member of the team, willingly providing back-up support for coworkers when appropriate and actively supporting group goals. Work Experience August 2022 to Date DataKind Global Position: Project Manager – Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) Key Achievements: ▪ Development of Project Briefs and recruitment of pro bono data scientists to develop and app for matching youth to existing and emerging job opportunities Responsibilities: ▪ Work with Portfolio manager to develop annual and quarterly plan to deliver on select, funded projects within DataKind’s portfolio including tracking systems to ensure timely and high-quality completion of grantcommitted deliverables. ▪ Support the Product team with managing multiple stakeholders to complete activities in the lead up to deployment of a DataKind developed analytics product with strategic Partner-clients. ▪ Work closely with the Head of Data Science to prepare resources to execute the technical strategy to open source the DataKind developed product. ▪ Provide direct oversight to professional volunteer team(s) through DataKind’s Discovery and Design processes, engage with Partner-clients, and develop project design briefs and solution sustainability plans in compliance with DataKind’s quality standards. ▪ Recruit expert volunteers with appropriate skills from DataKind’s community of volunteers, or beyond, as needed to execute on projects; prepare projects for a seamless launch. ▪ Monitor quality of outputs and support volunteers to comply with code quality and best practices with the assistance of the Head of Data Science. ▪ Manage organizational record keeping using shared resources such as Google Drive and Salesforce; contribute to improving institutional knowledge management. ▪ Cross-team collaboration: provide concise and specific updates to other key departments as needed; support funder-facing teams with reports on project progress. ▪ Proactively engage with Partners (and support volunteers to do so) throughout the project life cycle to ensure a valued partnership experience. ▪ Ensure volunteers are engaged and their efforts are celebrated throughout the project. ▪ Create the Project deliverables such as summary and strategy documents, presentations, and other content. Jan 2022 to June 2022 Brighter Monday Kenya Position: Program Manager (Partnerships) – Agri Jobs 4 Youth Project Key Achievements: ▪ Developed partnerships with over 200 Private Sector Partners in the region and registered 10,000 beneficiaries onto the online platform for job placements and matching. Responsibilities: ▪ Drive the Strategic Overview of the project activities and be the main contact point for the donor, private sector partners and the field staff. ▪ Assist the CEO and Management in coordinating fieldwork for assignments by contributing to the development of project plans, fieldwork task schedules, interviews, gathering documentation, and liaising with client staff. ▪ Lead the mobilization and sensitization of private sector partners through preparation of introductory letters and scheduling for appointments for partnership development. ▪ Planning and coordinating meetings and seminars with various stakeholders; including government implementing agencies, employer’s meetings, HR and Youth Fora and beneficiary youth orientation meetings. ▪ Perform engagement procedures designed to identify and define issues, review and analyze evidence, and document processes. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Assist in coordinating and communicating the results of consulting and internal audit projects via written reports and oral presentations to management. Lead and motivate the project team and monitor project activities and project expenditure and coordinate work with consultants and volunteers in the project Ensure close collaboration and coordination with cooperating partners to guarantee smooth implementation of activities and achievement of results as specified in grant agreements. Participate in the drafting of reports and presenting drafts to the CEO and Management for review and approval. Team management of project staff reporting directly to me and office assets as per the laid down policies. Create the Project deliverables such as summary and strategy documents, presentations, and other content Provide project support through research, advisory, and project management activities Ensure project activities comply with the policies and regulations of the donor organization. Assist with developing proposals for submission to prospective Partners. Oct 2017 to Dec 2021 National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) Position: County Project Coordinator - Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP) Key Achievements: ▪ Coordinated the project in Kisumu County Overseeing Training and Internship of up to 32,124 youth with a 75% employment rate among the beneficiaries. 25 formal training providers, and 300 informal trainers for a six-month training period in a given cycle. Responsibilities: ▪ Sensitization, selection, recruitment, placement and follow up of interested beneficiary youth. ▪ Sensitization and recruitment of training providers both in formal and informal sectors and providing support to them. ▪ Monitoring and evaluation of all training and internship project activities in the respective county. ▪ Planning and coordinating meetings and seminars with various stakeholders; including government implementing agencies, employer’s meetings, and beneficiary youth orientation meetings. ▪ Support the Project Implementation Unit in coordinating the application process for each respective project cycle. ▪ Liaising with the Sub County Youth Development Officer (SCDYOs) in their respective areas with regards to the project. ▪ Providing support to the Project Operations Manager with regards to financial management, preparation of annual work plans and reports, and stipends processing specific to Kisumu County. ▪ Data management, continuous input, and update of beneficiaries and training provider’s information on the Management Information System (MIS) ▪ Supporting the training and internship specialist in the continuous processing and facilitation of skills assessment for the beneficiary youth. ▪ Employment tracking of engaged/employed beneficiary youth to document successes of the project ▪ Management of project office assets, vehicles, and casuals engaged as per the laid down policies. ▪ Grievance handling and problem-solving of any issues arising during the training period, for instance, delayed placements for internships or missed stipend payments for both trainers and trainees. ▪ Coordination of follow up documentaries for youth success stories from the project in liaison with the communications and media teams. ▪ Continuous mentorship of the beneficiary youth beyond their participation in the project (follow up after the project). Jun 2016 - Aug 2017 Position: Project Officer International Research and Development Actions (IRDAC) Key Achievements: ▪ Won several consultancies with international Organizations and completed the tasked assignments within set timelines Responsibilities: ▪ Lead in the expression of Interest to several consultancies through preparing Technical and Financial proposals submitted to organizations in need. ▪ Project management through managing communication with people working with IRDAC. ▪ Networked, interact with others working with IRDAC to exchange information and develop social or professional contacts. ▪ Trained IRDAC staff and data collection enumerators on data collection tools (survey CTO and ODK). ▪ Developed project documents by conducting research, desk scan, and developing narrative reports for donors including project proposals, inception reports. ▪ Conduct regular field visits to support research teams and enhance understanding of local contexts. ▪ Monitored and evaluated, take part in field research through the development of data collection tools. ▪ Financial and team management. Management of standing imprest of up to Ksh 100,000 used for field logistics. ▪ Field data collection and supervision of enumerators. ▪ Data entry and analysis. May 2015 - Apr 2016 Innovations for Poverty Actions (IPA) Position: Senior Field Officer - Novartis Access and Bridge Projects Key Achievements: ▪ Oversaw successful implementation and completion of assigned projects with useful findings and a good rapport with stakeholders and beneficiaries. Responsibilities: ▪ Trained and supervised field officers on digital data collection tools (survey CTO and ODK). ▪ Networking, interacting with relevant stakeholders to exchange information and develop social or professional contacts. ▪ Team management. Supervision of data collection field officers. ▪ Approvals seeking from the County governments to research within their jurisdictions. ▪ Operations and financial management. Managing field imprest finances and payment of field officers per diem and making returns to finance. ▪ Public relations and community mobilization to participate in the launched projects. ▪ Organizing field logistics for field officers and data collection clerks. ▪ General office administration. ▪ Collection of qualitative and quantitative data, spot, and back checking. ▪ Communication, reporting, and online data uploading. Other Positions Held ▪ Apr 2014 - Feb 2015: Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant at Afrisol Consultants Limited ▪ Jan - Mar 2014: Research Assistant at Plan International ▪ Nov 2013: Supervisor at Child Fund International (Kisumu Development Program) ▪ Jun - Sept 2013: Intern at The Boma Project Additional Information Training and Workshop ▪ Jan 2015: Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) data analysis training and seminar, Realedge International Limited ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Feb 2015: Emergency response, First Aid demonstrations, and Anti-Jigger Campaign Training and Team building. Kenya Red Cross Society Jul 2013: Grant Based Micro-finance, Micro-Enterprise Development, VSLA, and Group Savings Protocol Training and management, Monitoring and Evaluation. The BOMA Project Jul 2012: Inaugural Africa University Scholars Leadership Training and Symposium, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) Mar 2011: First Aid Course Training, Brigade Member. St. John Ambulance MMUST-Chapter Kakamega Seminars and Conferences ▪ Jul 2012: International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Conflict Resolution for Sustainable Development; Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Hobbies and Interests ▪ Traveling, Reading, Sports, Socializing, Community Service Referees 1) Dr John Harnisher Senior Director, Product & Programs DataKind Global 271 Cadman PLZ E STE 2, Brooklyn, NY 11202, U.S.A. Telephone No: +1 - Email:-www.datakind.org 2) Mr. Michael Ngugi Kinyanjui Head of Special Projects – Youth and Learning Brighter Monday Kenya P. O BOX- Nairobi Telephone No: - E-mail:--www.brightermonday.co.ke 3) Mr. Festus Kituyi MIS and ICT Manager Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project, National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) P. O BOX- Nairobi Telephone No: - Email:--www.nita.go.ke