Grace Banda
Kanata,ON
Summary
A Dynamic leader with proven track record of successfully managing different inclusive education donor funded projects and achieving desired project objectives. Skilled in developing and executing strategies, managing budgets and resources, and leading cross-functional teams. Creative professional offers proven track record of successful programming strategies in inclusive education. Consistently produces tangible outcomes that exceed expectations. Detail-oriented team player with strong organizational skills. Ability to handle multiple donor projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy. Wears many hats to accomplish dynamic objectives. Ready to apply 16 years of experience in development sector to new professional challenges with growth-oriented organization in feminism child protection and safeguarding. Hardworking and passionate job seeker with strong organizational skills eager to secure Programs Director position. Ready to help team achieve project goals using skills gained from the past Chief of Party Position and Advisory role in Inclusive Gender Education Programming. To seek and maintain full-time position that offers professional challenges utilizing interpersonal skills, excellent time management and problem-solving skills.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Coordinator
Salvation Army Employment Plus
San Francisco, California
01.2021 - 07.2023
- Developed new program and sent 15 young women to International Universities and 45 National Universities
- Developed and implemented new media programming strategy that increased viewership.
- Collaborated with various teams to uncover issues, identify applicable solutions, and offer guidance.
- Supervised media programming team and provided feedback to drive quality programming.
- Managed educational program budget and prepared monthly reports.
- Planned, administered and controlled budgets and produced financial reports.
- Collaborated with teachers to develop and refine lesson plans, ensuring alignment with state standards and educational best practices.
- Planned and implemented staff development and in-service training programs to enhance knowledge and skills.
Community Support Worker
Ottawa Food Bank
San Francisco, California
01.2015 - 12.2020
- Coordinated with different service providers to meet clients' individual needs.
- Helped clients navigate social services system and access needed resources.
- Maintained internal database of service workers, participants, activities and other relevant details.
- Maintained accurate case records to track progress, sharing relevant updates with supervisory staff and stakeholders as needed.
- Cultivated strong network of providers delivering necessary assistance to Schools and Education line ministry community.
- Facilitated community outreach to expand participation and support.
- Delivered consistent follow-up care to monitor progress towards goals, adjusting support strategies as necessary based on ongoing evaluation results.
- Coordinated volunteer efforts for community events, building strong connections among residents while increasing program visibility.
- Enlisted support of volunteers and collaborated with businesses and community groups.
- Intervened in crisis situations to obtain support for clients and reduce escalation or recurrence risks.
- Tracked service activities and outcomes against outlined plans and goals.
- Received and resolved average of 55 calls each week regarding complaints and problems.
- Implemented creative problem-solving techniques for resolving conflicts or challenges faced by clients in their daily lives.
- Led group discussions and activities to meet different community needs
- Promoted mental health community awareness within through educational workshops and presentations at local events
- Cultivated strong network of providers delivering necessary assistance to 84 community
- Supported clients through development of new life skills, obtaining resources and transitioning back to society
- Reviewed current procedures, identified areas of potential enhancement and implemented changes to improve overall effectiveness by 70%
- Communicated effectively with all different personalities and people in various job positions by being courteous, enthusiastic and offering clear feedback
- Established performance metrics to track success of community development initiatives over time
- Negotiated contracts with external vendors as needed to support various projects throughout implementation process
- Collaborated with local leaders to develop tailored solutions addressing unique community challenges
- Leveraged data analytics tools to better understand trends impacting communities, informing more effective strategies moving forward
- Managed grant proposals and fundraising efforts, securing resources for community development projects
- Intervened in crisis situations to obtain support for clients and reduce escalation or recurrence risks
- Evaluated effectiveness of implemented programs, ensuring continuous improvement and adaptation
- Educated young people about strategies for driving discussions and promoting social changes
- Coordinated volunteer programs, increasing community participation in various initiatives
- Conducted online and in person research to identify community development opportunities
- Developed short- and long term community development strategies to draw businesses and consumers to rural areas
- Organized community forums to gather feedback from residents and foster open communication channels between them and decision makers
- Took active role in patient and family planning process, detailing instructions, and responding appropriately and effectively to questions and concerns
- Developed strategic partnerships with local organizations to promote community growth and collaboration
- Streamlined communication between stakeholders by creating centralized platform for information sharing
- Enhanced community engagement by organizing and leading local workshops and events
- Advised governmental agencies on policies affecting community welfare, advocating for equitable opportunities for all residents
- Cultivated inclusive environment where diverse perspectives were valued, ultimately strengthening overall development efforts
- Demonstrated leadership skills in managing projects from concept to completion
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed
Livelihoods Officer
Adra Canada
London Ontarion, ON
01.2010 - 12.2014
- Established partnerships with private sector entities to create employment opportunities for beneficiaries of Livelihood Officer''s programs.
- Coordinated individual referrals to obtain community services, advocate for client needs and resolve roadblocks.
- Established and maintained relationships with key stakeholders.
- Conducted 52 outreach activities to engage local stakeholders in programs.
- Developed monitoring and evaluation framework to track project outcomes, informing data-driven decision-making for future program planning and design.
- Streamlined communication between security team members through implementation of efficient reporting tools and processes.
- Reduced incidents of theft by conducting thorough risk assessments and deploying appropriate countermeasures.
- Ensured compliance with safety regulations by conducting regular audits and addressing any identified issues.
- Contributed consistently to development and improvement of company-wide security policies, upholding best practices in all aspects of work.
- Managed access control systems, ensuring only authorized individuals gained entry into secured areas.
- Maintained access control database, monitoring visitor traffic and analyzing for potential irregularities or risks.
- Delivered top-quality training documentation, manuals, and tools addressing needs of specific specialist groups.
- Targeted diverse learning modalities in development of new course content and training programs.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge on best practices in program evaluation through continuous professional development opportunities.
- Conducted literature reviews and environmental scans to inform development of new programs or enhancements to existing initiatives based on industry trends.
- Created visually engaging presentations of evaluation results, tailored to different audiences including management, staff, and external partners.
- Provided technical assistance to colleagues in designing surveys, interview guides, focus group protocols, and other data collection tools as needed.
- Improved stakeholder engagement by developing clear communication strategies around evaluation efforts and results dissemination.
- Played key role in organizational change management efforts by using evaluation results to identify areas for improvement, inform strategic planning processes, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Developed strong relationships with external evaluators to support independent evaluations of organizational programs when necessary.
- Contributed to culture of learning within organization by sharing insights from evaluations during internal meetings or workshops regularly held throughout year.
- Delivered private instruction to adult learners in variety of fields on leadership development, professional writing, business communication and delivery of proposals and presentations.
- Streamlined reporting processes by creating standardized templates and data visualization tools, simplifying communication of complex findings to stakeholders.
- Assisted in development of evaluation plans for better program outcomes and informed decision making.
- Coordinated evaluation activities to ensure timely delivery of accurate data and reports to stakeholders.
- Monitored progress toward organizational goals using well-defined metrics aligned with strategic objectives.
- Facilitated evaluation-related capacity-building workshops or trainings to improve staff members'' understanding of best practices and their use in everyday work.
- Teamed with subject matter experts in evaluation and revision of training tools in order to continually improve learning platforms.
- Participated in team projects, demonstrating ability to work collaboratively and effectively.
- Collaborated with community members to develop and implement service initiatives
- Spearheaded fundraising efforts to support social and community service initiatives
- Developed innovative solutions to address unemployment challenges within target communities, resulting in increased job opportunities
- Assessed community needs and identified resources for social and community service programs
- Utilized grant writing skills to secure additional program funding
- Provided leadership, guidance and support to staff members
- Oversaw volunteer recruitment efforts, providing valuable support to staff while offering meaningful opportunities for community members to contribute their expertise
- Analyzed viewer data and adjusted programming lineup to maximize potential viewership
- Led staff training sessions on best practices in program delivery, increasing overall effectiveness across organization
- Developed and implemented new media programming strategy that increased viewership
- Fostered culture of continuous improvement by encouraging team members to share feedback and ideas for enhancing program quality
- Launched new initiatives that addressed identified gaps in services, expanding organization''s offerings to better meet community needs
- Implemented innovative solutions to challenges faced by programs, contributing to improved outcomes for all participants involved
- Established systems for tracking participant progress over time, enabling to monitor individual achievements as well as overall trends
- Developed proposals and operational plans within assigned area
- Secured funding of $45M for programs through successful grant writing and relationship building with donors, leading to greater financial stability
Education
Master of Arts - Inclusive Education And Management
St Francis Xavier University
Nova Scotia, Canada08.2025
MBA - Business Administration
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB11.2016
Bachelor of Arts - Business Management (Project Management)
Prince of Wales Collegiate
St. John's, NL05.2013
Diploma in Business Administration - Business Management
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Richmond, BC12.2004
Skills
- Educational program planning in gender transformative results based on feminist principles, inclusive quality education and youth empowerment
- Experienced in program leadership and project management through responsible and accountability for project’s strategic direction,
quality programming and results achievement - Strategic planning and strong partnership relationships with
multiple stakeholders including women’s and girl’s, partners, government, donor community and private sector - Budget compliance experience in leading diverse team of technical and finance staff ensuring high levels of delivery of commitment, motivation, capacity development and teamwork, performance management, evaluations
- Analytical skills- reports, budget compliance, quality assurance by establishing priorities in time sensitive environment, tracking project performance, prioritize and meet deadlines, and ensure high quality deliverables
- Experienced in improvement of inclusive quality education through scholarships to tertiary both national and international including TVET bursaries during basic education in Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe
- Decision making, coordination and resource management of donor Funded Projects; FCDO, Queens Trust, MasterCard Foundation (GAC), EU, World Bank and Norwegian Aid, USAID, Danish Aid
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and Chichewa, inter-personal and cross-cultural skills, strong negotiation and influencing skills
- Ability to work under pressure, transparent and integrity work ethics, creativity and willingness to innovate, flexible and adaptable work style
- Proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications (eg word processing, spreadsheet, database including Sales Force, Webinars, Share Point, Teams, Skype, Zoom)
- Program Guidelines Adherence
Languages
English
Full Professional
French
Limited Working
Swahili
Elementary
Timeline
Program Coordinator
Salvation Army Employment Plus
01.2021 - 07.2023
Community Support Worker
Ottawa Food Bank
01.2015 - 12.2020
Livelihoods Officer
Adra Canada
01.2010 - 12.2014
Master of Arts - Inclusive Education And Management
St Francis Xavier University
MBA - Business Administration
University of Alberta
Bachelor of Arts - Business Management (Project Management)
Prince of Wales Collegiate
Diploma in Business Administration - Business Management
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
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