David Sizya

Program support in Tanzania

• Led the implementation of EpiC Tanzania large-scale project, cost savings achieved through efficient resource allocation, program efficiency and effectiveness improvements, and leadership in cross-functional collaborations.
• Developed comprehensive project plans, resulting in successful on-time delivery of multiple programs.
• Implemented a robust project management framework, including standardized reporting and communication protocols, improving team efficiency and project visibility.
• Monitored sub-grants and sub-contracts to ensure compliance with scopes of work and award regulations to ensure cohesiveness with the overall program.
• Delivered high-quality results by setting performance metrics and monitoring progress against targets.
• Led a cross-functional team of nine regional managers to process improvement initiatives, streamline operations, and implement agile methodologies leading to more efficient project completion achieving 100% targets with cost efficiency.
• Enhanced team productivity by implementing agile methodologies, leading to more efficient project completion.
• Successfully coordinated the capacity strengthening of 15 Civil Society Organizations (local partners) in governance, financial management, program management, and Strategic Information, which led to their receiving direct funding from various donors.
• Facilitated stakeholder alignment across multiple projects to achieve a 95% success rate in project delivery on a large-scale program with over 20 subgrantees.
• Proactively identified and mitigated potential risks on high-priority projects, resulting in a 30% reduction in project delays and cost overruns.
• Implemented a robust project management framework, including standardized reporting and communication protocols, improving team efficiency and project visibility.
• Coordinated abstract writing on the HIV pandemic from project implementation, which was accepted and presented in international forums.
• Recognized for outstanding leadership and coordination skills, fostering a collaborative work environment, and achieving high employee engagement within the program team.
• Reduced program costs through diligent budget management and identifying areas for cost savings.

Program support to the Eastern and Southern Africa Office (ESARO)

• Part of the ESARO program management team responsible for quality oversight and project management, including work planning, budget development, reporting, implementation, problem-solving, and support for USAID Sustaining Epidemic Control through Unified Prevention (SECURE) in Lesotho and Rwanda (USAID Tunoze Gusoma (Schools and Systems)in Rwanda.
• Monitored sub-grants and sub-contracts to ensure compliance with scopes of work and award regulations to ensure their cohesiveness with the overall program
• Review technical reports, briefs, and other communication materials for quality and compliance with award requirements.
• Developed and executed strategic program plans and budgets for effective and efficient implementation of projects across the countries.
• Contributed to the SECURE project startup in Lesotho by laying foundations by coordinating inception meetings with the government and other stakeholders, developing a strategic implementation plan and information system, and recruiting for a smooth transition of local staff while taking over implementation.

• Supported the Country Director in delivering the 2019/2021 country strategy and developing the 2022/2025 strategy.
• Managed a complex international program with multiple geographically dispersed teams in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Nepal, and Tanzania to combat climate change through natural resource management by ensuring timely delivery of deliverables and consistent quality standards.
• Led a community-based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program that aims to improve access to clean water and sanitation facilities in communities across 26 villages in Morogoro, Dodoma, and Iringa by completing a £120,000 latrine construction project on time and within budget.
• Led the business development department with four successful proposals, which increased by 35% the organization's yearly income
• led the Rural Inclusive Sustainable Enterprise (RISE) through Youth programs that include agriculture, entrepreneurship, climate change, and natural resource interventions for young people who have limited job opportunities and are vulnerable to low pay and poor working conditions living in the 25 communities in and around the Mkingu Forest Nature Reserve in the Morogoro region.
• Contributed to a community-based livelihood initiative for youths focused on sustainable agriculture, livestock rearing, and eco-friendly product manufacturing, which provides income while addressing community needs.
• Delivered an extensive entrepreneurship curriculum covering finance training, development of Business plans, business leadership, Market sessions, soft skill development, and resilience training sessions to build skills and knowledge to identify, develop, and establish a viable sustainable business enterprise
• Led the #KeshoTutachelewa (Tomorrow is too late) an environmental campaign designed and delivered by young people in Tanzania to tackle climate change by planting over 10 million trees in Tanzania.
• Managed and motivated employees to be productive and engaged in work.
• Accomplished multiple tasks within established timeframes.
• Maintained a professional, organized, and safe environment for employees.
• Maximized performance by monitoring daily activities and mentoring team members through cross-training existing employees to maximize team agility and performance.
• Managed budgets effectively and ensured optimal financial performance by reducing operational costs through comprehensive process improvement initiatives and resource management.
• Developed comprehensive risk management plan, minimizing potential disruptions to business operations.

• Led the RCA care-reform portfolio by providing technical support, guidance, and leadership in the day-to-day management of the de-institutionalization of long-term shelters and facilitating the strengthening of alternative care workstreams in Tanzania.
• Develop, manage, and oversee the RCA implementation plan and provide leadership in the day-to-day management of the Deinstitutionalization (DI) program and fit person workstreams.
• Identified potential risks early on, implementing mitigation plans to ensure smooth program execution.
• Facilitated stakeholder engagement through consistent communication and transparent reporting practices.
• Mentored junior team members, cultivating their skills and promoting career growth opportunities.
• Led the capacity building of long-term shelters on the family-based care agenda, which led to the deinstitutionalization of three institutions.
• Coordinated the establishment of 300 fit persons nationwide, accommodating 25% of children who transitioned from long-term shelters.
• Coordinated the family reunification support program, successfully reuniting 73% of children residing in institutional care with their families.
• Lead the implementation of comprehensive training programs for social workers across Tanzania on best practices for alternative care case management.
• Successfully coordinated raising public awareness about the importance of alternative care options through community outreach initiatives.
• Coordinated the advocacy that prioritized deinstitutionalization and promoted community-based care for children requiring alternative care
• Conducted annual appraisals and agree on annual performance objectives for direct reports, to be monitored during monthly one-on-one sessions.
• Monitored and approved expenditures against agreed work plans within delegated authority limits.
• Liaison with donors and partners, both RCA direct and via RC, ensuring all donor requirements are met on time and the information provided is of high quality.
• Explored and accessed local funding opportunities for the financial sustainability of the programme
• Developed a robust family support program that significantly reduced the number of children entering alternative care by addressing underlying issues within families.
• Fostered collaborations with community organizations to provide necessary support services and promote awareness of alternative care options.
• Conducted regular progress reviews, adapting strategies as needed to maintain project momentum towards desired outcomes.
• Optimized resource utilization through strategic planning and prioritization of tasks based on program needs.

• Coordinated the research undertaking of a groundbreaking study in a novel approach to gender-based violence in public schools and the provision of quality inclusive education which significantly advanced the field and led to increased funding for further investigation.
• Streamlined processes for increased efficiency by identifying areas of improvement and implementing best practices.
• Represented TEN/MET in external technical meetings and, as a member of a task force, contributed to the development of policy proposals, including a workshop to endorse The Abidjan Principles-Guiding Principles on the human rights obligations of States to provide public education and to regulate private involvement in education in Ivory Coast February 2019. The 14th Southern African Civil Society Forum in Namibia August 2018. The national policy forum by EU Oxfam in Ouagadougou-Burkinafasso aimed to discuss strategies for achieving Education for all in July 2017.
• Permanent Representative in the three Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST) Policy dialogue/technical working groups, including Resource Allocation, Cost Efficiency and financing-RACEF, Quality Improvement, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning.
• Coordinated major high-profile organization Conferences and events (Global Action Week for Education-GAWE, World Teachers Day, and International Day of African Child), gaining exposure to the sponsorship world and creating publicity campaigns.
• Carried out policy analysis, reading and critiquing key education policy documents, and provided TEN/MET members with policy-related materials to assist them in their lobbying and campaigning work.
• Initiated implementation of capacity-building initiatives for TEN/MET Members to build their internal capacity to work on policy issues, lobbying, and advocacy.
• Provided oversight and technical assistance in the proper management of grants, subcontracts, and sub-agreements throughout the literacy and Numeracy project (LANES) in close collaboration with MOEST where I provided technical assistance to partners' organizations on all aspects of grants and contracts management, use of contractual mechanisms, and donor requirements.

• Led the development and implementation of a pediatric oncology project focused on providing medical and non-medical psychological support for children and their families by considering the physical and psychological needs of children, minimizing long-term effects on a child's development, and working with families to provide support throughout treatment.
• Developed a compelling grant proposal that highlighted the critical need for supporting Muhimbili National Hospital, pediatric oncology unity children and secured funding from Abbott funds, which supported the school program at the hospital
• Leveraged my expertise in journalism to craft a targeted newsletter to the Irish and Indian society in Dar es Salaam that aligned perfectly with their support group, which expanded the donor base for the children's hostel at the hospital
• Developed a communication strategy for strategic deliverables for targeted stakeholders (children with cancer and their families, partners, and donors), which articulated the organization's performance, visibility, and enhanced donor portfolio.
• Designed a program that engaged the entire family, providing support and education to parents and siblings and the child patient at the ward and hostel (“Ujasiri House”)to address the social needs of young patients and their families.
• Established a robust M&E system, including baseline data collection, regular monitoring activities, and impact evaluations to measure program effectiveness.
• Trained the project team in project management, which resulted in a significantly increasing proficiency in a new skill, leading to improved project performance while maintaining quality standards
• Successfully coordinated the international conference the11th conference of the African Chapter of the International Society of Pediatrics Oncology 2014 by displaying event coordination skills nationally and at the international Level.
• Commended by the Director and the international play therapist on numerous occasions for the quality and consistency of my performance

• Supported the overall implementation of the Sustainable Business Practice project regional goals cascade down from the director and the project manager by building slightly larger topical, regional, and community liaison with frequent travel and observing with the project team for the surrounding African Gold Mines in Shinyanga (Buzwagi & Bulyanhulu) and Kagera (Tulaka)
• Provided exceptional support to executive leadership by managing schedules, coordinating travel arrangements, and preparing materials for meetings and presentations.
• Implemented a transparent system for assigning tasks and managing project dependencies, leading to improved collaboration, reduced conflict, and ultimately, a successful sustainable business project delivery on time and within budget.
• Assist in the creation and handling of Monitoring and Evaluation procedures for advanced security and sustainable peace projects including the design of an Operational plan, Reporting tools, and a massive database for all projects.
• Successfully handled mainstreaming conflict behavior change campaigns through malt stakeholder roundtable meetings, sports Bonanza, and Training through participatory theatre.
• Conducted weekly staff meetings to motivate staff members, address concerns, and questions, plan improvements and evaluate progress toward goals.
• Assisted in budgetary planning and financial forecasting for the department, ensuring accurate allocation of resources and monitoring expenses closely.
• Supervised and evaluated staff to help improve skills, achieve daily objectives, and attain advancement.
• Participate in the write-up of the successful 2nd proposal of Advancing security and sustainable peace project in Tanzania to the African Barrick Gold Mine Company in Tanzania
• Co-authored the comic book “chacha kwenye njia ya haki” “Chacha in the Road to Justice” which entails issues of human rights, Gender-Based Violence, and conflict resolutions.

• Assisted the delivery of the Kijana ni Afya project from conception through implementation with utmost commitment where I was commended numerous times by the management for the quality, professionalism, and consistency of my performance.
• Effectively ensured that national and community volunteers met their targets and support by conducting regular bi-monthly field visits to each placement, analyzing their work, and providing constructive feedback, coaching, and support.
• Successfully led capacity building & workshops on sustainability for Community Action Groups, V/WMAC, and teachers and supported sensitization of the communities and local stakeholders on civic participation and livelihood endeavors by working with the program quality team to support research, monitoring, and evaluation of program activities.
• Effectively accounted for the use of funds and assets at a field level in line with Restless Development policies and procedures.
• Contributed to grant writing efforts by researching potential funding sources and assisting in proposal development for continued financial support of the program.
• Managed budgets, tracked expenses, and ensured cost-effective use of resources within the program.