Isaac Njuguna

A proactive, insightful and analytic-minded professional with 21+ years of progressive experience working in project and technical coordination roles within international development projects across East Africa. Proven track record of successfully implementing strategic initiatives, optimizing processes, and delivering measurable results within budget and time constraints. Competent in technical project management, stakeholder management, resource allocation, and fostering strong relationships to drive collaboration and foster innovation.

Familiarity with donor regulations and reporting requirements. Strong leadership and management skills, with a track record of successfully leading and motivating diverse teams.

Technical Coordinator - SEEK II and RASMI II Projects | Pact Inc

• Delivered the RASMI II project within budget and negotiated for a 2-month time extension with the donor to fully deliver on project activities.
• In collaboration with other stakeholders, negotiated and disseminated two resource-sharing agreements by cross-border communities of Kenya/Somalia and Kenya/Ethiopia in the Mandera Triangle. 
• Through Interest Based Negotiation processes in Turkana and Southwest Omo, identified fisherfolks’ interests and provided fishing gear and targeted training that has led to the reduction of fishing conflicts in Lake Turkana.

Technical Coordinator - SEEK and RASMI Projects | Pact Inc

• Negotiated with the donor for additional funding from the contingency kit to respond to Covid-19 under SEEK (€140,000) and for redirection of funds from core activities to Covid-19 response under RASMI.
• Managed a consortium of local implementing partners 4 under RASMI and 3 under SEEK based in different countries, Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia to deliver the project outcomes in a complex cross-border environment.
• Successfully negotiated for follow-on funding of EUR4.36million from the EUTF to further enhance community reconciliation and cohesion across the borders and build off on learnings and recommendations from the first phase.

Project Director – SHIIR Programme | Pact Inc

• Managed over $500k in subgrants to four nascent local partners in Somalia’s Juba land state within a short span of 2 years, in a complex and insecure context.
• Designed and implemented civic awareness sessions that increased civic awareness on state building and local governance across the four districts from 44% to 84% as measured by a pre-and post-training test administered to over 1000 participants. 
• 3 out of the four local organizations reported improvements in their technical and institutional capacities after the implementation of their Institutional Strengthening Plans.

Programme Engineer - PEACE III | Pact Inc

• Led Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) in conflicting communities to identify projects (peace dividends) that could be co-owned and co-managed to enhance reconciliation. 
• Designed the six prioritized infrastructure projects and supported the communities in a conflict-sensitive procurement process to engage construction contractors. 
• Supervised the construction works to completion and trained the 6 project management committees on the operation and maintenance of the projects, mediation of conflicts arising from joint utilization, and the sustainability of the projects.

Acting Programme Manager/Program Engineer - BORDERS II | Pact

• Facilitated PLAs and identified infrastructure projects for implementation along the Kenya- Somalia border.
• Recruited, engaged, trained, and supervised a team of 10 site supervisors to oversee the technical delivery of the infrastructure projects prioritized by border communities.
• Oversaw the project close-out as its Acting Programme Manager including supervision of endline evaluation by external parties and final donor reporting. 

Program Engineer - PEACE II | Pact

• Developed the community contracting process which saw conflict-sensitive procurement of construction services for 45 projects along the Kenya -Somalia and Kenya-Uganda borders.
• Recruited, engaged, trained, and mentored 45 site supervisors to provide technical oversight during the implementation of peace dividend projects
• Contracted and supervised 45 construction companies to implement the peace dividend projects in Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. 
• Trained 45 project management committees on the operation and maintenance of the projects including on mediation of conflicts arising from their sharing and use.

Master of Arts in Project Planning and Management | University of Nairobi | 2015

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering | University of Nairobi | 1998