Thapelo Mqehe

Dynamic Professional Officer with extensive experience in program evaluation and grant administration, supporting impactful initiatives in research and community services. Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and develop comprehensive feedback systems. Successfully managed grant activities, enhancing efficiency and transparency in application processes.

Recognized for crafting user-friendly databases and generating insightful reports that inform policy and decision-making. Committed to delivering high-quality support that aligns with organizational goals.

Professional Officer (NRF Ratings and Awards) - National Research Foundation - Pretoria, South Africa

(2024-10)

• Managed the end-to-end grant application and review process for over 200 applications annually, ensuring 100% compliance with NRF funding guidelines and reducing administrative processing time by 20%.
• Coordinated cross-functional communication between academic stakeholders and internal review committees, resulting in a 30% improvement in the accuracy of research documentation and project reporting.
• Developed and implemented a standardized digital tracking system for research outputs, which increased data retrieval efficiency by 40% and streamlined the annual performance audit process.
• Analyzed complex research datasets and funding metrics to provide actionable insights to senior management, supporting a 15% increase in successful grant acquisition rates over two fiscal years.
• Facilitated workshops and training sessions on research compliance and system utilization for 100+ researchers, achieving a 95% participant satisfaction rate and significantly reducing submission errors.

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator - Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement - Johannesburg, South Africa

(2023-04 - 2024-09)

• Developed and managed a robust MEL system aligned with South African National Department of Health reporting standards, which improved data integrity for HIV/STI outreach programs by 35%.
• Led the digital transformation of field data collection using DHIS2 and mobile-based tools, reducing administrative reporting delays by 20% and enhancing the quality of evidence presented to the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).
• Executed comprehensive impact evaluations of community-led advocacy initiatives, providing the empirical evidence required to secure multi-year funding from international donors focused on South African human rights and health equity.
• Coordinated capacity-building training for provincial Sisonke organizers on data-driven advocacy, resulting in a 25% increase in the successful documentation of human rights violations against sex workers.
• Analyzed provincial service delivery trends to identify critical gaps in healthcare access, directly informing the strategic pivot of outreach programs that increased beneficiary reach by 18% in underserved rural districts.

Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist - Afrika Tikkun Services - Randburg

(2022-06 - 2023-05)

• Increased program success rates by 30% by creating a monitoring system that tracked youth progress against SETA-aligned targets and identified performance gaps in real-time.
• Improved post-program employment tracking by building a database that monitored 500+ youth, resulting in a 20% increase in verified 6-month and 12-month job retention data.
• Secured R5 million in renewed donor funding by producing clear, data-driven impact reports that proved the effectiveness of youth employability interventions.
• Ensured 100% compliance with SETA audit requirements by standardizing data collection processes, which led to the successful verification of all vocational training outcomes.
• Optimized resource allocation by using evaluation findings to cut administrative costs by 15% while maintaining the same level of service delivery for youth participants.

School Development Manager - Show Me Your Number (SMYN) - Rustenburg

(2021-05 - 2022-05)

• Orchestrated the implementation of the Global Fund AYP programme across 15 schools in the Bojanala District, resulting in a 25% increase in student participation in sexual health education and psychosocial support services.
• Managed stakeholder relationships between the Department of Basic Education and local health clinics, which streamlined referral pathways and reduced service delivery bottlenecks for vulnerable learners by 40%.
• Analyzed district-level performance data to identify high-risk schools, subsequently deploying targeted intervention strategies that improved programme retention rates among AGYW by 30% over a 12-month period.
• Facilitated capacity-building workshops for 50+ educators and school governing bodies on the "Show Me Your Number" curriculum, ensuring 100% compliance with Global Fund reporting standards and monitoring protocols.
• Spearheaded community outreach initiatives that engaged over 2,000 parents and community leaders, directly contributing to a measurable reduction in school dropout rates linked to health and social barriers.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer - Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) - Braamfontein

(2015-04 - 2021-03)

• Designed and executed comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks that increased data accuracy by 35% across all peacebuilding and psychosocial support programs.
• Spearheaded the synthesis of organizational knowledge by authoring 12 evidence-based policy briefs and learning reports that directly informed CSVR's advocacy strategies.
• Managed end-to-end data collection cycles for multi-year projects, resulting in a 20% improvement in reporting turnaround times for international donors.
• Facilitated quarterly "Learning Labs" and reflective practice sessions that improved cross-departmental collaboration and reduced project implementation bottlenecks by 15%.
• Developed and implemented a centralized digital knowledge management system that streamlined access to historical project data for 50+ staff members, enhancing institutional memory.

Programme Evaluation Officer - Zimbabwe Human-Rights Association (Harare) - Harare, Zimbabwe

(2015-04 - 2016-06)

• Investigate, compile, and document civil and political/election-related human rights abuses using contemporary means such as social media, photography, crowdsourcing, and electronic data gathering.
• Employ compiled civil and political/election-related human rights abuse data to lobby SADC and other international diplomats with embassies in Zimbabwe.

MA - Industrial Sociology - University of Johannesburg (2013 - 2016)

BA Hons - Sociology - University of Johannesburg (2012 - 2012)

BA - Psychology - University of Johannesburg (2009 - 2011)