Katlego Setshedi

Dedicated Development Professional with extensive experience in project management, programme coordination, environmental sustainability, and regional policy support across Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA). Proven ability to lead multi-country initiatives, strengthen institutional systems, deliver high-impact stakeholder engagement, and advance climate resilience, food security, and disaster risk management outcomes. Passionate about driving community-centred, evidence-based development programmes that improve environmental and socio-economic wellbeing.

Country Fund Associate at UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) (2025-11 – Present)

Strategy Development and Engagement

• Support on continuous context analysis and assessment of local market capacity to identify the most appropriate avenues for interventions and pathways to climate change impact within each key strategic sector.
• Support further demand scoping for UK PACT-funded projects in-country, including stakeholder mapping and engagement, identification of complementary existing programmes (funded by the UK and other donors) to avoid programme duplication, and horizon scanning.

Stakeholder Relationships

• Support the UK PACT South Africa Country Fund Manager in promoting UK PACT funding opportunities to potential implementing partners, project and programme outputs to intended beneficiaries, and broader UK engagement on low-carbon development where relevant.
• Working closely with the UK PACT South Africa Country Fund Manager, contribute to, and where appropriate lead the management of day-to-day interactions with local stakeholders, specifically supporting the relationships with project applicants and grant recipients/implementing partners.
• Maintain an excellent working relationship with local FCDO team at Post to collaboratively design and generate buy-in for the programme activities.

Project Management: Identification, Selection and Design of Interventions:

• Support the UK PACT South Africa Country Fund Manager and PMU in coordination of grant funding windows and support market engagement to ensure the right local stakeholders are aware of, and well-placed to apply for, UK PACT funding opportunities
• Contribute to the project screening and selection process, particularly regarding assessing deliverability and impact potential on the ground.
• Support the UK PACT South Africa Country Fund Manager to oversee timely implementation of projects and regularly ensure the feedback of results, impacts and learning through quarterly reports to FCDO covering overall progress, progress against outputs, main activities and outputs for the next period, budget, spend and forecast, and risks.
• Support the UK PACT South Africa Country Fund Manager and PMU to adhere to any local due diligence required from Implementing Partners and to support initial briefing to potential.

Implementation Partners (IP)

• Support defence against fraud, corruption and safeguarding risks, conducting spot checks and other processes to ensure FCDO grant funding is spent as intended and that Implementation Partners meet FCDO compliance requirements.
• Support the UK PACT South Africa Country Fund Manager in advising on the potential to extend, scale up or replicate successful projects, and work with successful Implementation Partners to do this with FCDO approval.

Programme Reporting

• Support Implementing Partners on project reporting (technical, financial, results and risk), by reviewing and requesting additional information, where required, to ensure reporting meets FCDO requirements.

Support identification of country and project-specific risk management, working with FCDO in post and in the UK, the Team Leader and PMU.

Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

• Interpret and champion all MEL-related requests for the fund, ensuring alignment with UK-PACT programme requirements, and provide support to implementing partners.
• Oversee JET-IP quarterly MEL commitments and ensure all fund projects comply with agreed reporting standards.
• Support implementing partners by offering training and technical assistance to ensure adherence to MEL reporting requirements.
• Work closely with the Regional Africa MEL Manager to ensure MEL-related priorities are consistent across the fund.
• Serve as Risk Champion for the South Africa Fund, supporting the identification, monitoring, and documentation of programme and operational risks.
• Coordinate with relevant teams to ensure risk mitigation measures are tracked and implemented, strengthening compliance and programme accountability.
• Contribute to improved programme delivery, governance, and impact management across the fund portfolio.

Programme Associate (SSAG) at Africa Risk Capacity (ARC) / World Food Programme (2023-08 – 2025-10)

Monitored socio-economic and environmental trends across 13 AU member states to inform drought risk financing, policy development and preparedness priorities. Developed programme management tools, M&E frameworks, trackers, and donor oversight systems that improved reporting accuracy and compliance. Consolidated field data and produced quarterly KPI and regional situation reports for AU officials, member states and senior leadership.

Strengthened partnerships with national governments, regional bodies, NGOs and UN agencies to enhance climate resilience and risk financing mechanisms. Enhanced institutional memory by designing a regional programme shared-drive and documentation system.

• Supported Southern African governments with over $62 million in drought insurance payouts, enabling rapid response in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
• Supported the coordination Zambia's $9.98M payout (plus $3.33M via WFP) to assist communities affected by the 2023/24 El Niño drought.
• Coordinated and led regional policy dialogues, gender mainstreaming workshops and technical coordination platforms to strengthen climate resilience.

National Project Coordinator at Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) (2021-06 – 2023-07)

Managed the National Food & Nutrition Security Survey across nine provinces, overseeing teams, logistics, stakeholder engagement and data quality control. Conducted analysis, validation and synthesis of food security and nutrition datasets to inform national and district-level policy recommendations. Coordinated multi-stakeholder workshops and training sessions, ensuring smooth delivery and accurate reporting.

Trained provincial teams on survey methodologies, data integrity and evidence-based reporting standards.

• Strengthened government and community uptake of food security data to support targeted interventions and social protection planning.
• Successfully coordinated provincial implementation ensuring high-quality datasets used for national evidence-based policy decisions.

Environmental Training Officer at Wildlife & Environment Society of South Africa (2019-08 – 2021-05)

Delivered accredited and non-accredited environmental education programmes for youth, interns and community groups. Managed project planning, administration, logistics and compliance with SAQA and SETA standards. Strengthened environmental awareness through training on climate change, waste management, water conservation and environmental ethics. Validated and organised over 1,500 portfolios of evidence, improving audit readiness and training quality assurance.

• Enhanced youth employability and environmental stewardship through tailored training programmes.
• Improved documentation systems, supporting organisational efficiency and compliance.

Environmental & Community Programmes – Trainer & Programme Support at Various Organisations (2016 – 2019)

Delivered sustainability education, managed stakeholder relationships, coordinated workshops, developed training content and supported community-based environmental projects.

Environmental Education Intern at South African National Biodiversity Institute (2014 – 2015)

Supported environmental education programmes, community outreach and biodiversity awareness initiatives.

Certificate in Sustainable Project Management - Ucademy (2025)

MPhil in Business Management (Development Practice) – University of Pretoria (2023 – 2023)

Certificate in Introduction to ESG (2023)

BSc (Hons) in Environmental Monitoring & Remote Sensing – University of South Africa (2019 – 2019)

Certificate in Project Management Concepts & PMBOK – University of South Africa (UNISA) (2017 – 2017)

Bachelor of Science – University of the Witwatersrand (2014 – 2014)