Ashish Damle Email & Phone Number

Bangladesh

Kabul, Afghanistan

This has been a very challenging but equally interesting assignment in my career. Oxfam International decided to phase out from Afghanistan just before my appointment. This decision dramatically changed my job profile from a growth seeking, vibrant organisation to one that is consolidating and handing over the legacy to other alternatives. Managing such a big change in Afghanistan during the most turbulent times has been the key challenge. The responsibility included disengagement with over 400 full time employees, closing of two field offices and the central office without compromising on our existing commitments to the donors and the compliance requirements of the Government. The assignment has been the ultimate test of the leadership skills, the diplomacy, strategic thinking, communications and risk management amidst high pressure. This assignment helped me exploring my unknown qualities and innovation and has pushed my own boundaries. It is indeed very painful to close operations that affects several lives, but doing it in a way that creates opportunity and a win-win situation makes me happy. That’s the key to any change making process. It needs to be just and fair for everyone subjected to it.

Afghanistan

Being a Country Director for Afghanistan I am responsible for successful utilisation of average annual budget of 3 million GBP. I lead the team of 120 staff members including foreign nationals who manage development programmes in one of the complex humanitarian settings in the world. Being the lead I am directly responsible for safety, security and wellbeing of staff and beneficiaries. I support and lead high level networking with donor agencies, international aid agencies and the Government of Afghanistan. I am also responsible for developing and leading the country strategy for Afghanistan and make useful investments to ensure growth of the organisation.

Mumbai Area, India

Samicheen’ in Sanskrit means connected for common good. Samicheen Management Services is a private limited Indian company with its registered office in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company is founded by two passionate and experienced development professionals with a purpose of enhancing efficiency of development sector with help of technology integration. The key purpose of Samicheen Management Services is to provide technology-integrated solutions to International foundations, NGOs, informal groups and CSR programs to ensure accuracy and proficiency in the social development and protection interventions across globe. The company since its inception in March 2016 has developed an online collaborator of social change-makers called Go-for-change. The platform offers multiple means to common people and institutions to participate in social change making processes. Samicheen is also engaged with development organisations from Afghanistan and Bangladesh in developing tools that can be used to execute high-end research on counter trafficking programs.

Afghanistan

Leading a comprehensive desk study and research on the prevalence phenomenon of Human Trafficking in Afghanistan. Developing a summary report indicating different forms of TiP in various parts of Afghanistan. This study will help Counterpart International to mobilize resources appropriately and probably design different types of interventions for various parts of Afghanistan. Helping Counterpart to define the role of Civil Society and media in tackling human trafficking specially at national level, how CSOs can together play a vital advocacy role to reinforce laws and policies for prevention and protection of victims of TIPs. Identifying and documenting some good practices and examples of CSOs and civil society interventions in other countries on CTiP.Designing new interventions including SMART activities to address TIPs and Human Trafficking in accordance to ACEP goal and objectives. The interventions should address TIPs at different levels including:a. Provide TOT training on TiP to ACEP key Kabul-based partners as well as to key regional CSO partners.b. Help ACEP/Civic Engagement Team and key regional CSO partners to cascade the training to provincial CSO partners.c. Help ACEP partners to design proper national and local social multi-media campaigns on TiP in high risk provinces in Afghanistan.d. To design an inclusive training materials package to be included in civic education manual, address the situation of children and women specifically in TiP practices.e. To design an inclusive training of trainers TOT manual on TiP for ACEP team in Afghanistan to be applied for training of ACEP partners.

Bangladesh

Providing expert advice on private sector engagement in BC/TIP project in Bangladesh supported by USAID

Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand

Missing Child Alert is a three-year programme aims to eradicate cross border child trafficking in South Asia by using modern IT technology to develop a sustainable and innovative cross border anti-child trafficking mechanism which links current and future national and regional efforts in the field of prevention, protection and prosecution. The programme runs in Bangladesh, India and Nepal with participation from Pakistan. The Regional Coordinator develops and manages the internal and external communication plan as well as the fundraising strategy. He or she invests in strengthening relationships with relevant stakeholders and organises research, capacity building and advocacy activities related to the Missing Child Alert programme in the region. The Regional Coordinator ensures dissemination of the programme’s progress and lessons learned within Plan as well as among the relevant public and private sector and child protection institutions and networks.

Kabul, Afghanistan

 Facilitated global audit commissioned by European Commission and developed management response Supervised 4 Expatriate staff and 6 senior level national staff. Manage high level reporting to the EC as donor of the grant  Led high level internal evaluation of project; identified critical issues such as conflict situation in HR, financial misappropriation by partners and addressed these issues gently but assertively to ensure that progress remains on track. Represented TDH in high level network meetings in country with Government, EC, UN agencies and network of INGOS.  Managed and updated security briefs for visitors, developed standard security protocols for expat and local staff, ensured security instructions are religiously implemented and respected by all staff Successfully managed crises of interpersonal relationships among staff, partners and consortium stakeholders and ensured that project remains on track.  Introduced fair and transparent policy on procurement, set up procurement committee also set up committee for grievances on gender based discrimination.  Ensured timely delivery of a construction of a Child Rights and Disability Unit of Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disability (MoLSAMD), which was stalled under dispute.

Kabul, Afghanistan

Since June 2003, Terre des hommes (Tdh) has been leading the Child Rights Consortium (CRC)., made up of national and international non-government organizations (NGOs) funded by the European Commission (EC). The aim of the CRC is to provide support to the neediest among the most vulnerable children of Afghanistan.The overall responsibility to coordinate the Child Rights Consortium, which includes leading team of 3 international subject experts and 6 senior level management staff, building capacity, master the grant agreement and Logical framework, Budget control, liasoning with donor and reporting.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India

 Co-Facilitated regional workshop and developed operational framework and strategies for ‘Missing Child Alert’ initiative of PLAN Netherlands. Contributed with technical inputs in proposal development of ‘Missing Child Alert’ this later won the grant of 6.5 million USD.  Developed a comprehensive training manual on Child protection in Emergencies for Save the children USA in Central Asia . Conducted two intensive trainings of trainers with the high ranked officials of the COES (Tajikistan) and MES (Kyrgyzstan) and Staff of the DipECHO VI project by Save the Children USA and UNICEF. Developed an Assessment report on the capacities of COES and MES on Child Protection in Emergencies for UNICEF in Tajikistan Conducted an intensive training of trainers on integration of child protection in Conflicting zones in Afghanistan for Save the Children International. Developed a contextualized training manual for Afghanistan country programme of Save the Children International

Kathmandu, Nepal

Member of the Global Reference Group of experts on child Participation to support development of Toolkit on Child Participation for European Union.State Budget Analysis on Child Rights based indicators is getting easier with development of toolkit in four major areas, Analysing Budget Procedures, Analysing Budget, Communicating Budget Analysis and Developing AdvocacyStrategies based on the budget analysis.Publication on UNCRC Reporting by State and Civil Society and its impact on policies and laws of States in South Asia. Successful to steer regional movement on Consistent monitoring on UNCRC.University Grants Commission officially announced to mainstreamed child rights courses in all Bangladeshi Universities.

Kabul, Afghanistan

The first ever Alternative Report from Afghanistan has been developed and is submitted to the Committee.As a result of 28 intensive training programmes based on the need assessment for more than 400 field monitors of AIHRC, the Child Rights Field Monitoring has been significantly improved and has commenced specific monitoring on violence against girls and boys.The monitoring system of child rights has been improved for children on border areas through a special programme with UNICEF. Special and simplified tools developed for field monitors to record the information of children.As a result of long advocacy, Ministry of Education issued a strict notification on prohibiting corporal punishment in Afghanistan.Number of female candidates increased in the teachers training institute as a result of special programme with the Ministry to promote women candidates for teachers training.Invited by UNICEF Afghanistan as a resource person for training of Judges of Juvenile Justice. I was also involved indevelopment of programme plan and strategic plan of SCS-N for 2009 to 2012 period.

Mumbai Area, India

I was successful in developing an innovative programme named as Child Rights Audit. This was an initiative to assess how child friendly Indian cities are. The pilot study was undertaken in three cities.Facilitated development of manual on Juvenile Justice System in IndiaI led key research studies in the areas of Children in Mines, Children involved in Drugs, Missing Children and Mapping of services for children with mental disability.19 Programme Units of Plan International involving more than 400 practitioners trained on Child Centric Community Development approach within the span of 16 months.

Gujarat, India

 Led a team of 8 project managers assigned for empirical evaluation of 14 rural development schemes of Government of Gujarat in 8000 villages. Developed evaluation design, which included methodology, tools and training kit for field investigators. Supervised field work, ensured quality assessment, cleansing of data and developed analytical reports and made timely submission to the client.  Performed as spokesperson for project, managed media coverage and provided additional clarification on media public debates Successfully managed litigation on behalf of company and ensured successful release from accusations

Gujarat, India

Managed humanitarian response to Gujarat earthquake, 2001 and communal violence in 2002 of about 500,000 USD over two years. Identified partners, made partners’ assessment, financial and programmatic audits, donor reporting and ensured effective programming for safe places for children during post disaster time.

Gujarat, India

Civil Servant responsible for managing Government grants provided to NGOS under rural development scheme in western region of India including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Rajasthan

Msw, Social Work

Masters in Social Work

Bachelor Of Arts B.A., Sociology

Activities and Societies: Narmada Bachao AndolanBachelor in Sociology

Diploma In Personnel Management, Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General, First