As a Climate and Environment Specialist with PDMA Sindh and Welthungerhilfe WHH, I am leading the development of a comprehensive Climate and Environment Strategy, ensuring alignment with national frameworks and promoting climate-smart initiatives in disaster management. Together with PDMA experts I will design donor-compliant policies focused on environmental, social protection, and safeguarding standards, while facilitating funding opportunities through the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and other sources. My role includes building the capacity of PDMA officials and other stakeholders, fostering collaborations with national and international partners, and driving the integration of climate-friendly approaches into disaster risk reduction. I will also work on streamlining stakeholder roles, enhancing coordination, and incorporating external initiatives to strengthen Sindh’s resilience to climate and environmental challenges.

As an Independent Consultant specializing in Programme and Project Management, Humanitarian Programming, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), WASH, CP, FS & Livelihoods, and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), my role encompassed a wide array of responsibilities. In Program Management, I developed and executed comprehensive strategies, ensuring projects were delivered on time, within scope, and budget. In Humanitarian Affairs, I stayed informed about global issues, provided expertise in designing response plans, and fostered partnerships. Disaster Risk Reduction involved conducting assessments, implementing strategies, and collaborating for community resilience. Climate Change Adaptation included research, strategy development, and staying abreast of best practices. Research and Analysis focused on informing decision-making through in-depth research, while Capacity Building involves training and enhancing the capabilities of organizations. Report Writing and Documentation ensured compliance with industry standards, and Monitoring and Evaluation involved developing frameworks to assess program impacts and recommend improvements. This comprehensive scope is aimed at contributing to evidence-based policies and strategies for sustainable development and resilience.

As part of Senior Management Team of FRDP, I spearhead efforts to identify new funding avenues and cultivate strategic partnerships in alignment with our organizational mission. My role involves crafting comprehensive fundraising strategies and fostering collaborations with diverse stakeholders, including donors, government agencies, and INGOs. I lead the development of innovative approaches within our thematic areas, integrating critical considerations such as gender mainstreaming and child safeguarding. With a focus on driving impact and sustainability, I coordinate the creation of high-quality proposals and concept notes, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and organizational capacity. Additionally, I revise and update policies to uphold compliance with international standards, while also conducting capacity-building sessions to empower staff in implementing development and innovation strategies.

The role involved overall responsibility for managing HA's strategic programs in Sindh Province. The position required efficient and effective management of program development, timely execution, and strategic expansion of HA's key program portfolio in the province, including field-level strategic leadership and program management for key programs such as Humanitarian, WASH, FSL, Orphan Sponsorship, Education, and Seasonal programs. The position also required extensive networking, coordination, and partnership development with donors, governments, and potential partners/alliances. It is crucial to build and maintain strong relationships with these stakeholders to expand HA's reach and ensure the efficient delivery of programs. The role involved representing HA at various forums, negotiating partnerships and collaborations, and identifying new funding opportunities to support program growth and sustainability.

Under an independent international consultancy contract with CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), and in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), I was involved in the development of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) profiles at the provincial, district, and village levels for 13 districts located in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, KP, and Merger districts of Pakistan. Additionally, I also provided desk review support for CSA profiles of Thailand and Cambodia. The contract encompassed three main tasks. Firstly, It involved understanding the agriculture institutions and identifying the financing mechanisms for CSA at the national and sub-national levels. Secondly, it entailed gaining insights into the enabling policies related to CSA at both levels. Lastly, conducted an assessment of the agriculture sector, highlighting the significant climatic and non-climatic challenges that impact its development. This assessment involved identifying the most promising CSA practices and technologies for major commodities, and evaluating their impact on various indicators such as increased productivity, enhanced resilience, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These priorities were aligned with DRR objectives for Agriculture and Food Security and Nutrition (FSN).The overarching goal of this project was to provide comprehensive snapshots of the enabling policies, institutional context, and potential sources of financing for the wider adoption of CSA in the targeted regions and countries.

As the DRR technical lead, I provided support to implementing partners in the implementation of project activities in drought-affected areas of Sindh. My role involved coordinating with various stakeholders, including line departments and other organizations, to advocate for and lobby on adaptation strategies.One of my key achievements was the successful development and coordination of Risk and Resilience (R&R) profiling at the Union Council Level. This profiling helped identify the specific risks and vulnerabilities faced by communities in the target areas, enabling better planning and targeted interventions.In addition, I played a crucial role in organizing and facilitating over 80 community-based DRR trainings on drought preparedness and adaptation in Tharparkar. This involved extensive planning and coordination with partners, consultants, and local communities. These trainings aimed to enhance the capacity of community members to mitigate and respond to drought-related risks.

I have undertaken diverse roles in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change across various organizations:Islamic Relief Pakistan: Conducted a Baseline Survey for Voices Organized for Climate Advocacy and Lobbying. This involved reviewing existing policies related to climate change, agriculture, environment, and more. Interacted with government staff to identify gaps in practices and policies.UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Collaborated with CIAT to develop a Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Provincial Profile for Sindh. Engaged with government agriculture experts for input on CSA practices and conducted policy dialogues on financing, policies, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) preparedness.Caritas Pakistan: Contributed to the development of a Risk and Resilience profile through community Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), analyzing risks and vulnerabilities in drought-affected areas of Malir (Gadap Town) Karachi.ACTED International: Reviewed modalities of UC-based Resilience Forums and conducted a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for sustainability. Submitted recommendations and a comprehensive capacity-building report focusing on organizational development, monitoring, and fundraising.

As the sector lead, I oversaw the overall strategic direction and ensured the attainment of project objectives. This involved maintaining internal and external technical coordination and mentoring the team to ensure effective project implementation, while also ensuring that the project met quality standards, stayed within budget, and adhered to timelines.Additionally, I played a crucial role in the development of annual and quarterly activity and budget plans for the DRR project. I actively contributed to the creation of various media awareness and advocacy campaigns, IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) materials, and training modules. Furthermore, I assisted in the development of new DRR integrated projects and proposals, supporting the expansion and sustainability of our initiatives.

In the USAID-funded MCHIP project, my role involved supporting implementing partners (IPs) in integrating and implementing a community mobilization approach based on the national community mobilization strategy. This approach aimed to establish consistent and systematic community-level interventions that would enhance primary health care facilities and services.I worked closely with the IPs to facilitate capacity building initiatives, identifying their technical needs and providing appropriate training and support. This included collaborating with district implementing partners and district health departments to develop realistic plans and budgets for community-level interventions.One of my key responsibilities was leading the preparation of various reports, including quarterly and annual community mobilization reports, as well as annual program plans and budgets. These reports served to document the progress and outcomes of the community mobilization efforts.

As the DRR focal person for Sindh, I played a key role in contributing to the overall resilience strategy of the organization. I was responsible for implementing and coordinating two DRR integrated projects: Sustainable Initiatives towards Resilience and Transformation (SIRAT) and Establishing People Centered Early Warning System (EPCEWS).In my role, I managed the projects comprehensively, overseeing planning, implementation, coordination/advocacy, and monitoring/evaluation of all project activities. It was crucial for me to ensure that the program interventions remained aligned with and integrated into other core sectors such as WASH, shelter, and food security & livelihoods.Additionally, I actively engaged in professional coordination and capacity building efforts with district and provincial government entities, as well as civil society organizations. These efforts primarily focused on DRR/CBDRM programs, risk assessment, and mainstreaming with sectors like food security and livelihoods and WASH.By actively managing the projects and ensuring integration with other sectors, I contributed to the overall resilience strategy of the organization. Through coordination, advocacy, and capacity building, I aimed to strengthen the DRR initiatives and promote collaboration among stakeholders for a more effective and comprehensive approach to disaster risk reduction in Sindh.

While working in Save the Children's Humanitarian Response and Recovery Program, he held the responsibility of overseeing the overall management of the project. This included tasks such as planning, implementation, coordination/advocacy, and monitoring/evaluation of all project activities.In his role, he conducted project operations supervision to ensure that the project was being implemented according to the planned activities. He closely monitored the project budget and ensured that the allocated funds were being utilized appropriately, meeting the expected outcomes as per donor guidelines, requirements, and legal matters.Furthermore, he represented the organization in various forums, technical working groups, and clusters. He actively liaised with government authorities, such as DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority), PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority), donors, local authorities, UN agencies, and other organizations. He also conducted capacity building and training initiatives, including assessments of training needs related to disaster risk reduction.He made sure that relevant stakeholders and government/private duty bearers, such as the Social Welfare Department, Zakat/Bait ul Mal, health, education, police departments, or NGOs, were well-informed through effective reporting, advocacy, and media efforts.

I was responsible for coordinating and executing all project-related Community Mobilization activities. This involved establishing connections with the District Health Department, the National program, and eight International/National Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) partners. Additionally, I contributed to enhancing the Project's quality management systems and internal control procedures, participating in key forums, undertaking project tasks, and assisting the team in event management, liaison building, and logistics. My responsibilities also encompassed the documentation and dissemination of reports on community mobilization activities and conducting need-based workshops and training for the mobilization team to ensure the quality of field interventions.As for Position Accountabilities, my role focused on breaking geographic, cultural, and religious barriers that hindered women from seeking positive behaviors. I built liaisons and bridged gaps between key government officials and communities to collaboratively plan and act for innovative solutions to improve the health of women and children. I actively engaged and collaborated with all stakeholders in the "Pathway to Maternal and Newborn Care and Survival," implementing advocacy interventions to support positive maternal and newborn health behaviors. This included coordinating the development, implementation, and monitoring of community mobilization activities in the district, such as sensitization activities and support group formation through Lady Health Worker (LHW) training on the effective use of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials. I also facilitated training of trainers for the National Program (LHS and LHWs) and replicated the same strategy at health facilities, monitoring the support groups and health committees to ensure the quality of Communication, Advocacy, and Mobilization (CAM) based interventions in the field.

Served as a Behavior Change Communication (BCC) expert in USAID’s program to support Maternal and Child Health Program of Pakistan to lead community component strategy to communication, advocacy and mobilization (CAM) in Sindh province. The work involved mobilization and advocacy activities, their design and implementation to promote positive MNCH behaviors, Support the CM adviser, Mobilization team and implementing partners (IPs) to integrate and implement in a consistent and systematic way a community mobilization approach based on national community mobilization strategy that links community level interventions through the capacity building and engagements of government’s National Program for primary health care and FP and other community-based volunteers to contribute in improvement of primary health care facilities/services. Identify technical capacity needs and provide appropriate capacity building to district implementing partners and district health departments.Support district implementing partners in developing, in collaboration with community stakeholders, realistic plans and budgets for community level interventions also take lead in preparation of community mobilization reports (quarterly and annual), annual programme plans, and budgets.

Responsible for advocating and embracing change to create a vision that provides unity and inspiration within an organization. Lead and manage by motivating employees to remain optimistic even when faced with challenges and encouraging good performance and values. Helped to allocate resources and supplies as to ensure staff and volunteers can complete their responsibilities to their highest potential. Ensured that all implemented activities were relevant to the mission and vision of the organization, identified fundraising opportunities and suggested strategies that benefit and complement the mission and vision of the organization.