Nancy Akite

Grants and Project Manager , Freunde von GISAID e.V. - International non-profit

Kampala, Uganda

A results-driven Partnerships, Grants and Project Management Professional with 20+ years of experience in stakeholder engagement, partnership management, & program and sustainable development within international NGOs and donor-funded projects. Passionate about capacity building, and aligning program funding with strategic objectives that drive sustainable development.

Contact Nancy Akite
Area of Expertise:
  • Administration, Management, Finance/Accounting, Procurement
  • Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
  • Health, Doctors, Nurses, HIV/AIDS
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research, Analysis
  • Social, Education, Gender, Youth, Child
Professional Experience:

I am a results-driven Partnerships, Grants and Project Management Professional with over 20 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, partnership management, and program and sustainable development within international NGOs and donor-funded projects. I am skilled at building and managing strategic partnerships, ensuring compliance with donor regulations (USAID, WHO, Rockefeller Foundation, GAVI, UNOPS), stakeholder engagement, financial oversight and optimising grant processes to enhance operational efficiency and impact. Passionate about capacity building, and skilled at managing donor relations and aligning program funding with strategic objectives that drive sustainable development.

Core Competencies include:
- Donor Compliance and Grants Management (USAID, WHO, GAVI, UNOPS, the Rockefeller Foundation, DFID, IrishAid, Danida)
- Partnership Management, Donor and Stakeholder Engagement
- Program Development, Strategic Planning and Policy Implementation
- Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer
- Risk Management, Due Diligence and Policy Compliance
- Budgeting Monitoring, Financial & Audit Oversight
- Reporting
- Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency
- Microsoft Office, Citrix Workspace, Google Workspace, and Remote Work Tools

Some of my achievements include;
Under GISAID
- Managed 3-year global grants of up to $5,000,000 funded by WHO and the Rockefeller Foundation, ensuring compliance and efficiency.
- Led the development and implementation of partnership management strategies and strengthening collaboration with public health officials and global.
- Successfully reduced quarterly reporting turnaround time by 67% from 45 to 5 days, significantly improving decision-making speed and implementing work in a timely manner.
- Generated and processed grant agreements, their implementation and disbursements of funds to four African GISAID hubs (Ethiopia, Senegal, Congo Brazzaville, South Africa) and monitored donor reporting requirements, challenges faced and agree on possible solutions.
- Led the WHO and Rockefeller Foundation's quarterly and annual financial and narrative reporting efforts, ensuring adherence to donor guidelines and provided annual audit guidance.

Under Uganda Health Systems Strengthening
- Led a three-person grants team in managing and disbursing $3.77M in capacity-building grants to 4 Medical Bureaus (UCMB, UMMB, UPMB and UOMB) , ensuring strategic allocation of funds and alignment with USAID funding regulations.
- Spearheaded a cross-functional collaboration initiative with the Community Health, Governance, and Public Financial Management teams, enhancing program effectiveness.
- Developed and implemented a grants manual within 1 month of project kick-off, streamlining operations and exceeding the initial timeline of 2 months.
- Identified and addressed issues related to grants disbursement and reported in a timely manner, and, proposed strategic program adjustments to optimise outcomes. This proactive problem-solving approach helped maintain program integrity and foster continuous improvement.
- Ensured 100% compliance with donor requirements, maintaining the integrity of the grant programs and reducing audit risks and financial discrepancies.
- Ensured timely quarterly and annual reporting and grant modifications with grantees, streamlining financial management processes.

Under Clinton Health Access Initiative
- Spearheaded the Country Capacity Assessment/Scoping on Assistive Technology – engaged with stakeholders, developed tools, collected and verified data and created reports for dissemination to country stakeholders.
- Led the Solar for Health pilot project initiative. This initiative aimed at providing reliable solar power to 12 health centres in central Uganda in a bid to improve healthcare service delivery and promote sustainability.

Education:

I studied my MBA at Edinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt University, with a focus on strategic planning. Additionally, I earned my Bachelor's degree in Marketing from the United States International University. Other relevant certifications obtained during my work life include:
- Project Management in Organizations (Deloitte E-Learning)
- Financial Management of Donor Funded Projects (ESAMI)
- Project Management-Government Projects (LinkedIn PMI Course)
- Essential Epidemiologic Tools for Public Health Practice (Coursera - Johns Hopkins University)

Affiliations and Achievements:

I was a key member of the team that oversaw the successful implementation of the Karamoja Primary Education Project. This project aimed to improve access to basic education for Karimojong children by enhancing infrastructure in 21 primary schools in the Karamoja region. Our efforts were recognized with the prestigious Global Partnership Award for Best Education Project.

For more information on the project, please visit: https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/uganda/news-and-events/2017/award-kpep/ I also served as the Knowledge Leader for the Karamoja Primary Education Project, In this role, I was responsible for gathering and disseminating information about the project to Deloitte offices worldwide. This allowed our project experience to be shared with partner firms when needed. As a result of my efforts, Deloitte (Uganda) Limited has become a valuable resource center for similar projects and for other Deloitte offices seeking to learn from our success.

Available for:

  • Consulting assignments
  • Job opportunities
  • Being headhunted – make me an offer

Years of Experience:

More than 20 years

Highest Qualification:

Masters

Languages:

English, Swahili

Nationality:

Uganda

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