Professional Experience:
Rumbidzai Matemba-Mutasa brings over 13 years of distinguished experience in international development, humanitarian programming, and agricultural research across public and private institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her career demonstrates exceptional expertise in strategic program leadership, collaboration learning and adaptation (CLA), monitoring and evaluation, and evidence-based decision-making, with a proven track record of managing multi-million-dollar portfolios and delivering transformative results for vulnerable populations.
Most recently, as Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation Lead for CARE Zimbabwe's USD$62M USAID TAKUNDA Resilience Food Security Activity (2022-2025), Rumbidzai spearheaded knowledge management processes that reached nearly 443,000 people across four districts. She led the implementation of comprehensive learning systems, coordinating 8 technical teams across 4 geographical regions and facilitating over 20 pause-and-reflect sessions that strengthened program alignment and decision-making. Her leadership in adaptive management was particularly evident during crisis response, where she reallocated USD$3.95M to deliver critical humanitarian assistance to nearly 3,000 beneficiaries amid concurrent drought and economic pressures. She authored over 30 evidence-based knowledge products, co-led 6 research studies, and ensured 100% on-time delivery of annual and quarterly donor reports with complete accuracy.
Prior to CARE, Rumbidzai served as a Consultant-Project Implementation Quality and Learning Advisor (2020-2022), where she designed and implemented quality assurance frameworks across multi-sector humanitarian projects in Zimbabwe. Her work achieved 95% compliance with Sphere and Core Humanitarian Standards while embedding adaptive learning processes that improved food security outcomes for over 200,000 households. She trained 50+ local NGO and government staff in adaptive management methodologies and synthesized monitoring data into policy briefs that influenced USD$10M in new climate-resilient agriculture investments.
As Biometrician and Learning Advisor at CIMMYT Zimbabwe (2013-2020), Rumbidzai directed monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) systems for eight development programs worth USD$60M across 13 African countries. She secured significant funding including €85,000 from Wageningen University and $26,000 from AMEXCID, while designing and implementing over 400 experiments, surveys, and efficiency studies. Her rigorous data analysis contributed to the release of 117 drought-tolerant maize varieties that benefited up to 40 million people, achieving yield increases exceeding 1 ton/hectare under moderate drought conditions. She increased annual data analysis efficiency by 65% and provided technical training to over 250 researchers, staff, and postgraduate students across seven countries.
Throughout her career, Rumbidzai has demonstrated excellence in financial management, maintaining 99% compliance across donor requirements while achieving 15% cost efficiency improvements. She has successfully led fundraising initiatives generating USD$60.2M in new funding with an 85% proposal success rate. Her collaborative approach has strengthened partnerships with major donors including USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the European Union, and the Rockefeller Foundation, while her external representation at 33+ coordination forums has elevated organizational visibility and influence.
Rumbidzai's educational foundation includes an M.Sc. in Research Methods from Jomo Kenyatta University and a B.Sc. Honours in Agriculture and Natural Resources from Africa University. Her multicultural experience spans Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, positioning her as an exceptional leader capable of delivering high-quality, evidence-driven results in complex humanitarian and development contexts.