Oscar Nkhoma

Oscar Nkhoma

About

SKILLS AND COMPETENCE

Postgraduate degree or equivalent : I hold a B. Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering and a Postgraduate Degree in Irrigation and Water Management (Agricultural Engineering).

Extensive senior programme management and strategic planning experience in international development context : I have over 18 years of professional experience in Water Supply, Integrated Water Resources Management, Sanitation and Irrigation Engineering, covering design, construction supervision, project management and project formulation. I have worked in donor supported projects under government entities, international NGOs and Consultants in irrigation, water supply and water resources. I have held several technical and managerial positions in the Southern Africa region in positions of Programme Coordinator, Regional Project Manager/Team Leader, and Regional Technical Advisor in WASH, Water Resources and Irrigation Development Projects and Programmes.

Proven track record working on large, complex multi-country and/or multiagency development or humanitarian projects : I managed the preparation and initial implementation phase of the National Water Development Programme in Malawi worth over US$300 Million from a consortium of Development Partners (World Bank-IDA, The Government of Netherlands/UNICEF, AfDB, AusAid, OPEC, ACGF/DFID, EU/EIB, and Malawi Government). At the Southern Africa regional level, I have held the positions of Regional Project Manager/Team Leader for the SADC IWRM Pilot Project worth Euro 3.756 Million from AusAid, UKaid and Germany Cooperation/BMZ, with technical assistance provided by GIZ which was implemented in five countries (Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Mozambique). I have also worked for WaterAid as Regional Technical Advisor for the Southern Africa region countries (Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar, Swaziland, Angola) providing technical inputs in the development of water supply and sanitation systems from design through to construction, operation and maintenance.

Direct oversight and management of large-scale budgets, donor contracts : Under the National Water Development Programme in Malawi worth over US$300 Million from a consortium of Development Partners (World Bank-IDA, The Government of Netherlands/UNICEF, AfDB, AusAid, OPEC, ACGF/DFID, EU/EIB, and Malawi Government), I was responsible for the overall management of the funds and contract under the programme as the Programme Manager/Coordinator. Under the SADC IWRM Project, I held the positions of Regional Project Manager/Team Leader for the SADC IWRM Pilot Project worth Euro 3.756 Million from AusAid, UKaid and Germany Cooperation/BMZ, and I was responsible for the project financing in liaison with GIZ and SADC, identifying projects, allocating funds and implementing the projects.

Multi-stakeholder coordination and/or management : Under the National Water Development Programme in Malawi, the programme stakeholders included the relevant Government Departments, Five Water Utilities, Development Partners, Local Governments, NGOs and CBOs. Similarly, under the SADC IWRM Project, the stakeholders included Government Departments form the participating countries, Water Utilities, Development Partners, Local Governments, NGOs and CBOs.

Remote management and ability to work independently and with a geographically dispersed team : Under the SADC IWRM Project, the project was being managed from Gaborone in Botswana with teams of staff and government stakeholders in the five participating countries. Similarly, in the position of Regional Technical Advisor under WaterAid, I was based in Pretoria in South Africa and worked with teams of staff and stakeholders spaced in the five country programmes.

Excellent coordination skills such as ability to liaise with various agencies/individuals, organize events, prioritize work and ensure a smooth flow of information, regular reports : This was attained under the two regional positions and the multi-donor programme in Malawi in which I took the lead.

Diplomacy and good interpersonal skills, together with the capacity to remain calm under pressure and not lose sight of strategic priorities : The multi-stakeholder nature and wide spread of the programmes and projects that I took lead required diplomacy and good interpersonal skills and well as working under extreme pressure and finally managed to attain successful implementation.

Willingness to travel for approx. 25%+ of time : The multi-stakeholder nature and wide spread of the programmes and projects that I took lead required extensive travel in excess of 25% of the time, working as you go was the order of the day.

 

Industry experience

Education: Masters

Seniority: Expert, Engineer, Consultant

Years of experience: 20 years or above

Taxonomy