Ansa Rabia
Lahore,PB
Summary
A development professional with more than 15 years of national and international experience in managing development assistance programs; profound expertise in public and private sector relationship management; extensive project management and methodological consultation expertise in private sector development, resilience and sustainability, capacity development, gender equality and social inclusion, continuous improvement, impact assessments, stakeholder dialogue and cooperation, strategy development, advocacy, resource mobilisation & compliance, grants & commission management, TVET and higher education, innovation, and knowledge management for accomplishing development objectives.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Component Manager Governance for Sustainability
GIZ
06.2021 - 12.2023
- As deputy Project Lead and Component Leader, responsibilities included leading a team of 06 technical advisors, cross-functional team members and consultants for effective delivery of project aimed at strengthening sustainability governance; providing strategic guidance, and ensuring effective planning, steering, organizing, and monitoring of overall project activities.
- Established productive liaison with implementing partners, GIZ national and regional projects and teams, Country Office, Headquarters and national and international stakeholders for resource efficiency, integrative project implementation, service excellence, and culture of continuous growth and improvement.
- Provided advisory and support services to public and private sector partners for collaborative and proactive planning, drove strategic insights and integrated solutions development, and introduced platforms for open communication, monitoring, and learning & exchange to ensure efficient and impactful implementation of social, economic and environmental measures of sustainability.
- Identified and managed risks to project implementation with stakeholders and in coordination with management team.
- Steered implementation of theory of change on inclusive sustainable development through facilitating strong culture of continuous improvement based on comprehensive technical, methodological, conceptual and organization development support and cross-organizational learning and exchange across project teams and partners.
- Supported federal and provincial government departments and private sector with improved oversight mechanisms and good governance.
- Assisted in country planning for cluster ‘Sustainable Economic Development, Training and Employment’ aligning technical support for projects and resources for enhanced resilience, equality, and equity.
- Demonstrated expertise in HR, compliance, grants and financial management, security and crisis management to maximise productivity, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive operational excellence.
- Implemented results monitoring and reporting mechanisms, drafted progress reports and communication briefs for Country Office, Headquarters, and donors.
- Leveraged market intelligence and fostered culture of innovation and scalability across project initiatives for informed decision making, driving improvements and promoting trust and resilience.
- Led Asia Pacific regional dialogue platform on SDGs.
Sustainability Cooperation Advisor
GIZ
01.2021 - 05.2021
- Established an inclusive coordination and governance structure for cooperation systems development amongst partners and project teams for technical support, implementation updates, monitoring and evaluation, and learning and exchange, in collaboration with the technical advisors and regional team.
- Engaged partners and stakeholders in participatory and transparent development of operational, advocacy, and engagement plans to ensure ownership and smooth execution of project activities.
- Managed relations with government implementing partners to ensure well-coordinated project execution, risk management, and donor coordination for best outcomes for socio-economic development.
- Planned and developed strategies to engage partners through different cooperation systems platforms such as regional and national forum, community of practice, company dialogue platforms, change management teams etc.
- Conceptualize and established governance bodies / steering committees with the representation of partners for various engagement platforms for joint planning and implementation of sustainable business.
- Animated technical working group on key sustainability issues, ensuring alignment to key project deliverables and partners' needs.
- Supported partners with drafting agenda for the national forums, engagement of external stakeholders for cooperation platforms events and activities, and organized technical meetings, national dialogue event, and community of practice.
- Developed individual and organization capacity development plans to strengthen public and private sector partners’ organizational processes, skills and systems.
- Ensured knowledge management for effective results and risks management, project branding, and to built stakeholders trust and confidence.
Capacity Development Advisor
GIZ
01.2020 - 12.2020
- Carried out capacity need assessments, baseline, and endline surveys of implementing partners, private sector textile producers and consultancy firms in areas of environment management, climate change, gender, and diversity, equity and inclusivity.
- Established inclusive coordination and governance structure among implementing and political partners for strategic decision making, technical support, risk management, project and implementation updates, and learning and exchange.
- Designed and executed capacity building and training programs for project staff, implementing and political partners, and key stakeholders on environment management strategies, environmental resilience and adaptation, business process improvement, gender mainstreaming, diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
- Facilitated tripartite dialogue on sustainability encompassing impact on gender, to contextualize international best practices, review existing industry practices, develop and review joint actionplans , and promote learning and exchange.
- Established community of practice on climate adaptation and gender to promote co-ideation, joint planning, co-implementation, and joint review for documenting good practices and lessons learned for scalability.
- Drafted assessment reports, briefing notes, background papers, summaries, talking points, project progress report, and knowledge products for knowledge management.
- Developed annual procurement plan for engaging expert services for partners and ensured timely completion, distribution, and reporting.
Market Development and Partnership Advisor
United Way Bay Area
07.2018 - 09.2019
- Carried out institutional assessment and developed strategy for business process improvement.
- Provided recommendations on business development strategies to reach new donors and increase revenue.
- Carried out labour market assessment of the Bay Area, outlined key issues with existing economic empowerment programs, proposed vocations for Bay Area youth development for better economic success, and policy advocacy
- Carried out an impact assessment on two-generational programming for economic success.
- Developed an M&E framework and supported the implementation for evidence based decision making and programming.
- Advised on organizational structure and human resource management to promote efficient business operations.
- Facilitated communication and collaboration between departments, clients, partners, and donors to help with effective business development.
- Capacity building to improve partnership and grant management.
- Advised partners on developing social protection models for vulnerable strata of the community.
- Worked with individuals to help understand and overcome personal, social or behavioral problems affecting educational or vocational situations.
- Provided job search assistance, family coaching, and education counseling to low-income youth and college drop-outs with academic, professional and personal concerns.
- Planned and promoted career planning presentations, work experience programs and career workshops.
- Knowledge management including communication, preparation of reports, grants proposals, and presentations.
Placement, Partnership, and Capacity Building Spec
Louis Berger
04.2017 - 07.2018
- Worked as a department head and deputized for the Chief of Party of USAID funded project working towards creating sustainable economic opportunities for the vulnerable and marginalized communities of South Punjab.
- Led team of 20 socio-economic experts responsible for creating economic empowerment opportunities for 10,000 youth.
- Managed consortium partners including monitoring resource allocation, budget development and personnel recruitment.
- Developed departmental systems and procedures to better align workflow processes and drove outcome achievements through focused team operational reviews, structured coaching, and managing to project goals.
- Managed effective liaison with USAID, authorities and key stakeholders including consortium partners for strong collaborative and proactive planning, systems development, monitoring and learning, capacity building, and grant management to ensure an impactful and efficient program.
- Conceptualized and developed gender strategy, youth placement strategy, partnerships strategy, and institutional capacity building strategy for the project which was unanimously approved by the management and donor.
- Carried out socio-economic and labour market analysis to identify economic empowerment opportunities for youth including women and people with disabilities in the region.
- Created and managed partnerships with government, donors, private sector, civil society, and business industry associations for collaborative planning, ownership, learning and exchange to ensure successful implementation of theory of change as change agents.
- Piloted financial models for value addition, diversified employment and employability portfolio, promoted innovation, gender mainstreaming, and institutional strengthening.
- Led the consortium partners in participatory development of project workplans, advocacy, partners engagement and budget planning.
- Conducted regular reviews of project activities, engaged in risk assessment and management, monitored resource allocation, budget development, personnel management, procurement and compliance, and donor reporting for the project.
- Secured employment for 10,000 vulnerable youth; increased the number of women workers in companies by 30%; created 200 womenled enterprises; skills development; created around 350 small enterprises; improved access to finance of 2,000 beneficiaries including women; social protection of 5,000 community members; and implemented 20 community development projects.
Public Private Partnership Advisor
GIZ
09.2015 - 03.2017
- Extended multi-disciplinary advisory services at different tiers (public and private sector TVET institutes, business associations and chambers of commerce, companies etc.) to enhance the participation of private sector in TVET, and to build trust between public and private sector.
- Mobilized private sector involvement in planning, implementing, and monitoring of PPP projects including national vocational qualification system, piloting of modernized apprenticeship scheme, establishment of Institute Management Committees, competency based training, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
- Coordinated and collaborated with government and private sector for competency based skills training, employment, and institutional strengthening.
- Carried out labour market skills gap analysis and private sector perception survey on the existing TVET system and the level of private sector engagement in TVET.
- Introduced partnership management tools and processes for engagement execution and diagnostics.
- Piloted & implemented PPP initiatives such as sector skills council, Institute management committees, skills training, teachers training, etc.
- Knowledge management for TVET & higher education.
- Supported TVET institutions with ISO certification to drive efficiency improvement and culture of continuous improvement.
- Improved private sector satisfaction through introducing collaborative measures, open and transparent communication channels, and active dialogue.
Business Development and Marketing Manager
Technology Upgradation And Skills Development Co.
02.2007 - 08.2015
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities and target markets.
- Led team of 04 business development and grant writing professionals, offering mentoring and coaching to build knowledge and skills.
- Established, initiated and optimized business development strategies based on targets, service portfolio, market data, and budget factors.
- Executed comprehensive business development plans ranging from exploring new donors to offering technology and skills development services in international market that consistently achieved targets for increased revenue.
- Captured new donors by optimizing business strategies and launching services to diversify portfolio.
- Liaised with public & private sector stakeholders, EU, USAID, ADB and the World Bank for conceptualizing, planning, designing, implementing, and monitoring of technology, SME development, socio-economic development, and gender mainstreaming projects and programs worth $9M.
- Developed policy recommendations, briefing notes, strategic frameworks, technology and skill development reports, fact sheets, press release, web content, presentations, and funding proposals development for Government of Pakistan, EU, USAID, GIZ, ADB.
- Worked as Management Trainee and associate in HR, provided HR and business management support to management.
Education
Fellowship - Safety And Health At Work
World Congress
Australia12.2023
Fellowship - Global Leadership
Atlas Corps
United States06.2019
Certificate - Leadership For Equity And Opportunity
Rise Together
United States03.2019
Master of Public Administration - Public Administration
Institute of Administrative Sciences
Pakistan02.2007
Bachelor of Business Administration And IT - Business Management
Lahore College For Women University
Pakistan09.2004
Skills
Project Management
Stakeholder Engagement and Management
Continuous Improvement
Team Management
Capacity Building
Commission Management
Additional Information
- Proficient in MS office, productivity, collaboration, designing tools, SAP and Onsite Operations.
- Fluency in English and Urdu; functional understanding of Punjabi, Hindko, and basic Spanish.
- Strong interpersonal, diplomacy, communications, cooperation, and coordination skills.
- Gender, diversity, and inclusion enthusiast and strive for equality, equity, and justice.
- Strategy and result oriented with analytical competence and an eye for details.
- Intercultural awareness, adaptive, and can work individually and in team.
Languages
Urdu
Native language
English
Proficient
C2
Punjabi
Elementary
A2
Spanish
Beginner
A1
Timeline
Component Manager Governance for Sustainability
GIZ
06.2021 - 12.2023
Sustainability Cooperation Advisor
GIZ
01.2021 - 05.2021
Capacity Development Advisor
GIZ
01.2020 - 12.2020
Market Development and Partnership Advisor
United Way Bay Area
07.2018 - 09.2019
Placement, Partnership, and Capacity Building Spec
Louis Berger
04.2017 - 07.2018
Public Private Partnership Advisor
GIZ
09.2015 - 03.2017
Business Development and Marketing Manager
Technology Upgradation And Skills Development Co.
02.2007 - 08.2015
Fellowship - Safety And Health At Work
World Congress
Fellowship - Global Leadership
Atlas Corps
Certificate - Leadership For Equity And Opportunity
Rise Together
Master of Public Administration - Public Administration
Institute of Administrative Sciences
Bachelor of Business Administration And IT - Business Management
Lahore College For Women University