Kimberly Asawo
Economist
Nairobi
Summary
Forward-thinking Economist bringing 8 years of expertise in program management and administration, policy, research and data analysis from the environment and infrastructure sectors. Adept at analyzing data to identify trends and developing strategies to improve efficiency. Proven track record of adapting with agility and flexibility, with the ability to successfully multitasks and fit effectively in varied field both support oriented and technical.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
14
14
Certifications
Work History
Program Assistant-National Specialist (UN Volunteer)
United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Ecosystems Division
5 2021 - Current
- Reviewed project documents submitted for Director approval during project design and revision processes (concept notes, proposals, project revisions), and provided guidance to project managers leading to quality submissions that sailed through CAG and PRC approval processes.
- Kept under review, Division's project implementation progress and reporting, ensuring over 95% reporting compliance in monthly and bi-annual reporting, leading to improved transparency and accountability of UNEP executed project.
- Extracted, analyzed, and followed up on pending legal agreements data in UNEP's partner's portal, leading to a 60% decrease in incomplete agreements, fast-tracked completion of agreements, and reduced audit queries in compliance with rules and regulations regarding engagement with implementing partners.
- Undertook monthly quality assurance review of the Division's publications, ensuring compliance with publication standards and guidelines before publishing.
- Provided input to a wide range of project documents, including Operation Completion Reports, Project Revisions, QPR assessment manuals, Division dashboards manual, and technical documentation, Division Quarterly Business Reports, Evaluation manuals, Publication guidelines/policies, Monitoring and Evaluation policy/guideline, and templates such as project document templates, among others, leading to improved quality and compliance with organizational rules, policies, and procedures.
- Managed the Division's dashboard, overseeing dashboard database enrichment and ensuring timely visualization of data using visualization tools, and ensuring that refresh errors are addressed for smooth operationalization of the dashboard. This supported timely decision making by senior management on project life cycle management and simplified work for staff/team members by quickly addressing issues flagged by the tool.
- Coordinated the management and update of project data using various master data files, feeding into the dashboard, and those kept by the unit, leading to improved project life cycle management for projects within the division.
- Provided oversight support to program managers on general project life cycle management processes including financial management-financial closures and administrative closures of projects, grant closures, WBSE allocations and funding adjustments, evaluation support, project revisions, extensions and closures (including PoW, GEF, GCF, AF projects), leading to improved project management practices within the division.
Consultant (Programs)
International Institute of Environment & Development (IIED) for ADA Secretariat
10.2017 - 2 2020
- Supported full program life cycle management from program design (development of program proposals, work plans, and budget); implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning; and project closure (technical and financial), leading to successful program execution.
- Provided financial and administrative support to the programs team, including grant management, asset management, workshop planning and logistics (meeting venue, accommodation, and travel of participants), preparing background documentation, agenda, participant list, and presentations, workshop financial facilitation, field visits, and donor engagements, ensuring successful implementation of the project.
- Supported coordination of technical meetings/workshops and contributed to the development and dissemination of knowledge products (policy briefs, toolkits/guidelines) that provided guidance, lessons, and best practices on successful project implementation.
- Collaborated with team members to define, strategize, and implement project management strategies for successful project implementation.
- Supported tailored training for local implementing partners at various levels, boosting their overall skillsets to deliver on the project.
- Supported coordination of project activities, ensuring that timelines and deliverables are met.
- Collaborated with various stakeholders, including government officials, CSOs, and local partners, to successfully deliver comprehensive solutions for project beneficiaries.
- Contributed to the development and implementation of the consortium's government expense policy, which strengthened transparency and accountability in the use of donor funding.
- Contributed to the development of a cost database for the Climate Change Fund Mechanism (CCCF), which acted as a guide to the successful replication of the CCCF mechanism in other counties of Kenya through scale-up.
- Led acquisition, refurbishment, and furnishing of new office space during expansion of the secretariat to facilitate activities of the programs team.
Policy Analyst (Young Professional)
Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research & Analysis (KIPPRA)
10.2020 - 04.2021
- Presented policy issues on behalf of the Infrastructure and Economic Sector Development Department (IESD) during weekly policy surveillance presentations to the institute and external stakeholders, recommending updates to current legislation, regulations, and policies, thereby contributing to the country's policy arena.
- Drafted clear and concise reports, including 1 Information note, 3 technical blogs on gender topical issues, 1 discussion paper, and 1 policy brief on climate change topical issues, that communicated complex policy issues to diverse audiences.
- Assisted in the preparation of high-quality research papers for publication, contributing to the organization's reputation as a thought leader in economics.
- Raised awareness about important economic issues through the creation of engaging and informative blog posts for the organization's website.
- Supported thought-leadership topics to facilitate dialogue with policymakers and shape outcomes.
- Attended Young Professionals trainings on governance, the public policy-making process, applied policy research methods and tools for policy analysis, macroeconomic modeling and forecasting, systems of national accounts and supply use tables, and statistical packages, building my wealth of knowledge in research, programs, and policy.
- Conducted quantitative and qualitative research analyses, identifying trends, recommendations, and conclusions on the way forward regarding the impact of policies.
- Leveraged statistical software packages, such as SPSS, STATA, E-Views, and R, for data visualization and analysis tasks that supported evidence-based policy recommendations.
- Participated in organizational conferences and workshops, staying updated on emerging trends in the policy arena.
Assistant Economist/Finance
Design Masterplan Limited (DMP)
03.2016 - 06.2017
- Conducted feasibility studies for 2 projects (using cost-benefit analysis): Output-Based Aid (OBA) project in Embu, involving analyzing the best funding options for the project given 4 funding scenarios for Embu Water & Sanitation Company (EWASCO) and OBA Project for Kisumu Water & Sanitation Company (KIWASCO), that advised clients on the most cost-effective options to take regarding extension of water and sanitation services to target beneficiaries.
- Conducted a project sustainability study for Siaya-Bondo Water & Sanitation Company (SIBOWASCO), which recommended solutions towards service extension.
- Conducted a field study and developed a report on a socio-economic survey for KIWASCO that supported senior management decision on the extension of water and sewerage services.
- Developed an action plan to reduce non-revenue water in the coastal region of Kenya for the Coast Water Services Board (CWSB).
- Designed data collection tools and executed research activities, including pilot testing, data collection, data cleaning, inputting, analysis, interpretation, and report writing for the above studies.
- Supported development of DMP's strategic documents: strategic plans, business plans, annual plans, and budget, to support realization of organizational goals.
- Supported financial management of the organization.
Management Intern
Palette Consulting
06.2015 - 12.2015
- Researched on County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) identifying gaps and opportunities for collaborative with counties
- Researched innovative approaches for building Palette Consulting’s corporate presence on social media and digital communication platforms
- Developed templates that captured assignments completed by Palette Consulting. for marketing purposes.
Education
Master of Arts in Economics - Economics
University of Nairobi (UON)
Nairobi 05.2015 - 12.2018
Bachelor of Economics - Economics
University of Nairobi (UON)
Nairobi 09.2011 - 12.2014
Certificate in Information Technology - Information Technology (IT)
Cornerstone Training Institute
Nairobi, Nairobi Province, Kenya05.2011
Skills
Proficient in MS applications including MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Power BI
Proficient in Statistical software including STATA, SPSS, R, E-views
Research (Quantitative & Qualitative) and policy analysis skills
Monitoring, reporting and evaluation skills
Use of economics principles in development issues
Project/program administration & management
Statistical and data analysis skills
Report writing and publishing skills
Financial analysis and modelling skills
Time Management
Multitasking Abilities
Task Prioritization
Project Planning
Planning and organizational skills
Client centric skills
Leadership skills
Teamwork skills
Presentation skills
Analytical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Problem-solving aptitude
Organizational Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Excellent Communication
Adaptability
Professionalism
Business Intelligence
Quality Assurance
Page
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Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 02/10/1992
- Nationality: Kenyan
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Kiswahili
Proficient
C2
Luo
Proficient
C2
French
Intermediate
B1
Professional societies
- Economist Society of Kenya (ESK)
- Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)
Publications
- Minimum Wage Policy in Kenya: Is it Significant in Enhancing Labour Force Employment?, International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJEPEE.2023.131048
- Frontier Opportunities in Mobile Broadband and Network Coverage in Rural Kenya: The Case for Kitui County, KIPPRA, https://kippra.or.ke/frontier-opportunities-in-mobile-broadband-and-network-coverage-in-rural-kenya-the-case-for-kitui-county/
- The Effect of Drought Early Warning Systems on population vulnerability in Kenya’s ASALS: A before and after analysis using Interrupted Time Series, KIPPRA, https://repository.kippra.or.ke/handle/123456789/3952
- Opportunities and challenges in Solar Energy Adoption in Kenya, KIPPRA
- Lessons from Kenya’s Drought Early Warning Systems, KIPPRA
- A critical analysis of Kenya’s Development Agenda with a key focus on Infrastructure, Security and Policing and Housing and Urbanization, KIPPRA
- Unpaid Care & Domestic Work and Gross National Product (GDP) in Kenya, KIPPRA
Training
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) trainings: UNEP Project Management Certification Course; Result Based Management Training; UNLPE (English); Umoja Training in Integrated Planning, Monitoring and Reporting solution (IPMR); Umoja Self-Service Analytics training: UNON Language Training (French-level 3)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Trainings: Inclusive Growth Training, Macroeconomic Diagnosis
- Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) training: Systems of National Accounts (SNA 2008)
- Kenya Institute for Public Policy, Research & Analysis (KIPPRA) trainings: Macroeconomic Modelling & Forecasting; Public Policy Making Process; Applied Policy Research Methods & Tools for Policy Analysis; Governance Structures in a Devolved System of Government.
- University of Nairobi Trainings: Statistical data packages: Advanced Microsoft Excel, STATA, IBM-SPSS and R-Gui, UON & KIPPRA.
- Crowe Erastus & Co, Training: Fundamentals of Grant Management and Best Practices
References
Available upon request
Affiliations
Institute of Economic Affairs
Economist Society of Kenya
Software
STATA
SPSS
E-views
Microsoft Power BI
Umoja ERP
Integrated Planning, Management & Reporting Solutions
Microsoft applications eg Word, Excel, Power point, Teams, Share point, List, Outlook, One drive, etc
Certification
UNON French French Language Course-Level 3
Timeline
UNON French French Language Course-Level 3
07-2024
Educational Credential Assessment by WES
06-2024
IELTS English Language Profeciency Scores
06-2024
UNEP Programme Management Certification Course
05-2024
Umoja Self-Service Analytics Advanced Online Training
02-2024
UNEP Global Business Intelligence (BI) Course
12-2023
UNEP Result Based Management Course
11-2023
UNLPE in English
10-2023
Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research & Analysis trainings
12-2021
IMF training in Inclusive Growth
07-2021
IMF training in Macroeconomic Diagnosis
04-2021
Systems of National Accounting of 2008
03-2021
Policy Analyst (Young Professional)
Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research & Analysis (KIPPRA)
10.2020 - 04.2021
Fundamentals of grant management & best practices
10-2018
Consultant (Programs)
International Institute of Environment & Development (IIED) for ADA Secretariat
10.2017 - 2 2020
Assistant Economist/Finance
Design Masterplan Limited (DMP)
03.2016 - 06.2017
Statistical data packages in STATA, SPSS, E-Views, R-Gui, Advanced Microsoft Excel
11-2015
Management Intern
Palette Consulting
06.2015 - 12.2015
Master of Arts in Economics - Economics
University of Nairobi (UON)
05.2015 - 12.2018
Bachelor of Economics - Economics
University of Nairobi (UON)
09.2011 - 12.2014
Program Assistant-National Specialist (UN Volunteer)
United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Ecosystems Division
5 2021 - Current
Certificate in Information Technology - Information Technology (IT)
Cornerstone Training Institute