RITA MURIUKI
Project Management Professional
Nairobi,Kenya
Summary
Experienced Project Management professional with over 10 years in Project planning, management, administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, and communication. Demonstrated versatility and endurance across various organizational roles. Seeking a dynamic organization for career growth and advancement in Project Management, Administration, and data skills. Accomplished Program Coordinator adept at implementing innovative programs to meet consumer needs and fostering relationships with customers and executives. Professional Project Management Specialist with experience working with teams to accomplish short- and long-term project goals. Managed budgets and monitored project costs.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
10
10
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Programme Coordinator- RISA Project
University of Nairobi
1 2023 - Current
- Planning and coordination of 5 consultancy projects and their activities
- Implementation of policies and practices
- Maintaining budget and tracking expenditures/transactions
- Managing communications through media relations, social media
- Helping to build positive relations within project team and external parties
- Scheduling and organizing meetings/events and maintaining agenda
- Ensuring that technologies is used correctly for all operations (video conferencing presentations)
- Preparing reports and proposals
- Stakeholder management.
- Entered data, generated reports, and produced tracking documents.
- Improved team productivity with regular communication and progress updates, fostering thus fostering collaborative work environment.
Projects Officer, consultancies, and training
University of Nairobi Enterprises & Services Limited
05.2009 - 09.2020
- Assisting in development and implementation of UNES consultancy strategies
- Responsible for administering, coordinating, and revising project-related activities of projects in charge of
- Liaising with various authorities, implementing partners and other Consultants of various projects as appropriate to allow proper project design and implementation, setting of project objectives to ensure that projects are finished well within time and budgets
- Monitoring and reporting on projects related activities, in accordance with Terms of Reference provided by client and also UNES’s financial reporting procedures and recommending, as appropriate
- Coordinating preparation of project proposal budgets and internal working budgets for various projects and consultancies to ensure that projects/consultancies are within budgetary limits
- Developing and disseminating project documentation in liaison with Project/ team leaders
- Assisting in monitoring and evaluation of assigned project activities, assisting in preparing monthly, quarterly and annual reports relating to projects
- Coordinating procurement of goods and services for various projects and field staffs and ensure that procurements are within budget
- Coordinating preparation of all reports of projects in charge of and ensuring that meet client’s standards
- Ensure processing of consultants/sub-contracted payments against and according to UNES’s contractual obligations for various consultancies
- Management of client relationships and participating in all partners and stakeholders’ meetings related to project interventions
- Providing support in documentation and knowledge production & management
- Maintaining up-to-date technical and project literature relevant to various project activities.
Program Assistant
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)
04.2006 - 12.2006
- Drafted responses to routine inquiries from suppliers and routine replies to job applications, students applying for internships and other administrative inquiries received in CIMMYT office
- Maintained effective record and filing system for all official correspondence
- Drafted routine correspondence for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Department of Immigration, Custom and Excise department, Registrar of Motor vehicles with regards to application of driver’s licenses, PIN certificates and handled applications and follow-ups for VAT exemptions
- Co-ordinated errands of two office Drivers (full time) and occasioned another temporary Driver to ensure smooth workflow
- Liaised with Research projects team in Kibos, Kiboko, and Mtwapa on purchases required e.g
- Fertilizers and ensuring that they are delivered on time
- Liaised with clearing and forwarding companies to clear and forward all CIMMYT official goods and personal goods of expatriate staff
- Successfully provided assistance when Program Assistants were on annual leave by undertaking various program support tasks, and made of logistical arrangements for members after seminar and organized airport transfers for all staff, both Local and International
- Distributed questionnaires, seminars and conferences; coordinated travel arrangements for participants; prepared minutes of meetings, hotel bookings for seminars.
Administrator cum Accounts Clerk
Rudan Group of Schools
01.2002 - 04.2006
- Communicated to all stakeholders on matters pertaining school, progress and calendar events
- Drafted responses to routine inquiries from suppliers and drafted routine replies to job applications, and other administrative inquiries received in Rudan Group of School’s office
- Maintained effective record and filing system for all official correspondence
- Sent, received, and distributed faxes and maintained up to date record of fax log
- Co-ordinated errands of five schools and full-time drivers to ensure there is smooth workflow as delegated by director of school
- Collected fees as well as balanced books of accounts that included petty cash book, ledger books, and purchases books and wrote up bank reconciliation statements for board and maintained petty cash money and book for office use
- Successfully organized open days for teachers and management to interact with parents and educational Workshops for pupils to bring out their ideas, innovations and be creative
- Successfully designed and developed schools’ bulletins and school magazines with input from management and pupils.
Administrative Assistant Intern
Kenya Medical Research Institute
01.1997 - 12.1997
- Successfully organized for meetings, seminars and conferences, coordinated travel arrangements for participants and prepared minutes of meetings
- Assisted in administration by assembling and preparing necessary documentation such as compiling and editing/proof reading reports, letters of Agreement, work plans into standard templates, tracking research expenses and interacted with external agencies on non-technical administrative matters
- Provided support to the KEMRI researchers by scheduling activities, ensured appropriate action on issues arising during the Scientist’s absences and made arrangements and received visitors
- Established and maintained office files.
Education
Master of Arts Project Planning and Management - Project Management
University of Nairobi (UoN)
Nairobi, Kenya 09.2009 - 05.2013
Bachelor of Arts Communication & Sociology - Communication Studies
University of Nairobi (UoN)
Nairobi, 30 05.2005 - 05.2008
Some College (No Degree) - Secretarial Studies And Office Administration
Technical Training Institute (NTTI)
Meru, 26 01.1998 - 05.2000
Advanced Certificate Business Management - Business Management
Kenya Institute of Management (KIM)
Nairobi, 30 09.2004 - 05.2005
Skills
Team player: Possess strong interpersonal and communications skills with an ability to build a wide range of complex and productive working relationships
Reporting Skills: Ability to prepare written reports This is a skill that I have developed
Good Technical Skills: Possess outstanding skills to plan, communicate, and coordinate different contributions required to present a project on time and within the given budget I can write compelling scripts and operate a range of digital recording devices that will capture audio material is essential
Interpersonal and communication skills: Able to build an understanding of the client's needs and concerns, and express these to other members of my team
Managerial Skills: Have the ability to work closely with and develop relationships with clients Able to handle communications and build effective and efficient through my work experience and career progression
Analytical Skills: Recognizes areas of weaknesses requiring improvements and makes recommendations to the management for consideration, approval and implementation
Certification
Fundamentals in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Global Health e-learning Centre (11/2011)
Consultancyassignments
- Team Guide for Kenya: Global Innovation Policy Programme. A Programme led by NESTA and delivered by a consortium of leading UK key experts from 100 Open, FutureGov, Manchester University and Oxentia, with financial support from the UK government.
- Team Member: Transport and Data Stock-take and gap analysis and adaptation of Emission Factors for Road Transport, October, 2017 – May 2018
- Lead Project Management consultant and Team Member: Development of a 10 Year National Master Plan for Science and Technology Parks in Kenya; Master, Business and Investment plans for Konza City Science Park, and Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology Science Park, on behalf of Ministry of Education, March - June 2017.
- Team Member, Development of a Guide on Thesis Supervision and a Code of Conduct for Carrying Out Research in Universities in Kenya on behalf of the Commission for University Education, M. Ogot, G.M. Onyango, E. Omwenga, F. Muindi, R. Muriuki, June-July 2016.
- Team Member, Development of County Investment Plan and Resource Map for Samburu County on behalf of Samburu County, M. Ogot, T. Kiriti-Nganga, G.M. Onyango, R. Muriuki, May-June 2016.
- Team Member, Feasibility Study on the Development of Mwangazi I and II in Upper-Hill including financial projections and scenario analysis under a Public-Private Partnership on behalf of Kenya Revenue Authority, M. Ogot, E. Abonyo, O. Mwembe, R. Muriuki, November 2015-January 2016.
- Team Member Development of Kenya School of Revenue Administration Strategic and Business Plans 2015-2020, M. Ogot, B. Muriuki, R. Muriuki on behalf of the Kenya Revenue Authority, May-September 2015
- Team Member, Development of Policy on Research Training and Innovation in Kenya on behalf of the Commission for University Education, M. Ogot, E. Omwenga, G. Onyango, R. Muriuki, April - May 2015.
- Team Member Development of National Consumer Insurance Education Strategy, M. Ogot, T. Kiriti-Nganga, R. Muriuki, on behalf of Insurance Regulatory Authority, March-May, 2015
- Team Member Development of the Policy and Guidelines for an Internship Programme for Graduate Engineers on behalf of the Engineers Registration Board (now Engineering Board of Kenya), M. Ogot (Team Leader), Dr. Nyang’aya, Eng. S. Kibocha, Prof. L. Makau, Eng. J. O. Manyala, Eng. Dr. A. N. Gitau, Eng. G. M. Wachira, Eng. B. O. Awade, Eng. A.K. Kosgei, Ms. F. Muindi, R. Muriuki December 2011 – May 2014.
- Team Member: Development of the Knowledge Index for Kenya, for Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology M. Ogot (Team Leader), W. Nganga and R. Muriuki, July 2010 – June 2011.
- Project Assistant: Development of a Long-Term Policy Framework for Public Procurement in Kenya, M. Ogot (Team Leader), J. Kenduiwo, S. Nyandemo, W. Iraki, J. Mokaya, R. Muriuki, Public Procurement Oversight Authority (Kenya), April - December, 2009.
- Project Assistant: Development of the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) Board Strategic Plan 2009-2013, CDF Board, M. Ogot (Team Leader), J. Kenduiwo, S. Nyandemo, W. Iraki, R. Muriuki September-December 2009.
Professionalconferencestraining
- Agile Certified Practitioner’s course (PMI – ACP) September 20 – 25, 2019: Monitoring and Evaluations Short course
- January 21, 2018: Gender and Disability Mainstreaming
- April 26, 2018: Customer Care Training.
- November, 13 2016: Quality Management Systems Sensitization and Training
- Quality Management Principles
- Techniques for Improving Quality Management System
- April 20 2016: Sensitization and Training on HIV/AIDs and Environmental Awareness.
- February, 16 2015: Sensitization and Training on Anti-corruption. Manifestation of corruption in the work place
- Provision of PPOA/EACC corruption Prevention Guide Integrity Testing Programme
- Anti-corruption policy
- November 2013: Public lecture on “The Role of the University in the Implementation of the Constitution in Kenya, 2010 within the Public Service Integrity Programme (PCIP)”.
- June 2013: PPOA Training Seminar on Public Procurement. Overview of Public Procurement & Disposal Act, 2005
References
- Prof. Madara Ogot, C E O UbuntuNet Alliance, MALAWI, madara.ogot@ubuntunet.net
- Phidelia Chimuma, ACCOUNT MANAGER DARAJA PLUS, pchimuma@gmail.com
Accomplishments
ü Tailored Training Programs: Designed and implemented customized training programs across various industries, resulting in improved employee performance and organizational effectiveness.
ü Expansion of Client Base: Led efforts to grow the firm's client base by 200 consultants in a period of one year through new business opportunities and strong client relationships, boosting revenue and market share.
ü Streamlined Project Management: Introduced efficient project management processes and tools, enhancing team collaboration and project delivery timelines, leading to increased client satisfaction.
ü Cost Reduction: Achieved a 15% reduction in program costs through strategic improvements.
ü Recognition for Service Excellence: Received industry accolades for delivering high-quality training programs and consultancy services, reinforcing the firm's reputation as a trusted partner.
ü Development of Training Resources: Spearheaded the creation of internal training resources to enhance consultant development and standardize training delivery within the firm.
ü Cost Optimization Initiatives: Implemented initiatives to optimize costs and improve operational efficiency, resulting in significant savings while maintaining service quality.
Timeline
Master of Arts Project Planning and Management - Project Management
University of Nairobi (UoN)
09.2009 - 05.2013
Projects Officer, consultancies, and training
University of Nairobi Enterprises & Services Limited
05.2009 - 09.2020
Program Assistant
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)
04.2006 - 12.2006
Bachelor of Arts Communication & Sociology - Communication Studies
University of Nairobi (UoN)
05.2005 - 05.2008
Advanced Certificate Business Management - Business Management
Kenya Institute of Management (KIM)
09.2004 - 05.2005
Administrator cum Accounts Clerk
Rudan Group of Schools
01.2002 - 04.2006
Some College (No Degree) - Secretarial Studies And Office Administration
Technical Training Institute (NTTI)
01.1998 - 05.2000
Administrative Assistant Intern
Kenya Medical Research Institute
01.1997 - 12.1997
Programme Coordinator- RISA Project
University of Nairobi
1 2023 - Current