Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Winnie Gecaga

Winnie Gecaga

Grants & Contracts Specialist
Nairobi,Kenya

Summary

A seasoned Grants and Subcontracts Specialist with over 13 years of expertise in managing and overseeing all facets of grants and subcontracts, from proposal development through project completion, Demonstrated ability to achieve on-time project implementation within allocated budgets and adherence to donor stipulations. Proficient in navigating major donor relationships and mastering US Government-USAID Rules and Regulations, including FAR, AIDAR, and CFR. Recognized for exceptional organizational prowess, meticulous attention to detail, and strong communication and interpersonal skills. Adept in both independent and collaborative team environments.

Overview

13
13
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Contracts and Grants Officer

Winrock International
Nairobi
03.2021 - 09.2023
  • Achieved 98% adherence rate to Winrock and donor requirements through on-site project training sessions on sub-award management and compliance, resulting in substantial enhancement of project staff capacity in sub-award management.
  • Maintained comprehensive understanding of US government and other donor policies, regulations, and procedures, staying updated with evolving requirements.
  • Negotiated and secured favorable terms for Winrock in contractual documents prior to finalizing and signing agreements.
  • Identified and addressed training needs for program units, resulting in a 20% improvement in consistent implementation of award functions across the organization and reduced compliance issues.
  • Proactively addressed issues and risks in sub-awards and modifications, resulting in reduced disputes and ensuring smoother project execution.
  • Provided guidance, as needed, to relevant staff members involved in processing modification requests, no-cost extensions (NCEs), cost extensions, budget realignments, and other amendments required by donors.
  • Successfully supported program staff in negotiating sub-awards and consultant agreements, fostering collaborative relationships that resulted in increased mutually beneficial outcomes and partnerships.
  • Streamlined project start-up and close-out phases, implementing efficient systems and processes for sub-award management, and enhancing compliance with prime award requirements
  • Maintained up-to-date and meticulously organized award management filing and tracking system, resulting in a 98% audit readiness score and efficient retrieval of critical documents for decision-making and reporting.

Innovation Fund Coordinator

Colleges And Institutes Canada
Nairobi
07.2019 - 02.2021
  • Developed highly effective Terms of Reference and Request for Proposals (RFP) documents for sub-grantees, ensuring clarity and alignment with project objectives.
  • Coordinated pre-award and post-award processes for sub-grantees, improving efficiency and compliance.
  • Led evaluation and selection process for grant applications and proposals, ensuring fair and transparent selection of sub-grantees.
  • Organized and facilitated productive evaluation committee meetings for sub-grantee selection, enhancing project partnerships.
  • Prepared comprehensive grant agreements for sub-grantees, ensuring legal and operational alignment.
  • Served as primary point of contact with sub-grantees, fostering strong and collaborative relationships
  • Coordinated all communication with project partners and sub-grantees, nurturing valuable connections.
  • Monitored project progress toward objectives, managed key milestones and outputs, and contributed to drafting informative reports for donor
  • Organized and executed various events as required, including program steering committee meetings, training sessions, and learning events, enhancing project engagement and knowledge sharing

Awards Officer

Winrock International
Nairobi
07.2015 - 11.2018
  • Acted as organization's expert on contracts and grants, supporting ongoing implementation and performance, particularly related to special award terms, contract language, and regulatory compliance.
  • Provided guidance on proposal review and ensured compliance with solicitations and donor regulations, leading to increase in successful proposal submissions.
  • Reviewed new award documents before signature, securing favorable terms that resulted in average cost savings of 10% per award.
  • Prepared award briefs and conducted project start-up meetings with project teams upon receiving new awards, reducing project initiation time.
  • Conducted pre-award reviews and risk assessments for potential sub-recipients and subcontractors, establishing applicable conditions that improved compliance.
  • Collaborated with program staff to develop, analyze, revise, amend, review, and negotiate contract documents, including contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and sub-awards.
  • Led sub-award and subcontract monitoring for assigned portfolio, preparing monitoring plans, documenting results, and managing performance, compliance, and budgets, leading to 70% on-time project completion rate.
  • Reviewed all modifications to prime awards and sub-awards before signing, including changes to performance periods, obligation amounts, deliverables, or reporting requirements.
  • Developed project-specific grants manuals for donor review and approval.
  • Ensured sub-award document compliance (e.g., sub-agreements, subcontracts, in-kind grants, fixed amount awards, simplified grants) with Winrock and donor terms and regulations, reducing compliance issues by 30%.
  • Reviewed all sub-award closeout documentation, including release claim forms, checklists, and closeout letters, resulting in 98% successful closeout rate.
  • Obtained or assisted in obtaining required prior approvals and waivers from donors.
  • Identified training needs to promote consistent implementation of award functions across organization, resulting in 20% improvement in staff compliance with award requirements.
  • Conducted field office visits to assess grants management, compliance, and proper systems and filing presence, resulting in 90% improvement in field office compliance.

Grants and Contracts Manager/Coordinator/Assistant

Chemonics International Kenya USAID East Africa Trade Hub (EATH)
Nairobi
10.2009 - 08.2014
  • Mitigated business risks by analyzing contracts' potential impacts and avoiding unfavorable terms.
  • Tracked contracts for management and issued regular tracking reports covering current status and upcoming milestones.
  • Developed effective RFA and RFP documents aligned with program goals.
  • Managed application submissions for streamlined evaluations.
  • Ensured transparency through comprehensive score sheets and conflict of interest checks.
  • Reviewed and evaluated grant/subcontractor applications, aiding project selection.
  • Ensured financial compliance by reviewing cost proposals and negotiating with applicants.
  • Conducted pre-award reviews, expedited approvals, and managed grant agreements.
  • Provided support and training to sub-recipients/subcontractors for compliance.
  • Monitored project deadlines, budgets, and expenditures.
  • Oversaw grant disbursements and conducted compliance site visits.
  • Managed grant close-outs and participated in consultant recruitment.
  • Maintained an organized filing system for audit-ready documentation.

Administrator

Comp, Kenya Limited
Nairobi
01.2007 - 10.2009
  • Administered support, writing memorandums, proposals, minute-taking, maintenance, and management of information held by the company as may be required.
  • Prepared and assisted in collection of data for monthly, quarterly, and annual reports as may be required from time to time.
  • Devised and maintained office systems and maintained and developed filing systems and operational procedures to secure retention of information relating to all stakeholders
  • Received and organized invoices for approval.
  • Scheduled meetings and travel arrangements for senior staff.
  • Planned and scheduled meetings for senior management staff.
  • Monitored costs and expenses to assist in budget preparation.
  • Entered and maintained departmental records in the company database.
  • Addressed employees’ queries regarding office administration issues.

Administrative Assistant

British-American Asset Managers Ltd
Nairobi
10.2005 - 12.2006
  • Executed record filing system to improve document organization and management.
  • Developed and updated spreadsheets and databases to track, analyze, and report on performance and sales data.
  • Answered multi-line phone system, routing calls, delivering messages to staff, and greeting visitors.
  • Liaised between clients and vendors and maintained effective lines of communication.
  • Created and maintained detailed administrative processes and procedures to drive efficiency and accuracy.
  • Managed the filing system, entered data, and completed other clerical tasks.
  • Scheduled office meetings and client appointments for staff teams.
  • Received and sorted incoming mail and packages to record, dispatch, or distribute to the correct recipient.
  • Coordinated and scheduled meetings and conference calls to optimize the scheduling of senior staff.

Education

Certificate - USAID Contract Management For NGOs

Humentum
Kenya
09-2017

Bachelor of Science - Computer Science

Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Kenya

Skills

  • Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Project Administration
  • Organization Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Microsoft Office
  • Grant Proposals
  • Grants Coordination
  • Team Communication
  • Grant Applications
  • Time Management
  • Managing Requests

Timeline

Senior Contracts and Grants Officer

Winrock International
03.2021 - 09.2023

Innovation Fund Coordinator

Colleges And Institutes Canada
07.2019 - 02.2021

Awards Officer

Winrock International
07.2015 - 11.2018

Grants and Contracts Manager/Coordinator/Assistant

Chemonics International Kenya USAID East Africa Trade Hub (EATH)
10.2009 - 08.2014

Administrator

Comp, Kenya Limited
01.2007 - 10.2009

Administrative Assistant

British-American Asset Managers Ltd
10.2005 - 12.2006

Certificate - USAID Contract Management For NGOs

Humentum

Bachelor of Science - Computer Science

Catholic University of Eastern Africa

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Winnie GecagaGrants & Contracts Specialist