James Kakooza

James Kakooza is a senior monitoring, evaluation (ME) and collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) expert with 21 years of experience of experience in active programmatic; monitoring, evaluation, research, knowledge management, program design, implementation and learning in over 34 Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asian countries. Eleven (11) of the 21 years of experience have been at senior managerial level. Currently, James serves as the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Expert Advisor for a GBP 20m FCDO funded Cities and Infrastructure for Growth (CIG) Programme, in Kampala, Uganda, implemented by Cardno International. Previously, James worked as: i) a Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Advisor for a GBP 69m FCDO funded Expanding Social Protection (ESP) Program in Kampala, Uganda; ii) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager for a GBP 52m FCDO funded Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) in Hargeisa, Somaliland; iii) M&E Advisor for a $55m USAID funded Strengthening Decentralization for Sustainability (SDS) Program, Kampala, Uganda; iv) Head of Monitoring and Evaluation for the World Bank/ Africa Development Bank Funded Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Harare, Zimbabwe; v) M&E Coordinator with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya and; vi) in similar position in Kenya, Afghanistan, Southern Sudan and Uganda. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning management skills gained over time include among others: i) initiation, operationalising and managing and developing M&E Units; ii) programs/projects planning; iii) implementation monitoring; iv) process and impact evaluation; v) documentation, communication and dissemination; vi) financial management; vii) programme procurement; viii) value for money (VfM) analysis; ix) personnel management; x) development, implementation and modifications of theories of change; xi) project/program management information systems design and maintenance, among other skills. Regarding research, learning, sharing and knowledge management, James has excellent knowledge of planning and organizing sense-making events and collaborative learning and adaptation (CLA). For the past 2 decades, James has gained research experience across the board from data collection through to principal researcher. As a result of his research work, James has published results fliers, newsletters, results publications, quarterly and annual reports, video vignettes and result-based documentaries. Since 2001, James has participated in over 35 researches with 10 as principal researcher and as a result, He has published 14 original articles and abstracts in peer reviewed journals and two book chapters, including the popular International Handbook on Ageing (October 2009) and a thesis publication on Cost-Benefit Evaluation of EcoSan Projects (2010) for Agricultural Productivity Improvement. On the side of soft skills, James has accumulated skills like: i) ability and willingness to train and develop capacities of fellow staff and stakeholders; ii) excellent team building and playing skills; iii) excellent writing, analytical and oral communication skills; iv) self-drive; v) creativity; vi) independence; vii) ability and willingness to work under pressure and for long hours; viii) experience working under difficult and multicultural situations and; ix) staff recruitment, supervision , management, appraisal and capacity development.