Sheikh Javed Ahmed.,PhD., P.Eng.

My name is Sheikh Javed Ahmed, born and raised in Pakistan. Completed my studies as Water Resources, Irrigation and Drainage Engineer in Pakistan, worked in Pakistan until 2005, since 2005, I studied, lived and worked in Canada as Canadian Citizen. With more than 28 years of professional experience in integrated approaches for sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental, social and development challenges. I am a registered professional in North America (Canada, USA) and Pakistan, certified project manager (PRINCE2 and PMI). With PhD in Environment, MSc in Civil-Project Management, and MSc in Soil and Water Resources Management and BSc in Agricultural Engineering (Water Management Specialization) and 25+ years of work experience in the relevant field and in similar projects. • Advised and supported the MDBs in-Portfolio Management on strategic matters. Defined new tools, approaches, and strategic workstream priorities to adaptively manage and strengthen the quality of portfolio implementation and results of Readiness Program and both public and private sector Funded Activities in accordance with Fund Objectives and various contexts and stakeholder requirements; • Motivated, mentored and harnessed the skills and experience of the PIMM team members (Portfolio Management specialists, analysts, consultants and interns) by delegating responsibilities, providing guidance, learning opportunities and supervision to drive and reward performance, build team cohesion and prevent/resolve problems/conflicts; • Led and overseen the review of progress, evaluation and financial reports from Accredited entities, Delivery Partners and NDAs, as well as follow-up and engage with these stakeholders to ensure all projects report, adhere to and comply with donors policies and standards; Board approved terms and conditions and, where necessary, develop appropriate support/response strategies to promote compliance by these stakeholders; • Led the extraction, documentation, and sharing of knowledge emanating from donor portfolio implementation experiences and results to showcase emerging trends, lessons and best practice as well as influence and improve projects selection, review, implementation and monitoring and evaluation policies and practices of donors and peer organizations; • Led and leveraged on the Fund’s experience to: o promoted partnerships and best practices; o shaped discussions, thoughts, and trends; o informed PIMM’s participation in various (high-level) working groups and fora; • Lead the formulation early warning signals for the portfolio; advocate for and lead the implementation of portfolio management strategies and actions to mitigate the downside risk of the portfolio through policy and procedural reviews, processing waivers, extensions, restructuring, cancellations, conducting ad-hoc missions among other adaptive management measures, to improve portfolio performance and strengthen results. Summary of Core Interests and Experience: Extensive investment projects experience in transformational climate projects in the developing world with JICA, AfDB, WB, USAID, GEF and the AsDB. I led teams of portfolio management specialists within the Portfolio Implementation Monitoring and Management teams and strengthened the monitoring of public and private sectors Funded Activities and Readiness Programs implementation performance and results. • For more than 25 years, remained responsible for the overall performance of the Portfolio Implementation and Management work streams. Led PIMMs interactions with other interdivisional teams and external stakeholders to ensure their buy-in and contribution on required portfolio management decisions and actions. • Engaged and work closely with partners, and other internal/external stakeholders, on portfolio management implementation and reporting issues. • Ensured proper monitoring of compliance of investments with legal agreements as well as MDBs policies and procedures; monitoring the equity holdings and devising exit strategies; and provided strategic and technical guidance and leadership to the team and contributed to the establishment, review and refinement of portfolio management frameworks, policies, and guidelines as well as on-going supervision and management of the Projects/Programs after first disbursement until completion and final evaluation. • Assisted the Governments in South East Asia, Africa and North America in selecting priority river Identified representatives sample subprojects and prepared subproject prefeasibility and feasibility studies; Assessed the irrigation and agriculture sectors policies and institutional frameworks, identified gaps associated with achieving the project objectives and improvement recommendations; Modernized the irrigation system design criteria to address farmers evolving needs and resilience to climate change. • Prepared draft loan documents for WB, AfDB and AsDB Board consideration; Prepared consulting packages for the feasibility studies, detailed designs; Construction supervision, project implementation support, farmers agriculture support services and institutional strengthening; and supported recruitment planning and the eventual management of the consultants engaged under the Project. Lead overall management of the TA teams; Managed relationships with the governments and the donors; Conducted quality control of outputs from the TA team members; Advised on overall sequencing of the investment project; Prepared various documents required for loan processing; Compiled inception, interim and final reports; Facilitated and supported donors’ missions; Managed team expenses for vehicles, reports and communication, miscellaneous. For South Asia, North America and Africa, I developed sound knowledge of policy, technical, institutional and political economy issues in the Sustainable Environment Solutions, Social and Environmental Safeguards, Value Chain and Enterprise Development related to Water Resources Management, Rural Infrastructure Planning and Development with a track record of program delivery. Main achievements of my work are: • Strengthened and Building a Vibrant Innovation and Knowledge Community on Integrated Water Resource Management by working closely together with international, transboundary initiatives like Nile Basin, Indus, Kabul, Senegal Rivers Basins, including the WB lead CIWA, NBA and some local Watershed Partnership Initiatives in North America including Bow River, Nose Creek and Elbow Rivers. Created strategies and work plans for mobilizing the communities to become an innovation and learning community on IWRM insights and practices, mapping and building relationships within the communities, intensifying the flows between knowledge holders and receivers and increasing the interconnectedness between all members of the communities and partners. Created and maintained principles and values which support self-organisation and self sustenance of innovation and knowledge communities. Introduced innovative methods to unlock knowledge from underutilized knowledge holders within the organizations like GCF, GEF, IFAD, AsDB, AfDB, WB and FAO Networks. Designed and implemented formal and informal methods to capture, codify and curate learning and knowledge – explicit and tacit. • Identified and created ways to showcase the innovation and creativity of various IWRM projects to encourage learning across the communities. Identified IWRM relevant knowledge partners, entrepreneurs and other innovators and established relationships for mutually beneficial formats to engage. Represented organization internal and external meetings, boards or committees as appropriate. • Drive the Thought Leadership Agenda, including but not limited to IWRM, leveraging the talent, expertise and insight brought together by technical community, including regional teams and country partnerships, and by the global team itself, by: • Analyzed needs and interests of the broader communities in terms of guidance and/or thought leadership, knowledge creation and/or curation, and dissemination and/or uptake; • Coordinated key deliverables from across the global team, and the regions to ensure, together with others in the Network Operations and the Communications & Knowledge team, the thought leadership products are being taken up and used and able to support actions towards better water governance and management; • Worked with technical experts at all levels to collect information on best practices and lessons learnt for review and transformation into innovative and new knowledge products. • Lead the development of “template” knowledge products to be used throughout the team. Worked with Knowledge Management specialists in addressing the knowledge management needs, in • Developing simple and easily applicable knowledge management strategies fitting with regional and thematical focus, including processes for capturing, organizing and developing information, experiences, insights and knowledge stories from the people in and outside the network. • Developing and implementing effective organizational tools for evaluating, assessing and communicating the impact of work to improve existing practices and to inform decisions and programme management overall. • Ensured knowledge capture and uptake in all projects at the global level and support with methods and tools to ensure integration, uptake and capacity-building in the regional and country level projects • Worked with external IT and knowledge management providers to create efficient formats for information sharing, management and turning information into knowledge. • Contributed to strategic reviews, business planning and development of the organization, provide timely updates and reports to colleagues, Management Team and Governance bodies as needed. Relevant Qualifications and Experience: • More than 25 years of relevant work experience in public and private sector operations (including capacity building programs) including in project planning, design, financing, management, implementation and development policy issues; monitoring and evaluation. • Demonstrated experience, understanding, and ability to contribute to and enforce policy, institutional, financing, social and environmental requirements in project/program implementation; • Experienced working with public and private sector clients/partners at a strategic and operational levels. Experience working in developing countries is a definite advantage; • Proven experience in providing quality policy and project advice to national and international clients, and in transferring knowledge; • Strong portfolio management, financial and credit analysis skills and a demonstrated understanding of various donors’ instruments, blended financed and sector investment areas, evidenced by a proven track record in the delivery of operations within International Institutions or context. • Strong client and communications skills backed by an ability to articulate and present ideas well both in writing and orally to a diverse audience of stakeholders at technical and strategic levels. • Knowledge of the operational framework and fiduciary standards of international institutions backed by excellent analytical skills and problem-solving skills; • Strong Interpersonal/relationship management and negotiation skills coupled with tact and ability to handle sensitive situations and communicate effectively. Ability to work in a multicultural environment with diverse stakeholders at different technical and strategic levels– staff, Board and external stakeholders; • Outstanding interpersonal skills and proven ability to function effectively as a team leader or team member of multi-disciplinary and multicultural teams and to resolve conflicts constructively. Highly motivated, unquestionable integrity and adherence to the highest ethical standards. • Irrigation and Drainage and Water Resource Management insight and experience: I have 28 years’ relevant work experience, ideally in applying and/or promoting water resource management principles to solve real-life water challenges. Fully aware of key challenges in the sector at large, ideally with experience in on-the ground implementation of Water Resource Management projects or initiatives. Ideally, during doing so, experience in building innovation and learning communities, entrepreneurship, and collaboration. • Learning and Behavior Change: Direct experience in designing, hosting and managing partner-to-partner/South-to-South learning events and practices, promoting learning and behavior change, ideally with geographically distributed communities. Ideally also experience in having applied concepts of behavioral psychology and/or applied sociology in some form of cultural or organisational change management; experience in data capture and analysis, in evaluating and assessing change and impact and improving capacity and practices a plus. • Relationship Management: Evidenced ability to build effective and sustainable relationships internally and externally. • Knowledge Management Technologies and Tools: Ideally experience in – and if not then openness and interest in and affinity to - knowledge management approaches, technologies, digital platforms and tools in solving knowledge management and community challenges. This would include the ability to explain to others, in pragmatic “how to” language, the relevance of knowledge and learning and the value of “knowledge communities”. Experience in supervising vendors a plus (ideally but not required: technology vendors). • Project Management and Communications: Strong project management and communication skills. Highly developed interpersonal skills and demonstrated competence in negotiation at the highest level. Experience of having worked in or with multi-cultural settings. • Global development trends, sustainable development: Awareness of global development trends. Experience of working and living in low-income and middle-income countries a plus. • Professionalism: Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity. Demonstrates corporate knowledge, self-development and initiative-taking. Ability to work in a multi-cultural and international environment based on mutual respect and tolerance. Ability to exercise good judgement, discretion and tact in handling sensitive issues. • Planning and Organizing: Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to details and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines. Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment where adaptability is essential. • E-literacy: Excellent e-skills, including the ability to use modern office technology and related software. Practical knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software is required. Ability to do internet research, compile information and find solutions online to information gaps is essential. • Teamwork: Support colleagues, contribute to team culture, and share responsibility for decision-making and results. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility. Ability to “lead from behind” and work without direct authority to deliver timely and high-quality products. Research Work/Interests: • Led the preparation and implementation of five integrated water resources management, watershed management, surface and ground water management, irrigation, drainage and environment management and sustainability policies and strategies and their implementation. • Extensively worked on the research and development of on farm water management technologies, including the high efficiency irrigation, food, water, sanitation, health, nutrition, stunting and environment issues. • Authored and technically lead the development of more than 50 project concept notes/proposals, project preparation reports and appraisal documents in Africa, Asia, MENA and North America. • Extensively researched the Agri-Value Chains and Enterprise Development approaches for rural communities in Asia (Pakistan). • Studied 300 ground water wells in Rocky View Area of the Alberta, Canada for Ground Water Recharge, depletion and use with 300 farmers. • Authored 15 projects inceptions reports, 15 M&E and 35 project completion reports in Africa. • Engaged in the development and preparation of the 8 national, regional and international/transboundary basin models, flood management plans, watershed plans, ground water management policies, plans and their implementations in Asia, Africa and North America. • Development Water Security Diagnostic for Pakistan. • Three Research papers on Multi-Stakeholders’ Engagement and Collaboration in Strategic Watershed Planning and Management, published. • Analysed the impact of ground water depletion in Potohar belt/Rainfed Areas of Pakistan. • PhD, 2 MSc and BSc research thesis with research focus on strategic planning through multi-stakeholders’ collaboration and engagement, water systems designs and efficiencies. • Contributed to the development of City of Calgary Storm Water Management and Drainage Manual. • Contributed to development of Training and Design OFWM Manuals on Irrigation and Drainage, Water Course Design, and Water Harvesting Technologies under OECF/JAICA Assisted OFWM Project in Pakistan. • Developed detailed design manual and working paper on water conservation and water harvesting technologies/concepts. My interest in the Assignment: I strongly believe that with practical experience, academic background and training as lead Project Manager and Portfolio Specialist with World Bank and African Development, and JAICA and Asian Development Bank Assisted Projects in South East Asia, the position best fits the requirements of the research-based development position. Based on the above background, introduction and attached CV, I kindly ask to accept my candidature and provide me the opportunity to discuss my interest. I pride myself as a team player can be assigned tasks to do in an organized, independently, and professional manner. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my suitability, in person or WebEx/skype during 7:00AM to 11:00 PM (Ontario time) preferably on contacts below. Please let me know if I can provide you with any further information. Thank you for your kind consideration in advance. Looking forward to hearing from you. Feel free to contact me at your convenience for any questions.