African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)

Organizational and Institutional Development Specialist, certified Environmental Impact Assessor, MBTI, Kirkpatrick Evaluation, Coach, and Mentor. Dr. Douglas Ouma is an African Development Professional and Environmentalist, Founder and Team Leader of Retouch Africa Consulting (RAI), which mobilizes professionals in Africa and beyond to identify and nurture talents as well as equip young people with skills, knowledge, and success mindsets to transform Africa, deliver prosperity and happiness in a single generation. Dr. Ouma is an organizational and Institutional Strengthening Specialist with over 20 years of experience facilitating and training corporate organizations, development organizations, governments, and quasi-government institutions in Kenya and Africa. Douglas has designed, implemented, and provided technical assistance for capacity development programs in sub-Saharan Africa. Douglas consults on institutional development, strategy development, policy analysis and design, program management, and capacity improvements for the Africa Union-AUC/AUDA NEPAD, Africa’s Regional Economic Communities, USAID Feed the Future, UKAID, FAO, The World Bank, European Union, East Africa Community (EAC/LVBC), World Wide Fund for Nature, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), National and Regional Governments, Civil Society, and the Corporate Sector. Dr. Ouma has been involved in multiple policy projects in Africa, spanning policy analysis, policy design, and policy evaluation, and facilitating high-level policy discourse on the continent. Some of the assignments include UASID/Africa Lead 1&2 (Transformative Leadership Trainings of Champions for Change, State University of New York’s Centre for International Development/USAID/UKAID/AHADI (Strengthening Devolution in Kenya on Public Expenditure Management-Strategic Planning, Policy Development Process, Public Participation, CIDP Development, Service Delivery Systems Development (January 2018-May 2020); Africa Union –AUC/AUDA NEPAD (CAADP Malabo Declaration Biennial Review Trainings and Reviews 1, 2 and 3 BRs (March 2017-April 2021, Facilitation of CAADP Partners Platform Meetings (May 2017- November 2020); Facilitation of the 2nd and 3rd Biennial Post Harvest Congress(September 2019; September 2021); Darwin/USAID/Nature Kenya: Development of Indigenous Community Conservation Areas Management Plan 2019-2029 for Yala Wetland(March-December 2020); Yala Wetland Land Use Plan & Strategic Environmental Assessment (March 2016 -December 2020) Douglas has also designed research programs and program interventions with coaching frameworks, including the Yala Hub Framework for optimizing public participation in development programs. Dr. Ouma has a methodical, customer-focused approach to work and a strategic approach, with a strong analytical capacity for issues and a strong drive to see things through to completion.

Sepiso Mungandi is a District Agricultural Coordinator under the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia. Having worked in the agricultural sector since 2006, she has vast experience in farm management and entrepreneurship, as well as management and leaderships skills. She also possesses competences in facilitation, curriculum and training manuals development, acquired through many years of conducting induction trainings and refresher courses, while working with the Zambian Ministry of Agriculture. Sepiso holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Commerce from Massey University, New Zealand and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Zambia. She is a mentor and coach to a number of youth through the work she does under a non-profit organization she co-founded, known as May-One Connect Foundation. Within A-TEAM, she facilitates the leadership and mentoring series.