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Some more about ME - Monitoring and Evaluation Expert

Ajay Saxena
Public Private Partnership Expert - Asian Development Bank
and Monitoring & Evaluation Expert / Specialist
(Last Updated in June '08)

 

 

Expertise: Strategy and Policy Formulations, Public Private Partnership Project and Policy Development, Program and Project Management, Skilled Negotiating & Communication. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, Strong Analytical skills,

 

Professional Experience: (15+ years)

 

1.       Since October, 2007 have been working with Asian Development Bank (ADB) as Public Private Partnership Expert to Government of Maharashtra under the Technical Assistance TA-4890(IND): Mainstreaming of Public Private Partnerships at State Level.

Key Responsibilities

 

-          Review of constraints to the existing frameworks for infrastructure development

-          Development of Risk Assessment models

-          Determining adequate monitoring arrangement

-          Development of guidelines and manuals for PPP Cells

-          Conducting research on international best practices including attending workshops on best practices for PPP Cell

-          Refining PPP Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

-          Vetting and Improving bid documents and procedures (reviewing RFPs etc)

-          Engage in Knowledge dis-semination (e.g. organise workshops and presentations) on PPP best practices to state government and other entities

-          Conduct consultations and confidence building exercises with private sector players to improve their understanding of PPP mainstreaming efforts at State

-          Assist in supervising PPP projects in execution phase

-          Assisting wih project structuring (modeling, inputs to transaction advisors etc.)

 

Accomplishments:

 

Policy Initiatives

Ø      Draft PPP Policy for the Sate of Maharashtra

Ø      Concept Paper for empanelment of Transaction Advisors to help state departments and Urban Local Bodies in Project Development and complete PPP Transaction services.

 

Institutional Framework

Ø      Setting up of PPP Cell within the Government

Ø      Facilitating GoM in setting up Maharashtra Urban Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. (MUINFRA) for the promotion of PPPs at the Local Level.

 

Project Management

Structuring three projects under PPP Mode of Financing in different sectors and facilitating the respective agencies and GoM in complete transaction services as per following

Conversion of IMS Vikrant into a commercially viable museum – Project cost Rs 300 Crores.

Modernization of  Taraporevalla Aquarium – Project cost Rs 200 Crores

Integrated Road Development Project for City of Chandrapur – Project cost Rs 150 Crores

Interacting with many International and National private operators to encourage their participation in Development of Maharashtra State

Interacting with national and international consultancy organizations

 

Knowledge Dissemination

Ø      Delivering Lectures on different aspects of PPP including structures, forms, project development etc

Ø      Case Studies of successful Projects and dissemination of the same to potential users

Ø      Training Material on PPP mode of Project development and Implementation

 

2.       March 2002 to September 2007, worked with UP Land Development Corporation, Lucknow (A Public Sector Undertaking for Development) as Sr. Manager (Monitoring & Evaluation) for World Bank funded UP Sodic Land Reclamation and Agriculture Development Project in 22 districts of UP. Also managed World Bank Funded Project Swashakti in 15 select districts of UP, in the capacity of Project Director, from August, 2002 to August 2003

Key Responsibilities and Accomplishments:

 

Policy Initiatives

Ø      Policy formulation for creation of Sodic land Reclamation Fund (Usar Sudhar Anurakshan Nidhi) to maintain the Infrastructures developed in the Project

Ø       Policy advocacy for mainstreaming of SIC (Site Implementation Committee), a village level CBO, through its amalgamation into Water Management Committee of Gram Panchayat.

Ø      Conceptualization, designing & operationalization of "Convergence strategy” for Sustainability of Project Impacts, of UP SODIC Project II.  The overall strategy focuses on poverty alleviation through convergence with Line Departments and NGOs.

Ø      To promote ITEs and e-governance at local level, formulated a policy to establish computers at Farmer Field Schools and Panchayat Bhawans.

Ø      Formulated policy to include Gender Budgeting in the New Proposed Project with the inclusion of new concepts like Entry Point Activity at the village level, proposed allocation of separate budget for Gender based activities etc.

 

Fund Raising

Ø      Developed the Approach Paper and actively involved in the capacity of Advisor for the development of follow-on project for SODIC Reclamation and Ravine Stabilization of Rs 2000 Cr to be implemented in 29 districts with the help of World Bank.

Ø      Raise the Funds for the Extension of ongoing Project UPSLR IIP

Ø      Negotiated with EU for transferring the EU assisted Rs 42 Cr. Ravine Stabilization Project to our organization.

 

Project Management

Advising top Management for policy formulation being a member of Top Management Group,

Ø      Successful implementation of Project Swashakti, a WB funded rural women empowerment project in 15 districts of UP with an annual budget of Rs 6.0 Crores and a staff of 465.

Ø       Designing of Development Objective and Physical Performance Indicators for concurrent monitoring and Socio-Economic Impact assessment

Ø      Took initiative in brining Gender perspective in the Monitoring and Evaluation systems

Ø      Scaling up of the SODIC project through a process of decentralization by introducing concepts of micro planning and collective procurement and transportation.

Ø      Accomplished Cost – Benefit analysis of Bhumi Sena Yojna of GoUP. (Received appreciation by Management)

Ø      Analysis of Key Poverty alleviation indicators such as, House Hold as well as Per Capita Income and Expenditure, Health, hygiene and sanitation, micro-credit availability along with agricultural indicators like crop productivity, Cropping Intensity, Cropping pattern, diversification, value of land etc

Ø      Established Participatory Monitoring and evaluation system by designing statistical tools like Sustainability Index (SI), Reclamation Sustainability Index (RSI) for sustainability monitoring leading to formulation of Exit Strategy

Ø      Development of LOGFID for systematic planning and monitoring of SHGs and Clusters for Sustaining the impacts of Project SWASHAKTI

Ø      Build the M&E Section from the scratch.

Ø      Coordination with donor agencies (World Bank, IFAD, EU) and line agencies, NGOs, Govt of UP and Govt of India on regular basis.

Ø      Designing and conducting Training courses / workshop on M&E issues, Participatory methodology and approaches for development professionals, technocrats, middle and field level functionaries

Ø      Reviewing the reports provided by international M&E consultants to obtain regular feedback on the progress of the projects.

Ø      Strengthening the MIS of different Projects implemented by UPBSN.

Ø      Leading a multidisciplinary team comprising of Economist, Statistician, Agriculturist and data development directly.

 

3.       June’ 2000, - February 2002, Worked with M/s Compare Infobase Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, as AVP. Managed the independent Profit center of Portals having 42 portals in various segments. Staff of 52 and budget of Rs 2 crores.

 

Key Responsibilities and Accomplishments:

 

Policy Initiatives

·                           Developed Policies for Strategic Alliances and channel Partners to company’s family of sites.

·                           Contributed in the development of HR Policies of Company

 

Project Management

·                           Conceptualized, designed, developed and instrumental in exponential Growth of the exhaustive Informative Map Portal www.mapsofindia.com

·                           Ensured increase in Revenue by 200% in Portals Division through B2B and B2C e-commerce in the year Jan-Dec’2001 to INR 10 mln. and 100% in the following Year.

·                           Innovated the product of Maps of India CD consisting maps of all nature (converting the www.mapsofindia.com into CD) and developed the marketing strategy for the same. Executed the project from designing till delivery and making chain agents for marketing the product besides online selling of CD.

·                           Successfully entered into a contract with YAHOO INDIA! for content sharing

·                           Formed Strategic Alliances with HclInfinet, TataNova, Maruti Udyog Ltd and more than 300 Affiliates  (May refer www.mapsofindia.com/affiliatenetwork.htm)

·                           Successfully developed the CBIS to analyze the data and monitor the users’  behavior & requirements on the sites and developed effective feedback system

·                           Led a team of 52 Economics, IT and data development Professionals

·                           Successfully Managed SubstanceFactory.com Pvt. Ltd., Engaged in building high volume of researched database, - a subsidiary of M/s Compare Infobase P. Ltd.  Main Source of Revenue was content Selling.

 

 

 

4.       January 1999 – May 2000 – On my own under the banner M/s Agrim Information Management Services – A consulting firm into Management and Data Consultancies.

·          Imparted Consultancies to Jagran Research Centre, A research center of a Leading Northern India News Paper, PHD Chamber of Commerce, Lucknow. Udyog Bandhu, A single window for Industrial promotion in UP besides many small firms.

·          Developed the Courier monitoring system

·          Conducted Training with Jagran Research Center.

 

5.       May 1993 – December 1998 - DISC (Information Technology) Pvt. Ltd.  A company into the Economic Services consultancies and Software Development  - In various capacities. As Manager Economic services Division and as Branch Manager, Lucknow

KRAs

1. As Manager (ESD) – Monitoring Indian Economy and Corporate economic data and preparing reports & developing data banks to promote industrial investment in India and specific States. Successfully managed the Division as HOD
2. Established the Branch in Lucknow and scaled it up to make it an Independent Profit Center with an Annual Budget of Rs 10 lac and turnover of 30 lacs and 15 staff.
3. Analyzed, Designed, Managed and Delivered the MIS for PICUP – A Loan Disbursement and Investment Corporation of Government of UP. The System was developed to monitor the loan systems and networked with other support systems.
4. Developed data banks for Ministry of External Affaires and 13 State Governments to promote industrial investment and Trade.
5. Conceptualized and Designed the Multimedia CD-ROM Data Bank for Maharashtra named Advantage Maharashtra, which was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Mr. H.D. Devegowda in the seminar organized by Maharashtra Government to promote industrial investment in the State

 

Academic Achievements:

 

 

 

Attachment

 

A. Published Papers and Reports:

 

1.       “Farmer Field School: Farmer centric agriculture extension approaches”, for Leisa India, Vol. 09.

2.       “Addressing the problems of Urban Poor through PPP Model” for All India Institute of Local Self Government, Ministry of Urban Development, GoI.

3.       Cost-benefit analysis of Bhoomi Sena Yojna, a GoUP Scheme for the treatment of Drains, Ponds and barren land.

4.       “Rural Development Through U.P. Sodic Lands Reclamation Model in Northern India” in International Conference on Sustainable Management of Sodic lands held during February 9-14, 2004 at Lucknow, India.

5.       Written a chapter on “Project Management” in the book published on UPSLRP II Project in the above Conference describing various Project Management issues and Implementation Management Plan.

6.       Edited a book on “Bio-Farming for Continuous Cropping”

7.       Role of IT in Basic Education in Rajasthan, - a feasibility report for Govt. of Rajasthan.

8.       Feasibility Study on IT aided Single Window for Tourism in Rajasthan.

 

B. Associations with Professional Societies:

 

1. Invitee in City Managers Association of Maharashtra.
2. District Gen. Secy, of National Human Rights Association, India Association Regd no. 2237-98-99
3. Member of MandE.co.in for M&E participation

 

C. Workshops/Trainings:

 

1.      Resource person at Workshop on PPP organized by YASHADA, Pune

2.      Resource person at workshops on identifying possibilities of PPP in Water Supply, organized by Water Supply Department

3.      Resource person at series of Workshops being organized by All India Institute of Local Self Government for Local Bodies Officials on PPP Project definition, Structuring, Risk Allocation, Financing etc

4.      Resource Person in 3 Days Workshop organized by GoI and World Bank on “Sustaining the impacts” of “Swashakti”, a project funded by IFAD and WB. Presented paper on “Sequencing of Events while withdrawing from the project”.

5.      3 Days Training on “Project Appraisal” from IIM Bangalore.

6.      3 Days Workshop-cum-Training on “Gender in Program and Project Monitoring and Evaluation” Organized by World Bank in Delhi. It was organized simultaneously in 5 nations including Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through Video Conferencing.

7.      Attended 7 days extensive training program on Project Management (Project Planning, Implementation, M&E etc) at NIRD, Hyderabad.

8.      One-Day Workshop on Micro Credit Action Research (MCAR) Organized by UPBSN at BIRD, Lucknow.

9.      Imparted Training on the Monitoring and Evaluation Tools and Techniques to Project functionaries and also to the Staff of external M&E agencies on various occasions.