Sumera Izhar
Islamabad,Pakistan
Summary
A dynamic, enthusiastic and energetic person equipped with strong technical, management, interpersonal and coordination skills. Energetic professional well-versed in strong communication and organisation skills. Seeks solutions to problems and applies extensive analytical knowledge to findings. Adept at multi-tasking, leading group discussions and managing projects.
Professional project management specialist with experience working with teams to accomplish short- and long-term project goals. Managed budgets and monitored project costs.
Effective Knowledge of UN's thematic areas, Multi-sectoral humanitarian response for Shelter/NFIs, WASH and CCCM, early recovery and longer-term programming in Climate Change/Climate resilience, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Gender Equality and Mainstreaming.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Climate Resilient Recovery and Durable Solutions Advisor / Shelter-NFI and CCCM National Coordinator
UN IOM (International Organization for Migration)
Islamabad , Pakistan
2024.01 - Current
- Supporting IOM Pakistan for connecting Climate Change interventions with the Living Indus initiative and supporting Ministry of Climate Change in National Adaptation Plan implementation
- Designed and implemented recovery and reconstruction pilot projects for reducing climate impact of the construction activities through reducing carbon footprint
- Supporting the mission in planning for climate resilient interventions including conversion of traditional Brick kilns industry in climate resilient brick kilns i.e
- Zig-zag technologies
- Engaged in coordination, linkages building with other UN agencies, Government at national and provincial levels, academia, International and local NGOs involved in recovery and reconstruction in the flood affected areas in Pakistan
- Engaged in technical coordination with World Bank for designing a multi-million dollars projects for housing reconstruction and rehabilitation in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces in Pakistan
- Supporting the IOM mission as the shelter/non-food items (NFI) and CCCM sector National Coordinator
- Supporting National level coordination, preparedness and contingency planning for shelter/NFI sector for disasters and emergencies.
Recovery and Durable Solutions Advisor
NORCAP Expert deployed to UN IOM
Islamabad , Pakistan
2023.03 - 2023.12
- Supporting IOM Pakistan for connecting Climate Change interventions with the Living Indus initiative and supporting Ministry of Climate Change in National Adaptation Plan implementation
- Engaged in developing technical construction standards and guidelines for Flood and Earthquake resistant housing and resilient settlements
- Engaged in coordination, linkages building with other UN agencies, Government at national and provincial levels, academia, International and local NGOs involved in recovery and reconstruction in the flood affected areas in Pakistan
- Engaged in technical coordination with World Bank for designing a multi-million dollars projects for housing reconstruction and rehabilitation in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces in Pakistan
- Led Housing Recovery and Durable Solutions Working Group on behalf of IOM at national level
- Supporting the shelter/non-food items (NFI) sector partners involved in humanitarian response to connect with long-term recovery and reconstruction sector partners for bridging the gaps in needs and reaching out to the vulnerable communities.
- Successfully delivered on tasks within tight deadlines.
Coordination and Evaluation Specialist
United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO), Pakistan
2020.10 - 2023.02
- Supported RCO team in flood response coordination and Secretary General's Solidarity mission
- Supported RCO office in the development and planning for United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023-27 (UNCT strategic retreat, provincial dialogues, national strategic prioritization workshop, stakeholder's consultations)
- Supported two outcome areas on a
- Climate Change and Environment and b
- Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
- Under the umbrella of Climate Change and Environment supported development of Master plan for Living Indus Initiation for Ecological restoration of Indus Basin in Pakistan (A joint initiative between UN and Ministry of Climate Change) Supported RCO office in coordination and preparation for UNCT meetings and Provincial programme team meetings
- Supported with the donor and stakeholder mapping for new cooperation framework for validation exercise and mobilizing donor commitments
- Supported RCO team in One UN programme -III (OP-III) evaluation for 2018-2021
- Supported RCO team in compilation of the Common Country Analysis 2020-21 to identify and develop country context, challenges and opportunities available for UN to work in Pakistan
- Conducted the annual OP-III evaluation assessment for 2019
- Facilitated identification of key data gaps (either for further research, or for eventual inclusion in the One UN Programme III as a program intervention).
Senior Programme Officer, Humanitarian and Developmental Climate Resilient WASH
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Pakistan Representation
Islamabad
2017.03 - 2020.09
- Managed local implementing partners through technical, social and administrative backstopping and field monitoring activities for humanitarian and long-term development projects for number of thematic projects related to integrated WASH, Livelihood, Shelter, CBDRM and Climate Change
- On average per year manages 3 to 4 projects
- Assist/assisted NCA WASH team in applying for several calls for proposals through donor coordination, proposal developments, partner coordination and mobilization in last three years included ECHO, EU, UNOCHA, ACT Appeal, UN bilateral funding opportunities, etc
- As part of the job responsibility spend 50% time in donor mobilization and searching for new funding opportunities
- At an average submit 5 to 6 applications per annum in response to specific calls for proposal and unsolicited
- Supported the development of NCA Pakistan's Country Strategy for 2020-2030, Norad Application for 2020-2024, MFA application, MFA strategic partnership application for flexible funding
- Led climate change research and managing NORAD Funds for multi-years for addressing long-term urban WASH issues and climate change effects through solid waste management and enhanced agriculture production in collaboration with government line department/municipalities
- Supported Climate Change Center, University of Peshawar in development of Local Climate Adaptation Plans for Swat, Nowshera and Lakki Marwat, KPK
- Led the Technical Working Group for Sanitation on behalf of NCA under the WASH Cluster (2017-2018) and completed the development of the Sanitation Guidelines for KPK and FATA
- Represented NCA as a gender focal person on different forums including MHM working group, WASH sector coordination platform and also focal person for Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) network chaired by UNFPA.
Shelter and Protection Specialist
United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN Habitat), Pakistan
2015.01 - 2017.02
- Provided institutional support to Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Unit in FATA Secretariat for implementation of housing reconstruction policy in the areas of return with focus on Building Back Better and Smarter
- Represented UN Habitat in the Humanitarian Country Team and in advocacy related to developmental, humanitarian, sustainable recovery and reconstruction, and DRR related initiatives
- Led the technical damage assessment survey in Chitral from Feb 2016 to Mar 2016, to document the damage patterns after earthquake 2014 and flood 2015 and developed a project proposal for early recovery and reconstruction interventions for Chitral
- Provided technical support to the project teams in the field area and implementing partners with regard to the implementation of the below mentioned projects; Multi-Hazard Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (MHVRA) in Chitral and D.I
- Khan Shelter and WASH Assistance for Temporary Displaced Persons living among host communities in Bannu, Lakki Marwat and D.I
- Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
- (Received Scroll-of-Honor from NDMA and FDMA FATA for appropriate and adaptive shelter designs) Design of winterized shelters for Temporary Dislocated families from FATA living among Host communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province integrated with life-saving WASH assistance
- Shelter and WASH Assistance for rehabilitation after return to Tirrah, Khyber Agency in FATA
- Involved in development of technical solutions and guidelines for permanent reconstruction of houses in mud, stone, timber and brick masonry.
Early Recovery Consultant for Shelter, Building Resilience, DRR and WASH project development
UN HABITAT, Islamabad Office
2014.11 - 2014.12
- Documented the damage pattern in flood affected areas of Punjab
- Developed shelter design options for affected areas with minimum cost subsidy provided by government of Pakistan
- Developed integrated project proposals for Shelter, WASH and Capacity building elements.
Shelter Cluster- Technical Officer
International Organization for Migration (IOM), Islamabad
2014.03 - 2014.09
- Provided specialized support to field operations post floods rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes through technical and engineering input related to site selection, physical planning, shelter and infrastructure with due consideration to any cross sectoral issue including protection, water, sanitation and environmental concerns
- Facilitated in analyzing and reviewing technical documentation Supervised and completed the IOM-DFID technical research for Improved Shelters for floods and alternative cost effective and sustainable shelter solutions Phase I
- Provided technical and coordination support to shelter cluster/ working group in preparing preparedness plans, emergency shelter strategies and shelter/NFIs kits compositions for different regions
- Developed terms of reference (ToRs) for the evaluations for the shelter projects and shelter cluster and for the consultants to engage for the research projects.
Programme Officer
UN-Habitat, United Nations Human Settlements Program
Islamabad , Pakistan
2009.02 - 2012.12
- Prepared new project proposals, detailed work plans and detailed reports on all on-going projects of UN-HABITAT Pakistan office to national authorities, UN Regional Office and Donors
- Facilitated the shelter cluster coordination post floods 2010 and worked closely with NDMA for Post disaster needs assessment design, planning and launch
- Worked with Government of Sindh for low-cost and sustainable policies and housing solutions for people in squatter settlements, disasters and floods
- In the capacity of the UN Reform Focal Person from UN-HABITAT for DRM Joint programme, participated in all the activities including the development of annual and monthly work plans in collaboration with other UN agencies and NDMA, projects development and prioritization of activities as per the requirement of country situation and available funding
- Ensured the integration of UN-HABITAT's interest in the programme being the lead agency for outcome dealing with “Communities, vulnerable groups, grassroots organizations and local authorities in high-risk areas empowered with resources and capacities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters”
- Supported linkages development, coordination liaison between all the stakeholders including NDMA, UN agencies, Universities and CSOs.
- Improved programme efficiency by streamlining processes and procedures.
Technical Information Coordinator
UN-Habitat, United Nations Human Settlements Program, Islamabad
2007.03 - 2009.01
- Involved in development of number of guidelines including construction of earthquake resistance and safe rural houses, user friendly and economical construction standards, small infrastructure works including rainwater harvesting at household level and feasible retrofitting options and guidelines for rural houses
- Involved in development of user-friendly technical training curricula for locals, (sub-)engineers and artisans along with implementation plans, schedules and management of trainings in the field and Government engineers, DAM, MCM
- Facilitated the housing and technical department in UN-Habitat with regular building inspections and enforcement, development of linkages between academia, policy makers, donors and research/engineering professionals (ARUPs, EERI, NSET, Universities, ERRA, World Bank, NESPAK, etc)
- Contributed in damage and needs assessment following the Baluchistan earthquake for National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan through data analysis
- Managed the technical information, documentation and progress reports.
Engineering Manager – Civil, Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Programme
German Technical Corporation (GTZ), Islamabad
2006.05 - 2007.02
- Managed and reconstructed four Housing Reconstruction Centers (HRCs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province formerly known as NWFP
- Involved in coordination and linkage development among donors, ERRA, local government bodies, partner organizations and Pakistan Army in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Batagram, Allai, Shangla and Kohistan Districts
- Supported the safer construction through troubleshooting in technical and design related issues in the field, prepared engineering drawings, cost estimates and BOQs
- Prepared Schedules and conducted the trainings for trainers through extensive use of MS projects for effective monitoring and planning
- Worked in close collaboration with NSET, UN HABITAT, SDC, ERRA and NESPAK for technical working group for development of technical guideline for reconstruction activities.
Associate Engineer, Environmental Programs
Hagler Bailly Pakistan, Islamabad
2005.01 - 2005.12
- As Backup Manager and Technical Writer contributed in preparation and compilation of Feasibility and EIA Reports, Preliminary Investigation (PI) reports, Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) reports, Groundwater Monitoring Event (GME) reports
- As a project focal – Civil contributed in preparation and revisions of as-built engineering drawing for Shell Machike bulk oil storage terminal.
Assistant Design Engineer
Engineering Consultants International (Pvt.) Ltd. (ECIL)
Karachi
2004.02 - 2004.12
- As Assistant Design Engineer, I was involved in the designing water supply, sewerage, and drainage systems, designing underground tanks, overhead tanks, and pumping stations, the preparation of drawings, BOQs, and engineers' estimates, and writing of technical specifications and design report, as well as the specifications for the large-scale land development, infrastructure and housing projects.
Education
M.Sc. Environmental Design - Environmental Design and Architecture
Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad
Islamabad, Pakistan 2012.07 - 2016.06
B.E. Civil Engineering - Civil Engineering
NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi
Karachi, Pakistan 2000.01 - 2003.12
Skills
- MS Office
- MS Project
- AutoCAD 2000i, 2002
- Graphic and Publishing Software (In-Design, Illustrator, INPAGE)
- Time management
- Project coordination
- Budget planning
- Event organisation
- Staff supervision
- Strategic planning
- Conflict resolution
- Stakeholder engagement
- Risk assessment
- Team leadership
- Training and development
- Technical writing
Personal Information
- CNIC Number: 42101-8509524-2
- Date of birth: 03/23/81
- Marital status: Married
Custom
- Contributor “Supporting Safer Housing Reconstruction After Disasters” (UN Habitat AXA) 2019.
- Contributed as field survey consultant to “Evaluation of One Room Shelter Programme for the 2011 floods response in South Sindh, Pakistan”
- Contributed as a co-author to paper on “Learning from the Shelter Response and Rural Housing Recovery – Kashmir Earthquake 2005”
- M.Sc. Research: Post Occupancy Environmental Evaluation of Incremental Housing Development Scheme - Khuda ki Basti- 3, Karachi, 2017
- BE Project: Advanced Wastewater treatment and surface water recharge using the effluent of Mauripur Treatment plant and development of recharge basins near Scheme 42 in Karachi, 2003/04.
Languages
English
Fluent
Arabic
Beginner
Urdu
Native
Punjabi
Upper intermediate
Affiliations
- Nature walk
- Reading
Accomplishments
- Champion for Living Indus Initiation
- Awarded with scroll of honour for contribution for sustainable and dignified living of returning people in North Waziristan after eth conflicts in 2014.
- Won silver award for Duke of Edinburgh
Certification
Registered with Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC)
Institute of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) affiliation
RedR Membership
NORCAP Roster Membership
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Climate Resilient Recovery and Durable Solutions Advisor / Shelter-NFI and CCCM National Coordinator
UN IOM (International Organization for Migration)
2024.01 - Current
Recovery and Durable Solutions Advisor
NORCAP Expert deployed to UN IOM
2023.03 - 2023.12
Coordination and Evaluation Specialist
United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO), Pakistan
2020.10 - 2023.02
Senior Programme Officer, Humanitarian and Developmental Climate Resilient WASH
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Pakistan Representation
2017.03 - 2020.09
Shelter and Protection Specialist
United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN Habitat), Pakistan
2015.01 - 2017.02
Early Recovery Consultant for Shelter, Building Resilience, DRR and WASH project development
UN HABITAT, Islamabad Office
2014.11 - 2014.12
Shelter Cluster- Technical Officer
International Organization for Migration (IOM), Islamabad
2014.03 - 2014.09
M.Sc. Environmental Design - Environmental Design and Architecture
Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad
2012.07 - 2016.06
Programme Officer
UN-Habitat, United Nations Human Settlements Program
2009.02 - 2012.12
Technical Information Coordinator
UN-Habitat, United Nations Human Settlements Program, Islamabad
2007.03 - 2009.01
Engineering Manager – Civil, Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Programme
German Technical Corporation (GTZ), Islamabad
2006.05 - 2007.02
Associate Engineer, Environmental Programs
Hagler Bailly Pakistan, Islamabad
2005.01 - 2005.12
Assistant Design Engineer
Engineering Consultants International (Pvt.) Ltd. (ECIL)
2004.02 - 2004.12
B.E. Civil Engineering - Civil Engineering
NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi
2000.01 - 2003.12
Registered with Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC)
Institute of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) affiliation
RedR Membership
NORCAP Roster Membership
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