Faaiz Ajaz

Contact

Email: faaizajaz@gmail.com
Website: www.faaiz.org

Country: PK

Profiles

Summary

9 years of development sector experience. Data enthusiast fluent in Python and JavaScript, web app development with Django and VueJS.

Work

2020-10-31

I have worked or am currently working on:

    • 2021 - Writing the environmental and social management framework for the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP)
    • 2021 - Review of ESF instruments for the Balochistan Integrated Water Resources Management and Development Project (BIWRMDP)
    • 2021 - Developed land acquisition and involuntary resettlement procedures for Punjab Green Development Programme (GDP)
    • 2021 - Wrote the stakeholder engagement plan for the Locust Emergency and Food Security project (LEAFS)
    • 2020 - Wrote the environmental and social management framework for COVID19 Response, Recovery and Resilience in Education Project (RRREP)
    • 2020 - Review and update of the environmental management framework for the Advancing Sustainable Aquaculture in Sindh project (ASAP)

Deputy Programme Manager - Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact (SEDI), Oxford Policy Management

2019-07-31 - 2021-05-31

Acting Programme Manager since September 2019

SEDI (strengthening the use of evidence for development impact) is a five year £17 million programme funded by the UK Department for International Development and implemented by OPM. The programme aims to increase the use of evidence by policymakers in three DFID partner countries (Pakistan, Uganda, and Ghana), which will contribute to more efficient and effective decision making by partner governments.

Senior Delivery Associate - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Sector Programme (KESP), Adam Smith International

2019-04-30 - 2019-07-31

    • Providing key inputs related to quality of service for the DFID funded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Sector Programme (KESP), involving interventions in the public education sector ranging from teaching inputs, to leadership and performance management
    • Coordinating between ASI/DFID and KP Department of Education, and ensuring timely delivery of programme outputs
    • Ensuring adherence to logframe benchmarks, and advising on key indicators to measure for performance management

Consultant, SECUR GLOBAL PVT LTD.

2018-05-31 - 2019-03-31

    • Subcontracted to lead the development of a "District Development Monitor" for the Asian Development Bank.
    • The tool aims to assist ADB's decision support system via the creation of a composite socioeconomic index (using a factor analysis approach), and the development of a district-wise ranking and traffic-light classification.
    • It also includes the development of a web-application to monitor district-wise development across Pakistan. Once completed, the tool will be deployed and shared with private and government partners.
    • All data cleaning/analysis was done in R, and the final results are visualized on a web-application using Shiny + Leaflet for map visualizations.

Energy and Policy Specialist, Reenergia

2016-05-31 - 2019-03-31

    • Lead feasibility study on renewable energy financing in Pakistan for the French Development Agency (AFD) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). As project lead, I presented our findings at SBP in Karachi to senior officials from AFD, SBP, and private banks across Pakistan.
    • Lead the survey design, survey administration, and data analysis for an International Finance Corporation (IFC) study on willingness to pay for improved electricity services in Lasbela District, Balochistan.
    • Wrote an issue paper for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the fiscal and foreign exchange liabilities of CPEC energy projects, and provided research inputs for a second paper on Pakistan's energy sector "circular debt"

Fulbright Outreach Officer, United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan

2013-06-30 - 2015-06-30

    • I guided local high school and university students on the application process for US Universities, and conducted informational seminars and workshops at schools and Universities in the greater Islamabad/Rawalpindi area.
    • I independently developed a series of 5-day workshops for high school students which were met with great success, and were eventually rolled out to USEFP offices nationwide.
    • Developed and conducted capacity building workshops for local high school counselors to train them on better facilitating their students' university applications.

Associate - Environmental Programmes, Hagler Bailly Pakistan

2012-05-31 - 2013-06-30

    • Prepared environmental impact assessments for development and private sector projects, primarily related to energy and mining
    • Assessed project impacts on air quality by conducting atmospheric dispersion studies. Input data was collected on-site, and was used to run atmospheric dispersion models.
    • Developed a protocol for the collection of baseline environmental data, and developed a tool for integrating this into a GIS.
    • Carried out qualitative data analysis in R for socioeconomic surveys, and prepared results summaries

Consultant, ActionAid

2011-11-30 - 2012-02-28

    • I prepared annual reports detailing ActionAid and partner organizations' work in seven districts of Northern Pakistan.
    • Contributed to the 2011 annual report, and sustainable agriculture policy brief
    • Responsible for coordinating the collection and compilation of project data from ActionAid's partner organizations.
    • Prepared brochures and short reports for distribution amongst donor agencies.

Research Assistant, University of Maryland

2010-09-30 - 2011-11-30

    • Assisted with design and implementation of electronic control system for circulation, drainage, and holding tanks for a 7200 gallon anaerobic digester
    • Designed and built automatic sump-pump drainage system for the project
    • Carried out bio-methane potential and volatile solids tests on research materials in the lab

Volunteer

Volunteer, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

2010-07-31 - 2011-01-31

I volunteered at PWRS, assisting research staff on sea-duck hearing and electroreception studies. I assisted in running trials with live animals, and recorded experimental data. I also assisted in the design and construction of experimental apparatus, and was responsible for facility upkeep, including feeding the animals, cleaning enclosures, and maintaining the experimental apparatus.

Education

University of Sussex - Master of Arts - MA in Environment, Development, and Policy

2015-12-31 - 2016-12-31

University of Maryland - Bachelor of Science - BSc in Environmental Science

2005-12-31 - 2010-12-31

Skills

Data Analysis
Environmental Policy
Python
Data Visualization
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Django
R
Vue.js
Environmental Impact Assessment

Languages

Native Speaker in English
Native Speaker in Urdu