Benjamin Fataw Bawa
Tamale
Summary
Seasoned Development Project Manager | 10+ Years of Impact-Driven Leadership, Results-oriented professional with over a decade of experience managing complex, donor-funded projects in the areas of women’s empowerment, agricultural value chains, social protection, financial inclusion, and research studies. A strong track record in delivering high-impact outcomes for global donors including the EU, AFD, Gates Foundation, USAID, Sloan Foundation, and Wellspring Foundation.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Programs Associate
Innovation For Poverty Action
01.2022 - 03.2025
- Provided strategic support to the Chief Research Officer in managing over $1.5M RMI Program, achieving 96% on-time, within-budget delivery across 25 research studies spanning Africa, the US, Asia, and Latin America.
- Managed a cross-team coordination under the IPA–Northwestern University agreement, streamlining workflows via Asana and Google Docs, and driving financial alignment using NetSuite, Power BI, and Salesforce.
- Strengthened donor relations by delivering 12+ high-quality reports and No Cost Extensions, directly contributing to funding renewals and project continuity.
- Led cross-functional teams to secure a $650K NSF grant proposal, overseeing budgeting, narrative development, and submission.
- Organized three major global research dissemination (Chicago, Washington, DC, Bogotá) with 100+ academic, policy, and implementation stakeholders each.
- Enhanced organizational visibility by drafting 25+ research blurbs and managing citations via aZotero; expanded multimedia outreach by producing PI interview videos highlighting research impact.
Research Associate
Innovation For Poverty Action
02.2019 - 12.2021
- Managed an agricultural evaluation study 'Marketing, Tractor coordination and Technology Adoption project' which aims to understand the constraints faced by smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.
- Led an end-to-end management of a multi-site RCT on 'The Impact of Contract Farming on High Yielding Seed Adoption in Ghana,' implemented across six districts and involving 3,814 smallholder farmers, in partnership with Savanna Farmers Marketing Company (SFMC) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
- Led a field team of 1 Field Manager and 73 enumerators, overseeing recruitment, training, and fieldwork logistics, and achieving a 92% follow-up rate and full IRB compliance.
- Co-designed and deployed digital survey instruments in SurveyCTO, integrating automated quality checks that reduced data entry errors by 30% and improved enumerator performance.
- Managed three research grants totaling over $490,000, ensuring accurate forecasting, reporting, and compliance using Power BI and NetSuite.
- Secured additional funding of $80,000 to pilot an agricultural extension intervention using video-based farmer training, and $10,000 for an irrigation-focused scoping study under the 'One Village, One Dam' initiative.
Project Manager
Positive Planet
01.2015 - 06.2017
- Oversaw a €1.2M donor-funded initiative, leading the overall operations, implementation, and strategic close-out of a high-impact EU/AFD development program focused on women's economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and social protection (Shea & Soya value chain).
- Managed a diverse team of 15 staff, fostering a high-performance culture that maintained 100% retention during the final implementation year.
- Served as the key liaison between the Ghana office and headquarters in Paris, enabling smooth communication and effective decision-making across international teams.
- Established post-project sustainability by connecting over 10 producer associations with like-minded NGOs and private sector partners, ensuring ongoing support and growth beyond the project lifecycle.
- Designed the Terms of Reference for a comprehensive Endline Evaluation in collaboration with HQ.
- Convened and facilitated a sector-wide experience-sharing workshop with 50+ stakeholders to document lessons learned and best practices.
- Successfully navigated administrative closure processes in partnership with relevant government agencies, ensuring a compliant and orderly wind-down of operations in Ghana.
Business Development Advisor
Positive Planet
09.2011 - 12.2014
- Conducted needs assessments for 5 shea producer associations and the regional shea network; developed tailored training manuals and capacity-building tools, improving productivity and efficiency.
- Spearheaded the rollout of a shea product price information system, enhancing market responsiveness and price transparency for over 1,000 producers.
- Facilitated business management and technical value chain enhancement trainings at district and regional levels, boosting local knowledge and production quality.
- Led implementation of organic and fair trade certifications for select producer groups; linked certified groups to high-value markets, increasing product competitiveness.
- Partnered with National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to promote health access for the informal sector clients through the Community Social Funds, enrolling 76% of the women beneficiaries on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Project Officer
CARE International
09.2009 - 08.2010
- Mobilized and trained 200+ beneficiaries in Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), improving financial inclusion and strengthening community resilience across target areas.
- Documented 10+ case studies showcasing unique community experiences to support project learning and enhance reporting quality.
- Collected and analyzed community-level data on weather patterns, climate hazards, and livelihood coping strategies, directly informing local climate adaptation plans under the Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP).
- Facilitated climate-smart agriculture trainings for 3,500+ farmers, leading to improved sustainable farming practices and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
- Coordinated climate adaptation interventions by partnering with key institutions (MoFA, NADMO, PARED), fostering knowledge exchange and alignment. of best practices across sectors.
Education
Master of Science - Development Planning And Management
Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology
Kumasi11.2024
Executive Masters Certificate - Project Management
Grem Telecom Academy
Accra04.2014
Bachelor of Science - Community Nutrition
University For Development Studies
Tamale07.2009
Skills
- Project management
- Strategic planning and coordination
- Analytical & problem resolution
- Donor engagement & grant management
- Excellent communication skills
- Adaptability and learning
- Budget & financial oversight
- Research protocol development
- Asana (project management software)
- Salesforce (CRM platform)
- Power BI (data visualization and analytics tool)
- NetSuite (ERP and financial management software)
- Zotero (reference management software)
- SurveyCTO (data collection and survey platform)
Accomplishments
- Managed and delivered 25 global research studies with 96% on-time, on-budget completion, totaling over $1.5M in funding from major donors including Wellspring, Sloan, and the Gates foundations.
- Oversaw the management of an $845K annual service agreement between IPA and Northwestern University.
- Led the development and successful submission of a $650K grant proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and secured over $800K funding Northwestern University.
- Coordinated major international convenings in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Bogotá, engaging over 100 researchers.
- Managed a €1.2M EU/AFD-funded project focused on women's economic empowerment, social protection, and financial inclusion in Northern Ghana.
Timeline
Senior Programs Associate
Innovation For Poverty Action
01.2022 - 03.2025
Research Associate
Innovation For Poverty Action
02.2019 - 12.2021
Project Manager
Positive Planet
01.2015 - 06.2017
Business Development Advisor
Positive Planet
09.2011 - 12.2014
Project Officer
CARE International
09.2009 - 08.2010
Master of Science - Development Planning And Management
Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology
Executive Masters Certificate - Project Management
Grem Telecom Academy
Bachelor of Science - Community Nutrition
University For Development Studies
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