James Sulaiman Fofanah
Freetown,MO
Summary
James Sulaiman Fofanah is a development and public health professional with a Master of Science Degree in Development Training and Education. James is currently a PhD candidate completing studies in Sustainable Development. He has twenty years’ experience working in Sierra Leone with vast knowledge, skills and experience in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of development programs including youth, gender, SRH, HIV/STIs, public health, and business development programs. James works with Governments, NGOs, UN agencies, Donors, Private Sector, Civil Society and Communities in designing and implementing these development programs. James has a good track record of accomplishment working with donor partners like USAID, FCDO, Irish Aid, GIZ, AusAID, Local Governments and UN Agencies. James uses excellent organizational leadership skills, a combination of knowledge, skills, and experience to deliver effective programs committed to the empowerment of communities in low-and middle-income countries. James is currently an international consultant doing work with Rainbo Initiative in Liberia building capacity of the local staff and strengthening systems of the initiative around strategic planning, resources mobilization, NGO Board Governance and Monitoring and Evaluation. Rainbo Initiative work to end Sexual Gender-Based Violence in Liberia.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
International Consultant (Technical Advisor)
Rainbo Initiative Liberia
Monrovia
05.2025 - 08.2025
- Capacity Building and Organisational System Strengthening
- Ref: Daniel Ketor daniel.k@rainboinitiative.org
Chief of Party
Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs Breakthrough ACTION/ USAID
03.2018 - 04.2025
- Ref: Andrea Brown, Andrea.Brown@jhu.edu
Executive Director
Rainbo Initiative Sierra Leone
01.2017 - 02.2018
- Ref: Olabisi Claudius Cole, olabisiclaudiuscole@gmail.com
Country Director
Restless Development Sierra Leone
12.2014 - 11.2016
- Ref: Alfred T.M Navo, lbnavo@gmail.com
Senior Manager
Restless Development Sierra Leone
01.2013 - 11.2014
Research Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
Restless Development Sierra Leone
01.2010 - 12.2012
Assistant Examiner
West African Examination Council (WAEC)-The Gambia
07.2005 - 08.2005
Teacher
Charles Jow Memorial Academy-The Gambia
09.2001 - 08.2003
Education
PhD (ABD) - Sustainable Development
University of Makeni
Sierra Leone07.2025
Master of Science - Development Training and Education
University of Wolverhampton
United Kingdom06.2005
Postgraduate Diploma - Development Training and Education
University of Wolverhampton
United Kingdom06.2004
Postgraduate Certificate - Development Training and Education
University of Wolverhampton
United Kingdom06.2004
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Agricultural Economics
Njala University
Sierra Leone06.2001
Skills
- ITC- Regular user (word, excel, PowerPoint –software includes SPSS, Epi Data and Epi Info, RMarkdown/Rsquare, Kobo Collect)
Certification
Leadership in Strategic Communication Johns Hopkins University- June 2022
Languages
English: Reading 1, Speaking 1, Writing 1, Krio: Reading 2, Speaking 1, Writing 2
Affiliations
- Rainbo Initiative Ambassador Group: Provides clinical and psychosocial support services to survivors of Sexual Gender Based Violence though Rainbo Centers.
- LIFT Sierra Leone Advisory Board: Provides support to Adolescent girls out of school with safe spaces for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services.
- Community of Practice - Violence Against Women and Girls (COP VAWGs) in Sierra Leone.
- Sierra Leone Association of Non-Governmental Organizations-INGO
Publications
Co-author- Community engagement in outbreak response from 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Published BMJ Journals MBJ Global Health, Achieve / Volume 5, Issue 8, August 23, 2020. https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/8/e002145
Training
- Participant- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs Bi-annual Worldwide Meeting on Leadership and Strategic Communication- Baltimore USA, Aug 7-11, 2023.
- Participant- Social Behavior Change Summit. Marrakech Morocco Dec 4-9, 2022
- Presenter – Experiential Capital M&E. The Pollination project- uplifting selfless grassroots voluntarism for a kinder, more compassionate world. Online March 14, 2022
- Facilitator- Breakthrough ACTION staff training, Gender 101 integrating gender into social, and behavior change programs. Online Feb 28th – March 2, 2022
- Technical Assistant- Support with the establishment of Rainbo Centers to respond to SGBV in Monrovia Liberia (NGO, Rainbo Initiative) January 2022- 2023.
- Participant- Taking ACTION to increase Gender Equality: Breakthrough ACTION staff training on integrating gender into social and behavior change programs- Accra Ghana, Feb 11-14, 2020.
- Participant- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs Breakthrough ACTION Worldwide Meeting on Social and Behavior Change Communication- Baltimore Maryland USA June 2019.
- Participant- Breakthrough ACTION finance training for Chiefs of Party –Accra Ghana; Feb 20-22, 2019
- Participant- Restless Development Global Country Directors Conference- Tanzania; Oct 5-16, 2015
- Participant- Senior Managers Workshop for Restless Development- Zambia: Feb 17-24, 2013
- Participant- Program Quality Workshop for Restless Development Programs Dar es Salaam Tanzania: Feb 20-24, 2012
- Trainer- M&E Capacity Building and Support for Staying Alive Foundation (SAF) Grantee Organizations- Dar es Salaam Tanzania: Feb 7-16, 2011.
- Participant- Developing the Global Strategic Framework and Harmonizing Monitoring and Evaluation Tools and Systems of Restless Development program across nine countries- Jinja Uganda: Nov 14-22, 2010.
- Presenter- Measuring the Impact of National Youth Service (NYS) Programs on Participants and on the Community- Paris France: Dec 19-22, 2009.
- Trainer- M&E Capacity Building and Support for Staying Alive Foundation (SAF) Grantee Organizations- London United Kingdom: Oct 19 – 27 2009
- Participant- Data Management and Reporting for Global Fund HIV/AIDS Projects – Bo Sierra Leone: Feb 4-6, 2009
- Trainer- M&E Capacity Building for Young African Professionals in East and South Africa working in the HIV and AIDS Sector – Kabwe Zambia: Feb 5-15, 2008.
- Participant- Developing Monitoring Systems for Program Quality Iringa Uganda: Mar 7-14, 2007
- Participant- Managing for Impact (MFI) Freetown Sierra Leone: June 26-39, 2006.
- Participant – Practice in Data Processing and Analysis- Epi Info Data Base Program. Freetown Sierra Leone: Nov 1-9, 2005
Research and Consultancies
- June 2024- Dec 2025- PhD Candidate Effectiveness of Risk Communication Strategies in Promoting Practice of COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in Sierra Leone. Ref: Coordinator Doctoral Program: Dr Jess Marah-Jones. University of Makeni, jessjonesunimak@gmail.com
- Dec 2024-March 2025- Country Consultant, Independent Evaluation Supplier The Fleming Fund, Phase 2 Antimicrobial Resistance Program Ref: Marck Marango Senior Consultant, marco@anthropologica.consulting
- July 2022- Co-researcher Environmental and Behavioral Determinants of Lassa Fever A qualitative exploration among communities and health care workers in Tonkolili and Kenema districts, Sierra Leone. Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. Ref: Kuor Kumoji, KuorKumoji@jhu.edu
- January 2022-2023- International Consultant Support the establishment Rainbo Initiative in Liberia to respond to SGBV in Monrovia Liberia
- June – July 2021- National Consultant Development of toolkit for Oversight Monitoring and Supervision by Sierra Leone Parliamentary Committees
- Sept –Dec 2020- National Consultant Radio Content Assessment Health Governance, Health Emergency and Education programs COVID-19 Period in Sierra Leone. Ref: Tysha Consultancy UK
- May 2020- International Consultant online Behavior Change Communication/Messaging for Health Systems in Times of Crisis in Sierra Leone & Uganda. OnFrontiers: booking@onfrontiers.com
- Nov 2018- National Consultant Development of Local Procedure and Child Safeguarding Policy W.E. Can Lead. Ref: Sharon DeBary Director of Operations, sharon.debary@we-canlead.org
- Oct 2018-Co-researcher A Literature Review: Understanding the Individual and Social Risk Factors relating to zoonotic diseases in West Africa Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. Ref: Kuor Kumoji, KuorKumoji@jhu.edu
- Oct 2013- M&E Manager Restless Development Sierra Leone Youth Participation in Local council decision making in Sierra Leone. The Successes and challenges of decentralized participatory governance from a youth perspective
- June 2012-M&E Manager Restless Development Sierra Leone Baseline Assessment Knowledge Attitudes and Practice: Access to Justice Program –Enhance the capacity of young people to support access to justice and elicit accountability for justice service delivery in relation to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
- Jan 2011- National Consultant Midterm Review of Building Livelihoods and Community Empowerment Project Sierra Leone Mankind Activities for Development Accreditation Movement Sierra Leone
- Dec 2008 M&E Manager Restless Development A study on the opportunities to reach out of school children with Life Skill based HIV Prevention Education in Sierra Leone. UNICEF Sierra Leone
Specific experience in the African region
Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Guinea, Gambia, Zambia, Liberia, Uganda, Ghana, Morocco etc.
Timeline
International Consultant (Technical Advisor)
Rainbo Initiative Liberia
05.2025 - 08.2025
Chief of Party
Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs Breakthrough ACTION/ USAID
03.2018 - 04.2025
Executive Director
Rainbo Initiative Sierra Leone
01.2017 - 02.2018
Country Director
Restless Development Sierra Leone
12.2014 - 11.2016
Senior Manager
Restless Development Sierra Leone
01.2013 - 11.2014
Research Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
Restless Development Sierra Leone
01.2010 - 12.2012
Assistant Examiner
West African Examination Council (WAEC)-The Gambia
07.2005 - 08.2005
Teacher
Charles Jow Memorial Academy-The Gambia
09.2001 - 08.2003
PhD (ABD) - Sustainable Development
University of Makeni
Master of Science - Development Training and Education
University of Wolverhampton
Postgraduate Diploma - Development Training and Education
University of Wolverhampton
Postgraduate Certificate - Development Training and Education
University of Wolverhampton
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Agricultural Economics
Njala University
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