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Idah Knowles Otieno
International Affairs & Global Governance Progessional
Arlington,VA
Work Preference
Job Search Status
Open to workDesired start date: Immediately
Desired Job Title
Programs OfficerPolicy ResearcherGovernance ManagerDevelopment OfficerConsultant Project ManagerWork Type
Full TimePart TimeContract WorkGig WorkConsultingVolunteerSeasonal WorkLocation Preference
On-SiteRemoteHybridLocation: Arlington, Virginia
Open to relocation: Yes
Important To Me
Work-life balanceHealthcare benefitsPaid sick leaveCompany CultureFlexible work hours401k matchWork from home optionPaid time offCareer advancementPersonal development programsTeam Building / Company RetreatsStock Options / Equity / Profit Sharing4-day work weekSummary
Experienced International Development and Global Governance practitioner with six years managing donor-funded grants and advancing media freedom, democratic governance, and civic initiatives across Africa and the Global South. Committed to enhancing institutional responsiveness. Holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs: Global Governance, Politics & Security from American University.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
3
3
Certification
Work History
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
American University Accountability Research Center
Washington, USA
05.2025 - Current
- Achieved promotion from Research Assistant to Research Associate within one year.
- Authored a working paper and two governance-focused publications on parliamentary openness, Gen Z accountability movements, presidential term limits and democratic legitimacy; the working paper was launched at the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit and later reviewed, cited, and republished by leading governance and policy organizations.
- Conducted policy and audit analysis of Nigeria's National Social Investment Programs, synthesizing audits, datasets, survey findings, literature, and assessments to identify implementation gaps and governance risks across all 36 states.
- Analyzed over 460,000 U.S. Foreign Assistance.Gov records using Excel and Power BI to assess alignment of democracy, human rights, and governance aid flows with U.S. government strategic frameworks.
- Coordinated logistics, participant engagement, and stakeholder communications for the Future of Foreign Aid Conference in partnership with Johns Hopkins University's Center on Global Poverty.
PROGRAMS OFFICER
Mzalendo Trust
Nairobi, Kenya
11.2020 - 07.2024
- Spearheaded the co-creation, implementation, monitoring, and decade review of Kenya's OGP National Action Plans across 10 national clusters to coincide with Kenya's ascension to the global OGP co-chair role in 2023.
- Coordinated visas, accreditation, travel logistics, and stakeholder engagement for Kenya's delegation to 2023 OGP Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia, enhancing international collaboration on open governance initiatives.
- Led implementation of the Civil Society Parliamentary Engagement Network, establishing structured engagement frameworks between legislatures and civil society across 38+ organizations for improved oversight, representation, legislation, and public finance.
- Organized coalition-building initiatives to establish the Pan-African Parliament Civil Society Forum and the Open Parliaments Community of Practice, expanding legislative networks across Africa.
- Directed study on education-related legislation trends for RELI Africa, supervising 10 research teams and designing legislative tracking mechanism to support evidence-based education policy engagement.
- Administered 12 grants on civic participation, openness or accountability, media freedom, and inclusion of marginalized voices like the persons with disabilities, young and the women while coordinating procurement, compliance reporting, and donor relations across multiple funding streams.
- Promoted four times in 4 years due to strong performance with increasing leadership responsibilities across parliamentary affairs, civic participation, and institutional responsiveness portfolios.
POLICY EDITOR
Voices in Exile, European Network of Political Foundations
Remote
11.2022 - 02.2023
- Editorial lead for Voices in Exile, a European Union co-funded policy brief produced with the Christian Democratic International Center Sweden on democratic backsliding, civic space restrictions, human rights abuses, digital repression, and surveillance targeting activists in Belarus, Nicaragua, China, Hong Kong, and the Uyghur region.
- A European Union co-funded policy brief produced with the Christian Democratic International Center Sweden.
GENDER OFFICER
Youth Agenda
Nairobi, Kenya
03.2020 - 09.2020
- Provided input to Kenya’s parliament on pandemic legislation as a member of the Youth Technical Advisory Group.
- Authored two gender policy analyses on COVID-19 reforms providing evidence-based recommendations on crisis response and equitable recovery.
- Organized national and county dialogues funded by UNFPA, UNDP, and Kenya's Ministry of ICT, Youth and Innovation Affairs, including the Women Deliver 'Deliver for Good' Campaign, #Top35Under35KE Youth Excellence Awards, and International Youth Day events; designed training materials to support stakeholder participation and engagement.
- Wrote proposals, concept notes, and briefs for program improvement and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
INTERN
Women and Governance, Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
05.2019 - 03.2020
- Authored eight rapporteur reports and represented organization in advocacy forums and women's empowerment programs to elevate visibility and support for initiatives.
- Cultivated partnerships with government institutions, development partners, private-sector actors, and civil society organizations to advance women and governance program activities and enhance client services.
Education
Master of Arts - International Affairs: Global Governance, Politics & Security
08.2024 - 05.2026
GPA: 3.63
Transparency International School on Integrity Fellowship -
06.2023 - 06.2023
Bachelor of Science - Community Resource Management
09.2015 - 12.2019
GPA: Second Class Honors Upper Division
Skills
- Policy Research & Analysis
- Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis
- Data Analysis
- MEL management
- Research Coordination
- Grant & Donor Management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Policy Analysis
- Program & Project Management
- Communication (Written & Oral)
- Critical Thinking
- Teamwork
- Office and Google tools
- AI Literacy
- Professionalism
Certification
- Executive Certificate, International Council on Human Rights, Peace & Politics, 2025
- Professional Training in Public Policy & Legislative Review Training, UK Public body, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2022
- Professional Training in Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, 2022
Languages
- English, Fluent
- Swahili, Fluent
- Luo, Fluent
Timeline
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE - American University Accountability Research Center
05.2025 - Current
American University School of International Service - Master of Arts, International Affairs: Global Governance, Politics & Security
08.2024 - 05.2026
Mykolas Romeris University Law School - Transparency International School on Integrity Fellowship,
06.2023 - 06.2023
POLICY EDITOR - Voices in Exile, European Network of Political Foundations
11.2022 - 02.2023
PROGRAMS OFFICER - Mzalendo Trust
11.2020 - 07.2024
GENDER OFFICER - Youth Agenda
03.2020 - 09.2020
INTERN - Women and Governance, Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya
05.2019 - 03.2020
Kenyatta University - Bachelor of Science, Community Resource Management
09.2015 - 12.2019