Birara Chekol has over 11 years of experience in project management, food security, environment, climate change, and rural development. He has led projects from conception to completion for the Amhara National Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources and UN World Food Programme in Ethiopia. Birara has skills in project proposal development, monitoring and evaluation, and providing strategic direction. He holds a Master's degree in International Agriculture and Life Science from Cornell University.

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BIRARA CHEKOL
Contact: +251922449647
E-Mail: birara123@gmail.com
PROFILE SUMMARY
 Project Coordinator and Technical Advisor professional with experience of 11 years in Amhara
National Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources and UN World Food Programme
(Ethiopia) Project Management, Food Security, Environment, Climate Change, Integrated
watershed planning and management, productivity improvement and Market linkage,
humanitarian and resilience development activities
 Proven track record of Leading and executing Climate Adaptation and Food Security, Rural
development, Humanitarian and projects from conception to close-out
 Skilled in Project Proposal development and Planning Monitoring and Evaluation, providing
direction, strategy and vision in the areas of food security and rural development projects, climate
adaptation, resilience development, to facilitate and enable socioeconomic development
 Possess excellent negotiation, organizational, relationship management, problem solving and
interpersonal skills with cross-cultural adaptation & creative abilities
WORK EXPERIENCES
Since March 01, 2011 with UN World Food Program (Ethiopia) Programme Assistant for
Ecosystem, Market linkage and Project exit strategies;
KEY RESULT AREAS:
 Designed and prepared MERET project exit strategies and implementation guidelines for smooth
handing over of responsibilities and ensuring sustainability
 Improved the implementation capacity of Bureau of Agriculture staffs in the documentation and
execution of MERET exit strategies through provision of practical training
 Executed Model exit strategy document utilized for bench marking and referencing
 Provided Training of Trainers (TOT) on techniques and technologies of Natural Resource
Management, Sustainable Land Management, Water Harvesting and Integrated Watershed
Management for government partners;
 Provided technical support to the field staffs of MERET and PSNP programs
 Improved the capacity of partner staffs in the preparation of Market oriented Farm Business Plan for
boosting the income of the project beneficiaries
 Monitor and provide technical assistance to carry out proper documentation and accomplishment of
the project handing over process.
From 20/07/2007 to 15/02/2011 with Amhara National Regional State Bureau of
Agriculture (Ethiopia) Project Coordinator;
KEY RESULT AREAS:
 Handling end-to-end management of project deliverables

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 Managing and leading team members; allocating resources among team members and guiding team
members during the project, till final delivery
 Administering project staffs so as to ensure effective accomplishment of project deliverables
 Prepare and facilitate the physical & financial plan of the project;
 Design resources (finance and food grain) allocation criteria for the districts and follow up the
operational status at each point of intervention for undertaking need based reallocation;
 Design monitoring & Evaluation plan and facilitate the performance measurement process of the
project
 Prepare performance report of the project and submit to the project partners and donors
 Organize and facilitate regional level review meetings and follow up on action points
From 11/10/2006 to 18/06/2007 with Amhara National Regional State Bureau of
Agriculture (Ethiopia) Senior Soil and Water Conservation Expert;
KEY RESULT AREAS:
 Organize and provide training on Integrated Community Based Watershed Development (CBPWD)
and watershed development approaches, principles and technologies
 Monitor and provide technical support on the implementation of watershed planning and
management, soil and water conservation, water management and water harvesting technologies
From 04/12/1995 to 07/07/2005 with Amhara National Regional State Bureau of
Agriculture (Ethiopia)Head of District office of Agriculture and Rural Development;
KEY RESULT AREAS:
 Handling end-to-end management of district office of Agriculture and Rural Development owned
projects and regular activities and prepare strategic plan of the office in the area of agricultural
production and productivity, rural water supply, in the provision of agricultural input, Food security,
Environment and Climate change
 Managing, Coordinating and Leading different teams of the office; allocating resources among teams
and guiding team leaders
 Monitor, Control and Mange the allocated project and regular budgets
PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Contributed for the publication of:
 A saturation Excess Erosion Model, American Society of Agricultural and Biological
Engineers(ASABE),2012(Article published in Group)
 Hydrological Controls on Gully Formation in the Ethiopian Highlands, 2013; Paper submitted for the
international workshop, Sudan( Article produced in group)
 Soil Carbon Sequestration potentials and Technological Options; Article produced for MERET Biannual
Magazine

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 Climate Change Challenges to Water Resources and Food Security; Article produced for MERET
Biannual Magazine
 Provided Community Based Watershed Development Planning, Watershed Development
Technologies, Productive Safety Net Program(PSNP) and Environmental and Social Management
Framework(ESMF) TOT training from Nov.27 to Dec.6/2007, from Sep.18 to Oct.01/2007 and from
Jan.1 to 11/2008 organized at ANRS Regional Level
 Provided capacity building training on Gully Rehabilitation and Physical Soil and Water Soil
Conservation Technical TOT training in 2012, 2013 and 2014 at Diredawa, Awash, Zeway, and Wolaita
sodo for all the regions including pastoralist and agro pastoralists
 Provided Farm Business Enterprise Management capacity building training for improving Market
oriented Income Generation Activities for Small Holder Farmers
ACADEMIC DETAILS
 MA degree in Business Administration in Project Management (CGPA: 3.65/4.00)
 MPS, International Agriculture and Life Science (Concentration with Integrated Watershed
Management and Water Supply), Cornell University, NY, USA, (CGPA: 3.91/4.00)
 BSc, Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection (Concentration with Soil and Water
Conservation), Mekelle University (CGPA: 3.57/4.00)
 Diploma, Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Addis Ababa University.
IT SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Computer proficient (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) Competent Software Skills (SPSS, Arc GIS,
Map Window and ILWIS)
SHORT TERM TRAINING
 Integrated Beekeeping by Holeta Bee Research Center, 15 July 2014 to 24 July 2014,
 E-Course: Sustainable Agricultural Land Management Projects: Soil Carbon Monitoring; by the World
Bank Institute, 3/24/2014 - 4/11/2014
 The World Bank’s MOOC on Turn Down the Heat: Why a 40
c Warmer World Must be Avoided, by the
World Bank Institute, February, 2014
 Safe and Resilient Cities-E-Learning Course-Fall 2013, by the World Bank Institute, 05/11/2013-
05/12/2013
 Training of Trainers (TOT) on Community Based Watershed Development Planning, Watershed
development technologies, PSNP and Environmental &Social Mgmt. Framework (ESMF), 18th
sept-
02th
oct ,2007
 Strategic planning and Management, March 24-28,2003
 Training of Trainers (ToT) on Integrated Community Based Watershed Management and Planning,
Kombolcha organized by the World Food Program and MoARD, MERET Project coordination office,
24th
Nov. to 07th
Dec. /2008
 Farm and Rural Enterprises Business Management March 25-April 10,2008 organized by the World
Food Program and MoARD,

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 Management Skill Development in the areas of integrated Rural Development, development planning
and Finance which was sponsored and delivered by the prime minister of the government of Ethiopia,
1st
Feb.1996 to April 30th
April /1996 certificate,
 Integrated Regional Development planning, Debrezeit management institute, 15th
-26th
July / 2002
delivered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Center for international cooperation (MASHAV)
certificate,
 Family Planning, Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS, Leadership, a collaborative training Ethiopian
Social Rehabilitation &Development Fund (ESRDF), International Health Program, Packard-Gates
fellows from International family Planning, Leadership &Visionary leadership Program at Public Health
Institute; 25th
– 30th
January /2003, certificate
Reference
 Betru Nedessa
Head, MERET Project Coordination office, MoA
Email: betrunb@yahoo.com
Cell phone: +251911210771
 Elizabeth Mekonnen
SPA, UN WFP Ethiopia
Email: elizabeth.mekonnen@wfp.org
Cell phone: +251 910 70 20 92
Addis Ababa
 Legesse Seyoum
Coffee Projects Manager-Ethiopia
Tel: +253 716 666 862
Mobile: +251 911 983315
E-mail: Legesse.Seyoum@solidaridadnetwork.org