Sisir Sahoo is a development professional with over 33 years of experience in areas such as strategic planning, institution building, project management, civil society networking, and advocacy. He has held leadership positions with various organizations and worked on initiatives in media and communications, livelihood promotion, and youth empowerment. Currently, he founded YES we can to provide consulting services to empower organizations through media engagement, capacity building, and strategic planning.

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SISIR SAHOO
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sisir-sahoo/5/150/527
sisir_mail@yahoo.co.in / yeswecan.odisha@gmail.com
+919937782343 / 9937283144
PROFILE
A strategist-motivator-planner, media communications expert,
development professional with more than 33 years of rich experience in the field of creativity,
working on new ideas, visioning, institutions building, capacity enhancement of human
resources, team development, designing sustainability, conflict management, development
communications; mainstreaming gender equity, rural development, good governance,
volunteerism, human rights etc. A sincere advocate of humanity and a change maker with
strong presence in important advocacy campaigns/ movements of Odisha leading to important
policy changes in education, youth, handicrafts, handloom, media and civil society sector.
A familiar name in the civil society as a cheerleader, trainer, orator, writer, media critic,
image maker, brand builder, strongly believe on appropriate media engagement for inclusive
growth and development of human prosperity.
Presently founded YES we can, the Consulting Institution to empower, enhance and engage
with Media houses, Educational Institutions, Civil Society, Corporate and Government.
POSITIONS HELD
Professional: Adviser, Strategic Planning, CV Raman Group of Institutions January-July 2016),
Principal Strategist, Silicon Institute of Technology(December 2014 to December 2015),Project
Director, KIIT-KISS Social Projects, KIIT University (January to April 2014), Director, KIIT-KISS
Social Network- KIIT University (April 2012 to January 2014), State Coordinator, Aama Odisha
(A Civil Society Movement April 2010 to March 2012), Director, BISWA and CEO-BISWA Network
(October 2006 to March 2010), President, Kalinga Shilpi Mahasangha (May 2000 to September
2006), Manager-Media Planning, JAIN TV (September 1994 to August 1995), Chief Executive,
VIRGO Consultancy (August 1993 to April 1994), Managing Director, MEDIA WORLD (April1988 to
July 1993), Manager-Advertising, Eastern Media Ltd (September 1985 to April 1988), Staff
Reporter, Prajatantra (July 1984 to August 1985)
SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES
Media and Corporate Communications : 32 years (Since October 1984)
Visioning and Institutions Building : 06 years (April 2010 onwards)
Projects, Research & Resource Mobilization : 16 years (May 2000 and continuing)
Civil Society Networking & CSR : 10 years (October 2006 and continuing)
Community and Youth Empowerment : 30 years (September 1980 to March 2010)
Advocacy and Movement : 07 years (as a student- 1977 to 1984)
SKILLS (AREAS OF COMPETANCIES)
Governance Strategic Planning Team Building Capacity Building
Creativity and Idea
Generation
Media Campaigns Corporate
Communications
Corporate Social
Responsibility
Project Planning Programme
Management
Event Management Action Research
Market Research Project Evaluation Resource Mobilization Skills Enhancement
Motivation, Training Civil Society
Networking
Community
Empowerment
Government
Engagement
Social
Entrepreneurship
Development
Communication
Advocacy Campaigns Public Speaking

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OBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES
Media and Communications: Organized many successful media campaigns in Odisha, during
1989-95. Developed strategy and implemented campaigns for government, public and private
sectors, media houses. Initiated and lead many new initiatives on issue-based social advertising,
development communications and various media campaigns.
Visioning and Institution Building: Since April 2010, engaged with various aspect of Institution
building mechanism and developed road-map (strategic framework) for few important
institutions of Odisha. Also spearheading an organization to give knowledge support to civil
society, educational institutions and corporate for empowerment and employability.
Projects, Research & Resource Mobilization: Since year 2000, I am involved in formulation of
innovative project proposals, guided many support staffs in developing projects. I was and am
involved in project research, implementation, monitoring and evaluations of enormous projects
with multiple social issues, starting from agriculture to advocacies.
Civil Society Networking: As the State Coordinator of Aama Odisha and CEO of BISWA
NETWORK, an umbrella organization of BISWA, I was responsible for managing a network of
more than 300 civil society organizations and hold the responsibility for capacity building of
these grass root NGOs, sharing best practices, influencing policies and regulations, development
through partnership with government and private sectors.
Livelihood Promotion and Employment: Since last 15 years working with SHGs of women,
craftsmen and artisans of Odisha for their livelihood promotion, preservation of cultural
heritage, improvising artistic creations, establish an organized market for handicraft products
and persons under the cluster approach since 2000. Initiated the first ever strategy document
by the Government of Odisha for Handicrafts Development, as the member of the Task Force.
Identified 145 clusters having potentials for self-employment through craft production.
Now involved in Industry-Academia integration for better employability of engineering students
with appropriate and need base skills enhancement since 2014.
Advocacy and Movements: As a known activist for social issues, since my student days,
organized many constructive seminars, workshops and youth campaigns on burning issues like
unemployment, gender equity, cultural values and right to information. Led two memorable
student movements as the convener and providing a constructive leadership as the then state
secretary of ABVP in eighties.
Institutional membership and leadership: Founder Member, ONAS (Odisha Nagarik Samaj)-
2010, Founder Member, Aama Odisha-1976, Member, CIVICUS ( since April 2008 ), President,
Kalinga Shilpi Mahasangha (KSM)(since May 2000), Member, All India Handicrafts Board, Ministry
of Textiles, Govt. of India (2002-2004), Member, Task Force for Handicrafts Development,
Government of Orissa-2003, Member, Task Force-Handicrafts Development in Kalahandi,
Kandhamaldistricts-2003-2004, Founder member and Coordinator-United Nations Student
Organization (UNSO), UtkalUniversity Chapter -1984, State Secrtary, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP)-1981 to1983, Convener, National Institute of Culture (1985 to 1987).
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 As the Adviser, Strategic Planning to CV Raman Group of Institutions, design and
implemented an image building campaign in Digital and Social Media, which has yielded
tremendous result in Admission for the session 2016-17 for the institute.
 As the Principal Strategist of Silicon Institution of Technology (Sambalpur), design and
spearhead four task forces, namely; Admission, Placement, Academic and Administration
for focused activities and empowered the team with tools and technology to achieve the
desired goal in a strategic manner.

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 Developed the Strategic Framework forResource Mobilization for KISS, the residentialschool
of 20,000 Indigenous Students in Bhubaneswar as Director, KIIT-KISS Social Network.
 Guided and empowered more than 100 colleagues in formulating Projects and implementing
Programs, since year 2000.
 Empowered more than 7000 community leaders with tools and technology for sustainable
livelihood and social enterprises, since 1995.
 Established and coordinated a civil society network of more than 300 NGOs in the state
Odisha for issue base inter-dependent support mechanism.
 As member of the task force, developed handicrafts and handloom policy of Odisha and
Amedkar Hastashilpa Vikash Yojana of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
 Developed strategic intervention plan for few corporate house under their CSR initiatives.
 Developed strategy of sustenance for many civil society organizations in the state Odisha.
 Organized and lead numerous issue base social advocacy campaigns on youth, education,
employment, women empowerment and social responsibility like blood donation, language,
and culture and heritage protection.
 Organized numerous mega events on various issues on youth, women, craftsmen, civil
societies, employment etc.
Educational Qualification: Post Graduate in Public Administration (1982), Graduate in Law
(1984), and Graduate in Commerce (1980).
Date of Birth: 18th
June 1960
Country visited: Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, UK and Nepal
Address for communication: House Number-10, Nirmalya Garden, KIIT University Road,
Patia, Post-KIIT, Bhubaneswar-751 024, Odisha, India.
[Sisir Sahoo]