Posts by shahid2483

shahid2483

Nov 5, 2016

Scholarship / I can complete the proposed courses successfully Management & Implementation of Development Projects [5]

@Holt

I have revised the first question can you please give me your quick feedback on the below answer..... How can I improve it further I am totally stuck with it......

I hold M.Sc Economics and have ten years of experience in development sector. I have managed and implemented various projects while having close coordination with donors and NGOs working in Pakistan at national, regional and grassroots level. But I felt that most of the projects were found far behind in terms of achieving project targets, objectives and goals within the given project timelines, except few success cases. The success rates of the projects were found very low due to poor project designing, planning and execution. Therefore, I decided to study in UK the following courses to bridge the desired gaps, as these courses are deficient in Pakistan universities, with the same international academic quality

 University of Bradford (Project Planning & Management)
This course will build my knowledge and skills in the planning and management of development projects and programmes. It will allow me to the critical understanding of the strategies, processes, techniques and issues involved in taking ideas for development and turning them into practical realities with identifiable outcomes and benefits. It will allow me to learn the theory and practice of management skills for project and programme management, focusing particularly on 'hard' and 'soft' skills for successful project implementation. This course will complement my immediate future plan as it will provide me a suitable ground to propose, design and plan development projects.

 University of Manchester (Management & Implementation of development Projects)
In Pakistan, every year millions of rupees have been invested on various development projects inappropriately, hence, there is low level of change in the socio economic condition of the poor and the economy as a whole. The reason behind such stagnancy is poor designing, planning, implementation and management of development projects. It focuses on the key areas project management that are found deficient in Pakistan that is why I have chosen this course as it will allow me to attain knowledge and skills necessary to plan and implement development projects. After completion of degree this course will support my immediate future plan of conducting freelance consultancies to different organization in Pakistan to understand to how to design and implement development projects.

 University of Birmingham (International development-Poverty, Inequality & Development)
This programme will enable me to study development with a specific focus on poverty and inequality, both key aspects of current development policy discourse. Issues examined include: poverty reduction strategies & cross-cutting issues this course is also relevant to my past academic qualification and professional experience. This course will sharpen and hone my skills to design and develop strategies to help alleviate poverty from Pakistan, with the implementation of different development projects.

In short, the above courses are relevant to my future plan and that is to design and manage development projects. I will transform the learning not only to the program objectives but also to my other team members & development practitioners across the country to fight against poverty and improved quality of life.

shahid2483

Nov 4, 2016

Scholarship / My main duty was to give Mongolians proper massage and correct their judgment of Christianity [5]

@naran3

Dear Naran,

After reading your essay I would say that you have entirely focused on Christianity instead of your own leadership and influencing skills. Whereas, it is somewhat slightly reflected in the last few lines of your answer but it is not enough to justify. I guess you should first go through some reading material, some articles or modules on leadership styles to first get clear idea to understand what do we mean by leadership?

Similarly examine what are the key traits of a leader, than think of yourself, does your personality have such traits and how they can be articulated in your essay? Find out and draw one or two main examples from your own academic or professional experience that must address your leadership skills. See also some sample answers of other applicant that will help you to develop your answer. Hope it will work.

Regards,

shahid2483

Nov 4, 2016

Scholarship / Leadership plays a vital role to achieve goals [3]

@Holt

Yes, you have rightly hit the hammer on the key missing area to my answer. I will surely take this into account before finalization and submission of my application. This is actually the part that I have to add and incorporate logically. Thank you so much for your valuable technical inputs. God bless you.

shahid2483

Nov 3, 2016

Scholarship / I am ready and really passionate to gain the experience and education offered by UK Master Programs [3]

Dear Phin,

Overall the essay is very well-articulated but there is need to build the relationship of your post study career plan with UK priorities in your country that is not too highlighted. Similarly, there is need to build a significant difference between the immediate career plan and your long term career plan that is reflecting almost the same in your essay. One more thing required to be rightly addressed, there should be a direct relation of the degree attained and post career plan and goals.

Regards,

shahid2483

Nov 3, 2016

Scholarship / Leadership plays a vital role to achieve goals [3]

Inputs required please.......

I have ten years of vast experience in development sector for poverty reduction through capacity building, managerial and vocational technical skills training, micro credit, livelihood programme and provision of productive assets to poorest of the poor, identified in poverty score card (PSC). As a leader and manager I have successfully managed and implemented various development projects.

Understanding my leadership role, I facilitated organization in bringing-in innovation and took personal responsibility to ensure its effective utility on the community level. I always support my team members as dynamic project manager, showing them how they can improve themselves to achieve the project targets in more socially appropriate manner. I engaged the job placement officers (who were working under my supervision) for conducting seventy MoUs with different employers for job placement of the trained youth and the key factor behind this success was that I tried to identify areas in which the job placement officers needed my help. Similarly, to achieve the targets of providing vocational skill training to six hundred youth, I utilized input from the team's individual and collective skill set and acumen to work out the best decisions through my democratic style that resulted good quality training by utilizing the platform of private and public training institutions. It was possible because of strive for building harmony within the group of trainers and to build effective networks in my organization as a whole. As a team leader I imparted training for thirty staff of TVETs with the purpose of strengthening the TVETs to provide demand driven employable skills to the poor particularly youth and or women. Besides many challenges, I and my team ensured optimum use of resources and reflected major contribution in achieving organizational goals and vision.

In short, with multi-sector experience, I have managed and implemented the following projects with the financial support of different national and international donors that are the true examples of my leadership skills. The projects are, Livelihood Enhancement and Protection Programme, funded By PPAF through World Bank (WB), Disaster Risk Management, funded by UNDP, Small Grants and Ambassador's Fund Programme, funded by USAID, Participatory Development through Social Mobilization funded by PPAF through World Bank, Sindh Coastal Community Development Project, funded by Asian Development Bank and Barani Village Development Project, funded by GOP through IFAD

My experience backs me strongly to further pursue my career in the area of leadership, project management and implementation of development projects. It will not only give me the right platform but also allow me to replicate those skills and the learning in my country especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, South Waziristan and FATA where communities are suffering due to poverty, unemployment, escalating militancy and natural disasters. I will transform the learning not only to the program objectives but also to my other team members and colleagues involved within my department assisting me in implementing various development projects. I will further train and guide my fellow colleagues and will pass my knowledge to them so that we build the capacity of people working for poverty reduction and community development.

shahid2483

Nov 3, 2016

Scholarship / Taking business administration course will help me fulfill my plan to become high level manager [5]

@Menz

Agreed with Holt, in addition, the initial spade work is good enough. I would like to say there is need to build the link between the chosen courses and your relevant academic background and experience, moreover, the future plan needs to be correlated with the chosen courses.

shahid2483

Nov 3, 2016

Scholarship / I've developed professional links with senior civil servants, technical specialists and politicians [4]

@Bjkakakhel
Apparently you have focused on the future interventions a lot but I guess you need to clearly highlight your core competencies and skills around networking, you may I believe should include what you have done so far and how have you significantly utilized yours key networking skills, which are found missing, needs to be addressed with clear practical example e.g. social networks, professional networks and artificial networks. The ending part seems satisfactory.

shahid2483

Nov 2, 2016

Scholarship / I can complete the proposed courses successfully Management & Implementation of Development Projects [5]

Inputs required to improve the application

There are several factors that I have considered while determining my three university courses under the Chevening scholarship program. My first consideration is to broaden my wisdom and knowledge in the area of leadership, organizational theory and project management. As these courses will enable me to attain the necessary skills to become a more efficient project management practitioner, I look forward to contributing towards successful implementation of various development projects in Pakistan. The second main reason is to study a degree backed by cutting-edge research to become a well-organized expert in this fast-growth business sector. It will of course enable me to put project management and organizational theory into real practice with an exciting business innovation projects. Similarly, the third and last reason for choosing the course is to sharpen my analytical capacities, knowledge and skills necessary to plan, implement and manage development projects in the context of low income economies and underdeveloped countries with fresh insight into best practice, via access to the latest academic research, success stories and case studies.

I believe to take away a range of transferable skills from academic study, as well as refine career-relevant skills in critical analysis, communication, cross-cultural understanding and teamwork. The core and applied skills subjects, Foundations of Management, Organizational Analysis, Critical Perspectives on Leadership, Organizational Learning, Knowledge and Innovation including project management, would provide me a perfect blend of academic recourse.

My chosen courses are strongly linked with my previous academic and professional experience. I hold M.Sc in Economics and have related working experience in development sector for building hope, securing future and ending poverty. I have managed and implemented various projects while working with different donors and NGOs in Pakistan at national, regional and grassroots level like National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), UNDP, USAID, ADB, IFAD, Plan international, World Bank and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF).

Whereas, my plans for the future are to design, develop, implement, manage and evaluate community demand driven various development projects with innovative managerial and leadership skills to reduce poverty, identify socio economic issues and resolve conflicts. It will enable me to develop new skills to manage projects in capacity building, livelihoods, and collective/social enterprises in both private and public sectors. It will support me to enhance specialist functional areas such as social and economic development.

It will widen my specific people management skills including group work, negotiation, conflict management and political skills. I am assertive that with the proven track of educational and professional career, I can complete the proposed courses successfully. This will not only help to hone and polish my skills but also to transfer this knowledge to the poorest of the poor, marginalized and vulnerable rural communities in the less developed countries through effective policy making, management, leadership and implementation of development projects across the country at grassroots level