Profile: Prosper Douglas Kweku – Chief of Staff
This is the profile of Mr Prosper Douglas Kweku Bani, who has been appointed by President John Dramani Mahama, as the Chief of Staff.
Born on September 17, 1958 Mr Bani is a senior manager and specialist in international peace-building and development processes.
For more than 15 years, Mr Bani has led innovative processes in peace and development with the United Nations in a number of locations worldwide.
From 2011 and 2012, he led the UN/IGAD inter-ministerial response on the humanitarian crises in the Horn of Africa. Prior to this, Mr Bani managed and coordinated Crisis Prevention and Recovery programmes in support of more than 20 countries and Regional Organisations in Africa, as the team leader for the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery based in South Africa, from 2009 to 2011.
He served as Regional Advisor in a similar capacity in Senegal, from 2006 to 2009 while his UN experience has taken him on specialists assignments in Tajikistan for three years, Geneva for five years, during which time he developed systems for crises prevention and designed various instruments for sustainable, post-crises development.
In Ghana, Mr Bani has remained active in various development processes, having been a senior lecturer and Director of Studies in Ghana Institute of Journalism from 1984 to 1992. As a lecturer, he contributed towards the training f some of the country’s leading journalists, and remains a mentor for most media managers in Ghana.
Mr Bani is a competent administrator, strategic leader and highly experienced in initiating and managing strategies for governance, building partnerships and facilitating complex relationships, especially in conflict resolution and management.
His experience with international organisations is an asset in ensuring that both resources and international legitimacy are brought to bear on national development programmes.
Mr Bani has a B.A. Hons degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Ghana, two Masters degrees – one in Comparative Politics and Government from the University of Texas in the US and Politics and Development Strategies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Hague, The Netherlands.
He speaks the major languages of Ghana and has working knowledge in Russian and French.
Career history & Accomplishments
United Nations Development Programme: Senior Recovery Advisor and Manager – Horn of Africa- September 2011 to November 2012.
• Led in the organisation of the first IGAD/UN high level ministerial conference to agree on a road map for the UN to support IGAD’s resilience mandate to end drought emergencies in the Horn of Africa.
• Managed and Coordinated UNDP’s response to the Horn of Africa Crisis and supported recovery efforts in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia.
• Led UNDP’s negotiations with Development Partners and member states of IGAD to design a coherent resilience response at the regional and national levels.
• Led in the design of the initial UNDP’s regional programme to support IGAD
Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR): Team Leader for Africa – March 2009 to August 2011.
Managed and coordinated Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) programmes in support of more than 20 countries and Regional Organisations in Africa,
• Managed and coordinated the CPR practice team in the Africa region, comprising 10 Advisors in the areas of conflict-prevention, natural disaster, mine action, small arms and programme support, to achieve the results envisaged in the UNDP Strategic Plan and as detailed in the BCPR annual work plan.
• Coordinated the work of the Africa Teams based in Regional Service Centers in Dakar and Johannesburg and managed an annual budget portfolio of more than $25 million.
• Coordinated the design of the CPR Regional Programme and managed its inception process.
• Conducted comprehensive assessments and provided regular updates to UNDP on CPR issues and emerging needs in the region. On the basis of these updates, ensured that COs received the appropriate assistance from BCPR in a timely and coordinated manner. This involves coordination of and support to country-level integrated CPR needs assessments, planning missions, regional workshops and training initiatives.
• Led the advocacy of CPR practice, including promotion of the practice’s policies, norms and standards, and the sharing of the practice’s global experience, by staying current on evolving policies, norms and standards through regular contact with BCPR and global networks.
• Coordinated support to more than 10 Country Offices to mainstream CPR into national development frameworks.
• Established partnerships with donors and international financial institutions for effective collaboration in support of Fragile States.
• Contributed to the UNDP policy on Fragile States.
• Led in the negotiation to develop a partnership between UNDP/Bureau for Crisis Prevention and the Africa Development Bank.
UNDP/Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery – Regional Advisor – Dakar, March 2006 to February 2009
• Developed three years UNDP led Small Arms training project for Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Center to be funded by the Government of Japan.
• Led ECOWAS and UNDP to mobilise omore than $15 million multi donor funding to support the ECOSAP three year’s work-plan (2006 to 2008). Managed donor relations with ECOWAS and UNDP.
• Led a team of BCPR experts to provide technical support to the Uganda Country Office to design the Uganda CPR strategic plan which mainstreamed CPR into the UNDP Country Programme.
• Led the Liberia Country team and BCPR experts to design the CPR component of the 2008 – 2011 Country Programme Action Plan for UNDP Liberia.
• Served as Resource Person to develop the DDR training module based on the UNIDDRS for the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and facilitated course sessions.
• Established partnerships with civil society organisations in West Africa, ECOWAS, African Union and research institutions to deepen the understanding of CPR issues in Africa.
• Provided technical advice and monitoring of UNDP CPR programmes to ensure consistency with UN Country Team’s documents as well as national frameworks such as UNDAF, CPD, PRSPs, CPAP. (Ghana Guinea, Liberia, Kenya, Uganda).
• Produced the National Campaign strategy for the Cote d’Ivoire National Commission on Small Arms control, which contributed to the peace and disarmament process.
• Initiated and provided oversight to the Small Arms project evaluation exercises undertaken in Ghana ,Sierra Leone, and Liberia and providing guidance to the roll-out of the recommendations to improve efficiency and delivery.
Small Arms and Demobilisations Specialist, September 2003 to February 2006 and Acting Team Leader, Small Arms and Demobilisation Unit, BCPR Geneva, September 2003 to March 2004.
• Managed a team of five international professionals and one administration staff, to support UNDP develop policies, design and implement programmes on DDR, Small Arms Control and Armed Violence Reduction.
• Provided overall guidance to programmes in more than 30 UNDP country Offices with a budget of about $20 million.
• Provided technical advice to the Regional Bureau for Africa/ECOWAS on the final review of PCASED which resulted in the establishment of the ECOWAS Small Arms Control Programme.
• Developed a How-to Guide for developing Small Arms control projects for UNDP practitioners and also serve as a contribution to the Small Arms Practice Note.
• Led a team of three consultants appointed by the Regional Bureau for Africa and negotiated with ECOWAS and 15 member States to design the ECOWAS Small Arms Control Programme (ECOSAP) with a budget of 33million dollars.
• Designed a Small Arms Control Awareness Raising Guideline for the use of Small Arms projects in West Africa. Guideline used successfully in Ghana, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire.
• Provided oversight and designed the initial UNDP DDR programme for Sudan and served as Resource Person during the negotiations to establish and build the capacity of the first DDR Commissions for the Government of Sudan and the SPLA.
UNDP/United Nations Volunteers Programme, Geneva, November 1999 to August 2002
Programme Specialist – Peace and Confidence-building programmes
• Coordinated and managed UN Volunteers Peace-building and Conflict Transformation projects.
• Led the first UNV mission to Afghanistan in February 2002 to develop UNV’s Response to the Recovery process in Afghanistan, a programme which mobilised more than 300 UN Volunteers to Afghanistan.
• Conducted the Review of UNV’s work on Peace-building and developed a strategic policy framework for UNV’s intervention on Community Peace-building and Conflict Transformation.
• Designed the first UNV/UNAMSIL Peace-building and Reintegration programme for Sierra Leone, which continue to serve as the basis for programme partnership between UNV and DPKO.
• Mobilised resources from DFID, Government of Japan and the EU for UNV Post Conflict Peace-building projects in Georgia, Croatia, Bosnia and Sierra Leone. (More than $2 million mobilised)
• Managed the White Helmets Volunteers programme with a budget of $4 million and implemented activities in India, El Salvador, Kosovo, Mozambique, Haiti, and Fiji.
• Reviewed/Evaluated the implementation status of the Peace-building project of UNDP/UNV Project in Bosnia and provided recommendation to UNDP/UNV, which resulted in the expansion of the project and mobilisation of resources from the Government of Japan and other donors.
United Nations Development Programme, Tajikistan, July 1996 – May 1999.
Project Manager/CTA—Tajikistan Community-based Peace and Confidence building project.
• Managed the UNDP Peace and Confidence -building project and ensured the project was on Target, Time and Budget.
• Established three project offices and managed two international and 14 national staff in Dushanbe, Kurgan-Tube and Kulyab offices to support delivery of local government resettlement, reconstruction and peace-building activities.
• Working with the UN Mission of Observers, he served as the UNDP Security Coordinator for the regional office in Kurgan-Tube Province.
• Mobilised and managed resources from UN agencies, government and donor community for effective delivery of integrated activities at the community level.
• Established partnerships, mobilised resources and coordinated NGOs, and UN agencies for peace-building and integrated recovery activities in communities.
• Established and successfully managed an implementation capacity for Youth groups, and 20 Community Development Centres (NGOs/CBOs) as partners in community peace and development activities. The network served as the main partner for UN agencies and NGOs.
Ghana Institute of Journalism Accra, Ghana. September 1984 – June 1992
Senior Lecturer and Director of Studies:
• Designed, managed and evaluated the academic programme of the Ghana Institute of Journalism as well as supervised 350 students annually and the academic and administrative staff of 20.
• Resource Person for the design of the joint UNESCO and UNFPA course on Population Communication.
• Designed and thought a course on Development Communication.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, USA, Master of Arts, 1994 Major: Comparative Politics and Government.
UNIVERSITY OF OSLO, Norway, Certificate of Achievement, 1991 Major: International Development Studies.
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL STUDIES, The Hague, Netherlands, Master of Arts, 1989. Major: Development Studies: Politics and Development Strategies.
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, Legon, Bachelor of Arts, Honours, 1981. Major: Political Science and Sociology.
UNDP MANAGEMENT TRAINING
• 2004, 2008, 2009 – 360 degree feedback management exercise.
• 2005 – Management Development Center training programme for UNDP managers
• Participated and passed the Assessment for UNDP Country Director position – October 2012
LANGUAGES English (Fluent) Russian (Basic) French (Beginners) Ewe (Fluent)
Publications
• D.K. Bani and Julius Ihonvbere; “The State Non-governmental Organisations and Development in Africa,” Foreign Affairs Reports vol. XLIII, No. 6, June 1994.
• Prosper D.K. Bani; Review of Ihonvbere, Julius O., Nigeria: The Politics of Adjustment and Democracy, New Brunswick, NJ and London, UK; transaction Publishers 1994. 231pp. In Journal of Third World Studies, vol. XI, No. 2, Fall 1994.
Source: GNA