Gabriella Ilolahia
Women's Right's Activist
Nuku'alofa
Summary
Accomplished Senior Project Officer at Ma'a Fafine Mo E Famili Inc. MFF, adept in project management and stakeholder relations, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality results on time and within budget. Excelled in training and mentoring, enhancing team capabilities and fostering innovative solutions. Demonstrated excellence in operational reporting and budget management, significantly contributing to organizational goals.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Project Officer
Ma'a Fafine Mo E Famili Inc. MFF
12.2008 - 09.2023
- Developed comprehensive project plans in line with the organization's goals and vision ensuring timely completion of milestones and deliverables.
- Evaluated completed projects for lessons learned, incorporating feedback to refine future initiatives and drive ongoing improvement.
- Secured necessary resources for project execution, including budget approval, personnel assignments, and equipment procurement.
- Strengthened stakeholder relationships by maintaining open lines of communication and providing regular progress updates.
- Formulation and updating the organization's Strategic Plan.
- Formulation and updating of internal policies of the organization.
- Ensuring that the policies are made available to the staff, and that training has been carried out on them.
- Cultivated strong partnerships with external vendors, streamlining negotiations for more favorable terms on contracts and services.
- Assist the Director in ensuring that all projects are carried out in accordance with MFF's Constitution and also the requirements of each donor.
- Collect all data and information for all reports.
- Enter all data into appropriate databases.
- Retrieve necessary data to analyze, formulate indicators, and report to the director and in all reports to the MFF Board, stakeholders, and as needed.
- Prepare narrative reports to go together with financial acquittals.
- Prepare for the organization's AGM and Board Meetings - Meeting Papers, Agenda, Venue, and letters of invitation, and any other matters that the Director may require.
- Prepare quarterly and annual narrative reports for the organization's AGM.
- Update the organization's Strategic Plan and the Constitution, if needed, during the AGM.
- Understand that confidentiality is the cornerstone of all work at MFF, and it must be respected and complied with at all times.
- Assist the Director in the identification of all training needs for the staff and the projects of the organization.
- Assist the Director in ensuring that all research is in line with the organization's vision and goals and is carried out correctly and scientifically, with ethical and government approval, and so forth.
- Assist in preparing all training material/booklets.
- Translate all training material into the Tongan language before all training.
- Oversee the photocopying and the binding of the training booklets.
- Assist the Director in identifying other trainers for all the trainings, if necessary.
- Facilitated knowledge sharing among team members to enable efficient problem-solving during critical project phases.
- Assist the Director in carrying out all training.
- Ensure that participants are represented from all groups in Tonga; the males, females, LGBTQ21 Community, the youth, the people in the grassroots, those living with disability and so forth.
- Oversaw change management efforts to ensure seamless integration of new processes or systems into existing workflows.
- Delivered high-quality results on time and within budget by diligently monitoring progress against established objectives.
- Kept senior management well-informed by preparing and presenting project status reports.
- Developed and deepened relationships with key stakeholders.
- Coordinated numerous small and large-scale projects as identified in the organization's Strategic Plan.
- Tracked project and team member performance closely to quickly intervene in mistakes or delays.
- Reported regularly to the Director on project budget, progress, and technical problems.
- Scheduled and facilitated meetings between project stakeholders to discuss deliverables, schedules and conflicts.
- Analyzed project performance data to identify areas of improvement.
Teacher and Senior Education Officer
Ministry Of Education
02.1991 - 11.2002
- English and History Teacher for High School Students.
- Senior Education Officer in the Administration and Planning Unit of the Ministry of Education's Main Office, drafting Project Proposals and Formulating the Ministry's Annual Reports.
- As a teacher, I developed strong relationships with students, parents, and colleagues by maintaining open lines of communication and fostering a supportive learning environment.
- Managed classroom behavior effectively by establishing clear expectations, modeling appropriate conduct, and consistently enforcing established rules and consequences.
- Enhanced classroom engagement through the use of interactive teaching methods, such as group projects and hands-on activities.
- Maintained accurate records of student progress, attendance, and behavior to facilitate ongoing communication with parents about their child's educational journey.
- For one year, I coordinated the Short-Term Training Centre, a joint venture between the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Education. I was the Coordinator of New Zealand and Australia In-country Short-Term Training Courses for Civil Servants.
Education
Post-Graduate Certificate - Gender Studies
University of The South Pacific
Suva, Fiji 04.2001 -
Post Graduate Diploma - Educational Planning And Management
UNESCO-IIEP
Paris, France 04.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature & History Politics
University of The South Pacific
Suva, Fiji 04.2001 -
Skills
Training and mentoring
Presentation abilities
Innovation and Creativity
Project Management
Presentation Skills
Meeting facilitation
Creative Thinking
Operational Reporting
Budget Management
Stakeholder Relations
Proficient in [Software]
Multitasking
Accomplishments
-Co-author of the Civil Society Organisation’s Human Rights Task Force CSO HRTF – Civil Society Submission to the 2ndRound, 2012 of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report and also the 3rdRound, 2017
-Member of the Civil Society Organisation’s Human Rights Task Force CSO HRTF
-Board Member of the Tonga Leiti’s Association (ILGA Association), 2014
-Member of the Coalition Against Violence in Tonga – in support of the Tonga Family Protection Act, 2013
-Member of CPAD Tonga – Community of Peace, Unity and Development in Tonga, 2009-2013
-Member of CPAD – UNDP, Suva Fiji 2009-2013
-Member of the Domestic Violence Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Police, 2013
-Member of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga’s Human Rights Instructors for In country training of trainers on Human Rights
-President of a Women’s Community Development Group for the village of Fasi, Kemio ‘a Titilupe ‘o Fasi-mo e Afi, 2000-2015
-Was a member of the Executive Committee of the P.T.A (Parents and Teachers Association) of the Government Primary School (G.P.S.) of Fasi, 2010-2016
-Became a member of the Family Protection Act, Advisory Council, 2013
-Was a Representative of Tongatapu 3 in the Women’s Mock Parliament of Tonga, 2014
-Candidate for Tongatapu 3 in the Parliamentary Elections of 2014
-Secretary and Coordinator of the Blake Family Reunion, Nuku’alofa, Tonga 2016
-Author of the Books, Alexander Blake, Nuku’alofa, 2016 & Eitu’s Day, Nuku’alofa, 2019
-A member of the Gender Equality Theology (GET) committee, AusAID which later became FFOV, 2019
-A Member of the Steering Committee on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) of the Statistics Department, 2019
-Gender Expert Advisor to the MICS of the Statistics Department, 2019
-Conducting workshops throughout the country on Gender Equality, Theology and Legal Literacy 2008-2023
-Second time Candidate, Tongatapu 3 for the Tonga Parliamentary Elections of 2021
Additional Information
I truly believe that women, young girls, children and those living with disabilities urgently need our support. I am a feminist and I have run for Parliament twice with the longing to stand for women and to become their voice. I did not get into Parliament but that does not mean that I failed. I have not given up. Whenever I get a chance, I surf the net to increase my knowledge of ways in which to help overcome the glass ceiling. I have learnt from other leaders around the world and am passionate about consolidating women's leadership in Tonga. Through the Balance of Power, I can use my knowledge and creativity to launch new initiatives which would help to change the mindset of Tongans. I will use the media and all networks including art in all its forms to help change views. I know that the lobbying of Parliamentarians and Leaders has been done before and this will continue but the main target here are the masses who hold the voting power in their hands. This will be my main focus.
Languages
English
Full Professional
Tongan
Native or Bilingual
French
Elementary
Interests
Writing Music and Musical Drama Painting Entrepreneurship Illustrating Children’s Books Cake Decorating Art and Craft Sewing and Cooking
Timeline
Senior Project Officer
Ma'a Fafine Mo E Famili Inc. MFF
12.2008 - 09.2023
Post-Graduate Certificate - Gender Studies
University of The South Pacific
04.2001 -
Post Graduate Diploma - Educational Planning And Management
UNESCO-IIEP
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature & History Politics
University of The South Pacific
04.2001 -
Teacher and Senior Education Officer
Ministry Of Education
02.1991 - 11.2002
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