Government Relations Project Officer
Resume:
A. Profile of Bernice Sam
Bernice Sam is a lawyer and high performing development professional with more than 20 years’ experience in government relations, social performance, gender and social inclusion, communications, community engagement and multi-stakeholder dialogues. She has substantial experience in effectively coordinating and overseeing technical inputs on various Programmes. She has held positions on development Programmes funded by UKAID, European Union, bilateral organizations and UN agencies. She was the West Africa portfolio manager on a multi-country multi-million Pounds Sterling DFID-funded Girls Education Programme; technical lead for a multi-stakeholder engagement on another multi-million DFID-funded Programme on oil and gas in Ghana; and technical adviser on social accountability on the Local Government Capacity Support Programme. Bernice Sam is passionate about inclusion, diversity and gender equality. Bernice designed and implemented gender responsive and inclusion projects on health, legal literacy, rural development, gender-based violence, girls’ education and child labor in Ghana. Also, Bernice has experience working in the extractives sector with responsibilities for corporate social investments and external affairs. She has capacity to build influential and collaborative networks and relationships at various levels, having had previous experience liaising directly with government ministries, local assemblies, donors, NGOs and the business community.
B. Resumé
BERNICE SAM
Address: P. O. Box CT 523, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana Email: **************@*****.***
Tel: 233 (0-244-***-***
EDUCATION
Masters in Law
Georgetown University, Washington D.C., USA (September 1998 – June 1999)
• Took courses in Constitutional Law, Equal Employment Opportunity, Family Law, Contracts & Negotiations, and International Women’s Human Rights. Bachelor of Laws
Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana (October 1991 – June 1993)
• Comprehensive law Programme on Conveyance Law, Tax Law, Contracts, Legal Accountancy, Civil and Criminal Procedure.
Barrister at Law
University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (August 1988- June 1991)
• Courses included Law of Contracts, Law of Equity, Constitutional Law and International Law
GCE Advanced and Ordinary Level Certificates
Mfantsiman Girls Secondary School, Saltpond, Ghana (September 1981 – June 1987) Page 2 of 5
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Consultant, Support to Women in Energy: Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth (April
- September 2020)
• Developed institutional documents (Human Resource, Financial Manuals etc.) for Women in Energy for a functioning secretariat as foundational documents to support advocacy for increased women’s participation in the energy sector.
• Secretary to the Board of Women in Energy
• Coordinated activities of the Management Committee and four Workstreams Manager, External Affairs: Aker Energy Ghana Ltd. (Sept. 2018 – Feb. 2020)
• Government Relations- Established and maintained relationship with government agencies including regulators of the upstream petroleum sector.
• Responsible for the company’s corporate social responsibility portfolio in Ghana – oversaw education-sector Programme and stakeholder engagement.
• In charge of communications by building a positive brand, managing issues and providing information on activities of the company to the public in Ghana. Portfolio Manager (West Africa): Girls Education Challenge Programme funded by DFID
(May – August 2018)
• Managed five multi-million Pound Sterling Programmes in Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
• Supported the Programme implementing organizations to meet their targets, comply with contract terms and reporting requirements.
Chief Operating Officer & Governance Lead: Western Region Coastal Foundation, (May 2016 to May 2018)
• Responsible for human resource management of the Foundation.
• Oversaw management of the multi-stakeholder dialogue platform’s activities between oil industry, local and national government and communities in Western Region.
• Built and maintained relationships with key stakeholders of the WRCF namely oil and gas companies, government (national and sub-national) and traditional leaders representing communities.
• Ensured all activities and operations of the Foundation were performed in compliance with regulations and laws governing the Foundation’s operations.
• Developed strategies for effective stakeholder relations, representing and speaking for WRCF at public events nationally and internationally.
• Worked with the Team Leader to develop work plans, resourcing plans, monitor delivery against these plans, quality assure key deliverables and contribute to quarterly and annual progress reports.
Team Leader (acting role) and support as Director of Programme: Western Region Coastal Foundation (October 2015, November 2015 – May 2016)
• Provided oversight for four Programme components – Dialogue, Economic Development, Communications and Monitoring & Evaluation. Page 3 of 5
• Supported preparation towards Programme annual reviews.
• Supervised and guided delivery of Programme deliverables in accordance with donor reporting requirements.
Dialogue Lead: Western Region Coastal Foundation (Feb. 2015 – May 2016)
• Responsible for effective multi-stakeholder dialogue platform by building relationships with oil and gas industry, communities and government.
• Managed implementing partners (NGOs) by ensuring compliance with financial and reporting requirements for DFID including audits.
• Contributed to development of governance framework, scope of work and supervision of consultants for political economy analysis, annual review, M&E and communications.
Social Accountability Expert: IPE Global, Local Government Capacity Support Project
(April – July 2014).
• Responsible for activities related to civil society engagement, improved participation and public relations of 11 metropolitan and municipal assemblies (MMAs) in Ghana;
• Worked with the assemblies to take specific measures to enhance transparency and disclosure of public information related to public finance management.
• Supported the assemblies to carry out outreach activities including town halls. National Coordinator: International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), Ghana (Nov. 2013 – May, 2014)
• Implemented projects on elimination of worst forms of child labor in cocoa.
• Supported social research on child labor.
• Introduced gender perspectives in ICI’s work in Ghana.
• Provided training for ICI’s implementing partners (CSOs) from nine districts in Western, Central and Ashanti Regions in Ghana.
National Programme Coordinator: Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), Accra, Ghana (January 2004 – October, 2013)
• Provided co-ordination and leadership for the planning of development Programmes, and managed the Organization’s overall development agenda in Ghana by developing and maintaining sustainable partnerships and strategic alliances with donors, Ministries, District Assemblies, media and other non-governmental Organizations.
• Developed communication and advocacy strategies, spokesperson for WiLDAF engaging media, government, civil society, and international human rights institutions.
• Designed and implemented projects on legal literacy, political governance and aid effectiveness.
Africa Region Programme Coordinator: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Accra, Ghana (January 2002- December 2003)
• Conceptualized, planned and executed advocacy activities on right to information, constitutionalism and human rights.
Senior Project Officer: Gender Studies & Human Rights Documentation Center, Accra, Ghana (May 2001 – January 2002)
• Together with Project Coordinator, implemented a rights-based campaign against gender violence.
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• Provided training to various community groups in Ashanti, Upper West and Greater Accra Regions.
Development Officer: Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), Takoradi, Ghana (May 1995 – June1998)
• Designed and implemented projects that built knowledge and capacity of community people in more than 20 districts across Ghana on gender, legal literacy and advocacy for pro-poor policies.
Legal Practitioner: Ntrakwa and Co. Legal Practitioners, Accra, Ghana (January –May 1995)
• Legal advice, contractual negotiations and assistant to the Board Secretary. Other Relevant Information
• International Diversity and Inclusion Licensed Trainer. Empowered Living USA
(December 2020)
• Certificate in Advanced Community Relations Practice. University of the Witwatersrand, SA and Synergy (November 2020)
• Certified Practitioner, Global Leadership Assessment (GLA 360), USA. (November 2020)
• Female Future Programme, Ghana Employers Association and NHO, Norway (Nov. 2019 to present)
• Certificate of Participation: Natural Resource Knowledge Hub Summer Course, Natural Resource Governance Institute (September, 2016)
• Certificate in Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing: Ghana Institute of Journalism, (January – February, 1995)
• Technical expert on Labor (May, 2013): Cabinet Sub-Committee on Ghana Hospitals and Pharmacists Association labor issues. Made recommendations to Cabinet to resolve labor concerns involving hospital pharmacists.
• Certificates in Ethics by DAI Europe (2016, 2017, 2018)
• Certificate in Board Governance by Board Source and DARC, Nigeria (June – July 2003) PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC AFFILIATION
• Ghana Bar Association
• Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Programme Alumnae, GULC, USA AWARDS
• ‘Ɔbaa Mmo’ (Well Done Woman) Award by Television Africa, Accra, Ghana (2011)
• The Most Outstanding Women’s Rights Activist for the Year 2013 LEADERSHIP
• Member – Ministerial Advisory Board, Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection
(2018 to 2021)
• Commissioner – Water Resources Commission (2014 – 2016) Page 5 of 5
• Expert/Advisor - Expert Advisory Group on Aid Effectiveness, UNIFEM/EU/ILO Project in Ghana (January – December 2008)
• Member - Board of Governors, Commonwealth Foundation, UK (March 2006-March 2007)
• Member – Commonwealth Civil Society Advisory Committee, Commonwealth Foundation, UK (2003 - 2009)
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