OKPALA-PERKINS, NKIRU JOY

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Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.A. Cell phone: +1-914-***-**** e-mail: adu01y@r.postjobfree.com TITLE: Policy Analyst/Project Coordinator/ Business Analyst. SUMMARY:

15 years of experience in Legal Research, Policy Analysis, Bills Review,

7+ years of experience in analysis, design, development, testing and implementation of software applications, with Extensive knowledge in gathering and understanding BRDs (Business Requirements Document), FRDs (Functional Requirements Document), SRS (Software Requirement Specifications) and Use Cases, and experienced with both Agile Methodology and Waterfall Methodology, highly skilled in coordinating User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Above 10 years of proficiency in Project Coordination and Management; Research works and data collation, with great ability to identify business performance problems, proffer tenable solutions, rethink and redesign operational models that can positively transform Organizational Design and establish higher efficiency and output.

Expert knowledge of International Business and Trade Laws, Trade Facilitation and Policies for Economic Organization and Coalition Management.

Excellent soft skills; team spirit, leadership qualities, communication skills and interpersonal skills; KEY SKILLS:

Research, Documentation, Brief Writing, Project Planning/Management, Legal Consulting; Change Management and Problem-Solving,

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

SQL, XML, Quick Test Pro, Selenium, HP-ALM, MS-Project, MS-PowerPoint, MS-Word, MS-Excel, and Notepad.

EXPERIENCE

KDC Logistics, Connecticut Nov. 2020 to Present

Project Coordinator

Responsibilities

Analyzing business needs and coordinating projects in the Logistics Firm, ensuring that all business scenarios are covered in design, and achieving timely results.

Engaging in Project research works; interpreting data to inform business decisions; recognizing different business trends, detecting outliers, and summarizing data sets in line with project efficiency and timely delivery.

Analyzing relationships between variables; Developing and testing hypotheses; Crafting sound survey questions and drawing inferences and conclusions from population samples.

Implementing regression analysis and other analytical techniques in Excel.

Updating and reviewing Detailed Functional Requirements (DFR) as well as Business Process Description in Confluence, SharePoint and ensuring proper documentation of any change request.

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Coordinating with stakeholders, clients, developers and SME’s from inception to completion of projects; Conducting bug review meetings with quality analyst, developers and SME's on ongoing basis, and communicated successes to stakeholders and clients,

Identifying defects, organizing timely reviews and test readiness meetings; Creating and maintaining project plan/schedule and coordinating sprint activities in Agile environment.

Managing clients relationships for business strategy, workflow model refinement and user context diagrams, and Preparing the verification check-list to be followed in the various stages of the application under testing

Analyzing and editing business requirement documents for different modules of application. VNA Stratford, Connecticut Dec. 2019- Nov. 2020

Business & Test Analyst

Responsibilities

Reviewed business requirement documents and developed fully elaborated user cases and mockups

Conducted JAD, JAR and Elicitation sessions and user interviews to gather additional requirements, and Performed GAP Analysis for new functionality requirements and prioritized them based on the business needs and Documented system deficiencies and participated in various meetings to clarify enhancements and change requests

Developed test plans, test cases and test scripts to define scope of overall quality assurance testing, enhanced the test scripts in selenium for automated testing, scheduled Test Runs in Quality Center and Performed security testing manually using positive and negative testing to ensure appropriate user authentication

Performed Black Box Testing, Unit Testing, Regression Testing, Integration Testing, Sanity Testing, Smoke Testing, Performance Testing, Stress Testing and Load Testing of Web-Based applications and Client/Server applications using Quality Center African Peace Fellows,

Centre for African Peace and Conflict Resolution,

California State University, Sacramento, USA. Jan. 2019 – Dec., 2021 International Advisory Board Member (VOLUNTARY ADVISORY). Responsibilities:

Provided Leadership and Advisory services to the Center on Fund-Raising projects for the Endowment

Worked on Budget Oversight;

Gave Strategic Advice on Programming and African Partnership Development;

Worked on Participant-Students Priority Setting;

Researched and Advised on Policy Direction.

Participated in all International Advisory Board Meetings and Activities, and Advised the Board on International Best Practices

OTHER JOB EXPERIENCE

Nigerian Network of

Women Exporters of Services/(Women Business Associations Coalition) Association of Nigerian Women Business Network January 2013 – Sept. 2019 National Coordinator, and Project Director.

Responsibilities:

Headed the Coalition of over 135 Women Business Associations in Nigeria; Coordinated the execution of all the Coalition’s Projects and Activities, OKPALA-PERKINS, NKIRU JOY

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Conducted Researches; Wrote and Presented Local and International Papers on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Business Environment, Coalition Formation, Coalition Management; Trade in Services and Exports, and International Best Practices; and Developed National Women Business Agenda and Position Papers for Government Policy Advisory.

Consulted for Government Ministries and International Non-Governmental and Inter-Governmental Agencies like Centre for International Private Enterprise, USA; United Nations Women; International Trade Centre, Geneva; Investment Climate Reform Facility, Belgium; on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Social Protection, Gender Policy, African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, and Sustainable Development.

Represented Women in Business in Nigeria, and served as their voice on the Presidential Committee on Impact and Readiness Analysis of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, and worked with Price Water Coopers (PWC) on evidence and documents review and advisory.

Led in Carrying out Advocacy projects that brought about different Policy Changes.

Represented the Coalition as its Face at Presidential Committees, Local and International Summits, and built the capacities of women in business on Business models, financial Literacy, business formalization advocacy, and gender lens business development programs across the nation.

Managed the developmental funds of Development Partners/Organizations and International Agencies, and executed effectively and efficiently, projects on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Export Growth.

Confidence Chambers January 2003 – Dec. 2019

Principal Attorney/Legal Consultant/Company Secretary Responsibilities:

Worked as External Solicitor to the National Assembly; Reviewed and Advised the Senate and House of Representatives Members on Policy Direction, Bills and Acts before the House Committees;

Coordinated the execution of the Law Firm’s Legal Services and Consultancy; Led in Litigations, Conciliations and Alternative Disputes Resolution. Served as Company Secretary to Companies under the Law Firm’s Services.

Engaged as a Consultant in drafting numerous Government Policies like the Social Protection Policy, the Gender Equal Opportunities Bill; Carried out Document Reviews, Registrations, and Legal Advisory for Government Ministries and Trade Committees.

Exhibited Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and aided the law firm in determining systems and procedural solutions for best legal practices. EDUCATION

Master in Business Administration,

National Open University of Nigeria

Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) in Finance and Management, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Oyo.

Barrister-at-Law Degree (B.L.); Certificate of Call to Bar, Law, Nigeria Law School, Bwari, Abuja

Bachelor of Law Degree (LL. B) (Hons.),

Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu. Certificate Course - Risk and Security Management and Consultancy, OKPALA-PERKINS, NKIRU JOY

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London Graduate school/Albion College, United Kingdom OTHER QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS: 1. .World Bank Institute, Washington D.C USA.

Executive Professional Certificates on:

A. Policies for Growth.

B. Standards and Trade Principles & Applications’. 2. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Certificates on:

A. Gender Impact of Technology Upgrading in Agriculture: B. Certification on: Trade and Gender

3. African Management Initiative (AMI)

Professional Certification on:

a. Creating a Sustainable NPO Stakeholder Portfolio b. Maximizing Income-Creating Your NPO Revenue Portfolio c. Building Self-Sustaining Non-Profit Organizations- An Introduction d. Effective Advocacy

4. United Nations Institute for Trade and Research (UNITAR) Certificate on:

A. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement & Regional Trade Facilitation Rules and Regulations. 5. International Trade Centre, Geneva;

Professional Certificates on:

A. Introduction to Business Plans

B. Taking the Entrepreneurship Route

C. Considering Export Markets

D. Trade in Services.

E. Introductory Program on Trade Development

6. Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Management Courses Certificates on:

A. “Creating a Self-Sustaining Coalition- Crafting your Coalition’s Sustainability Plan, Going Forward., Setting up of Sustainability Committee”. B. “BMO’s/Coalition’s Financial Sustainability”.

C. “Engaging in Credible Research Projects for Policy Recommendations”.

D. “Building a Better Business Environment for Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs through Technology-Enabled Advocacy Efforts”.

E. Enhancing the Capacities of Women BMOs.

And a host of International Professional Certificate Courses.

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