Our ‘60 Seconds with…’ blogs are designed to provide a quick run down of what our staff do here at Itad. Here is what Bara had to say…
What’s your job here at Itad?
I’m a Business Development Administrator.
What does that involve?
Business development is mainly about bidding for tenders – coordinating proposals, analysing terms of reference, identifying consultants with the right skillsets, and writing capability statements outlining why and how we’re best suited to deliver the work. Around this, I try to fit my other responsibilities – keeping the CV database up to date, support the climate resilience team with research, and coordinate research and strategic work on Itad’s business plan for 2016-2018.
How did you get into the field?
I chose to combine my undergraduate degree in International Relations with Development Studies, which has influenced my work and further studies since – having worked in regional development within the EU, carbon trading in China, supported coordination of an international transparency initiative in the construction sector, and researched issues of climate resilience and adaptation in Southeast Asia – I’ve always had the opportunity to put my theoretical understanding of development into practical contexts.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s mainly the people I work with that make my work interesting. I also enjoy the variety of bids/projects I get to work on, the opportunity to learn more about M&E through research, day-to-day communication with consultants and clients, and of course, opening client’s email confirming that we won is always joyful!
What new innovations or methods have you noticed in your sector?
I’m still quite new to business development so it’s hard for me to identify changes tendering has gone through. What has changed in business development at Itad since I started 1.5 years ago is the way information is managed internally. The new CV database, for example, enables us to better identify consultants according to their skills and areas of expertise, and keeps all their records in one place.
Recent highlight or job wins?
There has been quite a number of wins this year. The most recent one was M&E of DFID’s Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP). The highlight of 2015 for me, however, was winning a contract for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning from the International Climate Fund (now known as HMG Climate Change Compass) earlier this year. Throughout the year, I’ve also been working on the evaluation of CIFF’s contribution to the 2015 International Climate Negotiations, which has been a very exciting project to work on in the run up to COP21 in Paris this December.
Most interesting question you have been asked recently?
Not that long ago, I was asked by a consultant about drama work of Vaclav Havel.
Favourite place you have visited as part of your job?
Unfortunately, I don’t get to travel much for work at Itad, apart from trips to London, which still is great fun to visit every time!
Barbora Sladkova, January 2016
