Curriculum vitae

• Personal Details
• Present Employment
• Education
• Activities
• Computer Skills
• Language Skills
• Previous Work
• Referees

Personal Details

Employment

February 2005 - present

Systems analyst, University Computing Centre (Software Department), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I work on database tools and systems for the Government and public sector in Tanzania, specializing in easy-to-use tools for collecting and analysing information, monitoring and evaluation systems and systems for the health sector.

My work includes

Working with Government:

I work closely with our clients in Government to gain in-depth understanding of their institutional processes, the structure of their data and their needs for managing data.

Systems analysis:

I write information system needs assessments, write technical specifications, follow up on programmers' work and write technical documentation and user manuals.

Programming and data analysis:

I program systems in visual basic and use complex SQL for setting up automatic reports and analysis features.

October 2001 - October 2004

Economic Policy Analyst, in the Ministry of Finance of Tanzania, under the Overseas Development Institute fellowship scheme. I was working in the Policy Analysis Department and specialising in taxation policy.

My approach to my work was to learn about and take part in existing processes and analysis work, to obtain and listen to others perceptions of problems and priorities, to propose changes, both changes in taxation policy and changes in ways of analysing taxation in the department, and to implement and follow-up changes.

My work included

Economic Analysis:

Analysing tax policy proposals from the private sector in terms of a economic and social effects, working as part of small research teams on particular taxation policy issues, preparation of quarterly analysis of Government Revenue performance. I worked closely on coordinating, recording and synthesizing stakeholder discussions on the draft income tax act in the year running up to the passing of the Income Tax Act 2004.

Training and capacity building:

Providing training sessions and on-going technical assistance to other department staff on taxation, especially regarding the technical aspects of the VAT system, income tax system and related policies

Instituting new processes:

Initiating improvements in how our department contributes to the annual Task Force on Tax Reform, instituting a database of tax exemptions, designing the institutional workings of a Treasury Voucher system for tax exemptions, working with the Tanzania Revenue Authority and the Bank of Tanzania on issues of data access and exchange, gathering content for the Ministry of Finance website including designing an on-line guide to income tax for the website.

Education

September 2000 - September 2001

MSc Masters degree in Political Economy of Development in the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Results and awards

I achieved distinction / first class honours in my degree. I was awarded a full SOAS bursary for my Masters studies.

Masters courses
Growth and Development	71%
Political Economy of Institutions	74%
Research Methods II	85%
African Economies I	65%
African Economies II	70%
International Economics I (International Trade)	66%
International Economics II (International Finance)	71%
Environmental Economics	67%
Dissertation
Choosing winners to create: a framework for Industrial Policy in Tanzania	71%

October 1997 - June 2000

BA degree in University College Cork, Ireland. My major subject was Economics I specialised in Public Policy economics. Computer science was my minor subject.

Results and awards

I achieved First Class Honours (1H) in my overall degree, in both Economics and Computer Science, and in each subject module. I also achieved First Class Honours in Second Year, and in each of my four subjects in First Year (Economics, Computer science, Mathematics and Sociology). I was awarded an entrance scholarship to UCC in first year, and undergraduate college scholarships in second year and in third year.

Final year subjects

(Links to my essays)

September 1991 - June 1997

Secondary school at St. Dominic's College, Cabra, Dublin. For the Leaving Certificate I self-taught myself Economics by correspondence course.

Results of Leaving Certificate Examination 1997:

English	B3
Irish	A1
Mathematics	A1
Physics	A1
Chemistry	A1
French	A1
Economics	A2

Activities

• I am secretary of Umma wa Wapanda Baisikeli Dar es Salaam (Dar es Salaam cycling community) which I also helped to set up. This group campaigns for better cycling conditions in Dar es Salaam and encourages cycling as a sustainable form of city transport. I also cycle as my personal day-to-day means of transport.
• I read extensively and have a keen interest in global current affairs especially issues of global economic inequality and environmental issues. I also attended the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2007.
• During my time in UCC I was actively involved in reviving and running the UCC One World Society for two years. This involved steering meetings, facilitating workshops and organising campaigns and events. The One World Society highlights issues relating to developing countries in co-operation with One World groups in other colleges and other NGOs.
• During my time in London I continued campaign work through SOAS People and Planet and the Oxfam campaigns network. I was co-editor of the Bloomsbury Life Guide, a guide for students in the SOAS area of London to local fair trade outlets, ethical businesses and environmentally friendly options.
• In Cork I climbed regularly with UCC Mountaineering club.
• After taking part in the sport for eight years, I coached gymnastics at Coolmine Gymnastics Club in Dublin for 3-6 hours a week from September 1995 to July 1997.

Computer Skills

• A detailed knowledge of and work experience in database design and SQL. I studied a course in SQL and database design as part of my degree and I use these skills extensively in my work in the University Computing Centre.
• Advanced knowledge of and experience in Microsoft Access and Visual Basic for Applications.
• A good working knowledge of web page design and HTML.
• A sound knowledge of programming concepts through studying PASCAL as part of my degree.
• Familiarity with networking through a degree course.
• A knowledge of various economics statistical packages and internet resources
• Excellent user skills of word processors and spreadsheets. When I was 15 years old I self-taught myself at a local community centre and gained Pitmans intermediate qualifications in spreadsheets and databases and City & Guilds intermediate qualification in word-processing.
• Excellent knowledge of using the internet
• Typing speed of 50wpm.

Language skills

My first language is English. During my time in Tanzania, I have taught myself Swahili and am now orally fluent and regularly take part in meetings in Swahili. In May 2003 I achieved an A grade in Swahili O-Level examination under the Cambridge Examination system. I also speak and write well in Irish (Gaelic) and French. I achieved an A1 in Leaving Cert French and I spent the summer of 1999 in Brussels. I have basic German and achieved an A in Junior Cert German.

Previous work

Summer 2000

• I completed a twelve week contract for eCountries.com in Dublin, an internet-based news service and business-to-business marketplace. I developed an extensive database for the use of business development managers in their day-to-day tracking of progress and work. I also did research into new areas for business development using the internet.

Summer 1999

• I completed a two month contract for Euroclear, an investment clearing system in Brussels, Belgium. This involved developing a new database application using SQL and Microsoft Access.
• I spent two weeks working with Trocaire in Dublin. I did web design work and publicity work for a conference.

Summer 1998

• In July I travelled to the Czech Republic on an AIESEC traineeship where I taught English and helped organise activities in a children's' summer camp for four weeks.

Other summer and part-time work

• During these and other summers I have also spent more than a cumulative five months doing temporary secretarial work. It gave me experience in a range of organisations and involved adapting quickly to new environments. Organisations where I have done this work include the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) in Dublin and Bank of Ireland Corporate Finance.
• I have also done a variety of work in a bookshop, bars (in Ireland and London) and a youth hostel (in Brussels)

Referees

• Email [email protected]