Ben Mwongela (Kenyan) holds a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship and Business Management from the Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands and has been involved in the area of enterprise development and program management for well over 20 years. He is PhD fellow in Strategic Management in Moi University’s School of Economics and Business.
An author of a manual- Youth Handbook, Mr. Mwongela, was voted the Overall Best Trainer in Kenya in 1998, by the Kenya Management Assistance Program, Mr. Mwongela has wide experience strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation and research, livestock, program management, conservation enterprise, youth-led development and policies, agri-business, resource governance, strategic management, value chain development, business plans and feasibility studies.
As the Economic Adviser to the Governor, Kajiado County, he played a leading role in advising the Government of Kajiado on key topical areas, like the budget cycle, development of policies and policy briefs for cabinet, intergovernmental relations, PFM, drafting of bills for the county assembly, implications and understanding of chapters 6 and 11 of the Constitution of Kenya and overall micro and macroeconomic affairs.
He has worked extensively in the eastern, western, central and southern Africa region and in remote African locations; where he has assisted local vulnerable communities unlock their enterprise and resource potential.
He has worked and consulted with large donor funded programs and organizations like Conservation Enterprise Africa, Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia, Practical Action- Kenya, Verde Ventures of Conservation International of the United States, Danish Family Planning Association, African Wildlife Foundation, WWF, International Planned Parenthood Federation, USAID-funded Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprises (KAVES), IUCN, Equity Group Foundation, Kenya Markets Trust, Micro Enterprise Support Program Trust, Farm Africa, Royal Tropical Institute of the Netherlands, CARITAS Luxembourg and Switzerland, ADRA Somalia, SNV Netherlands, Chama Cha Malezi Bora- Tanzania, Reproductive Health Uganda, Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria, AMODEFA- Mozambique, FLAS, Swaziland, East and Southern Africa Management Institute, BEACON partners in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, to mention but a few.
While at the African Wildlife Foundation, as Regional Enterprise Manager for Africa, he played a key role in the development and management of a Conservation Enterprise program in eastern and southern Africa: as a key mechanism for the design and delivery of innovative approaches and services to strengthen wildlife enterprises- non timber forest products (including apiculture), tourism, conservation agriculture etc. maximum conservation and development impact. He developed compliance and good business practice by engaging credible private sector players and advising communities on how to manage resources, distribute and invest income; and promoting enterprise planning at a landscape level to encourage optimal fit between enterprises and to determine the appropriate scale and type of enterprises for commercial and ecological sustainability.
He has structured various commercial enterprises bordering on non-timber forest products, organic agriculture, tourism and livestock in Eastern Africa that are “open for business” and performing.
His consulting strengths lie in baseline studies, program evaluation, scouting for new opportunities, program planning and management, business, strategy, structuring and building institutional capacity for businesses value chain development; and providing business development services in fund raising, development of marketing linkages, private sector partnership development, business management (due diligence, business planning and program development), and developing revenue and financial models for businesses using both profit and non-profit approaches.