Shannon Dona Massar, Director, Faith Foundation, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Thank you Pankaj! The training on documentation and proposal writing conducted by you was excellent!
My organisation (the Faith Foundation) secured a grant to a proposal developed during the workshop. The workshop not only helped our team to develop the skills to write proposals and donor reports, but most importantly, to develop the thinking process to prepare these.
Thanks also for handholding each and every one of our team members through the entire process.
Isa De Villiers, Executive Assistant to the Founder, Her Choices, South Africa
Thank you very much Pankaj! The training on proposal writing and documentation was extremely valuable. Using the proposal we developed during the workshop, we just applied for a UN Grant and we are through to the second round in selection.
Faraz Farook, CEO, Results Training, Sri Lanka
Dear Pankaj, Let me take this opportunity to personally thank you from the bottom of my heart for your professionalism, unconditional support and for your amazing efforts to make this UNFPA training project a mega success.
Being a trainer myself, I can appreciate how well prepared you were for the sessions, in terms of subject matter, activities, examples, and even the resource materials, etc.. It was a sterling performance from you.
I have come across many local and international trainers in my training career, but only a handful of trainers who take training interventions so seriously with passion, commitment and dedication to deliver results, and I am proud to say that you are one of them.
Mala Singleton, Programme Director, Results Training, Sri Lanka
Dear Pankaj, I appreciate the trouble you took to make this training one of the best I have seen on M & E.
Knowing that there are so many aspects to this training, and your skills to make it interesting and share your knowledge has been one of the highlights of this programme and I thank you for the same.
I really appreciate the super job you did. UNFPA came back to us with feedback and really appreciated your efforts.
Thank you Pankaj for a brilliant job done. Couldn’t have got a better trainer. So much to learn from you.
Ms. Mariyam Nawaz, Deputy Manager, Media and Communications, Oxfam, Pakistan
Pankaj, I am glad I met you during the training workshop. Your ability to keep calm and engage participants is inspirational. You have great command over your subject and great knowledge of programmes. It was a treat to attend your sessions. I know you will continue to grow and lead (you are bound to) but would still wish you the best of health and prosperity.
Ms. Rashmi Sharma, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist, Oxfam
Pankaj, I miss working with you!
You are an amazing mentor, colleague and a friend. I was fortunate to begin my MEL career with you. I learnt a great deal from your programming and MEL experience, your humility, open mind and love for your work. I have had the great opportunity to continue your legacy on the monitoring system in Oxfam, and I continue to learn from your work.
You have left a lasting impression not just on me, but on every colleague and partner you came across in your time at Oxfam – they still talk about your energizing workshops!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences.
I look forward to working, learning and collaborating with you…….soon.
Ms. Bridget Snell, Head of Learning and Organisational Development Global Shared Services, Oxfam
Best of luck on your next great adventure. Please know that there are 3 things we will always remember about you and your time in Boston and with Oxfam America:
- You are a good friend.
You have been incredibly collegial, caring and humble from the very first days of your professional engagements with Oxfam. Therefore it was impossible not to immediately want to be your friend. Who would not want a friend like you.
- You have taught us a lot.
You are a natural teacher and your experience and deep passion for sustainable development, tech for development, and practitioner-oriented MEL made learning from you FUN!
- You travelled too much.
The only complaint to be made is that we never saw you enough. Of course, development doesn’t happen in shiny, new Oxfam offices – it happens in the real world with people. You made sure you were where great programming can happen. We must thank you for that.
Mandefro Nigussie, Deputy Regional Director, Oxfam America – Horn of Africa Regional Office, Addis Ababa
Making MEL fun is not an easy task, but you did it!
My Team and I have a lot of respect and we highly value your contribution in introducing practical (operational) MEL where our program staff turned your MEL training into action.
You are so professional and you have widened your network of colleagues and friends around the globe. This will enable you further to grow in your area of work. It is not easy for Oxfam to replace you!
Eloisa Devietti, Program Policy Advisor – Central America RO, Oxfam America
I will always look back at the work we did together with a smile on my face. I had been wanting to get more involved in MEL, and you set me on that path. Not only was it great to contribute to the monitoring system, but I learned a lot from you. You are a great mentor and friend. I hope to keep in touch and continue sharing and learning from you!
Chimdo Anchala, Ag Extension Coordinator, Oxfam America Horn of Africa Regional Office, Addis Ababa
Indeed, you are a man who is never-ever forgettable. Your support, thought on MEL and encouragement has led us to move in the right direction. Please remain lovely as you were before. May God be with you at all-time, Pankaj.
Mark Lyons, Oxfam America, US Program, Boston
You will be missed: I think there’s a lot of value in the type of analytical reflection you’ve encouraged, supported and enabled in the agency.
Yasir Ahmed A Hafiez, MEAL Manager, Catholic Relief Services, Sudan
I will never forget your support to the humanitarian team here in Sudan and the way you simplify and operationalize MEL.
Your encouragement to me when you whispered in my ear while I was presenting some of the tools we created here “hey man you are one step from the dashboard”, I will never forget that and will work hard with the team here and Boston to make it a reality.
Olga Gorokhovsky, Manager, Foundations and Corporate Relations, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Boston
I know you as a great friend and an important contributor to the M&E world at Oxfam. You created a monitoring system that works and allows development practitioners to measure the impact of their programs – that is a big feat to accomplish and a lot of people to train, but you accomplished it with a smile, great humor and humility. You always want the best for the people you work with, and whose lives you wish to improve. Keep on creating!
Mary Starkey, Program Support Coordinator, Regional Programs, Oxfam America, Boston
Good luck, Pankaj! I was in El Salvador this week and I heard your name a lot. You certainly have made good friends!
I hope you continue to play the flute, and that you’ll come visit us if you’re in the neighborhood.
Maria Ezpeleta, Program Policy Advisor – East Asia RO, Oxfam America
Thank you for all your support to East Asia Regional Office in Cambodia and for this wonderful new monitoring system!
Mariyam Nawaz, Deputy Manager, Media and Communications, Oxfam GB, Pakistan
Pankaj, I am glad I met you during the training workshop, your ability to keep calm and engage participants is inspirational. You have great command over your subject and great knowledge of programme. It was a treat to attend your sessions. I know you will continue to grow and lead (you are bound to) but would still wish you the best of health and prosperity.
Sereyrathanak Suon, MEL Coordinator, East Asia Regional Office, Oxfam America, Cambodia
Farewell, my teacher. I will be sure to seek your guidance in the future of my career. ? I learnt a lot from you.
El Fateh Osman, Country Director, Oxfam Sudan
It is so sad to see you leaving away from Oxfam America. We really appreciated your contributions in the area of M&E. In Sudan we are hoping to bring you back to do another round of training for Oxfam partners and government.
Marilyn Berdugo, Oxfam America, El Salvador
Adios amigo, hasta pronto…
I do not want to say goodbye, I want to say, see you someday my friend. You touched my life and my son Kevin’s life in a special way, thank you so much and I hope the best for you.
Kim Miller, MEL Coordinator, Oxfam America, US Regional Office, Boston
It seems that you have touched many lives here in a very short period of time! Just wanted to add my thanks as well! I always appreciated you taking time out from your busy schedule to discuss my MEL questions.
Sonia Sarder, Programme Coordinator, Gender & Women Leadership Oxfam Bangladesh
You are such a fun loving and lively person. I used to think MEL as a very complex issue which is somehow now less critical! I received many learning inspirations on MEL as well as different Facilitation technics from those training/briefing sessions conducted by you during in Dhaka.
Your visit to Bangladesh and especially the Country Learning Review will be a memorable learning for me!
Heema Khadka, Programme Manager- Economic Justice and Sustainable Livelihood, Oxfam, Nepal
I would like to acknowledge your dedication, hardwork and significant contributions to strengthen MEAL in our country.
Mohit Holmesheoran, Oxfam America, Boston
I guess I’m the luckiest one to be working with you right in the beginning of my INGO career. I’m grateful for your friendship and supervision.
I have learnt not only what to do but also things I must not do while working in the development industry.
Chaliya Sophasawatsakul, Digital Vision Producer, Oxfam Great Britain, Bangkok
You shall be missed ? – Well you already are missed.
Ket Vathna, YSEALI Program Director, FUSAAC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The first time I met you during a small training, I could say I met the right person to work for. With your knowledge and experiences, you explained and lectured me about research and other issues in a very ordinary but extraordinary way. You are not selfish in sharing knowledge and skills to others.
As a matter of fact, my work with you was a short time, but I I did learn about research and the like from you. I feel I am empowered with knowledge. I did not feel I was working when going on the research with you, yet I felt I was learning. You are, I can say, a good leader. I just hope I could meet you and learn from you as well as working with you again. To me, you are a holy guru.
Madiha Shafi, Program Manager, International Alert
I can recall my initial days with Oxfam when you were in the Region and were supporting me for MEAL work remotely. This is the very first time I realised that remote help and support actually works. You are a brilliant, helpful and supportive colleague. Your support was very helpful for Oxfam Pakistan to strengthen our MEAL system and helped us contribute to organisational goals.
You love to help people, and I realised this more after I left Oxfam. I always called you whenever I needed professional advice to improve my work and you were always available for help. You might not be aware that your suggestions and support have always worked for me. Whenever I am stuck, I know whom I should be contacting. ?
I am impressed with your MEAL as well as program knowledge in various thematic areas. This is a very rare combination. People either have MEAL expertise or knowledge of certain thematic areas – you have rare skills in both. Whenever there is a chance, I would definitely like to work with you and learn from you again.