The Board Member
Ms. Illuminate Maerere (Tanzania) is a UN Retiree since end of 2016. After her
retirement, she did consultancies as Management Consultant with UNDP Bangladesh
(March 2017, Oct-Dec 2018, and July- October 2019); UNDP Eritrea (June -December
2017 and March to June 2019), supporting Operations and Programme Units and
Advisor to Senior Management. From Feb. 2020- to Nov. 2020, she supported UNDP
Nigeria to establish Service Centre at the Sub-Office in Maiduguri and Acting Service
Centre Manager and Advisor on all aspects of the Sub-Office Management and
Operations functions related to the effective delivery of programmatic results. From
Feb. 2021-May 2021, she supported UNDP Eswatini as Management Consultant in
Operations and Programme.
From August 2021- Mid April 2022, she supported Office of Electoral
Assistance/UNAMI/UNDP for Elections Project as Project Manager and Operations
Advisor. At the same time supporting UNDP Fiji on part time basis.
From Sept.2022-Jan 2023 was assigned by Crisis Bureau as Operations Advisor for
UNDP After Action Review for UNDP Response to the Afghanistan Crisis. The purpose
of this After-Action Review was to examine the relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness
of UNDP’s response to the crisis in Afghanistan, from the onset of the crisis in mid-August 2021 as well as to highlight lessons learned that would help strengthen the functioning, performance, and efficiency of UNDP’s response.
From March-Aug 2023 supporting UNDP Syria as Operations Advisor ensuring strategic
direction of operations; financial resources management; human resources
management; procurement and logistical services; and information and
communication management. Also supporting Operations SOPs updates and Business
Continuity Plan updates and simulation exercise.
She has also been providing advisory services to the Association of Certified Women
Accountants in Tanzania being a Board Member, and attending various conferences
and workshops organised by the Association and making presentations on SDGs, Work
Life Balance, Accountants ‘Professional Ethics, IPSAS Financial Reporting as well as
Monitoring & Evaluation of Projects.
She has worked with UNDP for 30 years in different capacities. Her last Duty Station
before her retirement was UNDP Sierra Leone where she worked from 2012-2016 in
different capacities. She was Operations Manager, Elections Programme from 2012-
2014 managing financial resources in the tune of $45.0 mill. from major donors, and
collaborating closely with Operations, Programme and Project Teams. Then she was
appointed to be Head of PMSU (Programme Management Support Unit) until her
retirement end of 2016. She was mainly responsible in providing effective and efficient
management advisory support services to senior management and to Programme and
Operations Units. Also, the Unit was acting as an oversight and quality assurance
aiming to make the CO more accountable in terms of programme performance,
management of results and programme financial resources.
Illuminate’s professional substantive experience span over 30 years which has been
gained in many countries ranging from most developed to least developed ones in
Operations and Programme and managing resources over $250 million for various
Projects and Programmes. She held various posts in UNDP besides Sierra Leone UNDP
Country Office, including Finance Specialist and Operations Manager in UNDP Tanzania
and UNDP/DDR-Khartoum-Sudan; Programme Finance Specialist in UNDP-Regional
Bureau for Africa (RBA)-New York and UNDP Regional Service Centre in South Africa
and seconded to United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) in New York for
one year.
Illuminate holds an MBA from University of Dar-es-Salaam, Fellow Certified Public
Accountant (FCPA) and an Advanced and Post Graduate Diploma in Accountancy. She
has also attended various short courses conducted by UNDP and other Entities.
She loves dancing, singing and being around people laughing and enjoying jokes.
She speaks fluent English and Swahili.
She is married and blessed with three beautiful girls.