Rida Aslam

Strategic Project Manager | International Development & NGO Specialist

Based in: Karachi, PakistanMost recently: Student Engagement Assistant, Heriot-Watt University Student UnionExperience: 2 years

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Strategic Project Management professional with a Master's from Heriot-Watt University and a background in social entrepreneurship. Proven track record in end-to-end programme delivery, stakeholder coordination, and operational management within the third sector and healthcare. Expert in bridging the gap between technical teams and internal stakeholders, with a research focus on Benefits Realisation Management in the Pakistani NGO landscape. Experienced in managing complex workstreams, from healthcare MIS coordination to sustainable community food initiatives.

Experience

Student Engagement Assistant

Heriot-Watt University Student UnionEdinburgh, UKpart timeSep 2025 – Apr 2026
Planned and coordinated 6–10 student engagement events for up to 500 participants, managing timelines, room bookings, logistics, procurement, resources and volunteer coordination. Managed multiple concurrent workstreams and adapted delivery plans to changing priorities, including reprioritising resources following event cancellations. Maintained Excel and SharePoint trackers and shared records, enabling senior stakeholders to monitor task completion, project information and progress. Coordinated twice-monthly meetings, preparing agendas, recording minutes and tracking actions with university departments, student societies and leadership. Worked with 10+ stakeholders across university departments, student societies and external contacts, coordinating communication, procurement and operational requirements.
ExcelSharePointMicrosoft Office 365

Communications and Outreach Coordinator

Children of AdamKarachi, PakistanworkSep 2023 – Dec 2024

Summary

Coordinated multiple concurrent healthcare, education and community workstreams, using Asana and Trello to manage tasks, timelines, dependencies and internal deadlines to support timely programme delivery. Managed the Lay Counsellor Programme end-to-end, budgeting, candidate screening, training delivery; enrolling 20 of 50–60 applicants, supporting certification of 15, and finishing under budget with surplus funds reallocated to another initiative. Coordinated engagement with 7+ stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, senior leadership, government bodies and policy stakeholders, and members of the Pakistan Mental Health Coalition. Identified delivery risks and maintained an issue tracker, including building schedule buffers into programme timelines to pre-empt delays; escalated to senior management and engaged stakeholders to resolve issues before impact. Supported development of a major regional neuropsychiatric hospital project, including coordination with the IT team on a Patient Management Information System (MIS) and stakeholder engagement across healthcare and programme teams. Produced reports, presentations, meeting agendas, minutes and progress updates; maintained project documentation and tracked follow-up actions to support effective programme delivery. Conducted field visits to partner schools and non-formal schools in underserved areas to monitor programme activities and implementation, liaising with teachers and multidisciplinary teams to identify and resolve operational issues.

What I did

  • Acted as the primary liaison between the IT development team and internal healthcare stakeholders to define requirements for a new Patient Management Information System (MIS).

Results

  • Managed the Lay Counsellor Programme end-to-end, finishing under budget with surplus funds reallocated to another initiative.
  • Successfully supported certification of 15 lay counsellors from an initial pool of 50-60 applicants.
AsanaTrelloPatient Management Information System (MIS)

Administrative & Operations Coordinator

Ninety9 CapitalRemote (US)workJul 2023 – Sep 2023

Summary

Supported operational and administrative processes by maintaining records, managing property listings using Propertyware and Zillow, and coordinating stakeholder communications across multiple workflows. Maintained Excel-based trackers and shared documentation for reporting, data accuracy and coordination, while supporting senior leadership with stakeholder communications and operational issues.

Results

  • Managed 5–6 property listings weekly on Propertyware and Zillow, including organizing site visits.
  • Drafted and executed 2–3 lease contracts per week via Propertyware for qualified clients.
PropertywareZillowExcel

Skills

Technical

Project planning
Programme implementation
Risk identification
Microsoft Excel
Asana
Operational delivery
Programme monitoring
Field monitoring
TrelloTrello
Google Workspace
Contingency planning
Budget tracking
SharePoint
Capacity-building programmes
Monday.com

Areas of expertise

Stakeholder consultation
Community outreach
Volunteer coordination

Projects

Rural Sindh Handicrafts Feasibility Study

Researcheracademic
Participated in a feasibility study exploring a public-private partnership model connecting women producing handicrafts in rural Sindh with urban markets to support sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Lay Counsellor Programme

Project Leadprofessional
Managed the Lay Counsellor Programme end-to-end, including budgeting, candidate screening, and training delivery. Enrolled 20 of 50–60 applicants and supported the certification of 15. The project finished under budget with surplus funds reallocated to another initiative.
AsanaTrello

Menstrual Health and Hygiene Programme

Leadvolunteer
Led the planning and delivery of a menstrual health and hygiene programme reaching approximately 100+ women across three villages in Thar, Sindh. Coordinated awareness sessions, student volunteers, product distribution and field logistics. Explored sustainable delivery models for recurring access.

APM Challenge: Sustainable Food Pantry Partnerships

Project Lead / Coordinatorpersonal
Secured three sustainable partnerships for the North Glasgow Community Food Initiative (NGCFI) / Royston Food Pantry during the APM Challenge. Established a recurring in-kind donation system by placing collection boxes at nearby student accommodations and universities, creating a continuous supply chain of food donations for the pantry.
Monday.com

Education

MSc Strategic Project Management

Heriot-Watt UniversityStrategic Project Management2025 – 2026

Thesis. Benefits Realisation Management in Pakistan's Third Sector

BSc Social Entrepreneurship & Social Leadership

Institute of Business Management (IoBM)Social Entrepreneurship & Social Leadership2019 – 2023

Coursework

Sustainable DevelopmentSocioeconomic Transformation & Threat to EnvironmentLeadership in Environmental ProtectionHistory of Social AdvocacyResearch Methodology for Social ProjectsQuantitative Analysis for Social Data

Societies & activities

Social Welfare & Trust Society

A-Levels

Southshore CollegeBusiness & Social Sciences2016 – 2018

Recognition

Patents & publications

Benefits Realisation Management in Pakistan's Third Sector

patent2026

Analyzed the gap between donor-driven Logical Framework Approaches (LFAs) and NGO ownership in Pakistan's third sector. Identified that while Western Benefits Realisation Management (BRM) concepts face implementation hurdles due to heavy donor dependency, a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBME) system is more suited for ensuring long-term project impact and organizational autonomy.

Social impact & activities

Member → Deputy Director → Vice President

Social Welfare & Trust Society, IoBMorganizer2019 – 2022

Led a society of over 250 students coordinating community welfare, fundraising and volunteer engagement programmes for underserved communities in Karachi.

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