OFFICIAL
PORTFOLIO
RECORD
Change Associates International — Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
A record of consulting engagements across East Africa and beyond.
Since 2011, CAI has supported government institutions, international development partners, private companies, and non-governmental organizations across education, energy, health, governance, environment, and business development.
Introduction
Local expertise, engaged across sectors.
This page presents a summary portfolio of projects undertaken by CAI and its associates, highlighting the scope, clients, locations, and outcomes of each engagement — from rapid education assessments in Mtwara, to marine conservation design along the Indian Ocean coast, to organizational strengthening for Tanzanian NGOs and the Tanzania Leprosy Association.
Portfolio Index
13 projects, ordered by engagement- 01Data Collection on Early Grade Reading in Mtwara Region2011
- 02Electrical Power Extension — Mafia Island & Kilombero2012–15
- 03Scaling Up BridgeIT in Selected African Countries2012–24
- 04ICT Training for the Parliament of Tanzania, Washington D.C.2024
- 05Supporting Chemonics International — Business Development2018–22
- 06Building Capacity of Tanzanian NGOs for USAID Funding2015–16
- 07Assignments for NACOPHA2019–22
- 08Resettlement Plan — Gold Mining, DR Congo2025
- 09Jane Goodall Institute / Roots & Shoots Program2023–24
- 10Multi-Lingual International Research — Mississippi & UDSM2022–25
- 11Supporting the Tanzania Leprosy Association (TLA)2024–25
- 12National Strategy for NGO Sustainability 2022–20272025–26
- 13Additional Small Projects & Other AssignmentsVarious
Data Collection on Early Grade Reading in Mtwara Region
Mtwara was one of the regions in Tanzania mainland with poor reading levels in early grades. USAID had already identified this region as a beneficiary of a newly introduced project. The Regional Education Office, with instructions from the Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), wanted to understand the prevailing situation in their schools. CAI was therefore engaged to support the organization of a rapid assessment, which was conducted in 25 randomly selected primary schools across the region prior to the commencement of the USAID-funded support. The regional authority had received a small donation from Japan to support education in the region, and part of this donation funded this assessment.
Electrical Power Extension Project in Mafia Island and Kilombero District
CAI was sub-contracted by ABB Tanzania to support the supply of electricity to Kilombero and Mafia districts. CAI mobilized local Tanzanian expertise that provided quality services to this US$1.2 million project financed by the Rural Energy Agency (REA). CAI procured electrical wooden poles from Iringa and delivered them to five designated areas across the two districts.
Scaling Up BridgeIT Implementation in Selected African Countries
BridgeIT is an educational tool jointly designed by Nokia and the Pearson Foundation. It uses mobile phones connected to large TV screens in classrooms to deliver teaching and learning materials. The Ministry of Education, together with the Pearson Foundation, worked to identify difficult topics in science and created short video-based e-content to support teaching and learning of those difficult topics.
Tanzania was the second country to implement this project after the Philippines. One of CAI’s founding members was hired to manage its implementation in Tanzania. Following the successful implementation in Tanzania, this founding member was commissioned to oversee the regional scale-up of the intervention in Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. In this assignment, CAI’s senior associate traveled frequently to facilitate discussions with cellphone company partners and Ministries of Education in Nairobi, Lagos State (through SUBEB), and Cape Town. CAI also conducted professional development training for teachers in all three countries.
ICT Training for the Parliament of Tanzania in Washington D.C.
CAI was commissioned to train two senior ICT managers from the Tanzanian Parliament on virtual communication and the detection and prevention of cybercrime. This training was conducted in partnership with Kilimanjaro International of USA in Washington D.C. The five-day program blended classroom teaching with hands-on learning, organized at selected American companies in Washington D.C. and New York.
Supporting Chemonics International in Business Development in Tanzania
During this period, a founding member of CAI was commissioned to provide consultancy services in business development in Tanzania across a wide range of sectors. Chemonics International is the world’s largest implementing partner of USAID projects. Since Chemonics did not have an office in Tanzania at the time, CAI associates provided in-country support by gathering intelligence on various bids issued by USAID Tanzania. Below are some of the key bids supported.
a. Tusome Pamoja – Supporting Basic Education (US$68 million, 5 years)
“Tusome Pamoja” is a Swahili phrase meaning “Let’s Read Together.” This five-year bid aimed to support basic education in both Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. In the mainland, selected regions included Mtwara, Iringa, and Ruvuma, while all primary schools in Zanzibar were targeted. The project aimed to support early grade reading by providing teaching and learning materials and enhancing teacher professional development in Kiswahili. This intervention was famously known as the 3Rs intervention — supporting Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic from Standard 1 to 4 in all targeted schools.
b. Inclusive Reading Initiative in Zanzibar (US$13 million)
This was an additional component of the Tusome Pamoja project, requested by the Ministry of Education in Zanzibar to provide support to children with visual impairment in identified special needs schools. Chemonics sought to build partnerships with companies and hospitals dedicated to this area. A senior associate from CAI was in charge of all discussions and negotiations. This extension was meant to span the last three years of the mother project.
c. Horticulture Project (US$45 million, 5 years)
This five-year bid was designed to support horticulture in Tanzania by focusing on youth and women engaged in horticulture in Morogoro, Mbeya, Songwe, Tanga, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro on the mainland, as well as in Zanzibar. CAI associates visited small and large companies dealing with horticulture to learn how they were working with small-scale businesses in different value chains — with a focus on tomatoes, onions, and spices. Discussions were held with various stakeholders in the sector, as well as local and international clients including large processing industries.
d. Marine Biodiversity Project (US$38 million, 5 years)
Proposed project areas: Dar es Salaam, Coast, Lindi, Mtwara, and Tanga regions.
This five-year project was dedicated to supporting the conservation of marine biodiversity along the Indian Ocean coast, including Zanzibar and the Tanzania coast from Tanga to Lindi. The project sought to empower women and youth groups earning their livelihood through engagement with marine resources — such as fishing, seaweed farming, and tourism — to ensure their activities sustain and promote the sustainable use of marine resources and biodiversity. These groups are known as Beach Management Units (BMUs), which were formed in the early 2000s under the Fisheries Act in Tanzania.
e. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Project (US$84 million)
Proposed project areas: Iringa, Morogoro, Njombe, Dodoma, Rukwa, and Coast regions.
USAID sought to scale up the achievements of the Water Resources Integration Development Initiative (WARIDI) project, also funded by USAID Tanzania. WARIDI had assisted half a million people with access to safe drinking water and more than 1.3 million people with access to proper sanitation, including in primary and secondary schools.
A senior associate from CAI conducted consultation visits to Basin Water Boards (BWBs) — the primary regulatory authorities responsible for managing water resources in major river basins, issuing water use permits, and overseeing water allocation — in the proposed project areas. These included river basins such as Great Ruaha, Rufiji, Wami Ruvu, and Lake Rukwa. Along with BWBs, selected Water User Associations (WUAs) were also visited. WUAs are formed by water users, including large water users, and their mandate includes managing water allocations, maintaining infrastructure, and resolving water-related disputes at catchment and sub-catchment levels.
Building Capacity of Tanzanian NGOs for USAID Funding
From 2015 to 2016, Change Associates International was sub-contracted by Chemonics International to build the capacity of nine Tanzanian NGOs in strategic planning and strengthening their strategic plans. The organizations included:
- Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF)
- Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT)
- Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) – Morogoro
- National Council of People Living with HIV in Tanzania (NACOPHA)
- Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT)
- Zanzibar Legal Services Centre (ZLSC)
- AAC, WCSA, and RECLAIM
CAI conducted a thorough review of organizational assessment reports and individual strategic plans to establish relevant strategic planning content that responded to their needs. CAI also conducted a two-day training session on the key elements of strategic planning using a Strategic Planning Guide. Thereafter, CAI continued to provide ongoing support to these organizations as they developed or strengthened their respective strategic plans.
Assignments for the National Council of People Living with HIV (NACOPHA)
a. Desk Review of the SAUTI YETU Project
The NACOPHA Secretariat commissioned Change Associates International to conduct a desk review of the USAID-funded project known as SAUTI YETU (a Swahili phrase meaning “Our Voice!”), which was implemented across Tanzania from 2013 to June 2019. The main objective of this assignment was to pinpoint key implementation and systems strengthening breakthroughs that SAUTI YETU had made in the fight against HIV and AIDS over the six-year period, and to identify issues that could inform NACOPHA management and stakeholders as stepping stones for possible extension and scale-up of the project’s best practices.
b. Hebu Tuyajenge Project Design (US$13 million)
With prospects of extending the SAUTI YETU project, CAI was commissioned to assist NACOPHA in designing the proposed extended project for USAID. A senior associate of CAI worked with selected independent experts in close collaboration with NACOPHA’s senior leadership to design the new project, named Hebu Tuyajenge (a Swahili phrase meaning “Let’s Have a Constructive Dialogue!”). USAID subsequently awarded NACOPHA a US$13 million project to be implemented over five years.
c. Community Led Monitoring (CLM)
Community Led Monitoring (CLM) is a process used by community members to monitor services delivered to themselves. The CLM concept acknowledges that communities have the capacity to advocate for effective service delivery and to play a watchdog role in how social services are delivered. The purpose of CLM is to strengthen the involvement of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the HIV response by giving recipients of HIV services an opportunity to design, implement, and carry out routine monitoring of the quality and accessibility of HIV treatment and prevention services.
CAI was tasked with:
- Reviewing current and existing information on CLM to properly inform the methodology and framework that NACOPHA would use.
- Developing tools to be used by stakeholders at the community level during the CLM and advocacy process, including data collection and analysis.
- Developing a training package, including training materials, data collection and reporting tools for CLM data collectors, and orientation materials for district health staff responsible for supporting HIV-related responses.
As a result of the successful adaptation of CLM in Tanzania, CAI was consulted by UNAIDS Tanzania with interest in scaling up CLM in their programs, though this interest did not materialize.
Relocation and Resettlement Plan for Gold Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Kodo Resources Company Limited (KR), which acquired a gold mining license in the Kodo Zani mining area in Ituri Province, DRC, commissioned Apotheker Consulting Limited (ACL) — a Tanzanian consulting and management firm — to provide support in establishing smooth entry strategies for the socio-economic aspects of the mining project. ACL, in turn, commissioned Change Associates International to:
- Establish a relocation and resettlement plan for households identified to pave way for mining operations.
- Develop the first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework for KR’s consideration in supporting local development efforts in and around the mining area.
Assignments for the Jane Goodall Institute / Roots & Shoots Program
Roots & Shoots is a global youth-led community action program of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). It started when a group of 12 Tanzanian teenagers met with Dr. Jane Goodall on her porch in Dar es Salaam to discuss problems they saw in their community. Today, it has grown into a network active in over 75 countries. The program’s core mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, promote understanding of different cultures and beliefs, and inspire individuals to take action to make the world a better place for the environment, animals, and humanity.
A senior associate of CAI was commissioned for the following assignments with Roots & Shoots Tanzania:
a. Translation of the HOPE Project Materials
- Translation of three training guides (environment, animals, and entrepreneurship) for the USAID-funded HOPE project.
- Ensuring proper contextualization of Roots & Shoots principles in the newly developed texts.
- Final editing and quality assurance.
b. Roots & Shoots Training Manual Development
- Development of a comprehensive training manual, including content for Youth-Led Organizations (YLOs).
- Standardizing Roots & Shoots training across the country.
- Incorporating feedback from Roots & Shoots staff, volunteers, and club members in primary and secondary schools.
c. Roots & Shoots Training in Kenya
- One-week training program combining training sessions with hands-on learning.
- Introducing Roots & Shoots clubs in Kenya.
- Training of Trainers (ToT) for Roots & Shoots clubs in Kenya.
Multi-Lingual International Research — University of Mississippi, University of Dar es Salaam, and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots
A senior associate of CAI was commissioned to conduct a multi-lingual, international research project over three years.
In 2023, the Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program received a project award from the John Templeton Foundation to implement a project entitled “Growing Youth Purpose and Compassionate Action in Africa.” The project addressed the critical and unmet need to promote environmental, social, and civic engagement among African youth. Through this project, Roots & Shoots used a multi-level approach to achieve the following:
- Establish the connection between the Roots & Shoots model and the character development of individual youth participants in the region.
- Examine the links between program experiences and character virtues.
- Strengthen and register program growth by building the capacity of the team and enhancing knowledge among Roots & Shoots members through a Community of Practice (CoP).
- Contribute to varied contextual and cultural understandings of positive youth development among Roots & Shoots youth, including neglected groups.
This project was implemented in four African countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo. The research was therefore conducted in three languages: Kiswahili, English, and French.
Supporting the Tanzania Leprosy Association (TLA)
The Tanzania Leprosy Association (TLA) is the country’s primary organization run by and for people affected by leprosy. Founded in July 1978, it has a membership of over 1,000 people. Its core mission is to collaborate with the government’s National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program (NTLP) to support case detection, treatment, and disability prevention, while also fighting the stigma and discrimination that remain major challenges for those affected.
a. Organizational Needs Assessment
CAI was commissioned to conduct an Organizational Needs Assessment, which was presented to UNDP and the Sasakawa Health Foundation for funding considerations.
b. Organizational Management Training for the Board of Directors
CAI was subsequently commissioned to conduct Organizational Management Training for the TLA Board of Directors.
Implementation Framework for the National Strategy for NGO Sustainability 2022–2027
CAI, in partnership with REPOA, was commissioned to develop the Implementation Framework for the National Strategy for NGO Sustainability 2022–2027.
CAI, in partnership with REPOA, the Foundation for Civil Society, and Money Lab, was commissioned by the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups (MoCDGWSG) under the leadership of the Registrar of NGOs to develop the Implementation Framework for the National Strategy for NGO Sustainability (NSNS), with the team complemented by a regional expert from Ghana to provide continental perspectives. The assignment was managed by Oxford Policy Management (OPM) with funding from the British Government through FCDO, in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland.
Following a thorough review of the NSNS, the team conducted consultative dialogues with a wide range of stakeholders, including NGOs, government officials from key ministries (including TAMISEMI, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Justice), embassy representatives, and private sector actors — including NMB and CRDB banks. Several national consultative meetings were held in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, in consultation with NACONGO, to gather insights from NGOs across the country.
Following the consultations, the team conducted an in-depth analysis and developed a detailed set of proposed interventions to support the implementation of the NSNS. As part of this assignment, the team also provided recommendations to MoCDGWSG on establishing the NGOs Basket Fund (NBF) to support the resilience and sustainability of NGOs in Tanzania, and designed an e-tool to help NGOs gauge their fundraising capacities and strategically target funding opportunities for maximum benefit — moving beyond the metaphor of “shooting in the darkness” toward a more precise and effective fundraising approach.
13. Additional Assignments
Additional Small Projects and Other Assignments
- i.Assisting the Catholic University of Songea in developing new retirement content for their short-term training programs.
- ii.Supporting Erik Foundation in the USA and South Africa.
- iii.Work with the Creative Industry Network (CINT).
- iv.Work with the Anti-Doping Organization of Tanzania (ADOT), including designing their baseline survey.
- v.Supporting the Regional Administrative Office (RAO) in Morogoro in designing mechanisms for donor-funded project accountability to government.
- vi.Supporting CARITAS Kigoma with RFE funding over three years.
- vii.Supporting the Children’s Book Project (CBP) in business development with USAID.
- viii.Supporting Kilimanjaro International in preparing two bids from USAID Tanzania.