For empowering small enterprises to grow sustainably

Project Manager at Mercy Corps | Amman, Jordan

Anas Aleassa says he took a winding path to becoming a project manager at MercyCorps, a U.S.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that works around the world. Anas, who earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Mutah University and his master’s degree in sustainable development from the University of Sussex, has held roles as varied as customer care representative and technical advisor before becoming a project manager.

What may seem to others to be a disparate set of experiences, is his strength, says Anas. His diverse background allows him to assess his projects more comprehensively and consider a wider range of solutions. It also prepares him for the special, specific challenges of being a project manager at an NGO, which include implementing and upholding extremely high standards with respect to social accountability. Mercy Corps describes itself as a “global team of humanitarians working together on the front lines of today’s biggest crises.”

Anas works in Jordan, which he describes as “a small country surrounded by conflict.” Mercy Corps’ teams work with some of the world’s most vulnerable people, which puts the NGO’s staff in the position of having access to—and responsibility for—extremely sensitive information. If mishandled, even unintentionally, that information can harm the people Mercy Corps seeks to help. “You have to make sure that information doesn’t get into the wrong hands,” he says.

The other primary challenge of being a project manager in an NGO setting is the complicated nature of stakeholder management. While interfacing with a variety of team members across multiple organizations is a common feature of any project management position, Anas insists that private enterprise stakeholders are typically all driving toward a common goal, so it may be easier for them to get on the same page with respect to strategy and execution. In contrast, stakeholders in an NGO include people and groups with diverse and divergent interests and expectations. There are “donors, management, recipients, volunteers…. Most of our time is spent in stakeholder management,” Anas notes. He adds that it’s crucial to capture feedback from beneficiaries. Was the organization’s work beneficial to them? In what ways? How could it have been delivered better? The answers may not always square with donors’ or management’s expectations or wishes, and it’s important to try to understand everyone’s point of view and needs.

Navigating the complexities of the Middle East presents unique challenges for Anas in his role as the Middle East and North African (MENA) MicroMentor Lead at Mercy Corps. Donors’ priorities can shift quickly, and geopolitical developments may impact partnerships. “Something in the news might pop up and you might need to change part of your work program,“ Anas says, speaking from experience. “When it comes to implementation, you need to be agile and responsive, especially when you work in areas that might not be so stable.”

Despite the serious challenges he faces, Anas also describes his work as a source of joy and light. In his role, he helps empower small enterprises in the MENA region to grow their practices sustainably. The program he leads supports marginalized groups, especially women, youth, and refugees, and seeing their successes inspires him. “When I talk to people benefiting from the projects, it’s amazing. When you go to someone’s little shop, and they tell you they bought this coffee machine because you gave them funding, or when their child is going to university because they were able to make money to send their child to college because of the support of your program… it’s priceless,” he says.

That impact among beneficiaries is what Anas looks for as a marker of project success. “Positive impact on local communities you want to help is our holy grail,” he says. And even if you have a perfect plan, the NGO sector is unique because, as Anas explains, “the activities [of executing a plan] are within our scope, but the impact is not. [There is] not a guarantee that people will have better lives. You can stay on scope, time, and budget, but that doesn’t mean the desired impact will be there. There are so many geopolitical factors in the ecosystem that impact outcome.”

Still, the fear of not achieving the desired impacts shouldn’t stop a project manager from forging ahead. Anas’s key piece of advice? Just do something. “A lot of people plan a lot and do a little,” he says. “Planning without doing isn’t beneficial—not to you, not to your organization, and not to beneficiaries. You can always change course, but the stars never align perfectly, so just do it and see what happens.”