Dr Isaack Michael
Founder & Managing Director
Dr Isaack is responsible for the day-to-day management of DERICH Consulting Limited. He is a Monitoring and Evaluation Expert with 15 years of experience in projects in agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), education, health, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), natural resources management (NRM), and climate change in Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, and Malawi. Isaack has advanced skills in mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative data and participatory approaches. Also, he has practical skills in OECD-DAC criteria namely relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. Notably, Isaack has good understanding of impact evaluation methods such as RCT, DID, RDD, PSM, MSC, and OM. He has IT skills in contemporary computer programs for data collection, data analysis, data management, data visualizations, and report processing.
He successfully performed 30 project evaluations (baselines, mid-term, and final evaluation) as lead expert, principal investigator, and team lead with responsibility of drafting proposals, inception reports presenting detailed methodology and work plans, recruiting, training, and supervision of enumerators (field data collectors), field data collection, data analysis, and drafting evaluation reports. Example of free and open evaluation report prepared is available on the following internet link: https://erc.undp.org/evaluation/evaluations/detail/8609
Dr Isaack has developed and managed 10 results-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, collected, analyzed, and managed large databases. Prepared over 200 results-based work plans, budgets, and project reports. Reviewed over 50 procurement documents, financial, and audit reports. Managed office assets and inventories. Supervised and trained over 100 project staff to improve skills and performance. Organized 10 local and international workshops, and published six monitoring and evaluation papers in international journals.
Further, Isaack has worked with Tanzania government, private companies, local NGOs including RUDI, JMKF, CSDI, FORUMCC, ECCT, CSSC, WISE, and BRITEN, Isaack has worked with five UN agencies namely UNDP, FAO, IFAD, WFP, and WMO. Moreover, he has worked with international development agencies of four countries including BTC/ENABEL (Belgium), JICA (Japan), UKAID (the UK), and DFATD/GAC (Canada). Worked with other international organizations such as EU, WWF, Karl Kubel Stiftung, Rockefeller Foundation, Dalberg, AGRA, and DAI. Isaack has lectured two monitoring and evaluation courses in the Master of Arts in Development Evaluation (MADE) at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE).
Dr Isaack is an affiliate of USAID Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) Research Network, NORC at the University of Chicago. He is an active member of the Tanzania Evaluation Association (TANEA) whereby he represented TANEA into monitoring and evaluation talk on large TV media including ITV (in July 2020) and AZAM TV (in February 2023). Further, Isaack chaired TANEA Annual General Meeting in 2023.
Isaack has PhD and Master of Arts in Economics from the Open University of Tanzania, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). Moreover, he has a two-year Diploma in Animal Production (DAP) from Uyole Agricultural College in Mbeya Tanzania and three-year Certificate in Agriculture and Livestock Production (CALP) from Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute (MATI-ILONGA) in Morogoro Tanzania. He has attended 25 local and international short courses with certificates in monitoring and evaluation.
Moreover, Isaack has garnered awards for good job performance from former employers and clients including University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, united nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Kijitonyama Pentecost Church (KLPK) in Tanzania, Tanzania Evaluation Association (TANEA), Center for Sustainable Development Initiatives (CSDI), ENABEL former Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), applied technology LTD in Tanzania, Applied Systems Science Inc. Tokyo Japan, DAI, and United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Isaack has visited sixteen countries including Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, South Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Qatar, Italy, Netherlands, Uganda, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Turkey, and Malawi.
Ms Renatha Melack,
Co-Founder and Director of Finance and Administration
Renatha has Master of Community Economic Development from the Open University of Tanzania and Bachelor of Arts with honours from the University of Dar es Salaam. She has 10 years’ experience working in donor funded development projects and programmes in agriculture and education sectors in Tanzania. Also, Renatha has participated in several project final evaluation assignments in Tanzania. Especially, she has interest and expertise in gender mainstreaming in development projects. Renatha has worked with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the project supporting the District Agricultural Development Plans (DADP) in Tanzania. She participated in Monitoring and Evaluation of the DADP projects and designing of Tanzania Irrigation Master Plan.
Moreover, Renatha worked for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as Senior Program Coordinator in charge of demand survey, recruitment, monitoring and evaluation of KOICA Volunteers’ activities and projects. Prior to joining development programs and projects, Renatha worked for five years as trainer, finance and administrative officer at the English Fountain College in Dar es Salaam. She has visited four countries including Kenya, Burundi, Switzerland, and Italy. Ms Renatha is responsible for management of financial and administrative aspects of DERICH Consulting Limited.