Engr. Ahad Nazir is the Program manager at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). With a diverse background of experience in private and public sector, he has served Project Management related positions at international energy sector giants, including China National Petroleum Corporation AKA Petrochina (CNPC), KSB Pumps Co. Ltd., and Orient Energy Systems (Pvt) Ltd. Along-with formal job commitments, he remained on consultancy assignments with several large and renowned private sector entities, including Descon Engineering Ltd., Engro Group, Gamesa Pakistan Wind Power, SUMEC, BGP Pakistan, and Fauji Foundation. He is one of the few energy engineering professionals of Pakistan who have had experience in all forms of energy generation, including Wind Power, Solar Thermal, Solar Photovoltaic, Biogas, Bagasse, Coal, Hydro, Gas, Diesel, and HFO and has a combined footprint of Designing, Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning of around 2470 MW of Powerplants in both Independent Power Producers and Captive Power mode.
He has expertise in Application Engineering, Business Development, Secondary Designing, Technical and Financial Feasibilities, Project Planning, Project Scheduling, Project Budgeting, Project Risk Management, Project Quality Management, Active Execution, Team Building, Site Management (Financial and Administration), Project Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Controlling, and Closing of Project, including effective management of cost reduction through reduced cost of punch list items. He has been an active part of forums led by the Government of Pakistan to discuss tariff revisions, tariff feasibilities, and other aspects of energy sector, especially in the Punjab and Sindh.
He did his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from National University of Science and Technology, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; Later, he received his Master of Science in Project Management from Bahria University. Ahad holds two globally acceptable project management certifications, i.e. Project Management Professional (PMP) from Project Management Institute (PMI), USA and PRINCE 2 Practitioner from Axelos, UK. He also attained an international certificate in International Supply Chain Management from United Nations International Trade Centre with distinction.
Prior to joining SDPI, he has completed projects worth $5 billion, with the necessary knowledge and experience of relevant expertise of business development, industrial economics and private sector engagement. he joined SDPI to be part of action-oriented and policy-focused research and advocacy of economic policies especially relevant to the private sector. The policies in question include taxation reforms, energy sector reforms, trade reforms, social sector development through the involvement of private sector through CSR and Social Enterprises, and inclusion of women in economic growth and development. Besides, he represents SDPI on several forums as mentor, guest lecturer, trainer and judge for various entrepreneurship enabling ventures in Pakistan. He is a certified tutor at the Social Enterprise Academy, UK. Furthermore, Ahad is an experienced and certified trainer in the fields of project management, project engineering, computer aided design & engineering, MS project, and Primavera P6. He holds regular training sessions and also teaches in several of the post graduate programmes of public sector universities in Islamabad. At the moment, he has several students carrying out research in comparison with various conventional and modern project management techniques.
Ahad is currently team-lead for the following economic reforms programmes at SDPI.
A structured and iterative Public Private Dialogue (PPD) being carried out with partners such as Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), and The Asia Foundation (TAF)
Social and Creative Enterprise Development under Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies (DICE) Program supported by British Council-Pakistan and Social Enterprise-UK,
Trade Reforms Program led by World Bank Group Pakistan Trade Economics Division.
The assignments relevant to the above-mentioned programs/sub-programs include quantitative & qualitative research through Surveys/Focus Group Discussions/Consultations/Public Events. The outcomes of some of the programmes are covered in the publications below:
V. Ahmed, Nazir, A, et al. (2019) Issue Paper: Social Enterprise Development in Pakistan: The Way Forward. Sustainable Development Policy Institute, British Council, and UN ESCAP.
Nazir, A., A. M. Maken, V. Ahmed (2018) Streamlining Tax Harmonization in Pakistan. Chapter 5 in: “70 Years of Development: Way Forward”. Sustainable Development Policy institute.
Nazir, A. and V. Ahmed (2018) National and Sub-National Tax Reforms: An Iterative Public-Private Dialogue Approach from Pakistan, presented at World Bank Group Workshop on Fiscal Policy in South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal & 11th South Asia Economic Summit, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Nazir, A. (2018) How sustainable are our Higher Education Institutes? Daily Times, May 16, 2018
Nazir, A. (2018) Post-budget (2018-19) review of energy sector in Pakistan. Page # 12 to 15, SDPI Research & News Bulletin Vol 25 No. 1-2, Jan-June 2018, Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Richardson, Mark; Tsui, Josephine; Nazir, Ahad; Ahmed, Vaqar (2017) Activist to Entrepreneur: The Role of Social Enterprise in Supporting Women’s Empowerment in Pakistan. Sustainable Development Policy Institute and British Council.
Nazir, A. (2018) Budget 207-18: A Circular Debt Perspective. Page # 10 to 12, SDPI Research & News Bulletin Vol 24 No. 1-2, Jan-June 2017, Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Nazir, A. and V. Ahmed (2017) Why are social enterprises not growing? Daily Times, July 7, 2017
V. Ahmed, A, Nazir., et al. “Sustainable Development in Balochistan” The News on Sunday, 8th Jan 2017
Currently, he has the membership of following external voluntary services.
His current area of focus is the strategic management of Special Economic Zones. He tweets from his handle @ahadnazir783 and can be reached at (ahad@sdpi.org).
