Eric Amaning Okoree

Experience

• 

  Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation

  Nov 1999 - Mar 2015

  Deputy Director/Environment

  As a schedule officer for biosafety and biodiversity. Responsibilities/Achievements:a. Coordinated the intake and processing of CFT and GMO applications using sprint planning and backlog prioritization for efficient review.b. Conducted inspections, and monitored approved CFTs for compliance and effective stewardship. I Led sprint reviews and inspections as part of an iterative process to ensure compliance with biosafety regulations, continually improving stewardship practices for CFTs based on feedback and findings.c. I coordinated activities of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) and Technical Advisory Committees (TACs), ensuring alignment on biosafety project goals and progress through regular sprint cycles.d. I liaised with national and international biosafety partners and communicated their inputs into government decisions on the regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). I gathered and prioritized stakeholder feedback from national and international biosafety partners, effectively integrating their inputs into government decisions on GMO regulations through continuous collaboration.e. I Facilitated the development backlog for identifying and mentoring young talents, creating opportunities for professional growth through training, focusing on building capacity, and fostering future leaders in biosafety regulation.f. I Led stakeholder sprint cycles for continuous engagement and feedback, ensuring adaptive communication strategies and prompt responses to media publications regarding biotech and biosafety, representing the government’s stance.g. I Provided servant leadership by mentoring and supporting personnel at the biosafety secretariat, promoting an Agile work environment focused on professional development, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Show less

• 

  MEST

  Dec 2000 - Feb 2002

  Personal Assistant to Minister (Additional Responsibility)

  a. Facilitated the Hon. Minister’s meetings and appointments.Scrum Mastered the facilitation of the Hon. Minister’s meetings and appointments, ensuring timely and prioritized engagements.b. Prepared the Hon. Minister’s itinerary and other schedule.Created and iterated on the Hon. Minister's itinerary and schedule, adjusting based on evolving priorities and emergent needs in an Agile, iterative manner.c. Conducted Studies and research for the Hon. Minister.Led sprint cycles for conducting research and studies, delivering iterative updates, and incorporating feedback to ensure alignment with the Minister’s goals.d. Coordinated the preparation of speeches for the Hon. Minister.Facilitated cross-functional collaboration to coordinate the preparation of the Minister’s speeches, incorporating feedback loops to continuously improve content relevance and quality.e. Arranged the Hon. Minister’s travels.Managed the backlog of the Minister’s travel arrangements, optimizing the itinerary based on priority and critical deadlines through iterative planning and sprint reviews.f. Supervised staff in the Hon. Minister’s Secretariat.Acted as a servant leader, applying Agile leadership principles to supervise the staff, promoting a collaborative environment with a focus on continuous delivery and improvement.g. Took and prepared minutes of the meetings of the Minister.Facilitated sprint retrospectives through meeting minutes, ensuring actionable insights and decisions were documented and distributed, fostering transparency and accountability in the Minister’s engagements. Show less

• 

  Ghana National Biosafety Authority (NBA)

  Feb 2015 - Sept 2024

  Retired Chief Executive Officer

  FUNCTIONS:1. Facilitated decision-making on Biosafety applications by streamlining processes and collaborating with cross-functional teams.2. Established administrative workflows using Agile methodologies to ensure efficient document and data management on Biosafety.3. Served as the Product Owner, acting as the National Focal Point for Biotechnology and Biosafety.4. Promoted stakeholder collaboration by facilitating public awareness, participation, and education on Biosafety through iterative communication efforts.ACHIEVEMENTS:a. As a Scrum Master, I coordinated cross-functional teams in the process that led to the passage of the Ghana National Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831).b. I facilitated sprint reviews and collaboration among stakeholders to draft and pass the Ghana Biosafety Regulations (L.I 2383).c. Contributed as a Product Owner to the development of the Ghana Biosafety Framework, ensuring alignment with national goals.d. Led the team in establishing the National Biosafety Authority and creating a robust biosafety system, focusing on iterative improvements and stakeholder feedback. e. Facilitated certification of Institutional Biosafety Committees and established Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). f. Co-chaired cross-functional teams of negotiators, leading contact group discussions on synthetic biology at COP’13 in Cancun.g. Led Scrum team discussions on biodiversity and agriculture at COP’15 in Montreal, driving consensus.h. As a Scrum Team member of the Bureau of the CBD from 2018 to 2023, I contributed to the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Kunming Declaration. I collaborated with cross-functional global teams to facilitate consensus and ensure alignment with biodiversity goals.j. Facilitated sprint planning for the approval of Ghana's first GMO introduction (Bt Cowpea Event 709A).k. Coordinated Scrum team efforts in defense of the National Biosafety Authority during a lawsuit by Food Sovereignty-Ghana. Show less