The Lebanon Chapter of the Project Management Institute
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Tools and Training: Volunteers Help the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative Plan for Impact

An effort-estimation tool and a program and portfolio management training for LRI

  • Phase 2 of the Chapter’s LRI support
  • Training 90 minutes, 13 LRI staff (8 Project Managers)
  • Preparation 14 volunteer hours
  • Tool Excel-based effort estimation
13 LRI staff trained in program and portfolio management
  • PMWB
  • PMI Lebanon Chapter

The Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI) works with local communities to restore and expand Lebanon’s forests. In recent months, our volunteers worked with key LRI staff in Phase 2 of the PMI Lebanon Chapter’s support for LRI.

A Tool and a Training

Volunteers developed a customized, Excel-based tool to help LRI accurately estimate the resources and effort its projects require. They also designed and led a 90-minute training session on Program and Portfolio Management Best Practices for the LRI team.

Thirteen LRI staff attended the training, eight of them Project Managers. Volunteers invested 14 hours preparing the session, and four LRI team members gave feedback afterward. Following the session, the LRI team decided to use its interactive exercises in their upcoming annual strategic planning meeting.

The Volunteers

The following NGO Support volunteers contributed to this effort: Muhannad Damaj, Mary Jarjour, Majd El Mohtar, PMI Student Board Advisor Georgia Karam, Hisham H. Malaeb, Rashad Issa, Romy Massaad, VP of Volunteers Ziad Ibrahim, VP of Professional Development Paul Awkar, and VP of Governance Mira Thoumy.

Chapter volunteers working together on the LRI support project
About the people

Meet the people in this story

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Mr. Muhannad Damaj

Geographic Information Systems Manager

In this story Volunteer

Muhannad Damaj is a Scrum Master, full-stack .NET team leader, and Geographic Information System (GIS) expert with nearly two decades of experience in software development and Agile leadership. Muhannad Damaj has led cross-functional teams across the Middle East in building scalable enterprise solutions, cross-platform applications, and ERP integrations.

Previously, Muhannad Damaj served as Geographic Information Systems Manager and Senior Application Developer at Averda, where Muhannad Damaj managed GIS department transformations with Esri ArcGIS Enterprise, developed over ten enterprise web applications, and built GIS web applications supporting operations across Lebanon, KSA, Morocco, UAE, and Oman.

Muhannad Damaj holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences from Lebanese University – Faculty of Sciences – Section I (El Hadath - Lebanon). Professional certifications held by Muhannad Damaj include Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) and the Generative AI Overview for Project Managers badge from the Project Management Institute.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Mr. Muhannad Damaj (opens in a new tab)

Ms. Mary Jarjour, M.A. PMP

Program Manager at Amideast/Lebanon

In this story Volunteer

Mary Jarjour serves as English Language Officer at Amideast/Lebanon. Jarjour is an operations and project coordination professional with a background in supporting mission-driven initiatives, non-governmental organizations, and cultural institutions across program administration, stakeholder engagement, and donor reporting.

Jarjour holds a Master's degree in Linguistics from Radboud University and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Affairs from The George Washington University. In addition to professional credentials, Jarjour earned the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification from the Project Management Institute and the Finance Management for Development Professionals (FMD Pro) certification from PM4NGOs.

Jarjour actively contributes to community-building initiatives, volunteering as a mentor with the Global Mentorship Initiative and serving as an NGO Support Volunteer with the PMI Lebanon Chapter. In this role with the Chapter, Jarjour consults with non-governmental organizations to maximize impact during crisis periods, while coordinating volunteers and delivering capacity-building training sessions.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Ms. Mary Jarjour, M.A. PMP (opens in a new tab)

Ms. Georgia Karam

Deputy GM / Business Partner at Sabr Tobo NGO

In this story Volunteer, PMI Student Board Advisor

Georgia Karam serves as a Project Management & Leadership Consultant, Business Performance Advisor, and Authorized PMP® Instructor with over 20 years of experience across project management, leadership, operations, consulting, and training.

Karam brings project management discipline together with LMI® leadership development methodologies, adaptive leadership, and practical organizational improvement to help organizations enhance performance and achieve goals. Karam holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Lebanese University and completed a Certificate in Adaptive Leadership from Harvard Online.

Karam's professional certifications include PMP®, Train The Trainer - PMP®, and Train The Trainer - CAPM® from the Project Management Institute. Additionally, Karam has managed USAID-funded development projects associated with Saber Middle East and actively contributes as a volunteer with PMI Lebanon Chapter, serving as a Student Board Advisor & Engagement Lead and a Youth Mentor.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Ms. Georgia Karam (opens in a new tab)

Mr. Hisham H. Malaeb

Portfolio and Program Manager

In this story Volunteer

Mr. Hisham H. Malaeb is a Portfolio and Program Manager with more than 18 years of experience leading fintech, digital banking, and business transformation initiatives across Lebanon and the MENA region.

He holds an Executive MBA, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and several PMI credentials, including PfMP®, PMP®, PMI-ACP®, and PMI-PMOCP™. He also serves as a certified PMP® and PMI-ACP® trainer at USJ–CFP Lebanon and previously served as Vice President of Professional Development for the PMI Lebanon Chapter.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Mr. Hisham H. Malaeb (opens in a new tab)

Mr. Rashad Issa

Chair, PMWB Committee at PMI Lebanon Chapter

In this story Volunteer

Transformation leader who helps organizations build capability, drive operational excellence, and create value through quality management. Chair of the Board of the Chartered Quality Institute and Founder and Chief Quality Officer of “the Q strategy”.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Mr. Rashad Issa (opens in a new tab)

Eng. Ziad Ibrahim

Senior Construction Engineer - Electrical & Lighting Design

Ziad Ibrahim serves as a subject matter expert with PMI for construction and GBCI, and acts as the PMI Global Construction Ambassador for the PMI-CP certification. Ziad Ibrahim contributes significantly through professional volunteering, holding the role of former PMI Lebanon VP of Governance and VP of Volunteering for PMI Lebanon Chapter. Ziad Ibrahim maintains multiple professional certifications, specifically PMI-PMP, PMI-CP, PMI-SCP, PMI-CSPP, PSM1, and LEED AP (BD+C).

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Eng. Ziad Ibrahim (opens in a new tab)

Ms. Romy Massaad

Senior Programmes Officer at Full-time

Romy Massaad is a development and entrepreneurship professional pursuing a Master of Arts in Development Studies at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, as a Chevening Scholar.

She previously served as Senior Programmes Officer and Programmes Officer at the Asher Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. In these roles, Massaad managed funded programmes supporting over 60 startups, led proposal writing securing major grants, and built entrepreneurial community initiatives.

Massaad also founded Pawfuel, a social enterprise addressing food waste and animal well-being, and served as a startup coach. She specializes in programme design, strategic planning, policy analysis, stakeholder management, and public policy consulting.

Massaad holds a Master of Arts in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. She is a PMP® certification holder, recognized as the youngest PMP® holder in Lebanon, and holds a certification in Practical Application of Gen AI for Project Managers from the Project Management Institute.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Ms. Romy Massaad (opens in a new tab)

Mr. Majd Al Mohtar

Head of Project Supply Chain & Operations at Hilti Group

Majd Al Mohtar serves as Supply Chain & Operations Manager, specializing in sales and operations planning, demand planning, and supply chain transformation across the manufacturing and industrial sectors in the GCC region.

He previously worked as Head of Project Supply Chain & Operations and Production and Supply Chain Manager, managing logistics planning, procurement schedules, and supply chain execution for major infrastructure projects including the Riyadh Metro and Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi.

Al Mohtar's expertise spans ERP implementation, process optimization, Lean and Six Sigma, and supply chain analytics tools. Al Mohtar earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Lebanese American University and is completing a Master of Business Administration in Business & Data Analytics at The University of Texas Permian Basin.

He holds the PMP® credential from the Project Management Institute alongside certifications including Generative AI Overview for Project Managers and buildingSMART Professional Certification Foundation.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗ with Mr. Majd Al Mohtar (opens in a new tab)
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