The Feminist Project Management Practice Series: Sarah Nannyondo

THE INTERVIEW

What does it mean to lead projects in a feminist way to you?

“For me, leading projects in a feminist way starts with being present. It means listening to myself, to the team, and to the context we are working in. It asks me to pay attention not only to what we are trying to achieve, but to how people are experiencing the work and the change we are pushing for.

Feminist project leadership goes beyond externally defined results. It also looks at how power is showing up, how relationships are shifting, and how the work is shaping the people involved. These dimensions matter because they determine whether change is meaningful and sustainable.

I have also had to unlearn rigid roles like donor, implementer, and beneficiary. Communities bring knowledge, labour, courage, and time. They are not passive recipients but co-implementers and contributors. At its heart, feminist project leadership treats people as the first system. Tools and frameworks matter, but they only work when there is care for the people carrying them. For me, that is where real change begins.”

Can you share a concrete example from your own project practice?

“In 2015, I led a small project focused on improving health outcomes in rural Uganda. We began with a clear work plan and defined targets. However, during inception meetings, it became clear that communities already had strong awareness of their health rights and the barriers they faced. They also articulated what they could contribute. Our original plan no longer fit the reality on the ground.

We adjusted course. Instead of implementing centrally, we identified two facilitators per sub-county to join the coordinating team. Our role shifted from directing to supporting. Meetings were held in community halls, under mango trees, or in people’s backyards, grounding the work in lived realities. Each community developed its own action plan, monitored progress themselves, and held us accountable for the commitments we had made.

The results went beyond what we had planned. Communities became strong advocates, new health centres were constructed, and groups continued meeting even after the project ended. That experience taught me that when communities are trusted to lead, change becomes deeper and more enduring.”

How do you navigate the tension between ambition and slowness balancing deadlines, deliverables, and budgets with careful, relational, and inclusive ways of working?

“I have come to see that ambition and slowness are not opposites, they need each other. Ambition keeps the work focused and accountable. It reminds us that resources are limited and commitments are real. Slowness keeps the work honest. It ensures we stay close to people, relationships, and lived realities.

What helps me navigate the tension is being clear about what truly needs to move fast and what does not. Deadlines and budgets matter, but rushing decisions or conversations often creates resistance, burnout, or work that has to be undone later.

I try to build slowness into the process by pausing when something feels unsettled, extending important conversations, or adjusting timelines when contexts shifts. At the same time, I remain transparent about constraints so that decisions can be made collectively and realistically.

So for me, feminist project leadership is not about choosing between ambition and slowness. It is about learning how to move with intention, so that progress does not come at the expense of people, and care is understood as part of how we deliver, not something that sits outside the work.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants to lead projects in a more feminist way?

“First, stay responsive to context. How you start a project matters, but so does your willingness to adapt as conditions shift. Political environments change, community priorities evolve, and relationships are never static. Continuous context analysis is part of the work, without it, even well-designed projects quickly lose relevance.

Second, take co-creation seriously. As project managers, we often bring technical language and tools, but these only make sense when grounded in community knowledge. Communities contribute lived experience, insight, time, and labour. Our role is not to replace that knowledge, but to help organise and translate it in ways that funders and institutions can understand.

Finally, remember that feminist leadership is deeply relational. Building trust, affirming community knowledge, and intentionally sharing power are not optional. Feminist project leadership is less about having all the answers and more about staying curious, accountable, and deeply connected to the people the work is meant to serve.”

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