Her first employment was in 2009 at the President’s Office, Public Service Commission, where she worked as a Human Resource Officer Grade II
The Assistant Commissioner (ACC) and Human Resources Manager at the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS), Bahati Mtomaye, defines herself as a role-model female leader who performs her duties with integrity, dedication and in compliance with public service laws, regulations and procedures.
Her first employment was in 2009 at the President’s Office, Public Service Commission, where she worked as a Human Resource Officer Grade II. She was later transferred to the President’s Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance. During her time in these offices, she was promoted through various levels and eventually became a Senior Human Resource Officer.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management and later obtained a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management, both from Mzumbe University. After completing her undergraduate studies, she engaged in entrepreneurial activities while applying for various government positions.
“In 2017, I was transferred to TFS and appointed Acting Human Resource Manager and I was officially appointed to this role in 2023. During this period, the government changed the management system of wildlife and forest resources, requiring staff to undergo military-style training to align with the new system. After completing this training, I was promoted to Assistant Commissioner, Human Resource Manager, the position I currently hold,” says Mtomaye.
She explains that during the transition from a civilian system to a military-style system, the main challenge was fear of the training process. She is grateful that prior to the training, staff were prepared with an understanding of the change concept and how the training would be conducted.
“This preparation reduced fear and motivated active participation and the transition was supportive and friendly for women. Pregnant women were allowed to attend readiness training after completing their maternity or nursing period, making the transition inclusive and accommodating for female staff,” she said.
Throughout her seventeen-year career journey, attending various leadership and human resource management training programmes within and outside Tanzania broadened her understanding of managing people effectively. She credits much of her growth to the training she received during the transition period, which strengthened her confidence, ethics, patriotism, resilience and readiness to perform effectively even in challenging environments.
As a manager overseeing recruitment and staff development, she ensures that employment, training and promotion opportunities reach women equally by maintaining systems that provide equal opportunities for all genders.
“All staff are recruited fairly through the Public Service Secretariat whenever vacancies arise. My responsibility is to ensure staff attend training according to the annual training plan, which specifies who should attend long- and short-term training each year, regardless of gender. Similarly, in promotions, I ensure that staff who qualify for advancement are allocated budgets and promoted on time, following existing guidelines, irrespective of gender,” added Mtomaye.
Mtomaye believes that women are a vital workforce and a source of innovation and cohesion. She cites examples of how women have transformed institutional performance through leadership and innovation.
She mentions Assistant Commissioner Dr Zainab Bungwa, who has authored proposals that secured funding for development projects, obtaining resources that have significantly supported forest and beekeeping management in the country. Women at TFS also contributed to the establishment of TFS SACCOS after initiating a women-focused fund within the agency, demonstrating innovative approaches to institutional development.
On ensuring that systems become catalysts for growth rather than barriers, especially for women’s professional development through staff performance evaluations, she says that as a female leader, she actively encourages colleagues to use the performance evaluation system positively. She provides training on how to utilize it effectively, noting that top performers are awarded at the end of each year.
Mtomaye encourages women to leverage these rewards to enhance their income and recognize excellence in service delivery.
Commenting on how her leadership in preparing and improving human resource strategies contributes to staff welfare, especially for women balancing work and family responsibilities, she explains that human resource plans consider workforce composition, gender balance, age distribution, job requirements, recruitment needs, promotions, succession planning and staff training based on institutional priorities.
“In preparing these plans, gender balance is considered at all leadership levels and in succession planning. One of my responsibilities as a female leader is to ensure succession plans are implemented by providing appropriate training for those expected to fill future leadership positions,” says Mtomaye.
Her advice to young women aspiring to enter and succeed in human resource management is to pursue continuous education, work diligently, be innovative and remain patriotic, as these are key pillars of becoming an effective human resource officer.
To girls and women aspiring to join forestry and conservation but who may feel apprehensive about challenges in the sector, she encourages them to believe in themselves and their capabilities.
“The work environment in forest management has improved, with essential infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals supporting women to work confidently in forest areas. Young female staff should work hard, be innovative and maintain professionalism in their duties,” concluded Mtomaye.
