Civil Society Specialist
Management Systems International
Total years of experience :13 years, 7 Months
Contribute to the preparation of grants packages including revision of technical applications and budget proposals as per USAID’s rules and regulations
Participate in the grantee’s negotiation meetings
Supervise and support a portfolio of grantees in the implementation of grant activities to remain up-to-date on their activities, plans and progress
Oversee grantees during execution of grants including tracking milestones, compliance, timeliness, deliverables and close outs
Develop regular reports on grantee performance and highlight any significant delays or other capacity issues that impact implementation to the team
Coach and mentor grantee applicants in the preparation of their grant applications and in the administration of grants following award
Conduct regular site visits & attend grantee-sponsored activities and events
Identify opportunities to promote civil society networking, partnerships & coalition building
Oversaw and managed 20 projects within the organization with a budget of more than $2, 000, 000
Drafted action plans and led meetings with department managers to review project status and proposed changes
Delivered status reports to stakeholders for budgeting and planning purposes
Led numerous meetings, conferences and events in Lebanon and abroad
Assisted in drawing new strategies to the organization as a whole along with its vision
Advised team members and executive director to ensure a reasonable and successful flow of work and initiated fundraising plans
Managed and mentored 15 team members (project managers, project coordinators, program and field officers, consultants, etc.)
Developed & reviewed with the finance manager budgets and approved on financial expenditures
Developed project proposals to national and international potential donors (both narrative and financial sections)
Increased organization's visibility by meeting with local and international partners and donors including embassies' representatives & during live TV interviews on prominent Lebanese channels
Built a new management model within the organization
Managed projects with a budget of more than $1, 000, 000 under two key programs: "Democratization and Public Accountability" and "Youth against Corruption"
Developed monthly and quarterly reports to donors
Reviewed financial expenditures of the projects
Monitored team progress and enforced deadlines
Defined project deliverable and monitored status of tasks
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to draft project schedules and plans
Monitored costs, timescales and resources used to achieve the project's goal
Developed slideshows and other forms of media to present project progress to the executive team
Audited quarterly work plans and offered recommendations for improvements
Delivered monthly and quarterly reports to donors