Experience

Development Professionals Inc.

• International Trade and Development
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Project Director - LAC LEARN

  • Nov 2020 - Present

  LAC LEARN Task Order is a four-year project aiming to improve USAID work in LAC. The scope of work includes conducting assessments of impunity around gender-based violence in LAC; analyzing trends in democratic norms and values; and developing and disseminating visual operational information products relevant to DRG and citizen security programming in the LAC region.



Independent Consultant

• Violence prevention, human rights and freedom of expression consultant

  • Sep 2019 - Nov 2020



Creative Associates International

• United States
• International Trade and Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• Chief of Party - Crime and Violence Prevention Program - CVPP

  • Oct 2017 - Aug 2019

  • Assumed COP role and streamlined project activities, resulting in improved client feedback. Provided executive leadership for a $39.8 million USAID-funded violence prevention initiative, that implemented secondary and tertiary prevention activities across 117 communities in 55 high crime municipalities in El Salvador and supervised 84 permanent staff members.• Coordinated an initiative with multilevel partnerships with government institutions, civil society and community-based organizations. This included national police, criminal justice and prison and detention systems. • Led client-facing with adaptive management approach including country strategy revisions, adherence to financial and communication policies, implemented a new grants management system with high impact, rapid decision-making and implementation. • Introduced design incubator methodology for new activities and innovative approaches that included rapid response mechanisms and social media monitoring, electoral violence, and criminal economy assessments. • Ensured technical quality, financial performance, contractual compliance, and client satisfaction including achieving an overall CPAR score of “Exceptional.”



Internews

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Regional Program Manager – Central America and Mexico

  • Feb 2017 - Sep 2017

  • Oversaw Internews projects in Central America, Mexico and South America (including Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia) to build capacity of local media and promote freedom of expression throughout the region. • Ensured proper oversight of personnel; financial management and administration; and coordination with other relevant stakeholders in the region to ensure that Internews leverages other resources and complements other development initiatives. • Ensured cross cutting themes throughout the activities, like gender equality, diversity and inclusion, violence prevention, migration.• Supported the ombudsperson office and the General Attorney`s office in El Salvador and Guatemala, to increase their technical capacities.• Designed from scratch a rapid response mechanism to support journalists, public prosecutors and human rights activists in the region. • Worked in proposal development by developing technical approaches for solicitations, preparing cost/budget proposals, and recruiting for specialists and partners among other tasks that resulted in over $5 million in new project awards for the company.

• Chief of Party, Investigative Journalism & Freedom of Expression, El Salvador, Guatemala & Honduras

  • Jun 2016 - Feb 2017

  • Responsible for overall direction and success of two cooperate agreements projects in Central America and Mexico: (1) The Strengthening Regional Investigative Journalism Project to promote freedom of expression for greater accountability and transparency in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras; and (2) Regional Project / Rights in Democracy, an initiative to improve security skills and protocols of human rights defenders in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. • Managed collaboration with 30+ local partner institutions through technical assistance and institutional strengthening; formulated tools and policies for networking and collaboration among journalists. • Introduced the of innovative communication and data analysis tools, to improve research to fundraising skills among local ventures. • Designed and edited major reports; represented component and reported on activities and financial operations to USAID; prepared proposal budgets, accrual reports, spending and projection reports.• Led and managed a team of 20+ professional and support staff; provided management skills, strategic guidelines and performance feedback to achieve program goals. • Supported the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the International Mission against Corruption in Honduras (MACCIH) to strengthen their communication skills and links with civil society and local media.



IREX

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Chief of Party

  • Feb 2015 - Jul 2016

  • Led the startup of IREX’s first program office in Latin America with a $3.8 million USAID cooperative agreement. Managed financial and programmatic reporting, security protocols, and fieldwork in a closed political environment. Established key relationships for organization with USAID Mission staff and other USG counterparts. • Lead a team of over 24 professionals and media experts, providing strategic guidelines and performance feedback to achieve program goals. Managed all activity design, development, sustainability plans for 15 local partners, and implementation through sub-grant design, capacity building and training plans. Oversaw contracts and lease agreements with key stakeholders & clients. • Ensured contractual compliance and set up systems to comply with IREX and USG policies for procurement, reporting, subcontracting and grants management.• Liaised with key strategic stakeholders to integrate planning strategies including a close coordination with regional initiatives for Guatemala and Salvador. • Led research in innovative topics like gender and women in media, quantitative media analysis to improve media outlets sustainability, and legal analyses for the country’s media operating environment. Conducted specific research about technology related topics, such as trolling in highly polarized political environments.



Creative Associates International

• United States
• International Trade and Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• Program Media Specialist - Honduras Convive!

  • Jul 2012 - Feb 2015

  • Member of the startup team deployed on the field to start the local project office, hire staff, define procedures and deliverables for USAID OTI program. Conduct the first stakeholders map and signed the first grant with a local partner 30 days after arrival. • Managed activity design, development, and implementation of 85+ small grants (in-kind, cash, fixed obligation), short-term technical assistance (STTA) and direct distribution of goods and services (DDGS) valued at over $2.3 million through technical oversight, partner capacity building and direct coordination with international and US-based grantees and individual consultants. Generated local alliances between media companies, counterparts and donors to advocate for violence reduction in national reform strategies and public policies. • Developed communication strategies and media campaigns combining traditional and new media tools to change communities’ and civil society organizations’ perceptions of violence and to increase their capacity to self-advocate for better living conditions and to disrupt violence. • Developed violence prevention strategies at the community level to foster collaborative work with law enforcement, to reduce violence.• Promoted freedom of expression, independent media and investigative journalism, including digital and personal security components, and conducted investigative journalism research on critical topics including the murder of journalists and impunity, arms trafficking, institutional corruption and unaccompanied migrant children in the Honduras/Guatemala border. • Collaborated with OTI Country Team and Chief of Party to develop initial program strategic approaches, activity designs, action research tools, community engagement and security protocols, and training of program staff as part of start-up team. Initial STTA assignment evolved into LTTA position in recognition of critical programming contributions made.



International Labour Organization

• Switzerland
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research and Project Evaluation Expert – Consultant - Programa Conjunto Región Brunca

  • Jan 2012 - Jul 2012

  • Evaluate the project Programa Conjunto Región Brunca. Developed and wrote manuals, reports and other materials to document lessons learned to advocate for a public policy agenda that includes solutions in areas of education, health, entrepreneurship, competitivity models, environment, finances and infrastructure. Interviewed key stakeholders and wrote materials for general public and specialized audiences. Publication: http://www.nacionesunidas.or.cr/dmdocuments/Competitividad_Brunca.pdf



Palladium: Make It Possible

• Australia
• Business Consulting and Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Activity Coordinator and Media Expert

  • Nov 2009 - Jun 2010

  • Managed USAID grant fund valued at $1.2 Million from the CONCASIDA HIV/AIDS prevention program and coordinated logistics and activities for the USAID/PASCA project during the HIV/AIDS conference in Costa Rica. • Developed a fundraising strategy and raised an additional $360,000 for the activity. Reviewed outgoing financial and narrative donor proposals and reports. • Supported a virtual communication platform for HIV/AIDS networks among activists, medical teams and civil society, reaching nearly 2,000 civil society activists and HIV/AIDS community beneficiaries.



Municipalidad de Curridabat

• Director of Social and Cultural Services

  • May 2007 - Dec 2009

  • Managed administrative public funds and budgets to implement social service programs and community-based initiatives, to promote community cohesion and participation.• Directed activities related to technical cooperation and technical assistance projects in disaster response and disaster response preparedness; provided technical support to field work. • Facilitated coordination with other agencies to plan and evaluate complex humanitarian and emergency assistance programs, such as police and health services, to provide support to people in areas affected by natural disasters. Distributing humanitarian aid, assessing emergency situations and coordinating volunteers.



Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos -OEI- TAL TV

• Project Coordinator for Central America

  • Aug 2006 - Jan 2008

  • Developed the first Central American and Caribbean network of non-commercial public broadcasting services and independent productions, creating an independent media exchange platform of 30,000 videos, documentaries, and films of Central America and the Caribbean. This network included public and cultural channels, independent filmmakers, television specialists, and government institutions. Created a databank, in support of a public broadcasting network (www.tal.tv). • Established an advocacy strategy for the implementation of more effective cultural policies for public broadcasting in Central America and the Caribbean that later resulted in legislation based on local consultations for the promotion of film industries and audiovisual sector in LAC. • Coordinated work in Central America and the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica).



AGENCIA ESPAÑOLA DE COOPERACION INTERNACIONAL PARA EL DESARROLLO - AECID

• Spain
• Government Administration
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Senior Program Officer

  • Feb 2003 - Aug 2006

  • Managed the development and implementation of trainings and events by creating content, ensuring participation through effective marketing and outreach strategies, and coordinating logistics. • Prepared press releases, communications plan and coordinated media activities to highlight rural and urban cultural projects for children and youth.• Managed implementation of development projects, self-help group projects, capacity building and support to local partners. • Designed and conducted the youth component of the marginal rural intervention named Araucaria, which included a migration and violence prevention methodologies. • Coordinated from AECID the launching of an urban revitalization program named San José Posible, in collaboration with the Mayor´s office, a master plan to recover 53 blocks of downtown San Jose, to attract public and private investment. • Led regional projects in Central America, South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina) and the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Cuba), such as art exhibitions and cultural exchanges.