Whitney Sims Email & Phone Number

United States

Leads the $30 million, USAID-funded YCST program to support local-level initiatives that mitigate conflict, strengthen social cohesion, promote the peaceful resolution of differences, and, where feasible, capitalize on stabilization opportunities in Yemen through regular and actionable learning, small-scale community-based service delivery, and conflict mitigation projects, and capacity building for local institutions and organizations to serve as neutral arbitrators and peacebuilders and meet community and constituent needs.• Provides overall leadership and strategic direction for the program, working directly with the USAID Mission to ensure that project goals are achieved,, while providing strategic vision and leadership to achieve goals and objectives. • Oversees project planning and implementation to ensure timely, high-quality submission of technical, performance, and financial reports. • Provides oversight of the program’s financial management and procurement systems to ensure they are compliant with USAID regulations and Global Communities’ policies.• Identifies and mitigates program risks and makes key decisions under tight deadlines while ensuring operational and programmatic integrity. • Implements security protocols and provides leadership for any YCST security-related issues in close coordination with the Yemen Country Director.• Manages coordination mechanisms with relevant stakeholders by serving as the key liaison with HQ, government officials, UN and other NGO coordination fora, the private sector, local and international NGOs, implementing partners, and community members.

Managed program activities and provided technical leadership for program design, strategy, andimplementation, specifically community-based development and conflict management under the $30 million Yemen Communities Stronger Together (YCST) project.• Led local Global Communities teams and local partners to engage communities during program implementation.• Piloted stabilization activities and identifies effective measures to manage conflict and prevent a resurgence of violence.• Built capacity of formal and informal local community leaders, organizations and networks to meet constituent and community needs.• Carried out regular contextual analysis action-oriented learning across YCST interventions to support adaptive management.• Supported strategic and operational planning and ensured project compliance with all contractual USAID and Global Communities reporting and financial requirements.• Assisted in creating and maintaining strong working relationships with USAID, local authority counterparts, local CSOs, and other program stakeholders.• Managed YCST program staff to ensure the program is achieving its objectives.• Performed day-to-day management of program implementation, deadlines, reports, and program milestones.

• Leverage experience and comprehensive knowledge to provide program operations consultative services, delivering multi-sector support in fragile, transitional states or crisis-affected/security-challenged environments.• Play pivotal role in assisting USAID implementing partners to improve field policies, procedures, and systems, identifying innovative ways to achieve project efficiencies. • Deliver technical and operational services across proposal preparation, project launches and close-downs, and all areas of international project management.

Abuja, Nigeria

Functions Include:• Provided effective project management in the fluid and complex Nigerian operational environment. • Delivered program operations and technical leadership and oversight on the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) small grants program aimed to reduce violent extremism. • Delivered technical oversight to program monitoring and evaluation (M&E) teams from grant concept to close, managing all funding levels and directly guiding procurement, grants, communication and outreach, human resources, administration, logistics, and inventory management teams.Notable Achievements:✯ Demonstrated outstanding leadership and exceptional project management to reorganize team structure for three field offices, broadening communications and programmatic reporting, procurement of in-kind grant activities, and financial monitoring and expenditure.✯ Played an instrumental role in procurement and grant processes to achieve deliverables, saving man-hours by streamlining processes, ensuring compliance with contractual agreements and keeping costs within budget.✯ Spearheaded the establishment and staffing of two project offices in Northeastern Nigeria in accordance with USAID approved realigned budget, realizing significant savings by eliminating hotel-leased office space.✯ Led the revision of property inventory reporting requirements to comply with U.S. Federal regulations and company policy, accounting for missing and unreported items totaling $45,000.

Karachi, Pakistan

• Solicited to oversee the procurement, finance, human resources, and administration departments of OTI quick impact, small grants program aimed at reducing violent extremism. • Directed day-to-day field presence, ensuring the administration of grants and contracts adhered to USAID regulations and company policies and proceduresMAJOR BENCHMARKS:✯ Propelled increase in monthly monetary burn rate by 12% to $1.2 million, monitoring progress against monthly targets including programming efforts and budgetary commitments.✯ Dramatically enhanced operational systems by eliminating bottlenecks and financial backlog estimated at $340,000 over a three month period.✯ Spearheaded contract negotiations with local television stations in support of the ‘I AM KARACHI’ televised sports events, yielding cost savings of $55,000 against previous years solicitation.✯ Impact driving force behind vendor and supplier contract negotiations ‘I AM KARACHI’ peace campaign, completing negotiations at 51% of the value budgeted.

Sana'A, Yemen

Directed a complex, multi-faceted program implemented in urban and rural areas of Yemen while supervising operations of all project activities. Charged with offering effective management and administration, ensuring timely project implementation, monitoring of activities, and management of project staff and subsidiaries. Organized and led workshops/training on procurement, USAID rules and regulations, human resources management, and security.Delivered Results:♜ Drove $200,000 savings in recovered equipment, supplies, and print materials by redesigning layout of 2 warehouses.♜ Earned the privilege of receiving the USAID/Yemen Achievement Award for distinguished service and leadership, gaining praise from donor officials for implementing activities at substantial savings to the U.S. government.♜ Conceived, developed, and implemented transition-plan, laying the groundwork to transition project from community livelihoods program to an education-focused program. ♜ Prepared responses to legal complaints and lawsuits, yielding significant savings for the company in attorney fees at the local level.♜ Served as point of coordination for all correspondence, meetings, and site visits throughout the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) audit of the project.♜ Revised Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (PMEP) to define CLP’s responsibility for monitoring project activities and reporting findings, inclusive of third-party monitoring role, as well as control system to validate delivery. ♜ Finalized new data collection and management system and implemented procedures manual to formalize data collection, reporting, and validation processes.♜ Successfully commanded efforts to finalize Principal Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) and all USAID implementing partners to comply with U.S./Yemen bilateral agreement, USAID/MOPIC assistance agreement, and the assistance awards between USAID and its IPs.

Kabul, Afghanistan

♜ Selected to assist Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) in the overall management and supervision of operations, including finance; human resources; contracts, grants, and procurement. Oversaw administrative tasks including the management and supervision of staff.Selected Accomplishments:♜ Strategized and executed the audit of $500,000 grant application proposed for award outside of Federal regulations and company policies, preventing OIG investigation and potential severe compliance implications.♜ Streamlined the solicitation process to produce and distribute 2 million print materials and publications, negotiating best value contracts with select vendors.♜ Pioneered transformational property procedures and controls, ensuring compliance with contractual terms and reporting requirements.

Kabul, Afghanistan

The USAID-funded Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Populations, Regional Command East (RAMP UP-East) creates effective, responsive, democratic, transparent, accountable, municipal governance in the fourteen provinces that comprise the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF’s) Regional Command East to increase the capacity of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) municipal officials, markedly improve the delivery of municipal services to citizens in target municipalities, and increase municipal capacity to enable, support, and sustain economic growth. As DCOP/Operations of this $147 million municipal governance program, Ms. Sims was responsible for overseeing the finance, administrative services, procurement, facilities, human resources, and information technology departments. She assisted the COP with pipeline budgets, spending estimates and budget realignments. Liaised with local subcontractors with regards to spending levels, audited invoices and any additional coordination. Ms. Sims regulated and mentored finance and administrative staff, ensuring that staff operates in compliance with USAID and DAI policy, while providing professional development opportunities to local employees.

Kabul, Afghanistan

The USAID-funded Initiative to Promote Afghan Civil Society (I-PACS) program, implemented by Counterpart International – Afghanistan, encourages the development and growth of a politically active civil society in Afghanistan, with an emphasis on women-focused organizations, to strengthen the role and viability of civil society in Afghanistan by providing technical assistance, capacity building training and grant support to civil society organizations (CSOs), as well as ensuring the implementation of the NGO law. As Director of Finance and Administration, of this $32 million program, I supported project operations including managing, supervising and providing technical assistance to finance, human resources, procurement, grants and IT divisions, in addition to other program departments and I-PACS partners to ensure coordination and compliance with Counterpart policies and donor rules and regulations.

ARIES was a three year $100 million program designed to support USAID’s strategic objective of promoting a thriving licit economy led by the private sector through the development of financial institutions and financial services. Launched in 2006, ARIES aims to provide expanded access to financial services in the rural regions of Afghanistan, and to create a strong private sector foundation for a sustainable finance system capable of providing a range of financial services to rural areas. As the ARIES DCOP, I provided leadership and direction for program activity and partner management, liaison and coordination of a broad range of ARIES activities with USAID/Afghanistan and a variety of high level interested stakeholders. Based in the ARIES field office in Kabul, I directly supervised expatriate and local staff (finance, administration, procurement, communications, HR and security), and assisted a small team in the design of a pilot training program.

Responsible for monitoring the progress of USAID-funded programs and projects in the Afghanistan Operations Centre (AGOC) portfolio including the provision of operational support to Program Managers and Project Support Officers to ensure full compliance with reporting requirements to donors, including the timely submission of annual work plans, M&E plans, and progress and final reports. I ensured that all Center procurement (contracts, cooperative agreements, purchase orders, subcontracts, and grants) follow client regulations and UNOPS polices and procedures. I also provided management oversight of AGOC program and project budgets, ensuring that expenditures are maintained within budgetary limits; and had direct oversight of the design and management of M&E systems to measure outcomes and evaluate impacts of interventions, thus ensuring the completion of baseline and monitoring surveys, review of key monitoring indicators, and periodic evaluation studies of project components.

Responsible for ensuring the overall operation of the Center’s portfolio of programs, projects, special activities, and business development initiatives, totaling approximately $80 million. I ensured that all Center procurements follow U.S. Government regulations (FAR, AIDAR, FAM, CFR) and AED polices and procedures. I was responsible for initiating, monitoring, and refining the various administrative and management systems and procedures that support the Center’s programs. In addition to the Center-level role and responsibilities, I served as the Deputy Director (Administration) on the $80 million, USAID-funded GreenCOM II IQC; and as Management Coordinator of the $7.9 million USAID-funded Education and Information Program to Improve Irrigation Water Use Efficiency (EIP-KAFA’A) that provided a range of communications, technical and educational activities to improve water use efficiency in Jordan's agricultural sector.

Baghdad, Iraq

Under the USAID-funded Program Advisors and Oversight-Personnel Support Services Program in Baghdad, Iraq, I initially served as the Acting Executive Officer (EXO), assisting USAID/Iraq on administrative matters related to the program activities and acted as the administrative point of contact in the field. Specific areas of responsibility included: providing operational and contractual guidance to the Chief of Party in overall project objectives and activities; collaborating with the Chief of Party and Project Managers to monitor the deliverables schedule in accordance with contractual reporting requirements; coordinating funding requirements with the IRG’s Home Office; working together with IRG’s Senior Contracts Manager and Project Managers, on contract, subcontract and consultant negotiations; serving as the liaison to IRG’s Contracts Division and USAID Field Contracts Division; interfaced with USAID Field Agreement and Contracting Officers; reviewed and complied with inter-agency agreements; maintained project files of relevant project documents and written communications; managed equipment inventory of client-financed property; coordinated logistics for visits by IRG and counterpart staff to and from the U.S.; reviewed expense reports and time summary forms for field staff; reviewed and approved monthly imprest/financial reports; collaborated with Project Managers on quarterly and annual performance evaluations; managed the implementation and performance of field subcontractor goals, objectives, and deliverables.

Washington, Dc

Performed a broad variety of management activities in the areas of communication, document review and budget management, as the point of coordination between client, technical staff, and internal support units. A critical part of this project support role was to monitor project in-puts and out-puts, ensuring that corporate resources were matched against the needs of IRG’s clients and implementation terms. Monitored project spending against contract budget and funds obligated and prepared annual financial projections and reconciled project expenditures against the contract budget. As the point person in the U.S. for communications among subcontractors, consultants, field team, and IRG home-office support and technical staff, negotiated daily rates/salaries for employees and consultants and acted as the central repository for copies of all relevant project documents (project deliverables, approvals, background documents, etc.) and internal written communications. Effectively anticipated and communicated cash needs to the Finance/Accounting department, while monitoring project deliverables against the project terms of reference.