Regina Saavedra

Experience

• 

  Domestic Workers United

  Sept 2008 - Jun 2011

  Volunteer Translator & Interpreter

  • Simultaneously interpreted English-Spanish for meetings and events • Translated written materials such as contracts, newsletters, presentations, and minutes

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  Instituto de Investigación Nutricional

  May 2009 - Jul 2009

  Fieldwork Intern

  • Assessed amount of fuel consumed by families in rural communities, using traditional, tulpia style, & improved stoves made to prevent chronic lung diseases• Trained local fieldworkers in measurement and data collection methods

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  Mayor's Office of Adult Education

  Sept 2010 - Feb 2011

  NYU Ambassador to We Are New York

  • Recruited 15 sites to host free English conversation classes for adult immigrants• Handled correspondence with 40+ sites & 200+ volunteers• Facilitated conversation classes with We Are New York TV series to teach immigrants about NYC services

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  International Rescue Committee

  Sept 2011 - Feb 2012

  Leaders in Training Program Coordinator

  • Developed & executed weekly workshops & other programs for 15 refugee high school students, focusing on college readiness, career preparation, leadership & advocacy

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  NYU Center for Student Activities, Leadership, and Service

  Aug 2012 - May 2013

  Alternative Breaks Advisor

  • Supervised student-run program coordinating 20 service trips per year for 220 students• Organized logistics & travel for trips, serving as liaison between NYU & 19 partner organizations• Experience in Cusco, Perú; Quito, Ecuador; Masaya, Nicaragua; Chimaltenango, Guatemala

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  Human Rights First

  Apr 2013 - May 2014

  Volunteer Translator & Interpreter

  • Consecutively interpreted English-Spanish for conference calls with refugees and asylum seekers• Translated documents such as affidavits

• 

  Global Kids

  Sept 2013 - Sept 2014

  Evaluation Intern

  • Conducted focus group discussions & participant observations at 19 school sites• Transcribed, coded, & analyzed recorded focus group discussions• Analyzed quantitative survey data• Assisted with preparation of evaluation reports• Worked closely with Global Kids staff to strategize and improve evaluation efforts

• 

  Trickle Up

  Sept 2013 - May 2014

  Project Associate

  • Served on a 5-person team consisting of NYU Wagner graduate candidates to provide program design recommendations & contribute to proposal development for external grants • Designed retrospective evaluation of the relationship between food security & Trickle Up’s core livelihood development program for extremely poor, indigenous women in two rural municipalities in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala• Facilitated 11 individual interviews and 3 focus groups in Spanish• Transcribed and coded interviews and focus groups; analyzed qualitative and quantitative data Show less

• 

  UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

  Sept 2014 - now

  • Coordinates with Headquarters, Regional Bureau and field operations to improve results-based management approaches and promote evidence-based decision-making at all level and across functions• Supports country operations in development of multi-year strategies that align with and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and other interagency mechanisms (Humanitarian Response Plans and the Refugee and Migrant Response Plan); and reflect regional and global strategic priorities• Oversees technical support and guidance provided to country and multi-country operations in the Americas in relation to partnership management; planning, getting and showing results; and the use of new corporate tools and systems Show less • Provided technical support and capacity-building to 14 country and multi-country operations in the Americas on results-based management (RBM) and multi-year strategic planning - in particular on situation analysis, theories of change, results frameworks, and monitoring and evaluation• Provided sector-specific and regional guidance on programme monitoring; developed and rolled out improved and harmonized systems, tools, and processes for measuring and reporting impact, outcome and output indicators; coordinated quality assurance of indicator reporting for various exercises• Supported operations to better align country strategies to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCF) and contribute to UNSDCF processes at country level Show less • Worked on a multi-functional team to develop a multi-year, multi-partner protection and solutions strategy for refugees and asylum-seekers in Mexico• Led the design and implementation of a monitoring system for protection and solutions activities, improving measurement of local integration in Mexico; coordinated system in 10 field locations by which colleagues regularly conduct household visits to refugees and asylum-seekers; developed and constantly improved mobile data collection tools and analysis practices; trained colleagues on data collection methods; supported the establishment of referral systems for legal, social and economic integration support• Worked collaboratively to develop an improved outreach system in locations without UNHCR presence through mobile and roving teams, via field visits and remote support to refugees and asylum-seekers• Coordinated with ILO to conduct market assessment and value chain analysis and institutional capacity assessment; liaised with Government partners to conduct a socioeconomic assessment of refugees; and managed relationships with private sector actors in support of creating sustainable models to scale up labour insertion programmes• Supported the improvement of the cash-based humanitarian assistance programme, including development of socio-economic vulnerability criteria and targeting scorecard, and an improved delivery mechanism Show less • Supported operations, particularly in Latin America including Ecuador and Costa Rica, to develop multi-year, multi-partner protection and solutions strategies• Monitored global progress on the UNHCR Global Strategy for Livelihoods and compliance of over 80 UNHCR country operations with the minimum standards for livelihoods programming• Provided technical support with socioeconomic assessments and monitoring and evaluation, including through development of a global set of performance and impact indicators for UNHCR livelihoods programmes• Coordinated and liaised with partners including Trickle Up to roll out the graduation approach in refugee contexts and ILO to conduct market assessments and value chain analyses in various UNHCR operations Show less

  • Senior Programme Officer

    Jan 2024 - now

  • Programme Monitoring Officer

    Jan 2020 - Dec 2023

  • Associate Programme CBI Officer

    Nov 2019 - Dec 2019

  • Associate Durable Solutions Officer

    Feb 2017 - Nov 2019

  • Livelihoods Monitoring Associate

    Mar 2015 - Feb 2017

  • Development Economics Intern

    Sept 2014 - Mar 2015