Emma Donlan

Experience

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  Cord

  Jun 1996 - Mar 1997

  • Evaluated the previous service-based programme to inform the implementation of a new rights-based programme strategy that responded to the needs of the most vulnerable sectors, especially children living in foster care, in a camp of 113,000 refugees.• Managed 10 sector coordinators that oversaw the work of over 300 refugee community development workers. • Initiated an inter-agency campaign against sexual violence, liaising with UNHCR, national police and district health services. This campaign resulted in a concerted inter-agency effort to tackle sexual violence and I was invited to present the strategies used in this campaign at an Amnesty International Conference. Show less

  • Programme Co-ordinator, Nyaragusu Refugee camp, Tanzania

    Dec 1996 - Mar 1997

  • Community Services Officer, Lumasi refugee camp for Rwandese, Ngara, Tanzania

    Jun 1996 - Dec 1996
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  Christian Aid

  May 1997 - Jun 1998

  International Policy Officer (Economist)

  ▪ Led Christian Aid’s field research on fair trade issues. Engaged with British supermarkets, to present the impact of WTO policies on banana exports in Central America and the Windward Islands that influenced changes to their procurement practices. ▪ Led research and undertook field-work on the impact of debt in highly indebted countries on health and education services. Coordinated the parallel G8 summit in Birmingham, 1998, in which 8 poor highly indebted countries were represented. This conference was a focal point for the mass Jubilee 2000 rally and the “Break the Chain of Debt” campaign in the UK. Show less

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  Interact Worldwide

  Aug 1998 - Mar 2004

  Regional Programme Manager

  ▪ Set up and managed two country programmes in a volatile political context, to implement a complex and innovative regional health programme, funded by EC, DFID and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that established and promoted differentiated sexual and reproductive health services. ▪ Managed a diverse portfolio of partnerships with local / national civil society organisations that influenced and strengthened regional coordination and allocation of resources by the Ministry of Health and departmental entities for adolescents and indigenous rural women in Peru and Bolivia.▪ Led a regional multidisciplinary and intercultural team, providing ongoing capacity building and proactive performance management that resulted in high levels of motivation and effectiveness. Show less

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  Department for International Development (DFID)

  Apr 2004 - Jul 2007

  Social Inclusion and Human Rights Advisor

  • Set up and managed the country office and programme of Christian Aid in Bolivia, ensuring compliance with national legislation and corporate requirements for effectiveness and accountability. • Increased and diversified funding through successful grant applications to institutional donors, trusts, foundations and individual supporters, including a new Amazon specific fund sponsored by business community in UK.• Led internal strategic planning sessions with key stakeholders to analyse the effectiveness and appropriateness of our interventions and policy which resulted in transformative policy and programmatic change. Nominated to the Global Senior Strategic Management Team to develop the new Corporate Strategy.• Supervised the personal and professional development of a multidisciplinary team, achieving excellent working / learning environment and low turn-over of personnel, taking corrective and disciplinary actions when necessary.• Managed complex national and regional programmatic budgets and partnerships to ensure key performance indicators were met and accountable to the specific expectations of donors and supporters.• Proactive in establishing and promoting inter-agency coalitions and private sector-community alliances for more strategic political representation, funding and coordination. • Identified ongoing training needs of partner NGOs, supervised, developed and delivered workshops in the following areas: climate change and resilience, financial accountability; safeguarding; inclusion; interculturality; gender; advocacy; power analysis; value for money; participatory project cycle management, resulting in more effectiveness and greater impact.• Developed and implemented participatory monitoring and evaluation systems, with strong emphasis on communication and evidence gathering.• Initiated global working groups on innovation, to inspire and share learning, encouraging new ways of digital working and communication across the organisation. Show less

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  Christian Aid

  Aug 2007 - Mar 2020

  Country Manager

  • Set up and managed the country office and programme of Christian Aid in Bolivia, ensuring compliance with national legislation and corporate requirements for effectiveness and accountability. • Increased and diversified funding through successful grant applications to institutional donors, trusts, foundations and individual supporters, including a new Amazon specific fund sponsored by business community in UK.• Led internal strategic planning sessions with key stakeholders to analyse the effectiveness and appropriateness of our interventions and policy which resulted in transformative policy and programmatic change. Nominated to the Global Senior Strategic Management Team to develop the new Corporate Strategy.• Supervised the personal and professional development of a multidisciplinary team, achieving excellent working / learning environment and low turn-over of personnel, taking corrective and disciplinary actions when necessary.• Managed complex national and regional programmatic budgets and partnerships to ensure key performance indicators were met and accountable to the specific expectations of donors and supporters.• Proactive in establishing and promoting inter-agency coalitions and private sector-community alliances for more strategic political representation, funding and coordination. • Identified ongoing training needs of partner NGOs, supervised, developed and delivered workshops in the following areas: climate change and resilience, financial accountability; safeguarding; inclusion; interculturality; gender; advocacy; power analysis; value for money; participatory project cycle management, resulting in more effectiveness and greater impact.• Developed and implemented participatory monitoring and evaluation systems, with strong emphasis on communication and evidence gathering.• Initiated global working groups on innovation, to inspire and share learning, encouraging new ways of digital working and communication across the organisation. Show less

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  Handicap International - Humanity & Inclusion

  Jun 2020 - Aug 2020

  Country Manager (maternity cover)

  Maternity cover• Managed two multidisciplinary teams in Peru and Bolivia.• Developed regional and national proposals for the Andes region.• Supported the adaption of projects to meet their general objectives in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic and coordination with donors.• Facilitated inter-institutional meetings for consortium across the region to improve coordination and effectiveness. • Supervised the updating of security and contingency plans to ensure well-being of staff and partnerships. Show less

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  Plan International Bolivia

  Aug 2020 - Sept 2024

  Current -Country Director Plan International in Bolivia

  • Responsible for the strategic direction and oversight for the implementation of the country strategy aimed at promoting the rights of children, especially girls.• Key participant in senior leadership strategic and decision making processes Represented Plan before donors and managed a multidiscipline team (170 staff and 12+ local partner organisations) located across the country to ensure that projects are implemented effectively, on-time, on budget, and in line with the organization’s values. • Represented Plan before diverse stakeholders: government entities and services at national and subnational level, community organisations and local partners to develop and co-implement projects that responded to shared objectives, including multi-million dollar health projects, which succeeded in strengthening state and community-based response to sexual and reproductive health, early childhood development and health education.• Elected President of CONGI, the platform for INGOs in Bolivia, acting as the main focal point with government entities to represent interests and proposals of INGO members for more agile coordination and effectiveness of aid in Bolivia.• Restructured the finance and administrative teams in Plan Bolivia resulting in strengthened integrated financial planning, multimillion dollar budget development, monitoring and implementation, with a focus on risk management, transparency and cost effectiveness.• Responsible for compliance and promoting a culture of continuous improvement in areas including safeguarding, security, anti-fraud, HR management, legal and financial operations in a complex and volatile country context. Show less

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  CONGI Bolivia

  Jun 2022 - Aug 2024

  President of CONGI Coordination of International NGOS in Bolivia

  Honorary Position - Representation and Spokesperson of International Development Sector in Bolivia

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  Plan International Américas

  Sept 2024 - now

  Director for South America Cluster: Bolivia Ecuador Paraguay Peru