Work & Experience

Institution Building Advisor and Outreach Coordinator American Bar Association / Rule of Law Initiative

10/2005 to 09/2007

• Coordinating IBA Program activities with liaisons, staff and partners in Kazakhstan. Providing organization strategy development advice to both ABA KZ and its grantees and partners.
• Conducting sustainability workshops and facilitating sustainability planning with partner organizations.
• Providing consultations and training for partners based on needs identified and outlined in sustainability plans and subsequent consultations.
• Conducting needs assessments for local and partner NGOs and providing appropriate follow-up trainings (capacity building, project management and design, monitoring and evaluation of the projects, institutional sustainability and development, fundraising, community development, PRA/PCA, networking, etc.)

Grants Manager Counterpart International, Dialogue Initiative Program

01/2008 to 04/2010

• Overall responsibility for financial management of sub-grants for media actors and CSOs, awarded by USAID through the CPI program:
• Management of 40+ grant portfolios in accordance with USAID standards (ADS, AIDAR, etc.)
• Development and ongoing monitoring of grant agreements and all additional documents (budgets, work plans, etc.);
• Management of grant procedures according to USAID and Counterpart International corporate policies and guidelines (all stages from pre-award procedures to grants close-out arrangements);
• Communications with grantees on financial reporting schemes and procedures;
• Assistance and advice on grants reporting procedures or any other related issues;
• Financial grants management training;
• Conducting grant close-out procedures and providing any necessary documentation/feedback to grantees and donor.

Senior Program Officer – Gender Equality The Representative Office of the National Democratic Institute in Kazakhstan

11/2010 to 09/2012

• Management of NDI KZ programs, including democracy and governance assistance, strengthening women’s political participation and leadership, policy reforms, human rights, and good governance;
• Development of partnerships between policy-makers and relevant stakeholders in the national government, Parliament, media and civil society; advocacy and network strengthening;
• Participation in overall program strategic planning, project design (project proposal and strategy design). Sound knowledge of LFA, PMP design, other M&E methods and tools for project design, management and evaluation;
• Conducting local communities’ needs assessment; gender assessment and analysis; participation in development of desk reviews and research;
• Designing and conducting training (project management, advocacy tools, financial sustainability, etc.) and large-scale international events (conferences, public discussions, etc);
• Providing technical assistance to local partners (NGOs, civil initiative groups, communities, etc.);
• Development of analytical reports and program analysis.

Secretary/Interpreter/Translator Agro-Invest” JSC, grain company

01/2002-11/2002

Contacts with local and foreign clients, technical and contract translations, document work, visas, communications, solving some organizational problems, administering documents and mail turnover.

Franchise Project Coordinator Rakhimzhan LLC

01/2003-05/2004

Launch and organization of new company’s structure (opening of MANGO franchise shop Almaty – overall project management), contacts with Spanish partners, internal coordination and management of the shop (merchandising, staffing, etc), financial work (sales, franchise reports), PR, events, media-planning.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Specialist Counterpart International Inc

10/2004 to 10/2005

Implementation of the full cycle of monitoring and evaluation activities in the framework of grant projects, awarded by Counterpart International Inc. in Kazakhstan. Designing regular and final program reports on the projects. Work with Support Centers (in the frames of Counterpart’s program on civil society initiative support) – consultations, technical and informational assistance in reports writing and monitoring and evaluation procedures conducting. Introducing and implementing new M&E tools and methods. Development of M&E plans and programs for grantees and partner NGOs. Organization and carrying out presentations, training and other informational and educational events for NGOs. Providing technical advisory support to the local communities and rural NGOs in the area of community development, interaction with local government, development of social enterprises and fundraising activities.

USAID Community Connections Program Coordinator American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS)

10/2012 to 10/2013

• Coordination and management of all aspects of the professional exchange program in three countries (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan);
• Development, regular update and implementation of the program strategy, PMP, operational plans, communication strategy and budget to ensure attainment of program goals and objectives in line with USAID requirements and policies;
• Design of thematic program rationale/frameworks for professional exchange programs;
• Training and technical assistance to local partners in three countries (government and non-government entities);
• Communication and establishing effective working partnerships with multi-stakeholder environments (civil society, senior government authorities, international organizations, academia and media)

Deputy Director/Consultant Institute for National and International Development Initiatives

02/2013 to present

Provision of primary support to the functions of the Director in supervising the activities of the organization and defined under it’s projects, including all technical inputs required. Assistance to the Director in the timely tracking, coordination and reporting of information related to all project activities. Management of donor-funded programs (WB, USAID, etc.) in the areas of extractive industries transparency and social accountability, natural resource management, local communities engagement and development, gender equality and good governance promotion. Community engagement and development activities with an overall goal to strengthen public participation in extractive industry social projects, raise awareness and involvement in promoting transparency, accountability and social responsibility of extracting companies (EITI, Open Government Initiative, etc.)