Summary
Dedicated public health and project management, results-driven development professional with over 15 years of experience in project and program coordination, community development, stakeholder engagement, and financial management within government agencies, international organizations, and NGOs. Proven expertise in overseeing community-led interventions, managing partnerships, and implementing robust child protection policies to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Skilled in capacity building and ensuring compliance with organizational policies and donor standards. Committed to advancing child rights, gender equality, and social inclusion through participatory, child-centered, and capacity-focused approaches.
Public Profile url: Albertina R. Valentim Cossa
Professional Data
Industry
Experience: 30 years
Education
Education
ISG - Instituto Superior de Gestao, Administração e Educação
ISCTEM - Instituto Superior de Ciencias e Tecnologia de Mocambique
Universidade Pedagógica de Mocambique
Experience
Project Management Assistant
United States Agency for International Development - U.S. Embassy
● Execute collection of expenditure information, prepare accrual information, and compile financial reports, that allowed me to enhance my programming cycle understanding. ● Manage expenditure data collection, prepare accrual reports, and compile financial statements to enhance programming cycle understanding (design, planning, implementation, and monitoring). ● Conducting site visits and monitoring project progress on the ground to identify and report on implementation problems or delays, along with the site conditions to provide feedback and suggest changes and corrective measures. ● Prepare, and process project documentation related to ongoing activities and activity planning, including procurement requests, implementation letters, waivers, correspondence, briefing papers, memoranda, and other program documents. ● Government Agreement Technical Representative (GATR) for the Government-to-Government Agreement between the United States Government and the National AIDS Council (CNCS) implementing community-led activities and institutional capacity of the Provincial AIDS Councils and Civil Society Organizations (OSCs) for HIV/AIDS response. ● Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for an Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project being implemented in Sofala and Manica provinces.
PEPFAR Community Grants Coordinator
U.S. Department of State, PEPFAR Coordination Office - U.S. Embassy
● Responsible for overall coordination of the PEPFAR Coordination Office administration and coordination, and for the office management and administration. ● Oversee the coordination of travel authorizations (TAs) and ensure that staff travel expense reports are accurately prepared and submitted on time. ● Management of PEPFAR Systems and act as System Administrator to provide support to the USG PEPFAR team. ● Preparation the Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs’) and responsible for overall coordination of the PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO) administration and coordination of solicited and unsolicited proposals related to HIV/AIDS to assign/establish appropriate review committees as relevant and coordinate recommendations, selection of proposals and pre-award site visits of the selected projects as well as monitoring visits during the project’s life cycle. ● Managed an $800K PEPFAR Community Grants program in compliance with U.S. Federal Assistance Directives focusing on HIV Prevention and Treatment, and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). ● Had the opportunity to lead the design of new activities with NGOs (PEPFAR funded and non-PEPFAR funded), CNCS, Civil Society, Global Fund, and UNAIDS, focusing on Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) Interventions to enhance HIV prevention and treatment programs. CLM empowers local communities to monitor the quality and accessibility of HIV services, special for vulnerable populations, OVCs and key populations, identify barriers, and advocate for solutions, ensuring a patient-centered approach.
PEPFAR Program Support Specialist
U.S. Department of State, PEPFAR Coordination Office - U.S. Embassy
● Responsible for overall coordination of the PEPFAR Coordination Office administration and coordination, and for the office management and administration. ● Oversee the coordination of travel authorizations (TAs) and ensure that staff travel expense reports are accurately prepared and submitted on time. ● Management of PEPFAR Systems and act as System Administrator to provide support to the USG PEPFAR team. ● Coordinated a $400M PEPFAR program, developed operational procedures, and managed internal communications. ● Preparation the Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs’) and responsible for overall coordination of the PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO) administration and coordination of solicited and unsolicited proposals related to HIV/AIDS to assign/establish appropriate review committees as relevant and coordinate recommendations, selection of proposals and pre-award site visits of the selected projects as well as monitoring visits during the project’s life cycle.
Technical Administrative Assistant
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - U.S. Embassy
● Responsible for providing a wide variety of administrative and technical support to the CDC Technical Staff within the Strategic Information (SI), Associate Director for Science, and Health System Strengthening (HSS) & Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP). ● Provide general technical program support to the Strategic Information team, to help with completion of USG reports and documents such as the Country Operational Plan (COP) and Semi-Annual and Annual Program Reports (S/APR) and conduct SIMS (Site Improvement Monitoring System) visits as needed. ● Provide support to the Associate Director for Science (ADS) to ensure evaluation and research activities align with CDC and Mozambican ethical standards. ● Oversee the coordination of travel authorizations (TAs) and ensure that staff travel expense reports are accurately prepared and submitted on time. ● Responsible for reception, review and track the progress of research projects and evaluations of CDC and partner organizations, ensuring deadlines were met, protocols were followed, ethical considerations and confidentiality were respected, and that final datasets were stored and/or shared as appropriate. ● Point of contact with CDC Atlanta and Mozambique Bioethics Committee as IRB (Institutional Review Board) Member. ● Had the opportunity to be part of the evaluation team for laboratory systems in Mozambique to assess the effectiveness and turnaround time of both electronic and paper-based systems for potential funding of lab electronic systems by the U.S. Government through the CDC.
Office Manager and Consular Assistant
Netherlands Development Organization (SNV)
● Oversaw financial management, personnel administration, and logistics for the organization. ● Managed financial transactions, budget forecasting, and monitoring of awarded client programs. ● Responsible for developing country office admin and finance systems, perform monitoring site visits of the awarded clients and provide recommendations as necessary for budget forecast, awards disbursement and monitoring, capacity building plans and auditing of clients. ● Oversee the coordination of travel authorizations (TAs) and ensure that staff travel expense reports are accurately prepared and submitted on time. ● Served as Consular Assistant for the Nampula Netherlands Embassy Consulate.
Independent Consultant
PROGOV/ARD-MGID-USAID – Municipal Governance Increasingly Democratic
● Office Manager responsible for the installation of PROGOV/ARD-MGID-USAID office in Nampula. ● Overall coordination of the provincial office program portfolio through linkage with the provincial Government, financing local organizations and developing key strategies for project implementation in Nacala and Monapo municipalities. ● Conducted monitoring site visits to make sure that the principles of good governance were in place, such as inclusivity, community participation, accountability, ownership, capacity building, and transparency.
Executive Secretary & PADEM Program Assistant
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
● Responsible for supporting the Head of Delegation and Program Managers by providing administrative support and performing numerous duties, including scheduling, writing correspondence, emailing, handling visitors, routing callers, logistics, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). ● Oversee the coordination of travel authorizations (TAs) and ensure that staff travel expense reports are accurately prepared and submitted on time. ● As Program Assistant was responsible to provide program support services to ensure high quality, accuracy and consistency of work, monitoring, evaluation, and follow-up of the PADEM (Programa de Apoio à Descentralização e Municipalização). Tasks included support formulation of program strategies and the country municipalization program action plan, support in evaluations and revisions of the program and initiatives, support the organization and follow-up of strategic planning processes in close coordination and guidance of the host government strategic planning unit, collection, analysis and presentation of information for identification of areas of support and program formulation/implementation in five municipalities (Nampula: Ilha de Moçambique, Niassa: Cuamba and Metangula, Cabo Delgado: Montepuez and Mocímboa da Praia), promotion of human rights and gender based approach, preparation of budget revisions, revision of project award and project status, determination of unutilized funds, operational and financial closure of a project, preparation of the unit for different audit processes and timely follow-up of the implementation of its recommendations, participation in the trainings for the operations/project staff on program, and appointed as the HIV/AIDS focal point. ● From 2002 to 2006 I was designated to take over two positions (Executive Secretary and PADEM Program Assistant)
Secretary
Netherlands Embassy, SAS - Sistemas de Agua Sustentaveis (A Dutch Funded Water Project)
● Responsible for secretarial, administrative, financial, and logistics tasks.
Secretary/Administrative Assistant
Swiss Disaster Relief (SDR)
● Responsible for office management, secretarial and financial administration. ● Oversee over 400 workers in both Nacarôa and Alua districts, as well as the Locality of Nacher in the rehabilitation/construction of the Health Facilities.
Secretary
United Nations Mission to Mozambique (ONUMOZ), United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance and Coordination (UNOHAC)
● Responsible for providing administrative and clerical support to the provincial and national program coordinators. ● Process data of demobilized soldiers (from FRELIMO and RENAMO parties) and returnees for their reintegration, after the Mozambique general peace agreement. ● Conduct field visits for evaluation of needs of demobilized soldiers and returnees in Gaza province.
