Albertina Madalena R. Valentim Cossa

Industry

Education

ISCTEM - Instituto Superior de Ciência e Tecnologia de Moçambique

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Faculdade de Medicina

Universidade Pedagogica - Nampula

Universidade Pedagogica - Nampula

Project Management Assistant at USAID - Integrated Health Office

United States Embassy, Maputo, Mozambique

Responsible to prepare GLAAS actions, track and maintain project reports, track, coordinate, and report to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) on visits associated with the Site Improvement Monitoring System (SIMS). Familiarized with the USAID management systems as APECS, HUDDLE, GLAAS, PHOENIX, and ASIST. Execution collection of expenditure information, prepare accrual information, and compile financial reports, that allowed me to enhance my programming cycle understanding (design, planning, implementation, and monitoring) and the importance of quality project implementation through alignment with USG and country guidelines, accountability, and management. Assigned as the Alternate Agreement Officer’s Representative (A/AOR) for a 17,8M project implementing OVC activities in Sofala Province, and as the Government Agreement Technical Representative (GATR) for the Government-to-Government Agreement (G2G) with the National AIDS Council (CNCS). This duty includes conducting site visits and monitor 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. Had the opportunity to work on the design of a four (4) year Implementation Letter (IL), 2023-2027, a contract with the CNCS to strengthening its capacity on the planning and coordination of the HIV/AIDS national response.

PEPFAR Community Grants Coordinator

United States Embassy, Maputo, Mozambique

Managed the PEPFAR Community Grants Program life cycle (from pre-award to close-out phases) following the U. S. Department Federal Assistance Directive, that included site visits of the selected projects as well as monitoring visits during the project’s life cycle. In 2018-2019 managed 30 Small Grants Projects due to staff shortage during a PCO transition phase. Had the opportunity to lead design of new activities with NGOs (PEPFAR funded and non-PEPFAR funded), CNCS, Civil Society, Global Fund, and UNAIDS, focusing on Community-Led Interventions, and worked in the design of the new PEPFAR Community-Led Monitoring Approach for the Country Operational Program 2020 (COP20), together with CNCS, the Civil Society Platform (PLASOC-M), UNAIDS, MSF, and the PEPFAR Interagency Civil Society Technical Working Group (PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO), DoD, CDC and USAID)

Program Support Specialist

United States Embassy, Maputo, Mozambique

Overall coordination of the PCO administration, develops and maintains all internal operational procedures, organize and coordinate communications, including leading or assisting in producing minutes/notes, written action and/or summaries for PEPFAR key coordination meetings. Drafting and/or editing a variety of correspondence, Excel spreadsheets, emails, and Power Point presentations. Maintain and coordinate PEPFAR calendar of events, routine meetings, online Project Management System(s), and PEPFAR team and partner contact lists, and email list serves. Management and coordination in-country Technical Assistance request process for the PEPFAR Interagency Team and serve as the primary point of contact with OGAC. Management of the PEPFAR Systems and act as System Administrator to provide support to the USG PEPFAR team. Coordination of the Gender and Sexual Diversity (GSD) training at national level as the Point of Contact for Mozambique. Coordination of 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 projects life cycle.

Administrative Assistant Technical at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

United States Embassy, Maputo, Mozambique

Responsible to provide 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). Meeting planning and scheduling, assist with calendar management, provide logistical assistance for meetings, contact with mid- and high-level representatives of the Ministry of Health, and other implementing partners. Provide translation services as needed which included verbal translation as necessary for meetings and translation of technical documents from English to Portuguese and vice versa. Assist with travel arrangements and travel claims for technical staff and invitational travelers. Provide general technical program support to the Strategic Information team, to help with completion of United States Government 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. 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 data-sets were stored and/or shared as appropriate. Point of contact with CDC Atlanta and Mozambique Bioethics Committee as IRB (Institutional Review Board) Member.

Office Manager and Consular Assistant

SNV - Netherlands Development Organisation

Served as Office Manager responsible for daily financial and personnel management, secretarial support, logistic services and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Tasks included record financial transactions in the portfolio ledger system (GLSU – General Ledger Spreadsheet Uploader), prepare and check monthly, quarterly and annual financial accounts, forecast and project depletion for the portfolio, follow up on portfolio related receipts and payments, reconcile bank balances and manage liquidity levels of the portfolio, based on the guidelines and financial procedures, maintain the petty-cash and supplier payment, carry annual inventory of all fixed assets, monitor log books of the portfolio vehicles (perform vehicle monitoring on fuel consumption, maintenance expenses, km driven, etc.). Process mutation forms (create and change client and internal orders using mutation forms), ensure time writing database was updated and record relevant data as needed, 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. Served as Consular Assistant for the Nampula Netherlands Embassy Consulate. Had the opportunity to organize the visit of the Minister for Development and Cooperation of the Netherlands, Mr. Bert Koenders, to Nampula province in May 2008.

Independent Consultant

PROGOV/ARD-MGID-USAID – Municipal Governance Increasingly Democratic

Served as 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. Conduct monitoring site visits to make sure that the principals of good governance where in place, such as inclusivity, community participation, accountability, ownership, capacity building, and transparency.

Executive Secretary and PADEM (Programa de Apoio à Descentralização e Municipalização) Program Assistant

SDC - Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

As Executive Secretary was responsible for supporting the Head of Delegation and Program Managers by providing administrative support and perform numerous duties, including scheduling, writing correspondence, emailing, handling visitors, routing callers, logistics, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). 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 and Monapo, 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 training's for the operations/project staff on program, HIV/AIDS focal point. Designated to take over two positions (Executive Secretary and PADEM Program Assistant) from 2002 to 2006.

Secretary

SAS - Sistemas de Agua Sustentaveis (A Dutch Funded Water Project)

Responsible for secretarial, financial, and logistics tasks.

Secretary/Administrative Assistant

SDR - Swiss Disaster Relief

Responsible for office management, secretarial and administration tasks.

Secretary

ONUMOZ/UNOHAC - UN Mission to Mozambique/United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance and Coordination

Responsible to provide 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.