BRIDGET BUCARDO RIVERA
Pompton Lakes
Summary
With 16 years of international development experience and residential management roles in Africa and Latin America, I have a proven track record of mentoring, coaching, and providing technical oversight for excellence in local leadership, scaling, and capacity strengthening strategies and interventions. Throughout my 15 years with an international development organization, I have held increasingly senior positions managing complex global teams towards concrete results. I have a proven record of developing and delivering a comprehensive range of learning programs and trainings tailored to a wide variety of audiences, from regional leadership to local civil society and governmental organizations. My expertise lies in industry best practices in locally led development, scaling, project design, facilitation, coaching, and accompaniment. As a recognized leader and trainer, I have a history of effective cross-divisional collaboration to improve agency processes, systems, and learning materials.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Technical Advisor, Partnership and Capacity Strengthening
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
09.2018 - Current
- Led design and roll-out of agency-wide Local Leadership/Partnership and Capacity Strengthening (LL/PCS) guidance and tools including LL/PSC Strategy Guidance for Country Programs, Pre-HOCAI for Proposals, Pre-HOCAI for Prime Readiness, Integrated HOCAI for OVC Programs, HPI Capacity Assessment Instrument and HPI Partner Satisfaction Survey and Reflection and HPI Learning Plan for all CRS Global Fund project staff
- Mentored and coached CRS country program staff through one-on-one support and regional communities of practice to strengthen their LL/PCS capacities and effectively engage with partner organizations
- Coached and accompanied regions and Country Programs to develop and implement LL/PCS Strategies
- Facilitated regional and country program-level workshops and learning/strategy sessions on LL and PCS
- Led design and implementation of CRS’ High Performing Implementers (HPI) Initiative, the agency’s first holistic capacity strengthening program for national government partners implementing Global Fund grants
- Led a team of five HPI technical advisors delivering capacity strengthening services to national government partners; facilitated a global HPI community of practice and learning program for 200+ project staff
- Led design and development of over 40+ capacity strengthening and learning solutions to support local partners in meeting Global Fund standards
- Co-led with GPR the design, pilot and roll-out of CRS’ Leadership Development Program for Partners, a six-week program that leverages agency leadership development content for partners
- Oversaw the delivery of this program with six national government partners resulting in high satisfaction scores from participants
- Oversaw development of CRS’ first online, interactive learning platform for partners available through a log-in on the Institute for Capacity Strengthening
- Co-designed and delivered a learning program for Country Representatives on influence and scaling, which received excellent participant feedback scores
- Served as a core member of the external, global Capacity Development Network, presenting CRS’ LL and PSC work to peer and donor stakeholders such as USAID and PEPFAR
- Represented CRS in the Global Scaling of Community of Practice, leading and facilitating a global webinar on HPI work in Guinea, which significantly influencing the thinking of the co-chairs in the critical link between scaling and LL
- Represented CRS to the Global Fund in Geneva, delivering several online and in-person webinars and brown bags on CRS’ High Performing Implementers (HPI) initiative; this resulted in a 66% increase in Global Fund investment in HPI in the latest grant cycle as compared to the previous one
- Served as the technical lead for numerous high-value proposals with capacity strengthening components resulting in high donor scores for this sector
Senior Growth Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
12.2013 - 09.2018
- Spearheaded development of agency BD Competencies Framework and co-developed agency BD Learning Curriculum with instructional and experiential learning to facilitate master of each competency level
- Developed and led roll-out of regional guidance and training curriculum on influence, which has since been rolled out to the wider agency through CASCADE and used by multiple regions
- Accompanied and mentored all LACRO country programs to develop and implement sector influence plans
- Designed and delivered regional trainings in resource mobilization, project design and private sector engagement tailored to a variety of audiences including regional leadership, country directors, country office senior leadership, and local partner organizations
- Co-led revision of agency cost application training materials and facilitated a regional cost application training for more than forty participants from across the agency with high participant satisfaction scores
- Developed and rolled-out regional proposal development review and approval guidelines to ensure strong proposal development processes and quality, and timely submissions to all institutional donors
- Oversaw all growth efforts in the region; directly supervised two regional BD staff and provided technical mentorship to another 3 BD country-office level staff
- Oversaw successful submission of over 55 proposals annually in the region, resulting in a record-breaking $100 million in new funding several years in a row
Regional Growth Advisor, Latin America and the Caribbean
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
07.2012 - 12.2013
- Designed first agency positioning curriculum and successfully rolled out in three countries
- Led large, diverse proposal teams of up to 20 staff and consultants toward concrete results and quality submissions; shepherded design processes, facilitated design workshops and oversaw field assessments; managed consortium negotiations and relationships; facilitated design, staffing, and budgetary decisions; managed technical and budgetary reviews across agency and consortium; liaised with agency experts to ensure best practices and evidence-based approaches; led robust after action reviews and analyses
- Developed and facilitated five project design workshops and facilitated multiple regional proposal development trainings attended by 30+ staff from across the region including regional leadership
- Developed annual regional resource mobilization action plans to improve BD capacities and systems in region
- Supported multiple country program capture efforts for strategic funding opportunities, including team and process planning, consortium formation, and value proposition development
- Led capture planning efforts for regional landscapes proposal, including design and management of regional climate change contextual analysis in four countries and consortium negotiations with potential primes
- Compiled and submitted LACRO marketing materials for new CRS Global Marketing Library
Business Development and Strategy Manager, Zambia
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
03.2010 - 06.2012
- Managed winning $10 million CDC-funded AIDSRelief proposal, winning $10 million USAID Feed the Future proposal, and numerous other successful proposals to private donors, including Raskob Foundation, Foods Resource Bank, and Catholic Health Association, bringing in nearly $500,000 in new funding
- As Proposal Coordinator for more than 13 different proposals, supervised diverse teams of up 12 staff and consultants; managed complex consortium negotiations and relationships; shepherded design processes and led 10 design workshops; facilitated decisions on design, budgeting, and staffing; liaised with agency experts to ensure integration of best practices and evidence-based approaches across technical and cost applications
- Cultivated and managed relations with nationwide cellular company MTN, microfinance institution Microbankers Trust (MBT), ZANACO Bank, Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART), and the University of Zambia (UNZA); significantly supported relations with National Milling (Seaboard)
- Cultivated government relationships and effectively engaged government actors in proposal design processes including provincial governments and line ministries
- Ensured integration of cross-cutting themes into project design and managed gender assessments
- Built capacity of large local partner organization to apply for and win their first $1 million USG grant
- Developed and maintained upcoming proposal tracking database and opportunity pipeline for positioning and capture planning purposes; tools were subsequently adopted by regional office
- Designed and facilitated multiple proposal development trainings for CRS staff and local partners; built resource acquisition capacity of nearly 10 local partners including five diocesan Caritas
- Developed marketing materials for key programming areas with regional office and marketing department
International Development Fellow
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
07.2009 - 03.2010
- Co-managed winning $10 million USAID-funded ACORDAR agroenterprise extension proposal
- Wrote first annual report for USAID-funded Child Survival Project; co-wrote successful OFDA proposal; wrote a USDA LRP application; developed cost application for WASH proposal
CRS Intern
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
01.2009 - 07.2009
- Published article in book Financial Promise for the Poor by Wilson, Harper and Griffith (Kumarian Press, 2010)
- Co-led creation and roll-out of operations manuals for savings-led microfinance groups; provided technical assistance in microfinance and co-facilitated regional microfinance training
- Wrote final draft of country program’s Strategic Program Plan; developed country program website content
Client Assessment Research Fellow
FINCA INTERNATIONAL
05.2008 - 08.2008
- As part of three-person research team, administered FINCA Client Assessment Tool (FCAT) to 900 rural village banking clients, gathering internationally comparable data on client poverty levels and financial access
- Developed comprehensive report; data used as baseline study for a USDA-funded agricultural loan analysis
Development Intern
WOMEN’S WORLD BANKING
12.2007 - 05.2008
- Assisted Development Manager in proposal development and organizing high-profile microfinance events
Director of Operations
COMMUNITY SOUP KITCHEN & OUTREACH CENTER OF MORRISTOWN, INC.
03.2004 - 08.2007
- Managed daily operations, directly supervised ten staff, coordinated over 2,000 community volunteers from 40 local churches and synagogues, and provided food and outreach services to over 200 clients daily
- Spearheaded expansion of outreach services to include community job fairs, English as Second Language courses, computer training, and substance abuse outreach services
- Cultivated relationships with faith-based, public, and private sector actors to secure new funding
- Developed strategic alliances with community organizations; co-founded Immigrant Resource Network (IRN), a consortium of 50 community organizations, and spearheaded its first community event
- Designed and led Hunger in our own Backyard poverty-awareness program for local middle schools
Project Evaluator
FREE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL
02.2003 - 01.2004
- Monitored and reported on 50 rural schools, ten potable water systems and eight health clinics in Mulukuku and Waslala municipalities; coordinated Oprah Winfrey School inspections
- Developed proposals for water and livestock production projects, bringing in over $300,000 of new funding
Education
Master of Arts - International Development
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Bronx, NY01.2008
Bachelor of Arts - Economics and Honors with Peace and Justice Concentration
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
Villanova, PA01.2002
Skills
- Fluency in English
- Fluency in Spanish
- Basic French proficiency
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Facilitation skills
- Organizational skills
- Representational skills
- Training and mentoring
Specialskills
Fluency in English and Spanish, Basic French proficiency, Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), Microsoft Project, SAS, Excellent facilitation, organizational, and representational skills
Key Qualifications
- Over 16 years of international development experience and residential management roles in Africa and Latin America.
- Proven track record of mentoring, coaching, and providing technical oversight for excellence in local leadership, scaling and capacity strengthening strategies and interventions.
- More than 15 years’ experience with an international development organization in increasingly senior positions managing complex global teams toward concrete results.
- Proven record of developing and delivering a comprehensive range of learning programs and trainings tailored to a wide variety of audiences ranging from regional leadership to local civil society and governmental organizations.
- Expertise in industry best practices in locally led development, scaling, project design, facilitation, coaching and accompaniment.
- Recognized leader and trainer with a history of effective cross-divisional collaboration to improve agency processes, systems and learning materials.
Timeline
Senior Technical Advisor, Partnership and Capacity Strengthening
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
09.2018 - Current
Senior Growth Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
12.2013 - 09.2018
Regional Growth Advisor, Latin America and the Caribbean
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
07.2012 - 12.2013
Business Development and Strategy Manager, Zambia
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
03.2010 - 06.2012
International Development Fellow
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
07.2009 - 03.2010
CRS Intern
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
01.2009 - 07.2009
Client Assessment Research Fellow
FINCA INTERNATIONAL
05.2008 - 08.2008
Development Intern
WOMEN’S WORLD BANKING
12.2007 - 05.2008
Director of Operations
COMMUNITY SOUP KITCHEN & OUTREACH CENTER OF MORRISTOWN, INC.
03.2004 - 08.2007
Project Evaluator
FREE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL
02.2003 - 01.2004
Bachelor of Arts - Economics and Honors with Peace and Justice Concentration
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
Master of Arts - International Development
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
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