Gina Cirino

• Manage and oversee all aspects of project lifecycle; from planning and logistics to milestones, timelines, goals, and evaluation.
• Ensure foreign policy priorities are addressed in projects.
• Work closely with Communications & Outreach Managers to promote projects online.
• Consult with stakeholders within and outside of the Department of State.
• Nurture productive working relationships with domestic and international Public Affairs Section colleagues at the Department of State.
• Monitor and collaborate with grantees on designing, developing, and implementing projects; provide direction, guidance, and recommendations.
• Analyze grantees' strategies and program management while ensuring compliance with grant regulations, DOS policies, and SOPs.
• Act as a liaison between grantees and U.S. missions abroad.
• Consult with Department of State's regional and functional bureaus.
• Work closely with U.S. embassy colleagues around the world to ensure projects address foreign policy goals.
• Create new projects in collaboration with DOS's Public Affairs Sections at U.S. embassies; write project descriptions and objectives based on foreign policy goals.
• Evaluate and approve project themes, itineraries, budgets, and proposals while ensuring primacy of U.S. mission, Department, and Administration goals.
• Serve as first point of contact for emergencies and sudden changes; immediately prioritize, restructure, and implement new plans.
• Apply internal control measures to protect organizational integrity and prevent unauthorized use or misappropriation of sensitive material.
• Monitor budget to safeguard against waste, fraud, and unauthorized use of funds.
• Provide budget justifications when necessary.
• Lead Project Opening sessions to welcome embassy contacts to the United States and discuss project objectives and themes.
• Report to management about complex and sensitive issues and resolutions.
• Solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Lead Project Closing sessions to evaluate and assess overall effectiveness and gather qualitative data.
• Generate reports detailing findings and recommendations.
• Synthesize and analyze qualitative data to compose impact report cables.
• Produce, distribute, and archive evaluation reports that include suggestions for improvement.
• Complete grantee evaluation based on content, logistics, collaboration, and budget management.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Train new employees and interns.

Professional Development:
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Committee
* Co-Chair 2022 - Present

* Member 2016 - Present

• Monitor and evaluate current policies and reporting guidelines.
• Work with Committee to devise changes that improve procedures.
• Gather and analyze critical information that inform SOPs.
• Make recommendations to Managing Council.
• Brief colleagues about forthcoming improvements.

Instructor at Foreign Service Institute - Arlington - May 2023

• Co-taught five-day course for 25 embassy colleagues.
• PY342: Managing the IVLP and IVLP Resource Center
• Taught how to effectively manage the International Visitor Leadership Program at post.

Grant Review Panels

• Analyze and evaluate large grant proposals based on planning, objectives, diversity, capacity, cost efficiency, and follow-on activities.
• Analyze and evaluate small grant proposals for foreign assistance projects, based on innovative ideas, impact on communities, capacity feasibility, and budget projections.
• Identify vulnerabilities such as policy and accounting violations, risks, and dependencies.
• Submit vote and make persuasive recommendations.

• Helped meet changing demands by conducting regular reviews of operations and identifying areas for improvement.
• Improved coordination and communications to increase team’s operational efficiency.
• Contributed to short- and long-term strategic planning and identified potential new markets and funding opportunities.
• Prioritized duties and timelines for the team’s portfolio.
• Analyzed and assessed program performance data and implemented corrective measures.
• Developed and updated tracking spreadsheets for process monitoring and reporting.
• Identified deficiencies of internal operations regarding organizational structure, outsourcing opportunities, capacity issues, contracts, and employee relations.
• Determined staffing plans to achieve program goals and participated in hiring decisions for new program staff.
• Mentored 10 Program Officers and Program Coordinators to improve program quality and efficiency.
• Determined agenda and conducted weekly staff meetings.
• Educated staff on organizational mission and goals to help employees achieve success.
• Evaluated staff performance and provided coaching to address inefficiencies.
• Edited proposals, program books, evaluations, budgets, and other materials prior to submitting to the DOS.
• Facilitated amicable resolutions of competing ideas.
• Anticipated and resolved problems, took immediate action for emergencies.

Professional Development

Committee Member - Department of State's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

• Served as Graduate School USA’s representative.
• Briefed staff and management about meeting discussions.

Chair - Proposal Submission Revision Committee 5/2017 – 2/2019 (An initiative of the U.S. Department of State)

• Created and distributed a survey to stakeholders across the country and DOS about improving the proposal process.
• Collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from the survey.
• Led and conducted meetings with Committee to identify revision needs.
• Collaboratively developed strategies to streamline the proposal process.
• Redesigned the proposal template, standards, and quality assurance requirements.
• Persuasively presented solutions during conferences across the U.S..

• Designed, developed, and implemented IVLP projects in compliance with grant regulations.
• Strategically planned and applied program management techniques to implement projects.
• Created and managed project plans, timelines, milestones, budgets, and goals.
• Created partnerships and collaborated with federal government agencies, cultural organizations, academia, private companies, technical experts, think tanks, and NGOs to meet a wide variety of project themes.
• Synthesized project description, objectives, proposals, and participant biographies to write and submit proposals to the DOS.
• Provided guidance to CBMs about how to effectively meet project themes and objectives.
• Anticipated the needs of stakeholders and proactively offered suggestions.
• Monitored the budget in accordance with grant limitations.
• Liaised between organization and affiliates and managed networking relationships with funders, partners, and vendors.
• Liaised between the DOS and the CBMs (community-based members).
• Provided logistical and administrative services.
• Co-Conducted Project Opening sessions; explained itinerary, logistics, and agendas.
• Attended Project Closing sessions to evaluate project effectiveness and gather qualitative data.
• Wrote impact report based on qualitative data.
• Managed multiple projects simultaneously.
• Trained new employees and interns on all of the above items.

• Enhanced students’ understanding and respect for diverse human behaviors through lectures and PowerPoint presentations.
• Taught concepts such as cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, and systemic discrimination to classrooms that represented a diverse set of students; classrooms ranged from 30 - 100+ students.
• Helped with grading assignments and tests; held office hours; provided constructive feedback to students.

• Conceptualized, prepared, and implemented youth and adult exchange programs in compliance with grant regulations of the Department of State, USAID, and the Library of Congress.
• Collaborated with National Programming Agencies (NPAs) to develop meaningful and effective programs in accordance with DOS requests.
• Planned, scheduled, and managed logistics for meetings, workshops, site visits, and presentations.
• Participated in fundraising events.
• Developed materials and outreach for the public and media organizations to promote events and attract home hosts.
• Managed multiple projects simultaneously.
• Planned and organized a three-day national conference with plenary and breakout sessions, panel discussions, workshops, site visits, and tours for 300 attendees.

Lead Program Officer- Kosovo Youth Exchange Program – Funded by U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo

• Researched and identified the grant opportunity.
• Created a vision for four full year exchanges for high school students from Kosovo.
• Established a plan, program, agenda, budget, and management procedures.
• Applied for and won the award of $700,000 (the largest and longest grant the CCWA had ever been awarded).
• Partnered with NGOs, secured contracts, and negotiated sub-grantee terms and conditions.
• Developed materials and outreach for the public to promote the project and secure home hosts.
• Created a Facebook page for the public to interact with the project.
• Cultivated relationships with community organizations, social clubs, and public and private high schools throughout Kosovo.
• Reviewed dozens of applications and interviewed finalists at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina.
• Verified that expenditures adhered to grant conditions, created budget templates, and prepared expense reports.

Youth Exchanges – Funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State

• Conceptualized, prepared, and implemented youth leadership exchanges.
• Conducted orientation workshops upon student arrival.
• Created outreach materials, fact-sheets, and social media posts to recruit American students and home hosts.
• Recruited local students for reciprocal exchanges by: presenting information sessions at local high schools, reviewing applications, interviewing students, and making final selections.

Youth exchange programs included:

• Jovenes en Accion (Mexican youth exchange)
• Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program
• Serbian Youth Exchange
• Windows on America (minority youth in Germany)
• Brazilian Youth Ambassadors

Community Connections – Funded by USAID

Open World – Funded by the Library of Congress

• Conceptualized, prepared, and implemented projects for former Soviet Union countries that focused on emerging democracies, elections, anti-corruption, rule of law, and more.

Duties that supported all grants:

• Chaired the CCWA Volunteer Committee by leading weekly meetings to engage board members with current and upcoming projects.
• Publicly represented CCWA by making oral presentations to board members, corporations, academia, high schools, government organizations, city councils, cultural organizations, private industries, elected officials, media, NGOs, congressional staffers, and the general public.
• Developed collaborative networks with universities, government offices, private agencies, NGOs, faith-based organizations, and cultural institutions to harness support and cultivate partnerships.
• Maintained a database of participant alumni, interns, and community resource partners.
• Promoted programs through social media and press releases.

• Familiarized new international students into the community.
• Wrote a weekly newsletter about life in the United States.
• Arranged weekly presentations for students with civic leaders.
• Coordinated and significantly expanded participation in "English Conversation Hours.”