July 26, 2017

Dear Hiring Coordinator,

I write to express interest in a Greece Program Coordinator position with SIF. I have been living in Gaziantep and working as a Senior
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Research Officer on the Syria crisis response for an extensive period of time now, so I have direct
experience working with refugees and vulnerable populations, as well as deep insight into regional host countries contexts. My time in
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as working on conflict response from DC, has heightened my understanding of
conflict and displacement issues as well as my insight into the current context in Greece. My work on such issues has convinced me of
the crucial need for human solidarity that transcends differences and borders, a commitment that strongly aligns me with SIFs mission
and vision. Such a background - combined with my professional Arabic fluency, functional French, and basic Greek - draws me to this
position. I am eager to contribute my expertise in program coordination and supervision of implementation, operational strategy, project
cycle management, needs assessments and baseline surveys, budget management, partner and stakeholder liaising, and donor reporting
and proposal writing to further SIFs crucial efforts to protect the lives and promote the dignity of those affected by conflict and crisis.

Living in Gaziantep, Turkey and working with ASI on Syria crisis response has provided me deep insight into the Syrian conflict and
dynamics with refugee host countries, significant project coordination and management background, and direct experience working with
refugees and vulnerable populations. As a Senior M&E and Research Officer, I provide M&E leadership and management to ensure that
M&E systems meet the needs of programs, comply with donors requirements, and feed into program quality and learning. I also
supervise the implementation of projects, including the planning of activities, following-up on implementation, and collecting
verification information. This has involved developing strategic plans, tools, and assessments for Syria and Turkey operations. I regularly
write monitoring reports, which involve compiling, analyzing, and sharing information from field teams and ensuring timely submission
of reports to various stakeholders. Moreover, I analyze data to identify causes of gaps in project implementation. I use this information to
contribute to ASIs operational strategy, to propose corrective solutions and actions, and to carry out needs assessments. At the start of
ASIs newest project iteration, I carried out the baseline survey, and at the end of its previous project I designed and carried out the
endline assessment. This included designing the methodology and tools, collecting and translating data, analyzing responses, and writing
up a final report and analysis. Concurrently, I provide project cycle management, which involves activity planning, following-up on
implementation, and collecting and triangulating sources of verification. At the same time, I supervise and evaluate capacity building
plans for partners, and I also organize and lead training sessions on M&E processes for staff. Moreover, I support and mentor local staff,
and I supervise the daily activities and planning of M&E assistants in Turkey and field monitoring officers inside Syria. I represent ASI
to donors and operational partners, I attend donor meetings, and I brief donors and partners on project methodologies and performance as
well. Finally, I develop monthly and bi-weekly reports, as well as reports to donors. All of these skills are directly applicable to this
Program Coordinator position with SIF and suit me well for the necessary roles and responsibilities.

While working for Crisis Action (CA) an INGO responding to crises in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, and Burundi I gained extensive
experience coordinating programs and projects with international partners and donors around crisis response activities. This experience
involved providing context analysis for development and humanitarian data, as well as needs assessment analyses, both of which I used
to contribute to discussions around operational strategy and to propose actions. I also served as a focal point and provided briefings at
coordination meetings, and I represented CA in strategic discussions with managers and decision-makers within the USG, the UN, and
INGOs. Monitoring the budget and processing financial information to ensure donor compliance furthered my attention to detail, as did
being responsible for project quality. While also in DC, my work at the US Department of State (DRL/NEA) provided me similar
exposure to reviewing and processing relief programs, as well as extensive experience in carrying out data entry and database
management. At DRL/NEA, I reviewed the feasibility and budgets for grant proposals in accordance with USG guidelines. I also
represented DRL/NEA at coordination meetings, and I produced memos, presentations, and talking points for the Deputy Assistant
Secretary to use in his speeches.

I recently furthered my assessment skills by conducting research and authoring a published US Institute of Peace report on gender and
conflict in the MENA region, which involved carrying out interviews from the MENA region, summarizing key findings, assessing
needs, and proposing actions for local and international organizations in response. Similarly, working as a journalist in Tunisia covering
regional transitions offered me further experience in original analysis and reporting. Conducting interviews cultivated my diplomatic
written and oral communication skills and professional level of Arabic, as well as functional French. I developed my management skills
by serving as the editor-in-chief on weekends, by managing and supporting a team of Tunisian staff, and recruiting and training new local
staff. Such experiences strengthened my strategic thinking, as well as my ability to work well with individuals of diverse backgrounds.

I am confident that my expertise built on my regional field experience in urban and refugee settings, my background in project planning
and budget holding, my experience in report and proposal writing, my expertise in project management tools and managing national staff,
my strong communication skills (including Arabic and French), and my familiarity in working in insecure and multicultural
environments will make me a valuable Program Coordinator. Moreover, my commitment to protecting the lives and promoting the
dignity of those affected by conflict and crisis will make me an asset to the SIF team. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Emily Parker