maria Tirzi
Roma
Summary
Over 30 years of experience in multicultural inter religions and multi stakeholder program; Capacity building and civil society, social empowerment, community engagement, social inclusion, and protection of vulnerable groups
Overview
44
44
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Protection and Gender Advisor
WFP – World Food Programme
09.2020 - Current
- Defined and improved the protection strategy in Cabo Delgado province working closely with the key stakeholders at local and national level, including Government, NGO, others UN agency and local communities.
- Provide support on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and follow up on any indications of SEA prior to more in depth investigations as per WFP established procedures. PSEA focal point for WFP Cabo Delgado.
- Capacity building of key Government stakeholders for the prevention of SEA as well as overseeing civil society organizations’ victim assistance for access to justice where victims wish to make formal complaints via Government referral pathways.
- Oversee the Programme associates for protection and AAP (Accountability to Affected Population), ensuring timely and quality action on community feedback raised through the community feedback mechanisms, including Linha Verde 1458, monthly reporting and advocacy with programme teams for action on common issues and capacity building of CPs and other contracted entities working with WFP.
- Provide for WFP and CPs Staff Protection and PSEA training.
- Advise WFP and partners on the integration of protection and Gender equality in food assistance programs. Established a close link between the protection and gender work to identify ways to better mainstream the cross-cutting issues of gender and vulnerability matter in protection activities.
- Represent WFP in inter-agency protection and/or AAP (Accountability to Affected Population) at the provincial level.
- Contribute to reports or other activities as directed by the Head of Area- Office and Head of Gender and Protection Unit in liaison with the Head of Area-Office.
- Cover the national position of Protection and PSEA when the national Gender and Protection Advisor wasn’t available.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to align project goals with organizational objectives and community needs.
- Mentored and trained staff on best practices in program management and implementation strategies.
- Facilitated cross-functional workshops to foster collaboration among diverse teams and partners.
- Represented organization at international conferences, advocating for food assistance strategies and partnerships.
Social Inclusion Expert
NGO CUAMM/IOM
02.2020 - 08.2020
- Responsible for guarantee an optimal level of implementation, management and coordination of project activities related to illegal immigrant and sex worker.
- As Coordinator for Community Emergency Response (COVID 19) in Cabo Delgado, I was in charge to guarantee the strategy plan and the action plan, in coordination with the local authorities, other ONGs and different stakeholders.
Community engagement expert
NGO CUAMM
05.2018 - 12.2019
- After the Cyclone IDAI, 14 of March 2019, that has been devastate Sofala Province, the NGO CUAMM start an emergency project (3 months). The project pretend to support the communities in Beira, Dondo and Nhamatanda District.
- Main activities: training 200 activist to be able to inform more than 10.000 families about health prevention, risk of violence, etc. All the intervention is coordinated with the local Authority.
- Coordinated workshops and training sessions for local leaders to promote health education initiatives.
- Developed and implemented community outreach strategies to enhance engagement and awareness of health programs.
- Established partnerships with local organizations to expand program reach and resources available to communities.
- Coordinated and implemented various community engagement activities.
- Developed and implemented community engagement requirements and programs.
Gender expert
Forúm das Jornalistas para Igualdade de Género
04.2018 - 04.2018
- Collaboration to deliver a manual regarding Advocacy / Gender equality to support the training of Angolan CSOs. Funded by UNDP.
- Conduct Training and workshops in favor of several local organization and Local Government.
- Developed inclusive communication strategies to promote gender equality initiatives.
- Led workshops and training sessions on media representation of women and marginalized groups.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to create impactful campaigns against domestic violence
- Established partnerships with other organizations to amplify advocacy efforts for gender equity in media.
Senior Expert Capacity Building CSO
GFA Consulting Group GmbH
05.2015 - 09.2015
- Responsible to identify training needs for 20 local civil society organizations.
- Carry out the capacity building training plan with methodology, target group and budget.
- The plan euros was approved by EU Delegation and Local Government and start March 2016.
Technical Assistance/ Team Leader/ Civil Society Expert
Soc. ICE- STEM VCR
02.2013 - 05.2014
- Gender and Human Rights.
- Second Phase - PAANE (Non-State Actors Program) 10thEDF- Strengthening program to empower NSAs and to strengthen their capacities to enable them to play a more active and effective role in public life and in the country’s development process.
- As Team leader I guaranteed the coordination and monitoring of all the activities of the program and I was responsible for the Financial management and accountability for the Programme Estimates and TA budget.
- Launched a Grants for 5 local NGO to coordinate a budget at the provincial level.
- Delivered Paper on research and strategies for the empowerment of all actors focusing on Gender rights, vulnerable groups and freedom of expression, environmental corporate social responsibility, and decentralization (this action had international interest and participation from various countries).
- Participated in the first training in Social Impact Assessment coordinated by IAIA (International Association for Impact Assessment Coordinated the first group link with Social Impact Assessment. The members of this group were for the Angolan Government, Oil Company, Mine Company and NGO. Support the Angola Delegation to be able attends at the International Conference about SIA in South Africa in October 2014.
- Managed resource allocation, ensuring optimal utilization of personnel and materials for ongoing projects.
- Facilitated regular team meetings to assess progress, address challenges, and align on strategic goals.
- Established partnerships with external organizations to expand program reach and enhance learning opportunities.
- Collaborated with other donors support civil society to establish shared goals .
Social inclusion expert
EU Delegation Angola/ MARINOZZI
06.2011 - 04.2012
- Short mission for Pre- Identification and Pre- formulation of the Project for support and social integration of vulnerable groups.
- The amount of the project was 32 ML Euros (10 th EDF).
- Conduct several Training and workshops with local authorities and civil society organization to present the result of the strategy.
- The Action Fiche was approved by EU and the Project started in February 2015.
Senior Expert Monitoring & Evaluation. Social inclusion expert
Angolan Ministry of Planning
06.2011 - 09.2011
- Project no: 9.ACP.ANG.023 - Monitoring the effects of the NSA Non-Sate Actors Program.
- An analysis of the effects of the Programme on the Angolan associations of vulnerable groups is also present.
- Support the transition phase to the next NSA Program (10EDF).
Civil Society and Gender Expert Social inclusion expert
ECO3/ Angolan Ministry of Planning/ UTA/ ACP- CE
10.2007 - 12.2010
- First Phase - PAANE (Non-State Actors Program) EDF 9.ACP.ANG.019- Technical Assistance Strengthening program to empower NSAs and to strengthen their capacities to enable them to play a more active and effective role in public life and in the country’s development process.
- Consultant’s specific tasks: Monitoring the results of the Programme.
- An analysis of the effects of the Programmes on the Angolan associations of vulnerable groups is also present.
- Support the process of the National Civil Society Conference.
- Support the Campaign about domestic violence against women.
Team Leader / Monitoring & Evaluation
TRANSTEC International funded by EU EDF
09.2010 - 10.2010
- Final Review of NSA project (9.ACP.MOZ.20/Contract Lot n.7 Governance and Home affairs), Responsible for drawing the conclusions, summarize the overall outcome and formulate lessons learnt.
- The evaluation focused on three components: the efficiency and effectiveness of the training component, advocacy and communication component and program management structure.
- The results and recommendations of the evaluation are intended to help in the design and orientation of the nature of the future EU support to ANE.
- Establishment of the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and emerging PAANE impact and assessment of the likely level of sustainability of the results produced and development results and benefits achieved.
Technical Assistance Team Leader / Civil Society and Gender Expert
EU Delegation/ Angolan Ministry of Planning/ UTA/ACP- EC
08.2007 - 08.2010
- PAANE (Support Non-State Actors Program) 9thEDF 9.ACP.ANG.019- Technical Assistance for Non-State Actors strengthening the program to empower NSAs (non- state actors) and to strengthen their capacities to enable them to play a more active and effective role in public life and in the country’s development process.
- As Team leader I guaranteed the coordination and monitoring of all the activities of the program, and I was responsible for the financial management and accountability for the Programme Estimates and TA budget (Tot Bdg Program 3ML Euros).
- Analysis of Angolan legal social system aimed to launch the Campaign against the Domestic Violence with the Forum of Journalist.
- Ensure complementary with other projects coordinated by international NGO and involved civil society (i.e. BBC Trust World; Trocaire, CRS);
- Publish different manual or research: Monitoring budget; Training to trainers; 1st Mapping of Social Civil Organization: tasks included: identification of different vulnerable groups; preliminary analysis of Angolan social systems (including economic and social policies).
- Coordinated policy development and implementation in collaboration with government stakeholders and international partners.
- Facilitated capacity-building workshops to strengthen organizational competencies and improve service delivery.
- Drafted Manual of about Culture-Economic-Social, Education, Habitat Human Right, Manual of Administrator.
- Promoted and support the process of the 1º-2ºand 3º National Civil Society Conference.
- Promoted, with World Bank and Open Society Foundation, the 1ª International Conference on extractive industries and environmental impact (guest from Nigeria, USA and S. Tome).
- Training of NSA in advocacy skills (Communication, UPR-Universal Periodic Review Human Right; Working in the network; Decentralization).
Civil Society Expert/ Lead Training and workshop
Soc. Italconsult
03.2004 - 05.2005
- 7th EDF PAR (Support Program for Reconstruction). Monitoring & Evaluation the performance of the various non-governmental organizations awarded by PAR.
- Monitoring and Evaluation of Angolan and international ONGs’ activities in 5 municipalities in the Benguela Province.
- Fields of intervention: social assistance, education, health, water & sanitation.
- Technical assistance to Benguela Province Government aimed to conduct comprehensive need assessments of five municipalities in the Benguela Province.
- TA included identification of different vulnerable groups.
- Establishment of a statistical database.
- Training and capacity building of the employees of the local governments to improve the employees’ efficiency and effectiveness in managing public affairs and carrying out the functions of the municipalities. (70 persons).
Country Coordinator
GVC (now We World)
10.2002 - 02.2004
- Coordination of Social assistance activities in favour of vulnerable groups (e.g. women, Internally Displaced Person (IDP) people with disabilities, orphan workers, female-headed families) living in Kabul.
- Empowerment of women in partnership with HAWCA NGO (Humanitarian Afghan Women Children Assistance):
- Trained female teachers; improved the capacity of HAWCA employees to manage the organization.
- Serving as Reference Organization for the Development of orphanages in Kabul, Parwan, and Kapisa Provinces:
- Developed the first National Statistics Database about the orphans and orphanages for the Ministry of Social and Labour Affairs of Afghanistan;
- Coordinated all donor activities and contributions for the orphanages;
- Distributed non-food items to the orphans.
- Established the first-ever statistical database of all existing disabled students in Kabul public schools in collaboration with various Afghan Ministries.
Senior Expert Monitoring & Evaluation
Italian Foreign Ministry (DG for Cooperation & Development)
03.2001 - 04.2001
- Italian-Angolan aid programme (3.5 million Euro) implemented by ONGs (international, Italian and Angolan).
- Fields of intervention: social assistance, health, demining, and education.
- Main Tasks: Performed the final Monitoring Cost assessment of the Emergency Aid Program, Works supervision.
Project manager Monitoring & Evaluation Lead Training
GCV (now We World) funded by EU (EDF & ECHO) & Italian Cooperation
08.2000 - 11.2000
- Formulation, identification & management of GVC projects.
- Drafting Project Identification Fiches & Action Fiches for future GVC projects in Angola.
- Prepared final cost assessment for ongoing GVC projects in Angola;
- Training of local personnel & elaboration of manuals for management & monitoring of international funded projects.
Director
NGO CIES
04.1998 - 05.1999
- Responsible for Management of social assistance projects for rural Albanian women;
- Project management; Analysis of Albanian social system related to rural women.
- Responsible for: Implementation of an emergency relief program for refugees from Kosovo in Albania.
Deputy Country manager/ Social inclusion expert
Molisv/ Movimondo funded by ECHO, UNDP, WFP, UNICEF
10.1997 - 02.1998
- Responsible for management and coordination of all the projects.
- Activities in fields of social assistance; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of UNITA's soldiers (including children);
- Management of the food and non-food assistance provided by WFP to approximately 3000 Angolan Civil war disabled soldiers from UNITA party and their 20.000 family members.
- Food per day was distributed to each beneficiary through coordination with UNITA’s logistics.
Vice-President/ Social Inclusion expert
SOLCO ROMA – Solidarity and Cooperation
10.1994 - 10.1997
- Focal point for the management of assets confiscated from criminal organizations and definition of economic activities by reusing the same assets for social purposes.
- Responsible for strengthening the 50 social cooperatives members of SOLCO ROMA Consortium.
- Analysis of existing social policies and promotion of new policies favouring the integration of vulnerable groups such as prisoners, youth people in conflict with the law into society.
Consultant
Molisv/ Movimondo
01.1982 - 03.1984
- Evaluation of social impact analysis on rural communities of the aldeias comunais structure (analysis undertaken in collaboration with the Cabo Delgado Provincial Education Ministry).
Education
Masters - Sociology
University La Sapienza
Rome01.1984
Degree - Management of Activities During International Crises
CABLIT – Voluntary Association of UN
04.2006
Skills
- Management Knowledge
- Project Management
- Critical analysis
- Project Monitoring & Evaluation
- Critical thinking
- Time management
- Relationship building
- Presentations and public speaking
- Conflict resolution
- Strategic planning
- Problem-solving
Certification
Awards
Names a worldwide branding professional of the year 2025/2016 in Sociology
Languages
Italian
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Portugues
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
English
Advanced (C1)
Spanish
Upper intermediate (B2)
Timeline
Protection and Gender Advisor
WFP – World Food Programme
09.2020 - Current
Social Inclusion Expert
NGO CUAMM/IOM
02.2020 - 08.2020
Community engagement expert
NGO CUAMM
05.2018 - 12.2019
Gender expert
Forúm das Jornalistas para Igualdade de Género
04.2018 - 04.2018
Senior Expert Capacity Building CSO
GFA Consulting Group GmbH
05.2015 - 09.2015
Technical Assistance/ Team Leader/ Civil Society Expert
Soc. ICE- STEM VCR
02.2013 - 05.2014
Social inclusion expert
EU Delegation Angola/ MARINOZZI
06.2011 - 04.2012
Senior Expert Monitoring & Evaluation. Social inclusion expert
Angolan Ministry of Planning
06.2011 - 09.2011
Team Leader / Monitoring & Evaluation
TRANSTEC International funded by EU EDF
09.2010 - 10.2010
Civil Society and Gender Expert Social inclusion expert
ECO3/ Angolan Ministry of Planning/ UTA/ ACP- CE
10.2007 - 12.2010
Technical Assistance Team Leader / Civil Society and Gender Expert
EU Delegation/ Angolan Ministry of Planning/ UTA/ACP- EC
08.2007 - 08.2010
Civil Society Expert/ Lead Training and workshop
Soc. Italconsult
03.2004 - 05.2005
Country Coordinator
GVC (now We World)
10.2002 - 02.2004
Senior Expert Monitoring & Evaluation
Italian Foreign Ministry (DG for Cooperation & Development)
03.2001 - 04.2001
Project manager Monitoring & Evaluation Lead Training
GCV (now We World) funded by EU (EDF & ECHO) & Italian Cooperation
08.2000 - 11.2000
Director
NGO CIES
04.1998 - 05.1999
Deputy Country manager/ Social inclusion expert
Molisv/ Movimondo funded by ECHO, UNDP, WFP, UNICEF
10.1997 - 02.1998
Vice-President/ Social Inclusion expert
SOLCO ROMA – Solidarity and Cooperation
10.1994 - 10.1997
Consultant
Molisv/ Movimondo
01.1982 - 03.1984
Masters - Sociology
University La Sapienza
Degree - Management of Activities During International Crises
CABLIT – Voluntary Association of UN
Key Qualifications
Over 30 years of experience in multicultural inter religions and multi stakeholder program; Capacity building and civil society, social empowerment, community engagement, social inclusion, and protection of vulnerable groups
Present Position
Protection and Gender Advisor, WFP
Specific Experience In Region
- Mozambique, 1982-01-01, 1984-01-01
- Mozambique, 2018-01-01, Present
- Angola, 1997-01-01, 2001-01-01
- Angola, 2004-01-01, 2014-01-01
- Afghanistan, 2002-01-01, 2004-01-01
- Albania, 1998-01-01, 1999-01-01
- Italy, 1994-01-01, 1997-01-01
First Names
Maria Concetta
Personal Information
- Title: Protection and Gender Advisor
- Date of Birth: 05/11/1957
- Nationality: Italy
Awards
Worldwide Branding Professional of the Year 2015 / 2016 in Sociology, 2015-09-01, Named a Worldwide Branding Professional of the Year in Sociology.