CV

University Education
PhD student , at Aalborg University, Aalborg Denmark, Department of Development and Planning.

Master of Science in Engineering from Aalborg University, Aalborg Denmark, Department of Development and Planning, program of International Technology Planning (June 2001).  

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology , with a specialization in Black Studies and a secondary school teaching certificate in Social Studies from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, (July 1992).

Development Research Experience (1993-2004)
As a researcher at the National Foundation for Development (FUNDE), in El Salvador I have responsibilities in the elaboration and implementation of participatory research projects concerning different aspects of regional and local development, as well as different types of consultancy work with local governments and other local development agents.

From July 2002 to May 2004, I worked advising the municipal government of Tecoluca and other local development agents, including local community base organizations and associative business initiatives and NGOs integrated in the Grupo Bajo Lempa consortium, on strategies for strengthening economic development initiatives being implemented in the context of Tecoluca’s strategic territorial development plan.

From January 2001 to March 2002, I was responsible for the implementation of a project using participatory research methods to study and strengthen innovative capabilities in several initiatives in local economic development in five municipalities in Chalatenango, one of the country’s most marginalized, mainly rural departments.

From September 1999 to June 2000, I worked as the principal researcher on a study of experiences in participatory development planning in 18 municipalities. The results of this study, including a methodological proposal for further strengthening participatory planning of local development in El Salvador, were presented in a public seminar and published nationally.

Between October 1999 and December 2000 I coordinated the work of FUNDE and four other NGOs in the construction of mechanisms for the promotion of citizen oversight and greater transparency in six municipalities. This implied coordinating the functioning of a national coordinating committee in charge of the strategic management of the initiative as well as the work of local promoters in each municipality. An analysis of lessons from this experience and a methodological proposal for further strengthening such efforts was presented publicly and published nationally.

I have formed part of the FUNDE team that elaborated chapters related to territorial development and state decentralization for the UNDP Human Development Report El Salvador 2001 and 2003.

During the period 1993 to 1998, I worked for the FUNDE on the following projects:

• “Construction and Strengthening of Mechanisms for Citizen Participation and Inter-institutional Coordination in the Municipalities of Tecoluca, Zacatecoluca, Jiquilisco y San Agustin,”1998.
• “Micro Regional Studies and the Strengthening of Micro-Regional Development Committees in the Department of Chalatenango,” 1997.
• “Elaboration of a Sustainable Development Strategy for the South of the Department of San Vicente,” 1994-1997.

Local Development Consultancy
In addition to my project based work for FUNDE I have coordinated a diversity of concrete consultancy initiatives for international development agencies or programs. These include:

Representing the FUNDE as coordinator of a research team to carry out a family livelihood survey and participatory stakeholder workshops to diagnose development problems in 19 municipalities. Then, in a second phase to analyze the development potential of existing rural economic initiatives in selected sectors through surveys, workshops and in-depth interviews, in order to develop project proposals to strengthen these initiatives. I was responsible for developing the specific research methodology and writing the final research reports in English. The study was carried out for the JICA Study Team, a group of international consultants working to elaborate a strategic development plan for the Eastern Region of El Salvador. (2003-2004)

Representing the FUNDE as co-coordinator of an inter-institutional research team diagnosing and prioritize the development potential of existing rural economic initiatives in 15 municipalities using a methodology combining surveys, interviews and stakeholder workshops. We then developed a multi-level regional strategy proposal strengthening these initiatives. I was responsible to editing the final diagnostic report and co-writing the strategy proposal. The work was for the FORTALECE Program; GTZ / Economic Ministry, Salvadoran Government. (2003)

Coordination of a team providing diagnostic input for the selection of a new regional focus for the SHARE Foundation’s (US NGDO) developmental accompaniment work in El Salvador. I was responsible elaborating the interim and final reports, based on team inputs. (2003)

Coordination of a research team making an organizational diagnostic study and elaborating a methodological proposal for integrating a municipal level, multi-stakeholder, development committee for the municipal government of Apastepeque and the San Vicente Productivo Program, EU/GOES. (2003)

Teaching/Training Experience
Professor, teaching a course titled “Territorial Development Planning” to students at the Local Development Masters Program at the Central American University (UCA) in El Salvador.

Instructor in different trainings given by the FUNDE to local development actors concerning the conceptual framework of regional and local development and specific themes such as regional development, consensus building and participatory local development planning, planning for local environmental risk management, citizen oversight and transparency in local public administration, (1994-2004).

Practice teacher in Chester High School in Chester Pennsylvania. I taught classes in social studies, economics, US History and African American Studies (1992).  

Other Research Experience
Thesis research for BA degree in anthropolgy concerning the relationship between social dynamics and academic performance using methods of participatory observation and interviews at an elementary school in Chester, Pennsylvania (1990-1992).

Work for a year as assistant to the curator of the Penn Community Center’s museum of history and culture on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. Besides my work at the museum, I carried out a oral history and documentary investigation concerning the role of the Penn Center as a catalyst for social change during the Civil Rights Movement (1989-1990).

Anthropological participant observational research of social dynamics and academic performance in two Guatemalan primary schools (1990-1991) .