2005 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GRANT MANAGEMENT

UNCLAS AMMAN 004252

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PPD; IMEYEROFF A/OPE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASUP AMGT APER
SUBJECT: 2005 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GRANT MANAGEMENT

REF: STATE 32354


1. Post nominates Thair Shraideh, Program Management
Specialist, for the Federal Assistance Excellence Award
for Foreign Service Nationals.


2. Justification: In the last three fiscal years (FY02
- FY04),Thair drafted and administered over $2 million
dollars in grants, many of them generated by the Middle
East Partnership (MEPI) or PASA funds granted by USAID
to the Public Affairs Section. These grants supported
high-profile programs, which advanced our reform and
public diplomacy goals in Jordan and the region. A
good example was the Media and Good Governance
Conference undertaken by the Center for the Defense of
the Freedom of Journalists under the patronage of King
Abdullah. There is no let-up in sight. Grants for
this fiscal year are expected to be close to one
million dollars.

The number of executed grants, most of which went to
NGOs and other civic organizations, totaled 138 grants
in the amount of $600 - $200,000 each. These grants
supported conferences, workshops and multi-phase
exchange programs that strengthened civil society,
press freedom, women's empowerment and other goals
defined by President Bush under the Arab Reform agenda.


3. Justification continued: In addition, during the
last year, Thair also drafted and managed travel grants
for hundreds of individual Iraqi International Visitors
and other USG-funded Iraqi travelers amounting to
hundreds of thousands of dollars. These programs were a
key component of our efforts to rebuild Iraq.

Thair's work went far beyond clerical duties or
bookkeeping. After evaluating the proposal concept in
coordination with American officers from the Mission's
MEPI committee, he helped negotiate the budget and
counseled the successful grantees on their reporting
and follow-up obligations. Through shrewd bargaining
and extensive knowledge of local cost structures, he
saved the USG thousands of dollars.

In addition to the grants managed by the Public Affairs
Section, Thair drafts and clears most of the grants
issued by other Mission offices, for example the
Political Section, and guides them on government
regulations.

Thair handles the grants workload in addition to a wide
range of other responsibilities, from overseeing the
administration of our American Language Center to
managing the 2 million dollar Public Affairs budget.

HALE