CURRICULUM VITAE

Updated: May 2008 - Download PDF version

1. Family Name: HETOJA PERMANENT RESIDENCE TEMPORARY RESIDENCE
2. First Name:
3. Date of Birth
4. Civil status:
5. Education: 		Agron
January 2nd, 1973
Married 		25 Lascelles Street, #714 M4V 2C1 Toronto, ON, CANADA Tel: +16473408796 agron_hetoja@yahoo.com Rr. Reshit Petrela (tek arkiva) PO BOX 2380 Tirana, Albania Tel/Fax: +355 4 2220610 agron_hetoja@yahoo.com
Institution [ Date from Date to ] Degree(s) or Diploma(s):
Agricultural University of Tirana
May 2004 through May 2008 		PHD (AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKETING)
Universities of Nebraska and Tirana
October 2000 through June 2002 		MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Agricultural University of Tirana
September 1991 through July 1995 		AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST DEGREE

6. Language skills:

Working proficiency on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 – Limited working proficiency; 5 Functional native proficiency)

Language Reading Speaking Writing
English 5 4 5
Italian 4 4 4
French 3 3 3

7. Membership of professional bodies:

Member of ASPA – “Agrarian Studies and Projects Association”.

 

8. Computer literacy:

Excellent use of application software installed to PCs under Windows XP and Vista platforms (MS Office package, electronic communication, Adobe package, Corel Draw, Chartist, etc.

Sufficient knowledge in: i) establishing and maintaining office PC networks, configure PC hardware etc.

 

9. Present Position:

Free lance consultant working for various international organizations (FAO, IFAD, UNDP, EU, USAID) and private consulting companies (Chemonics International Inc, DRN, Royal Haskoning, ACER, ASPA).

 

10. Professional profile:

ECONOMIST specialized in PROJECT, CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT with over 13 years of working experience with implementation and management of development projects focused on (i.e: agricultural and rural development, anticorruption and public administration reforms, natural resource management, regional planning and local economic development).

 

11. Key Qualification and Experience:

  • Over eight years demonstrated work experience at senior management level in planning and managing donorfunded projects. My main duties and major responsibilities were to:
    • prepare detailed work plans (activities, inputs, timetable, responsibilities) and budget allocations, for all project components, developing ToRs of international and national consultants, scheduling consultants’ missions, preparing progress reports that evidence the progress and achievements made, constraints and bottlenecks encountered and solutions proposed;
    • establish & maintain an efficient institutional cooperation network among project staff, service providers implementing partners (line ministries, institutions, universities, NGOs, research centers) and managing projectrelated technical communication between and among these parties on the benefit of smooth programme planning and implementation.;
    • coordinate the process of identification, design and implementation monitoring of various economic/institutional studies launched and supported within the projects’ framework;
    • design, operate and maintain a monitoring and evaluation system for the programme activities, monitor the progress made by and performance of contracted service providers in line with annual workplans and advise them on how to remedy bottlenecks and improve performance;
    • monitor programme budget and expenditures by reviewing monthly expenditure reports and balance sheets, ensure accuracy of all payments made on behalf of the programme and alert the FAO Headquarters in advance of any anticipated budget shortfalls and need for budget revisions, propose revisions to the initial work plan;
    • prepare analytical reports on all program implementation aspects and submit to headquarters;
  • Over five years work experience in procurement and contract management involving the following themes/aspects:
    • manage and monitor operations and activities implemented under bilateral agreements and Strategic Activities Fund scheme;
    • elaborate annual procurement plans and tracking systems (preparation, evaluation, contract monitoring, invoicing and payment) and conduct regular reviews and updates as the implementation of activities progresses;
    • coordinate and monitor the implementation of the entire project procurement processes for goods and services (issuing solicitation documents, conduct evaluations of received offers/proposals and conclude bid award and vendor insertion in database, issue contracts, monitor delivery of contracted goods/services, authorize payments in line with contract modalities);
    • design inventory management and quality control systems for contract deliverables (materials), oversee their implementation and suggest efficiencybased enhancements;
    • establish and maintain an effective partnership/liaison between project staff and local subcontractors, advise subcontractors on how to enhance their performance;
    • coordinate with component team leaders to build results and results frameworks into subcontracts and to ensure that planned activities to be subcontracted are resultoriented and directly related to the attainment of goals and objectives of MCA project;
    • oversee the contract implementation and management process starting with preparation of tenders, evaluation of proposals, monitoring of contract performance, invoicing & payment and assure their compliance with agreed procedures and regulations;
    • participate in the periodic internal audit of all associated preaward and postcontract management practices and materials;

 

12. Specific experience in the region:

Country Date from Date to 
ALBANIA July 1995 through December 2006
Bosnia & Herzegovina May through September 1997 (two short missions)

 

13. Professional experience:

Date (from – to) Location Company Position DESCRIPTION OF MAIN DUTIES AND MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
March 2007 up to date Albania Chemonics under the USAID managed Millennium Challenge Albania programme Strategic Activities Fund and Procurement Manager • develop detailed procedures and subcontracting mechanisms applicable to a US$3 million Strategic Activities Fund, in compliance with USAID/MCC regulations and FAR requirements; • provide ongoing financial and programmatic monitoring of subcontract activities; • oversee the contract implementation and management process starting with preparation of tenders, evaluation of proposals, monitoring of contract performance, invoicing & payment and assure their compliance with agreed procedures and regulations; • coordinate with component team leaders to build workplans and results frameworks into subcontracts and to ensure that subcontract activities are resultoriented and directly related to the attainment of goals and objectives of MCA project; • develop and maintain a complete subcontracts’ database that tracks obligations and disbursements for each subcontract and ensures compliance with applicable regulations and subcontract terms and conditions; • establish and maintain an effective partnership/liaison between project staff and local subcontractors, advise subcontractors on how to enhance their performance and ensure that they are provided with suitable technical advice and assistance to complete their deliverables; • design inventory management and quality control systems for contract deliverables (materials), oversee their implementation and suggest efficiencybased enhancements, as required; • participate in the periodic internal audit of all associated preaward and postcontract management practices and materials;
February 2003 Albania FAOUN Programme • arrange for smooth startup of a four years long, 7 mln US$ worth trust fund project focused
through (GCP/005) Manager on piloting food chain/clusters development in selected regions of Albania;
December 2006 • prepare detailed annual work plans (activities, inputs, timetable, responsibilities) for the food chains/clusters (milk and dairy, fruits and vegetables, olive and olive oil, grapes and wines, animal slaughterhouses, farmers’ market) supported by the programme by encompassing agribusiness profitability opportunities, infrastructural & technological requirements, quality and control mechanisms, food hygiene and safety and labeling/branding; • manage (identify, develop ToRs, interview, recruit, guide and supervise) a multidisciplinary team of national and international specialists and support staff in line with FAO policies; • elaborate annual procurement plans and tracking systems (preparation, evaluation, contract monitoring, invoicing and payment) and conduct regular reviews and updates; • coordinate and monitor the implementation of the entire project procurement processes for goods and services (issuing solicitation documents, conduct evaluations of received offers/proposals and conclude bid award, vendor insertion in database, issue contracts, monitor delivery of contracted goods/services, authorize payments in line with contract modalities); • design, operate and maintain a monitoring and evaluation system for the programme activities, monitor the progress made by and performance of contracted service providers in line with annual workplans and advise them on how to remedy bottlenecks and improve performance; • prepare analytical reports on all programme implementation aspects and submit to FAOHQs;
March 2005 Albania EU/ETF Economic • prepare an exhaustive assessment of the economic transition process with emphasis on state of
through Development economic restructuring reforms implementation and performance;
December 2005 Analyst • provide a detailed overview of major labor market challenges and development issues as well as of major policy, legal and institutional attributes impacting labor market challenges and development; • reviewing the tax policy and business registration policies/procedures and make suggestion on the suitability and applicability of onestopshop;
January through Albania EU/DRN Local Senior • scrutinize cooperation sectors where EU intervention has taken place and the list types of
February 2004 (Evaluation of EU Assistance to Balkan Countries, B76510/2002/0 05) Evaluation Specialist support given in each sector through various interventions (local, regional, central); • evaluate the programme design and partnership arrangements, pertinence of EU interventions to CARDS measures and the programme focus on the facilitation of regional cooperation and economic development among Western Balkan Countries; • assist in the identification and prioritization the objectives of each intervention and assess their relevance to needs and intended impact of each interventions; • assess the effectiveness and the efficiency of interventions (how far the intended results were achieved and how much the mobilized resources contribute to the achievement of results);
February 1998 Albania FAOUN CTA • assisting the CTA Chief Technical Advisor in preparing annual workplans and budget
through Assistant allocations, developing ToRs of international and national consultants, scheduling consultants’
September 2002 ( Agricultural Economist) missions as well as preparing periodic progress reports that evidence the progress and achievements made, constraints and bottlenecks encountered and solutions proposed; • coordinating the process of identification, design and implementation monitoring of economic/institutional forestry studies launched and supported within the framework of the Albania Forestry Project; • coordinating the development and evaluation of alternatives for forestry institutional reform focused on piloting the separation of functions of the forest administration (commercial activities from regulatory activities) in one region prior to implement the Establishment of the Forest Corporation in a national level and evaluate their technical feasibility in terms of objective, structure, staffing, functions/responsibilities and funding; • plan and oversee project related procurement activities for equipment, supplies and services by placing local purchase orders or arranging purchasing through concerned FAOHQs divisions; • coordinating the preparation of the study report "Economic Analysis for the Forest Fire Management Program", roughly worth 430,000 US$ financed by World Bank in the framework of Albania Forestry Project and implemented by Directorate General of Forest and Pastures; • undertaking economic analysis of “Commercial Thinning Operations" conducted in the framework of Albania Forestry Project and assist the preparation of a technical manual for “Commercial Thinning Operations"; • planning and organizing various seminars, workshops and conferences in line with the technicalities of the annual workplans;
January – October 2001 Albania ACER (financed from CIPE, see www.ced.bg /uploads/p ublication/b ook_1.pdf) SME Financing Specialist • assess the status and the performance of Albanian SME sector with focus on government support to SME sector development namely structural support policies and policies for restructuring former state enterprises; • evaluate the performance of institutions supporting SME development (public regulatory institutions, formal/ informal financial institutions, external financial institutions and business counselling agencies; • assess the SME financing situation by describing the existing financial instruments and their effectiveness as well as the SME access to financing, • recommend appropriate financial instruments to facilitate the development of SME sector and formulate specific proposal to improve existing policy framework, legislation base and normative procedures applicable to SME promotion and development;
MaySeptember 1997 BiH EUACE Programme Research Partner • assisting in identifying a number of key elements (conceptual and operational) that facilitate sustainable development in transitional economies; • testing the consistency and feasibility of current national agricultural and environmental policies in selected rural areas (Albania and BiH) and formulate specific development proposals;
July 1995 through November 1997 Albania FAOUN Agribusiness Development Specialist • developing methodological approaches and a training program to serve as guidelines and knowledge base for extensions agents while conducing formulation and analysis of agricultural development/investment projects and performing agrarian systems diagnosis; • elaborating an exhaustive statistical picture of the current situation of the greenhouse sector, providing conclusions and recommendations for public and donor support to the sector; • coordinating preparation, field data collection, data analysis and report drafting for a thematic study on milk and dairy products applying the food chain approach. Main characteristics of production, processing, distribution and marketing steps and related costs were assessed; • preparing a study on “Agrarian Systems Diagnosis”. This study aimed to characterize the existing production systems applied, identify the problems encountered by vast majority of farmers and discerning/comparing farms performances in terms of incomes and profitability. • providing business counselling to agrifood SME operators in all aspects related to normal running of a small business like business plan development, marketing, financial controls, accounting and bookkeeping etc and assist them to develop complete and detailed business plans and proposals ready for submission to banks; • assisting agrifood SME operators to improve businesses to achieve profitable growth from a supply chain management perspective (strategic planning, business process analysis and design); • preparing cash flow, financial feasibility analysis and other agribusiness appraisal tools functional to food chains and food margin analysis and to the development of project supported agribusinesses (greenhouse, beekeeping, pig breeding, dairy etc); • conducting Participatory Rural Appraisals for the rural Communities of Divjaka, Lushnje and Dajci Shkoder to characterize the current situation of farming business, identify and analysis constraints and identify possible solutions; • drafting a project fiche for “FAO The Special Programme for Food Security” inline with prevailing local social and economical context and FAO/UNDP guidelines;

14. Publications and PrintVersion of Assignment Reports

Study report under an IFAD contract, Sept 03 “Thematic Study on Comparative Advantage And Agriculture Marketing in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States: Case of Albania”, 245 pages, prepared by A. Hetoja et al with technical support and advise from J. Keyser and M. Kherallah
CED, Bullgaria, July 2001 (coauthor) “Code of the SME’s Best Financing Practices in South Eastern Europe: Case of Albania”, by Dr. Zef PRECI and MBA Agron Hetoja, book published in the occasion of a regional conference held in Sofia, Bullgaria on July 2001 (www.ced.bg/uploads/publication/book_1.pdf)
AUT/ACER, Albania, June 2001 (coauthor) “Economic Growth and Poverty Alleviation: An outlook of Agricultural Policies followed in Albanian during 19912000”, by Prof. Dr. Vjollca IBRO and Agron Hetoja, Tirana, Albania.
Land Reform, FAO, 1998 (coauthor) From Divjaka to Geneva: Lessons from a diagnostic analysis in Albania, by Massimo Canali, Agron Hetoja, Ilir Peqini, Andrea Segrè, (ftp.fao.org/sd/sda/sdaa/LR98_1/art10.pdf)
ACE Programme, PHARE, 1998 (coauthor) “Agricultural and Environmental Issues for Sustainable Development in Albania”, 191 pages, by A. Segre, A. Hetoja, at al;
Jul. 1997, FAO Project GCP/ALB/001/ITA, “Leading Issues for Formulation and Analysis of Development/Investment Projects”, 52 pages, by A. Hetoja.
May 1997, FAO Project GCP/ALB/001/ITA, “Leading Issues for Agrarian Systems Analysis”, 40 pages.
Mar. 1997, EUPHARE Policy Advisory Unit, “PreSelection of High Potential Commodities in Albania”, 62 pages, by A. Hetoja.
January 1997, UNDP, “Rural Appraisal for Rural Community of Divjaka Municipality”, 38 pages, by A. Hetoja.
November 1996, FAO TCP/ALB/4551, “Greenhouse Statistics in Albania”, 39 pages, by A. Hetoja.
Land Reform, FAO, 1996 (coauthor) The Evolution of Land Tenure in Albania: the subregion of Preza (Tirana), pages 7996, by A. Civici, E. Goçaj, L. Shuke, A. Hetoja, B. Giorgi and Paolo Groppo, FAO Land Tenure Officer, (www.fao.org/sd/ltdirect/lr96/groppo2.htm)
Dec. 1995, FAO Project GCP/ALB/001/ITA, “Agrarian Systems in Albania: a case study diagnosis”, 75 pages.

 

15. Other relevant information

Hold a valid and clean driving license (G class valid for personal use and passengers transport). Over eight years experience with the use and maintenance of 4WD vehicles.

 

 

AGRON HETOJA’s CV: ECONOMIST WITH PROJECT, CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE