“They wanted an expat for this position.”
That’s the reason Yulia Yesmukhanova said she was given when the U. S. Agency for International Development didn’t approve her as chief of party for a Ukraine-based program. She had been deputy chief of party of the project for several years, was acting chief of party at the time, and had been recommended by the contracting organization.
According to Yesmukhanova, who is currently a deputy chief of party on the USAID-funded Azerbaijan project on social engagement support, this situation is not unusual. “To get into this role, usually the bidders are looking for a person who already has had a similar position in a similar project. … Often the local staff don’t have the similar experience,” she said.