The Project provides assistance in the persons of a Chief Technical Advisor, a National Project Director, an Agricultural Economist, an Editor, a Translator, an Administrative Assistant, a Computer Technician, a Secretary and two Drivers. Beside the resident team, the Project recruits many international experts coming from the 5 continents in order to provide the  NAPC with the best suited training and support according to emerging necessities.

MANAGEMENT

Chief Technical Adviser (position currently vacant)

Ciro Fiorillo is the former Chief Technical Adviser of the Project, recently assigned to a FAO project in Bangladesh. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Policy (MURST, Italy) and MAs in Economic Development (Nottingham, UK) and Agricultural Economics (CSREAM, Italy). Over the seven years spent in Syria as agricultural economist and Project manager he was actively involved in training, policy analysis and institutional building activities aimed at establishing the National Agricultural Policy Center. In the past he was a university lecturer of economics and agricultural economics in Mozambique and a research consultant in agricultural trade and development with a focus on transitional economies.

National Project Director

Atieh El Hindi  is the National Project Director. He holds an MA in Agricultural Planning. Since 2000, he has been Director of the National Agricultural Policy Center. Over the five years spent at the Project, he has been involved in policy analysis and institutional building activities aiming at establishing the NAPC. He monitors synergic implementation of NAPC and Project work programs and facilitates Project liaison with national authorities and other stakeholders. He ensures adequate responsiveness of the Project's applied policy work to the actual needs of Syria .

INTERNATIONAL ON-THE-JOB CONSULTANTS

Agricultural Economist

Pirro-Tomaso Perri is the Agricultural Economist, and currently the Officer in Charge, of the Project. He holds a PhD in Economics and an MA in Management and Control of the Environment at the St. Anna School of PG Studies, Italy. Over the three years spent in Syria as agricultural economist, he has been actively involved in the on-the-job training for the capacity building of the NAPC staff expertise, and assisting and supporting NAPC officers in their daily work assignments. In the past he was university lecturer of Environmental Economics at the University of Florence, Italy, and provided several consultancies at FAO Headquarters in the Economics and Statistics divisions, as well as at the Italian Ministry of Agricultural Policies.

Editor

David Munir Nabti is the current Editor of the Project. He holds a BA in Political Science, with an emphasis on international political economy, from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to working to improve the English-language skills of the NAPC Staff, he is focusing on improving the internal communications of the Center, with a focus on efficiency, sustainability and self-sufficiency. In the past, he worked in the Department of Communication at Stanford University, at a research center in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, and for brief periods at Google headquarters in California and in the policy analysis division of Cisco Systems.

Carmela Grillone  is the former Editor of the Project. She holds an MA in Development and International Cooperation. Over the three years spent in Syria as editor and trainer she was actively involved in the on-the-job training for the capacity building of the NAPC staff expertise, particularly assisting and supporting the officers of the Information and Communication division in their daily work assignments. Besides her support in the editing of Project and NAPC publications such as newsletters, websites, press releases, proceedings, she produced the training material on English communication skills tailored to the needs of the Center. In the past she worked in the Education Committee of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO in Rome with a focus on the Education for All project.

NATIONAL STAFF

Translator and Public Liaison Officer Assistant

Asma Al Matar is the Translator and Public Liaison Assistant of the Project. She holds two postgraduate degrees: one in Translation and Interpretation and one in Didactics of Foreign Languages (University of Damascus). Over the almost eight years spent at the Project, besides facilitating communication within a multicultural environment, she has worked as simultaneous interpreter English/Arabic during the various Forums and Workshops organized by the NAPC, as translator and reviser of several Project and NAPC publications, and as trainer on Arabic versus English writing style. In the past she was the personal interpreter for the Syrian Minister of Finance, particularly during meetings with countries representatives as well as IMF and WB delegations, and for the State Planning Commission as an English-language trainer for their staff.

Administrative Assistant

Rouba Ghanem is the former Administrative Assistant of the Project. She holds an MA in Business Administration from the University of Damascus. Over the three years spent at the Project, she performed the administrative and logistical support actions relevant to the operation of the Project. Moreover, she assisted in the organization of events and in the logistics for international personnel, besides offering her expertise in graphic design to both the Project and the NAPC. In the past she was a program secretary at the WHO.

Computer Technician

Nasouh Keilani is the Computer Technician of the Project. He holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering Assistance. Over the six years spent in the Project, he has ensured a smooth and efficient functioning of computer facilities and related equipment, performed server and network administration tasks, including managing the Exchange email system, provided on the job training and seminars to address specific computer user needs, and set up the NAPC Internet & Intranet websites. In the past he was technical manager in a computer company as well as a computer instructor.

Executive Secretary

Shahed Alloush is the Executive Secretary of the Project. She holds a diploma in Accounting. Over the four years spent in the Project she has been assisting in the organization of meetings, management of the Project correspondence and classification of Project documents.

Drivers

Souhail Maylaa and Mazen Boukai are the drivers of the Project. They have been providing their services to the Project since 1998 and 1999, respectively.