Salem Helali

About Salem Helali

As a seasoned multi-lingual TVET, skills development, labor market interventions, private sector engagement, and jobs specialist, I have led, developed, articulated, and disseminated policies, strategies, and thought leadership on these topics across Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and North America. My expertise lies in research, assessment, evaluation of, and technical assistance to TVET and its quality and relevance; labor market policies and strategies; and initiatives at country, region, and global levels. • For more than 20 years, I have led the development of integrated solutions, tools, approaches, and methods on industry-led TVET, skills development reform, and future of work; cognitive or life skills; digital transformation; demographic shifts (with a focus o youth); climate change; and labor market changes. • Throughout my career, I have led country-specific grants and technical assistance programs to support TVET and skills development reform, labor market interventions, inclusive labor policies, accessibility, and gender equity in support of and compliance with the countries’ national development policies and strategies. • Experienced senior manager, strategist, and technical advisor with more than 20+ years of experience in new business partnerships, business diversification, revenue growth, and winning, designing, and implementing international development programs. • High-quality technical direction, conceptualizing new strategies to improve performance and ensure compliance, anticipating risk, financial management, data analysis, and program management tools to deliver excellence. 10+ years of Deputy Chief or Party (DCOP) and Chief of Party (COP) experience in fragile contexts. • Create and lead high-performance standards; ensure excellence in project execution; guide and support program teams in implementation; and facilitate alignment across projects, disciplines, and geographies to drive efficiency. • Skilled in high levels of coordination with country and regional level fora, forums, and working groups and maintaining productive working relations, while engaging with and nurturing relationships with all key stakeholders (partner organizations, local government, civil society, etc.) on evidence, learning, administrative, financial, and programmatic matters.

Experience

1. Senior Technical Advisor - Economic Growth and Livelihoods

   Creative Associates International

   Nov 2024 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   I lead the development, articulation, and management of country and regional strategies for Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, Centra Asia, and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. I’ve covered these countries since 2016 with Creative Associates and Management & Training Corporation.• In this role, I lead analysis of the emerging trends, priorities, and gaps and prepare high-level programmatic and technical recommendations to prioritize and steer Creative’s existing and new program areas in livelihoods, workforce development, technical education, and agri-business development. After fall of the regime in Syria, I served on the Senior Management Task Force (SMTF) for Syria coordinating Creative’s existing and new programming response. • I provide technical oversight and management of in-country programs, including the development and implementation of the country-level vision, strategy, and technical direction. I provide management, oversight, and guidance to project and activity managers and their teams as they plan and deliver projects, from initial engagement of stakeholders and translation of technical directives to project activities to periodic evaluations, research, collaborative learning and adaptation (CLA), and updates in response to changing conditions and client directives.• I lead and articulate Creative’s private sector engagement and partnership.• I lead new partnership strategy and action plan development, review, and assessment for organizational growth and diversification, on behalf of Economic Growth Division, in existing technical and geographic areas as well as new sectors and geographies of focus.• For Creative’s high priority bids, I lead and oversee the entire fund raising and business development cycle from early intel and partnership to technical capture, design, writing, and submission.

Education

• University of South Africa/Universiteit van Suid-Afrika

  Higher Certificate

  2010 — 2011

• Preston University

  Masters

  2005 — 2006

Skills

• Basic Education
• Program Management
• Analysis
• Community Development
• Strategic Planning
• Workforce Development
• Strategy
• Democracy
• Urban and Rural Community Development
• Training
• Project Management
• Programming
• Program Evaluation
• Youth Development
• Employment and Job Placement Strategies
• Institutional Review Reorganization/Restructuring and Analysis
• Ngos
• Human Rights
• Organizational Development
• Poverty Reduction
• Policy Analysis
• Microfinance
• Rural Development
• Civil Society
• International Development
• Government
• Workshop Facilitation
• Capacity Development
• Capacity Building
• Project Planning
• Economic Development
• Youth Empowerment
• Grants
• Proposal Writing
• Africa
• Technical Assistance