Curriculum Vitae

1. Personal information:

o Family name: Safi

o First name: Ali

o Date of birth: 22/3/1968

o Nationality: Palestinian

o Civil status: Married

o Contact numbers: + 970 2 2f961391, + 970 599296139

o Email: ali@general-gct.com

2. Education:

Institution

[ Date from - Date to ] Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained:

University of Algeria,

(1990- 1992)

M.A in Political Sociology

University of Algeria,

(1986 – 1990)

B.Sc. in Managerial & Industrial Sociology

3. Training courses attended:

- Time Management, TEAM- Jerusalem, 1995.

- Human Resources Management, TEAM- Jerusalem, 1995.

- Managerial Skills, TEAM -Jerusalem, 1995.

- Marketing Skills, TEAM- Jerusalem, 1995.

- Public Relations, TEAM -Ramallah, 1995.

- Several courses in English Language , British Council ,Jerusalem , 1995

- Protocol Skills, TEAM- Ramallah, 1996.

- Negotiation Skills, TEAM- Ramallah, 1997.

- Crisis Management, GCT-Ramallah, 1999.

- Strategic Planning, GCT-Ramallah, 2000.

- Effective Communication & Networking Skills, GCT-Ramallah, 2000.

- Leadership Skills, GCT-Ramallah, 2004.

- Training Needs Assessment, GCT-Amman, 2005.

- Problem-Solving and Decision-Making, GCT-Ramallah,2005

- Training of Trainers, GCT-Amman, 2006.

- The Integrated Training System, GCT-Ramallah, 2008.

- Development and Change Management, GCT-Ramallah, 2007.

- Strategies to Measure the Return of Training, GCT-Amman, 2011.

4. Language skills: Indicate competence on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 - excellent; 5 - basic)

Language Reading Speaking Writing

Arabic Mother Tongue Mother Tongue Mother Tongue

English 2 2 2

French 3 3 3

5. Conferences and seminars:

“International Economic Conference”, Turkey is the Gate for Palestine to the World, (05-

08/02/2015), Istanbul- Turkey.

Study and Training Tour to China, titled “Trade and Investment in the Arab countries, and the

China's Economic System”, organized by Chinese Ministry of Economic Affairs, (14/10-

03/11/2014), Beijing, China.

“Total Quality Management & International Standards” seminar, 1995, Jerusalem.

A Study Tour to Japan to discover the Japanese management- development- investment and

industrial systems, 1995, Japan.

“Future Planning, Training and Development in the 21st Century” seminar, organized by

TEAM & IFTDO, 4 – 7th

November/1996, Cairo.

“Development of Financial and Accounting Systems in Palestinian Municipalities” seminar,

organized by World Bank, Ramallah.

“International Marketing” Conference, 2006, Cairo.

A Study Tour to Korea to discover the culture and management systems, 2009, Korea

Foundation, Korea.

6. Membership of professional bodies:

General Manager & the Establisher of General Consulting and Training (GCT), which is a

member of International Federation of Training and Development Organization (IFTDO).

7. Summary of qualifications:

Over 20 years of extensive experience in the field of training and human resources capacity

building & development, in favour of a wide range of beneficiaries transitioning from public to

private ownership, in addition to NGOs sector.

Specialized experience in business development services to entrepreneurs , companies wishing

to maximize shareholder value and establish local representation offices in the State of

Palestine.

Extensive experience in managing international development projects, public reform programs,

aid grants, large scale training programs that aimed to build the capacities of Palestinian

authority institutions and public servants, in cooperation with key donors in the region such as:

USAID, UNDP, BTC, DEFID, EUPOL- COPPS, EU, EC, GIZ, JICA, Japan Government,

Finland Government, World Bank.etc.

Examples of projects in which I have participated as manager and provider of training services

as a part of their development interventions are as follows:

Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program (PJEP), implemented by Chemonics International, Funded

by USAID,

Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement project(PACE), implemented by Chemonics

International, funded by USAID,

Civil Registry Project (CRP)/German International Cooperation (GIZ),

Local Governance Support Programme (LGSP)/ UNDP,

Local Government and Infrastructure (LGI), implemented by Global Communities – formerly CHF,

funded by USAID.

Capacity Building of Elected Local Governments Project/ UNDP,

Local Infrastructure and Capacity Building Project (LICP)/ Belgian Development Agency (BTC).

Solid expertise in managing the process of designing and leading capacity building

/development training projects, towards optimizing the key enablers for sustainable

improvement and lasting benefits at the institutional and/or individual level.

Planning and supervising the implementation of almost 1000 training programs (2500 days), in

collaboration with over 500 clients from various business sectors in Palestine and the Arab

region that targeted more than 15000 trainees.

The major fields of training include: Strategic Planning, Financial and Personnel Management,

Behavioral Skills, Office Administration, Procurement and Inventory, Monetary and Banking

Management, Education Management, Organizational Development and Reform, Accounting,

Sales & Marketing, Public Relations, Privatization, Portfolio & Operations Management,

Governance, TVET, Change Management, Monitoring& Evaluation, Leadership, Business

Communication Skills, Career Planning, Modern Human Resources Management. In addition

to other specialized training fields such as: Special Education, Occupational Therapy, and

Palestinian Sign Language. etc.

Training needs analysis studies and development of training plans accordingly, with innovative

approaches that inspire beneficiaries' confidence and trust, in line with modern scientific

management methods and procedures.

Supervising the designing and conducting of TOT programs for building qualified trainers in

beneficiary sectors (Banking, Private, Public, NGOs), to be responsible for delivering future

in- house training in their institutions.

Outstanding networking, communication and public relation skills, specifically in building

sustainable partnerships at the local, regional and international level.

Excellent work team mobilization and leading skills for wide scale training projects in different

sizes & complexity target Palestinian and regional business sectors (Public, Private, NGOs).

Building highly experienced and qualified team of professional trainers in all fields of

knowledge, who were able to deliver modern business solutions to meet the clients’ needs and

requirements. This includes around 300 regional, local and international training experts from

North America, Ireland, France, UK and Belgium.

Quality assurance, compliance, follow- up the implementation and finalizing contractual issues

for both contractual and central training activities.

Solid experience in working with private sector, specifically banking institutions and SMEs in

the field of consulting and training both at the local, regional and international levels.

Excellent management, organization and coordination skills.

Advanced reporting and researching skills.

Advanced negotiation and problem solving skills.

8. Other skills: Computer literacy, management and leadership skills, communication and networking

skills, project management, building of work teams, crisis management and problems solving,

performance management& appraisal.

9. Present position:

General Manager of training center of General Consulting &Training Company (GCT).

Years within the company: 15 (since 1999).

Key responsibilities:

o Supervise and follow up the implementation of work procedures & policies concerning the

administrative and financial systems.

o Supervise and participate in the internal planning process towards development of quarterly

work plans, priorities agenda and timeline schedule.

o Employees’ performance management and appraisal.

o Evaluate the implemented work plans according to the planned timeline, and take decisions

regarding any deviations occurred.

o Revise regular financial, administrative and technical reports.

o Lead, manage, organize and coordinate all the implemented training projects. Sign all related

contracts/agreements as an authorized representative of GCT in front of the clients and

beneficiaries.

o Mobilization of projects team members (local, regional, international training experts) in line

with competencies and general qualifications required by clients, in addition ensure the internal

coherence and professionality.

o Quality assurance of final deliverables, compliance to scheduled time, and follow up the

implementation of training projects and programs.

o Work as a liaison officer between the clients and GCT project task force.

o Represent GCT in front of clients, partners, and other government and official bodies.

o Networking and building sustainable partnerships with local, regional and international

counterparts in UK, USA, Japan, Korea, Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia.etc.

10. Professional experience in training delivery (1999-2014):

International Sector

Main Beneficiaries:

GIZ, UNDP, Chemonics International, BTC, Internews, Save the children, EUPOL COPPS, Diakonia, Finland

Government, UNRWA, Care International, Swedish Organization for Individual Relief (IM/SOIR), Istituto Agronomico

per l'Oltremare, Action Against Hunger, World health organization(WHO), Global Communities..etc.

No. of involved participants and implemented programs

Sample of training provided: o Preparing and writing reports, memos and administrative correspondence,

o Performance appraisal,

o Management time and work pressures,

o Communication skills,

o Administrative and behavioral system,

o Problem-solving & decision-making,

o Intensive customers care to achieve excellence,

o Training of Trainers (TOT),

o Proposal development and project management,

o Proposal writing & fundraising,

o Strategic planning and administrative organization,

o Grants management and logical framework approach,

o Monitoring & evaluation,

o Strategic planning and human resources development.

Private sector

Main Beneficiaries

Banking Institutions (Arab Bank, Arab Islamic Bank, Al Quds Bank, Egyptian Arab Land Bank, Bank of Palestine ,

Palestine Islamic Bank, Bank of Jordan, Cairo Amman Bank, Palestine Commercial Bank), AL –Etisalat Academy,

PALTEL, Jawwal, Arab Specialist Hospital, Jala Investment Group, Al-Masrouji Group, Jerusalem District Electricity

Company , Coca Cola, Jerusalem Pharmaceuticals Company, Birzeit Pharmaceutical Company, Palestine Exchange,

Solutions for Development Consulting Company, National Insurance Company…etc.

No. of involved participants and implemented programs:

Sample of training provided:

o Emotional intelligence, work ethics & etiquette, o Career planning,

o Strategic marketing and business planning, o Polarization of internal efficiencies and career replacement, o Presentation skills, o Delegation, motivation and creativity in solving problems,

o Study and analysis of financial statements, o Team work building,

o Effective managerial supervision skills, o Managing training process,

o feasibility studies for investment projects, o Credit control and management of bad debts,

o Crisis & stress management, o Protocol skills,

o Preparation of management consultant, o Forgery detection ,

o Negotiation skills o Development and change management,

o Management of supporting services, o Management of warehouses and procurement,

o The modern management of human resource, o Project Management Professional PMP.

o Market research, o The distinctive manager and development of administrative

performance.

o Processes of sell-term and effective collection, o Principles of marketing via phone,

o Modern methods of effective negotiation for bad debts

collection,

o Technical Analysis (Assessment criteria of stocks and bonds)

Public Sector

Main Beneficiaries:

Ministry Of Interior , Ministry Of Finance , Ministry of Local Government, Negotiation Affairs Department, Palestinian

local media, Palestinian Civil Police, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of

Telecommunications and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Ministry of Social Affairs,

Ministry of National Economy, Ministry of Planning and Administration Development , Ministry Of Health, Palestinian

Central Bureau of Statistics, Palestinian Legislative Council, General Personnel Council, Palestine Monetary Authority,

Environment Quality Authority, Palestinian Judicial Institute, High Judicial Council, Palestinian Water Authority…etc.

No. of involved participants and implemented programs:

Sample of training provided:

o Risk management and its applications in public

institutions,

o Business planning and implementation skills,

o Strategies to measure the return of training,

o Administrative and behavioral system,

o Financial management and internal audit,

o Project Management,

o Skills of conducting performance appraisal

interviews,

o Organizational reform and strategic management of

human resources,

o Executive secretary

o Institutions guide of self-assessment,

o Dealing with public,

o Development and change management,

o Modern trends in procurement and warehousing

management ,

o Customer Relationship

o Forgery detection,

o Strategic planning and reports writing,

o Team work building,

o Meeting Management, International conferences,

o Application of Assessment Tool Kit for Promoting Integrity, Transparency and Accountability in Palestinian

Municipalities

NGOs Sector:

Main Beneficiaries:

Palestine Institute for Financial & Banking Studies, Welfare Association, The Palestinian Network for Small &

Microfinance “Sharakeh”, BirZeit University, Women’s Affairs Technical Committee, Palestinian Hydrology Group,

Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, Palestinian Federation of Industries, PALTRADE, The Palestine Red

Crescent Society, Palestine for credit and development (FATEN), Hebron chamber of Commerce & Industry, Women For

Life Association, Palestinian Counseling Center, Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN)…etc.

No. of involved participants and implemented programs:

Sample of training provided:

o Financial analysis & administrative decision,

o Strategic planning and administrative control,

o Leading change,

o Public relations and interaction with public,

o Proposal writing & fundraising,

o Performance appraisal,

o Creative motivation methods and managing

creativity,

o Crisis management

o Achievement in a changing world,

o Project management and managerial skills,

o Security and protection of institutions,

o Preparation of training coordinators,

o Community participation,

o Enhancement the role of women

o Institutional building

o Building financial and accounting system,

o Accounting principles ,

11. Professional experience in consultancy- selected sample of projects I have participated in as

project manager, administrative project manager, technical advisor, regional facilitator and

project coordinator (1999-2014):

o Development of Public Notification Policies and Communication Plans for 27 LGUs, Global

Communities, Local Government and Infrastructure program - LGI, funded by USAID, 2014.

o Situational Analysis Study and Development of an Implementation Plan for a Future More

Decentralized/Devolved Palestinian Local Government System, Global Communities, Local

Government and Infrastructure program - LGI, funded by USAID, 2014.

o Final Evaluation of Promotion and Development of Tourism in Jenin Area (PDTJ) Project, Jenin

Governorate, funded by Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID),

2014.

o Provision of Capacity Assessment, Development of Capacity Development Strategy and a

Diagnostic Report of the Existing Legal Framework for Governorates Offices in the oPt, UNDP/

PAPP, 2012-2013.

o Impact Assessment Survey of JICA's Major Projects in Assisting Palestine, Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA),2012.

o Market Gaps, Economic / Industry Cluster and Private Sector Linkages Project, Managed by Save

the Children and Mercy Corps, funded by USAID, for the benefit of Palestine League of Vocational

Education and Training Association (VET-NGO League), 2010-2011.

o Teacher Education Improvement Project (TEIP)/ Upgrading Academic and Professional Teaching

Qualification of Under – Qualified Class Teachers for Grades 1-4, ABU Consult Berlin GmbH, for

the benefit of Ministry of Education & Higher Education (MoEHE), Funded by World Bank, 2010-

2013.

o Institutional Development, Capacity Building, Technical Support, and law review for Property Tax

Department- Ministry of Finance (MOF), Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement project

(PACE), Managed by Chemonics International, Funded by USAID, 2010.

o Technical assistance in development and implementation of Social Protection Systems at Ministry of

Social Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs- funded by European Commission, 2010-2012.

o Evaluation of Social and Safety Net Program (Food Aid and Cash Assistance Program), Support to

the Special Hardship Case (SHC) -Program Reform, UNRWA, funded by European Commission

(EC), 2009.

o Organizational Development & Capacity Building of Palestine Islamic Bank, 2008.

o Organizational Development & Capacity Building of AL-Quds Bank for Development &Investment,

2007.

o Quality Control Audit &Market Research, Western Union, (Dubai regional office), 2007.

o Evaluation of Emergency Assistance to Sustain Health Care Services in Jenin, Tubas and Hebron

Areas, Care International, Funded by European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department

(ECHO), 2006.

o Economic Profile of Ramallah-Al-Beireh Metropolitan Area, MRBB Pilot Project, NORAD –

Norway, for the benefit of Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), 2005.

o Economic Profile of Ramallah-Al-Beireh Metropolitan Area, MRBB Pilot Project, NORAD –

Norway, for the benefit of Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), 2005.

o Comparisons Study about salaries and wages in the Banking Sector in Palestine, Arab Bank, 2004.

12. Employment Record:

Date from-

Date to

Location Company Position Description.

1999

-

Present

Ramallah ,

West Bank

General

Consulting

& Training

(GCT)

General

Manager Supervise and follow up the implementation of GCT work

procedures & policies concerning the administrative and financial

systems.

Supervise and participate in the internal planning process towards

development of GCT quarterly work plans, priorities agenda and

timeline schedule.

Employees’ performance management and appraisal. Evaluate the

implemented work plans according to the planned timeline, and

take decisions regarding deviations occurred.

Revise regular financial, administrative and technical reports.

Lead, manage, organize and coordinate all consultancy / training

projects implemented by GCT. Sign all related

contracts/agreements as an authorized representative of GCT in

front of the clients and beneficiaries.

Quality assurance, compliance, and follow up the implementation

of projects at the internal (experts) and external level (clients).

Networking, communication and public relation activities, in

addition to take the final decisions about the partnerships at the

local, regional and international levels.

Represent GCT in front of clients, partners, and other government

and official bodies.

1999

-

2001

Ramallah, West Bank

CH2MHILL

, Millennium

Engineering

Group

(MEG) -

USAID

project.

Office

Manager /

Consultant

Supervise and follow up the implementation of administrative work

in line with USA procedures & policies.

Supervise the performance of project staff, and address any

deviations may occur on the approved plans.

Quality assurance and compliance in the implementation of project

activities, contracts and subcontracts.

Report on progress towards achieving the overall objectives and

results planned.

1994

-

1998

Ramallah, West Bank

TEAM

International

– West Bank

Branch

Managing

Director /

Manageme

nt

Consultant

Supervise and follow up the implementation of work procedures &

policies concerning the administrative and financial systems.

Supervise and participate in the internal planning process towards

development the work plans in line with parent company plans.

Supervise the employees’ performance and address any deviations

may occur on the approved plans.

Revise regular/quarter financial, administrative and technical

reports.

Lead, manage, organize and coordinate all training activities

implemented by TEAM. Sign all related contracts/agreements as an

authorized representative of TEAM in front of the clients and

beneficiaries.

Networking, communication and public relation activities as

representative of the parent company activities in the Palestinian

market.

Quality assurance, compliance, and follow up the implementation

of projects at the internal (experts) and external level (clients).

Supervise the marketing plans/activities, including new

partnerships and local/regional markets.

Represent TEAM in front of clients, partners, and other

government and official bodies.