Laura Guerra Notes

Guest speaker Laura Guerra, an alum of the University of Dallas (UD) econ program, shares her experiences in international development.
She is currently a project manager at Chemonics International, a private international development company headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations worldwide.
Laura joins from Mexico City, where she recently concluded meetings with company executives.
She will discuss her work, experiences in development, and provide advice for breaking into the development field.

Laura is a program manager with the Latin America Caribbean Division.
She manages the ARCO program (Alliance for Root Causes and Opportunities), a regional program.
ARCO is a partnership between USAID and Amexed (Mexico's international Cooperation Development Agency).
The program addresses root causes of migration in the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador).
It focuses on youth workforce development (18-29 year olds not in school or employed) and agriculture (subsistence farmers).

Workforce Development: Targets young people aged 18-29 who are not studying or employed.
Agriculture: Focuses on vulnerable subsistence farmers, aiming to integrate them into value chains and increase their income.
Collaboration, Learning, and Adoption (CLA): This component, managed from Mexico City, emphasizes knowledge sharing, best practices, and adapting implementation as the project progresses.
USAID emphasizes continuous knowledge sharing and adaptation.
Key topics include gender, inclusion, and social inclusion.

Laura works remotely from McAllen, Texas, backing the project.
She supports implementation teams in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
Her responsibilities include:
- Budgeting and expenditure tracking.
- Ensuring goals and deliverables are met.
- Strategic planning.
- Technical activities.
- Quality assurance of reports.
- Communications.