Emily Watt

Associate

Contact via Email

Areas of Expertise: Project, program, and resource management; stakeholder engagement and client coordination; contract administration; environmental compliance research, evaluations, and implementation support; environmental auditing and program assessments; international EHS regulatory research; sustainability; international travel and logistics

Education/Certifications: Bachelor of Art’s degree in International Relations from American University; Portuguese and Latin American Studies at Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Emily works with multinational companies and government agencies to provide project management, compliance, and sustainability support services. She excels at planning, execution, tracking, risk management, and delivery of projects in accordance with approved work plans, schedules, and performance objectives. Emily is particularly skilled in:

• Stakeholder engagement and client coordination, serving as a liaison among project teams, government representatives, contractors, and other stakeholders to facilitate communication, manage expectations, and resolve project challenges.
• Environmental regulatory research, compliance evaluations, and implementation support related to federal, state, local, and international laws, regulations, and policies.
• Environmental auditing and program assessments to evaluate compliance obligations, identify risks, and support continuous improvement efforts.
• Development and implementation of performance metrics, reporting frameworks, and information management systems to enhance project oversight, accountability, and decision-making.
• Development and delivery of training, guidance documents, and outreach materials to support program implementation and regulatory compliance.
• Grants, contracts, budget, and resource management to support efficient project execution and achievement of client objectives.

Emily has worked on projects based throughout the U.S., Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, relying on her English, Portuguese, and French language capabilities. She has in-depth knowledge of and experience supporting USAID Bureaus for Global Health (GH), Middle East (ME), and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), working with 22 CFR 216 and Automated Directives System (ADS) 204. She has also worked with the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS) to provide Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) support.

In supporting the USAID, Emily’s areas of expertise include 22 CFR 216 Agency Environmental Procedures program development and implementation, environmental compliance assessments, USAID waste management regulations and guidelines, information management system implementation, and development and implementation of training. She also served as the project manager for KTL’s support services to USAID on multiple projects, including the following:

• Conducting an Environmental Compliance Review (ECR) of GH projects implemented under a multilateral interagency agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which included field verification site visits in Ghana and Sierra Leone in October 2023.
• Developing host country Environmental and Social Regulatory Frameworks across USAID’s mission countries, which will be used by USAID project designers to better understand legal requirements affecting their activities.
• Managing MDB Team support in identifying high-risk MDB projects, implementing USAID and interagency risk ranking and reconciliation processes, and developing biannual Summary Reports to the U.S. Congress.
• Conducting ECRs for the LAC BEO to evaluate environmental compliance within several LAC management units.
• Leading ECRs for GH to evaluate environmental compliance of selected mechanisms.
• Conducting an ECR for ME to assess environmental compliance of the Morocco Mission portfolio.
• Performing numerous reviews of Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) and Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plans (EMMPs) to provide improvement feedback to USAID and its Implementing Partners (IPs) prior to approval and implementation.
• Reviewing, updating, and implementing environmental management training courses for USAID and IP staff.

In addition, Emily has worked on implementing projects for the U.S. Forest Service International Programs (USFS-IP), USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Chemical Security Program, and U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Prior to joining KTL, she worked for several multinational organizations across various sectors. Highlights of her previous experience include the following:

• As Travel and Logistics Manager for the Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF Global), provided comprehensive international travel risk management and logistical support for international missions in high-risk environments.
• Liaised closely with program officers from USDA ARS and USFS-IP to manage expectations, provide flexible and creative solutions to difficult obstacles, and delicately handle competing interests, while managing federal compliance and strict deadlines.
• Closely facilitated USFS-IP program budget planning and forecasting, including managing individual project budgets’ implementation and reporting throughout their lifecycles.
• As a Program Associate within the International Operations and Sales for Business Development division of Boeing, assisted in the launch of existing product lines into new international market segments by facilitating government meetings, monitoring compliance information exports, conducting market research, and coordinating international trade show events.

Emily has a B.A. in International Relations, with a Global Environmental Politics and Latin American Area Studies focus, from American University. She further built upon this curriculum through an intensive program focusing on Portuguese Language and Brazilian Studies at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Emily is fluent in English and is proficient in conversational Portuguese, intermediate in French, and beginner in Spanish.