Paulette Assaf

Paulette Assaf brings over 27 years of expertise in educational program management to her role as Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Lebanon Quality Instruction Towards Access and Basic Education Improvement (QITABI) 3 Program. Her extensive experience encompasses a spectrum of responsibilities, from institutional development to policy enhancement in primary education, alongside a keen focus on integrating digital learning into the classroom.

Ms. Assaf's professional network is expansive, bridging public, private, and civil society sectors, including engagement with low-cost and faith-based schools.  

Prior to joining RTI in 2023, Ms. Assaf served as the Chief of Party for the first iteration of QITABI with World Learning in Beirut, Lebanon, where she managed a team of 35 professionals and oversaw the successful implementation of this project. Additionally, her tenure as the Deputy Chief of Party in QITABI 2 underscored her collaborative prowess, as she worked closely with counterparts at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) to ensure the effective implementation of program initiatives tailored to young learners. These initiatives included piloting and scaling teaching and learning materials, capacity building for educators and government personnel, and strategic alignment with national educational agendas.

Ms. Assaf’s diverse career trajectory includes roles such as Program Manager at the United Nations Development Programme, Program Manager at Cisco, and Senior Sales and Marketing Executive at LOGOS SARL. Her leadership style is characterized by both strength and approachability as she leads by example and readily empowers her colleagues to reach their full potential. A steadfast advocate for her team, she fosters a culture of empowerment, facilitating collective excellence in every endeavor.