Yolanda L. Farmer

Suitland, MD ***** 240-***-**** adjktc@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Dynamic and multi-talented Technical Writer/Editor offering over 18 years of experience and proficiency in technical communications and operational management; successfully creating and generating a multitude of basic-to-technical and/or complex business materials including federal directives, standard operating procedures (SOPs), district government training presentations and supporting Quick Reference Guides, technical operations, maintenance, and procedural manuals. Specialized experience writing, reviewing, editing, and processing federal/district government grants and appropriations, internal controls and programmatic desk guides, public policy, and process documents, and effectively managing ongoing assignments and changing priorities daily. Technical documents also include numerous policy/regulatory documents, reports, letters, business plans and proposals, presentations, market reviews, corporate BIOs, marketing campaigns, fact sheets, speeches and various other guidance and instructional products throughout professional career.

QUALIFICATIONS

Secret Clearance (initiated February 2020); Previously held Public Trust and Confidential Security Clearances

Exceptional organizational, leadership, office administration, project planning skills; thorough operating knowledge of the administrative procedures and processes (i.e., budget, procurement, travel/training) within the federal government and private sector; preparing detailed responses to internal/external inquiries concerning programmatic planning, budget forecasting and management, and in outlining and clarifying management/project plans.

Solid research and analytical skills; able to quickly identify key facts and effectively present complex analysis, advice, and guidance to executive-level staff; reinforces team approach.

Knowledgeable of the principles, concepts, techniques, and style requirements needed to develop complex, administrative, and management documents used for publication, as well as presenting supporting information to technical and non-technical audiences, clients, and customers.

Knowledge of Code of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), federal government's basic procurement and acquisition process, 2 CFR 200, and various other regulations, processes, procedures, policies, etc.

Impressive oral and written communication skills; including solid technical writing/editing, proofreading, documentation and presentation, consulting, interpersonal, interviewing skills and techniques, public and employee relations; results oriented team player with the ability to direct others.

Technical editing and copy-editing expertise regarding a variety of federal, district, state, local, government, private, nonprofit organizations, and many other organizations; from the creation of and/or to editing existing administrative, management, technical, regulatory, policy, legal, and various other documents.

Demonstrated ability to make independent and sound judgments and decisions and the skill and knowledge in the use of protocols to produce quality documents; Ability to articulate well-informed and objective recommendations.

Able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously from start to finish; highly skilled in planning, assigning, directing, and delegating work of other writing and/or administrative, project support staff and utilizing change management strategies effectively.

Self-directed with considerable independence to develop new procedures, practices, and approaches to programmatic, technical, and administrative processes, guidelines, regulations, policies, and budgets while tracking/reconciling expenditures and procuring goods and services, as necessary.

Proficient in Windows 95/97/98/XP/Vista/7-10, Microsoft Office 19 (and earlier versions): Outlook, TEAMs, SharePoint, Planner, OneNote, OneDrive, etc., Office 365, Access, Central Point, InfoPath, Publisher, Visio; DreamWeaver; Publisher, Visio, Word, Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Approach, Lotus Notes E-mail, Word Perfect, Adobe Acrobat Professional/Frame Maker, Harvard Graphics, Corel Draw, Photoshop, Word Press, Web Design, and various office automation equipment; 75wpm typing and dictation experience.

EXEMPLARY WRITING ACHIEVEMENTS

Provided high level content management expertise technical writing/editing in support of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Administrative Services Division (ASD); aiding in USDA’s exemplified service and dedication to the public good through audits and investigations of various programs that promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Worked alongside COTR, Branch Chief for Administrative Services Branch (ASB), and Division Director of ASD, contributing to the production of technical written material including updates of ASD directives, standard operating procedures, informational materials, and various policy/process documents.

Assisted in the submission of policy issuances to Office of Management (OM) staff and OIG stakeholders for review and comments; compiled feedback and reported to management accordingly.

Contributed to the improvement of USDA/OIG headquarters and regional compliance by accurately updating their Property Management Directive; also reviewing and providing suggested edits to various other policy and regulatory documents, which resulted in increased productivity, reporting measures, and overall compliance with procedures and processes by 80%, within a 2-month period. Documents developed included standard operating procedures (SOPs) for USDA/OIG’s Mail Management, Field Office Space and Lease Space programs.

Planned, coordinated, and carried out a full range of procurement services in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Processed and tracked a variety of requisitions and Purchase Orders for various federal agencies which significantly increased accuracy of budget and management reports used by senior management.

While working for the Census Bureau as a Documentation Analyst, I assisted Acquisition Management staff with writing and editing the FY06 “FDCA PMO Communication Control Guidelines”, “Guidelines for Tracking Vendor Questions/Responses”, and “Process for Technical Exchange Question/Response Coordination.”

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Cerner Corporation via PM Solutions 02/2020 - Present

VA EHRM Project

CPMO Technical Solutionist/Writer (Federal Contractor)

Serve as a functional and technical resource to Cerner Project Managers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Deliverable Owners (DO) and Deliverable Authors (DA) in the development or update of multiple deliverables (per Task Orders), as well as review and address deliverable comments from VA, working directly as part of the Cerner Project Management Office (CPMO)

Provide Deliverable Owners/Authors with technical content writing and comment assistance (upon request) to ensure full compliance of Performance Work Schedule (PWS) requirements within each deliverable and adherence to Cerner’s contractual obligations to VA.

Provide technical and functional support for the development and update of deliverables, as required by the DO or DA.

Engage owner/author if additional information or collaboration is needed, such as: Content/approach options, SME resources or knowledge, Associated deliverables or documentation, and Timeline/key dates ; remain engaged thru the tech editor review stage to help address any additional questions/comments from VA.

Contact End-Users (Deliverable Owner/SME/PES), if applicable, and develop content in Live-Version (by accessing VA EHRM active working folders) in preparation of deliverable and Owner review/approval before sending for further technical editing and applicable 508 compliance

Perform routine tasks to include completing initial review of the Planner task, supporting documentation (including the deliverable template, any existing drafts or previous submissions, and details provided by owner/author), and updates Planner status per each phase of process completed; creates SharePoint folders to store request documents.

Highly Favored Writing & Consulting Services, LLC (Owner) 02/2002 – 12/2019

Freelance Technical Writer/Editor & Business/Career Consultant

Produced medium-to-high volume of customer communications (e.g., technical, legal, and employment-based letters and corresponding documents, detailed/personalized critiques and analysis, statements, contracts, business proposals/plans, invoices, etc.); generate and populate various documents for each unique client according to preference.

Provided unique and personalized technical writing/editing assistance to diverse clients in the creation, updating, and maintenance of social media websites (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)

Reviewed, edited and/or prepared Memorandums of Agreement (MOA), Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as needed and based on specific contractual needs.

Collected and analyzed various pieces of data; performing substantive editing for grammatical correctness, clarity, and appropriate formatting, proofreading, reorganizing and/or rewriting materials to be incorporated on résumés, employment applications, position descriptions, essays, self-assessments, performance evaluations, and business/personal documents (i.e. employment applications, business/personal cover letters, brochures, pamphlets, articles, guidebooks, instructional manuals, legal documents, training documents, research papers, etc.)

Tutored and assisted students (high school and college) in creative and business writing assignments, weekly discussion assignments, reference documents, background summaries, term papers, thesis/synthesis papers, dissertations, etc.

Outsourced technical writing expertise in support of federal/district government agencies and/or private sector contracts (remotely and in-person); offering written translations, revisions, and newly created documents and/or reports; presenting verbally or in writing materials of a complex and technical nature. Most recent contract achievements include:

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DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) via The Midtown Group 09-2019 – 11/2019

Technical Writer/Editor (onsite Contractor)

oReviewed for clarity/completeness multiple multimillion dollar grant award applications in support of The District of Columbia Opioid Response (DCOR) grant which focuses on increasing access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), reducing unmet treatment needs, and reducing opioid overdose related deaths in DC through the provision of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services (RSS) to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).

oEnsured that appropriate language outlined in applications from/to/thru small and large organizations (profit and nonprofit) and multiple DC government stakeholders (e.g., the Department of Health, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health Care Financing, etc.) was captured and incorporated in each awardee/sub-awardee grant package by reviewing thoroughly and ensuring pertinent information was extracted and incorporated into required forms and approval documents for further concurrence and processing

oWrite and edit numerous professional and legal/grant related documents in a short period of time that include, but are not limited to Scope of Work, Grant Terms and Agreements, monthly reporting of District efforts to the general public, presentations for meetings with providers and educating community stakeholders on the latest data pertaining to the District’s address to opioid epidemic.

oAttended meetings with Deputy Director of Community Services Administration and Primary Point of Contact/Program Monitor to discuss various grants and corresponding competition applications; ensured appropriate fund amounts, accounting codes and other critical budget information were included in final Grant Award packages prior to receiving funding.

DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) via The Midtown Group 04/2019 – 07/2019

Technical Writer/Editor (onsite Contractor)

oProvided wide range of technical writing expertise in the development of new Desk Guides, Statement/Scope of Work for grants and contracts; revised outdated guidelines and procedures including variety of policy, procedural, and programmatic documents, and reference files.

oApplied understanding of program management and analysis processes and procedures to effectively research, evaluate, compile, and analyze complex programmatic processes and procedures.

oDrafted original procedures pertaining to services and additional resources provided within the Workforce Development Bureau (WDB), including interviewing points of contact (POCs) for clarification and content editing purposes.

oCreated user friendly tools that coincides with agency missions, policies, enrollment procedures and program requirements; outlining and describing the many services, resources, and assistance WDB offers its clients and stakeholders; internal and external of the Department of Employment Services (DOES).

DC Department of Human Services (via The Midtown Group) 08/2018 – 09/2018

Technical Writer/Editor (onsite Contractor)

oAssisted the Economic Security Administration Division (ASD) towards the end of an agency-wide Redesign CATCH 2.0 system upgrade/transition project by successfully:

Created PowerPoint training slides capturing the major changes in the role and responsibility of Primary/Secondary Provider Case Managers and how they will improve overall services and resources offered to customers receiving TANF and other state regulated benefits.

Created user friendly Process Flow Charts and Quick Reference Guides that captured major changes in the redesigned system that detailed specific program enhancements, Payment Points, and Incentives; including Core Components of a “Two-Generation Approach” and ensured that appropriate screenshots were included in all supporting training documents.

Department of Transportation (via The Midtown Group) 06/2018 – 07/2018

Technical Writer (remote)

oSupported DOTs Best Practices and Training and Qualifications Subcommittees by providing the following technical writing assistance: writing, proof-reading, editing, rewriting, and assembling VIS WG meeting documents and recommendation reports for public viewing.

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oDeveloped meeting documents, documented committee/subcommittee takeaways and action items during teleconference calls and face-to-face meetings, and developed reports and presentations.

oAssisted DOT by writing, proof-reading, editing, rewriting, and assembling the following document types:

Meeting agendas, minutes (with action items), and other supporting meeting documents (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word files)

Task statements (in Word or Excel)

Work plans (in Word or Excel)

Membership sign-in sheets/rosters (in Word or Excel)

Report Out Presentations (in PPT or Word)

Recommendation Proposals (in Word or PPT)

Summary and Recommendation Reports (in Word or PPT)

Document Comment Resolution Matrices (Excel)

Concept/white papers (in Word)

OneMain Financial (via The Ashlar Group) 04/ 2018 – 04/2018

Sr. Policy & Procedures Analyst/Technical Writer

oDeveloped, revised, and updated; through electronic Change Requests from various Departments, Enterprise/Branch/Central offices, various financial policies, and procedures content using HTML and using online applications (particularly content management systems) as requested.

oTranslated complex information and communicated it clearly and concisely to end users of all abilities.

oUtilized excellent editing and proofreading skills to ensure that P&P principles and specific style and formatting guidelines were carefully implemented throughout each phase of document creation, revision, or updates.

oWorked independently; using critical thinking and time/project management expertise to create timelines and tasks and manage accordingly.

oBuilt working relationships with subject matters and maintained strong internal and external client relationships.

oManaged projects using effective process flow diagrams.

oPerformed other administrative functions, as needed, including, but not limited to reporting, presentation updates, and back-up to other team-members within the department.

Federal Work History

Smithsonian Institution, American Art Museum (Curatorial Office) 08/2016 – 03/2018

Management Support Assistant (Federal Position)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (via FM Talent Source, LLC) 09/2014 – 04/2015

Office of Inspector General (OIG), Administrative Services Division (ASD)

Technical Writer/Editor (Federal Contractor)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 06/2011 – 10/2012

Federal Emergency Management Agency / Risk Reduction Division (RRD)

Program Support Assistant (Federal Position)

U.S. Department of Commerce (Census Bureau via Erimax, Inc.) 07/2005 – 03/2006

Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) Project

Documentation Analyst (Federal Contractor)

Additional federal work history and contracting experience available upon request.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING & EDUCATION

Summer 2021 Expected Enrollment at UMUC: Business Administration (Major), Journalism (Minor). Previous courses completed include USDA Graduate School – various Program & Management Analysis courses taken (1997 to 2001); Fred Pryor Seminars & Skill Path Seminars, HR Institute: Technical Writing, Ability to Evaluate and Analyze, Evaluation Methods, etc.); and Management Concepts: courses taken (1997 to 2000). Specific courses include Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan training (Fall 2005), Writing for Government and Business (October 2007); PG Community College: some courses completed (Architectural Drafting/Engineering) from 1988-1992; Elizabeth Seton High School: graduated 1988.

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