Our Team
Wut Yi Soe
Dr. Wut Yi Soe is a public health and grants management specialist with more than 18 years of experience in health program implementation and over a decade in grants administration. She has worked with major donors including the Global Fund, 3DF, 3MDG, the European Union, and USAID, contributing to public health, research, and capacity-strengthening initiatives across Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
She currently serves as Senior Grants Manager for the SEA DREAM Programme, where she oversees the full grant lifecycle, ensures regulatory compliance, supports strategic planning, and leads the grants team in advancing SEA DREAM’s research and mentorship priorities.
Previosuly, Dr. Wut Yi held senior roles at the Institute of International Education (IIE) in Bangkok, including Senior Technical Lead/Grants Director and Grants Manager for the USAID-funded Development and Inclusive Scholarship Program (DISP). She managed grant operations, coordinated with local and regional institutions, supported risk management, contributed to MEL frameworks, and led capacity-strengthening efforts aligned with USAID’s Local Capacity Strengthening Policy.
From 2018 to 2023, she served as Senior Program Manager at FHI 360 in Myanmar, managing about forty sub-recipient grants annually with a portfolio of roughly USD 4 million. She worked closely with program, finance, and strategic information teams to strengthen partner capacity, support research activities, and oversee evaluation and reporting processes.
Her earlier experience includes program and technical roles at Jhpiego, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and the Burnet Institute, where she contributed to HIV/AIDS programming, health system strengthening, and operational research. She also gained clinical and field experience through roles with MSF-Holland and Myanmar NGO networks, supporting ART treatment, community-based care, and regional health services.
Dr. Wut Yi holds a Master of Public Health from Mahidol University and an MBBS from the University of Medicine (2), Yangon.
Nwe Nwe Tun
Nwe Nwe Tun is a finance and grants management professional with over fifteen years of experience in international development, humanitarian programming, and donor-funded project operations. She specializes in financial management, budgeting, compliance, and full grants lifecycle management for USAID, DFID, EU, UK and UN-funded programs.
She currently serves as a Senior Grants Officer for the SEA DREAM Programme under the SEAMEO Secretariat, supporting the five-year regional grant initiative across Southeast Asia. She manages the full grant cycle, including Call for Proposals preparation, application review, due diligence, awards, implementation monitoring, and closeout, develops grant tools and documentation, coordinates applicant webinars, collaborates with the GMS provider on workflows, and ensures transparent assessment, financial reconciliation, asset verification, and audit readiness.
Previously, Nwe Nwe served as Senior Grants Manager for Chemonics International program in Myanmar, leading end-to-end grants management for USAID-funded programs. She conducted pre-award assessments, reviewed proposals and budgets, prepared approval packages, monitored grantee performance, managed financial reporting and payments, and ensured compliance with USAID regulations until closeout. Her earlier experience includes financial and grants roles with BBC Media Action, Community Partners International, DAI, Save the Children, Mine Advisory Group, and ActionAid, covering budgeting, financial reporting, audits, partner monitoring, new proposal development and capacity strengthening.
Nwe Nwe began her career in the corporate sector and later supported financial operations during the Cyclone Nargis response in Myanmar, building a strong foundation in accounting and emergency grants management.
She holds a Global Master of Business Administration, Switzerland, Bachelor of Science, and accounting and financial reporting qualifications from ACCA, United Kingdom.
Jon Biscocho
Jon is a communication practitioner specializing in strategic communications, knowledge management, and multimedia content production in the development sector.
He currently serves as the Communications and Events Officer for the SEA DREAM Programme, leading communications for donors, partners, grantees, and regional stakeholders. He manages communications, oversees branding and content production, handles media relations, and leads events for SEA DREAM’s funding calls and knowledge-sharing activities.
Previously, Jon worked as a Knowledge Management Officer at Relief International Philippines, where he led learning and documentation initiatives for the National Immunization Program, producing case studies, research articles, and human-interest stories. His communication experience also includes producing events coverage and digital content at the UPLB Learning Resource Center and supporting strategic messaging and advocacy at the Legal Network for Truthful Elections through public-facing education materials on electoral issues.
Beyond his professional roles, Jon contributes to research and journalism. He has authored behavioral case studies for Canvas8 on technology, nostalgia, and consumer trust in Asia-Pacific markets. His study on the Philippine drug war, “Nanonokhang v. Tinotokhang,” published in the Philippines Communication Society (PCS) Review 2024, analyzes media representations of key actors across mainstream and alternative outlets. These projects strengthened his ability to synthesize data, analyze cultural trends, and communicate evidence-based insights.
Jon’s volunteer work spans youth leadership, film and media production, human rights advocacy, and community journalism, where he created advocacy materials, led educational activities, organized community events, and supported campaigns on justice, SOGIE rights, and democratic participation.
Jon holds a degree in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines.
Phyo Wai Thaung
Phyo Wai Thaung is a humanitarian and public health specialist with over twelve years of experience leading programme management, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic information initiatives across Myanmar and Thailand. He focuses on strengthening health systems, improving data-driven decision-making, and supporting vulnerable populations through evidence-based programming.
He currently serves as the Compliance, Risk, and MEAL Officer for the SEA DREAM Programme under the SEAMEO Secretariat, where he develops compliance tools, risk registers, performance indicators, and reporting systems to assess research implementation, regional collaboration, and ecosystem strengthening across Southeast Asia. He also contributes to selection criteria and scoring systems for grant applications and ensures readiness for internal and external audits.
Previously, Phyo served as the Strategic Information Lead for Reach for Equity in Chiang Mai, where he designed and implemented MEL systems for a USAID-funded programme supporting community governance, human rights, health, education, and emergency response. He led baseline assessments, impact evaluations, data-driven advocacy, remote monitoring systems, and learning products for ethnic service providers and civil society partners.
Before that, he held multiple M&E leadership roles at UNOPS in Myanmar, supporting health system strengthening projects, pooled-fund initiatives, and COVID-19 response reporting. His earlier humanitarian experience with Médecins Sans Frontières in conflict-affected areas involved clinical care, HIV/TB services, mobile outreach for internally displaced people, and planning and coordination in high-risk operational environments.
Phyo holds a Master of Public Health from the National University of Singapore and an MBBS from the University of Medicine (1), Yangon
Thin Thin Han
Thin Thin Han is our Finance Officer for the SEA DREAM Programme, originally from Myanmar, an accounting and grant financial management professional with more than a decade of experience overseeing financial management systems, regulatory compliance, and budget management across international development and humanitarian organizations both in Myanmar and the U.S. Before joining the SEA DREAM Programme, they worked with various nonprofit organizations including Plan International, International Rescue Committee and WaterAid, etc., bringing a unique perspective on grant financial management and operational accounting practices across diverse cultural and regulatory environments. Within the SEA DREAM Programme, they are pivotal to managing the financial aspects of the programme, promoting fiscal accountability, efficient reception and fund disbursement and full compliance with financial regulations.
Regarding their academic background, they graduated from University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth with a Master of Science in Accounting. Before entering UMD, they had completed a Master of Business Administration at University of Huddersfield, UK. They are passionate about problem solving and play a key role in advancing our programme’s strategic goals through their expertise in accounting and financial management. They are dedicated to supporting and contributing to the success of the programme that creates real impact and benefits the communities on a meaningful level while safeguarding financial integrity and ensuring compliance with global accounting standards.
Siriporn Prasopboon
Siriporn Prasopboon is an executive support and administration professional with over twenty-five years of experience in administration, finance coordination, logistics, and office operations across UN agencies and international organizations in Thailand. She has supported senior leadership at UNHCR, ILO, IOM, and the Mekong–Australia Partnership, bringing extensive expertise in high-level coordination, documentation, procurement, and administrative systems.
She currently serves as the Administration Officer for the SEA DREAM Programme under the SEAMEO Secretariat, supporting day-to-day operations and team coordination. She manages administrative and logistical workflows, maintains programme documentation, coordinates events and schedules, supports procurement and financial processes, and facilitates communication with internal and external stakeholders.
Previously, Ms. Siriporn worked with the Mekong–Australia Partnership on Transnational Crime (MAP-TNC), providing administrative, financial, and procurement support, maintaining program databases, coordinating with DFAT and government counterparts, and assisting with budgeting and vendor management. She also served with the ILO, supporting procurement, financial processes, HR assistance, meeting logistics, and travel coordination for regional projects.
Her career includes more than two decades with UNHCR in Bangkok, Mae Sot, and Mae Hong Son, where she contributed across administration, logistics, HR support, procurement, budgeting, training coordination, and liaison with the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She supervised teams, supported refugee registration, facilitated missions, and assisted with program implementation along the Thailand–Myanmar border.
Siriporn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (French) from Thammasat University and a French language diploma from the University of Franche-Comté, France.
Programme Governance
SEAMEO Council
The Council determines the policies and the main lines of work of SEAMEO. In the context of SEA DREAM, SEAMEO Council will provide the initial sign-off on the programme and the governance structure, including formal appointment of the Chair. Annual progress reports will be provided to SEAMEO Council regarding the programme progress and any changes made, for acknowledgment.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee holds comprehensive decision-making authority across the programme lifecycle including funding decisions.
It oversees strategic direction, operational integrity, compliance with best practices, and adherence to ethical standards as well as gender, equity, diversity, and inclusion (GEDI) principles within the SEA DREAM Programme.
The Steering Committee approves all calls for proposals (e.g., eligibility and assessment criteria) and signs off on the final selection of proposals.
Strategic Advisory Group
The Strategic Advisory Group focuses on the programme alignment with the broader research ecosystem and scientific community. The Strategic Advisory Group consists of regional and global experts with a range of scientific and cross-cutting expertise and relevant experience in leading organisations or programmes. These experts are strategically selected and nominated by the Steering Committee.
Selection and Evaluation Committee
The Selection and Evaluation Committee focuses on the grant evaluation and selection process as well as mid-term and final review of the grant performance. It consists of regional or global experts with deep scientific and technical expertise across the SEA DREAM priority health areas namely Infectious Disease, Climate Change on Health, Mental Health, and Health Systems and Access to Care, as well as equity, inclusion, and ethics in research.
SEA DREAM Programme Team
The Programme Team, comprising the Head of Programme and Grants Manager, is responsible for the overall day-to-day management and implementation of the programme. It oversees the full operational delivery of grants and sub-awards throughout the entire award cycle. The broader Operations Team include Grants Officer, Compliance, Risk, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer, Communications Officer, Administrative Support Officer, and Finance Officer, along with contracted expertise in grants management and legal matters.
Our Partners
The SEAMEO Secretariat, based in Bangkok, Thailand, serves as the executive arm and headquarters of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). It is responsible for implementing the policies, decisions, and directives of the SEAMEO Council and for supporting the organisation’s overall coordination and operations.
Established in 1965, SEAMEO is a regional intergovernmental organisation by Southeast Asian governments to promote regional cooperation in education, science, and culture. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life across the region by advancing human resource development and fostering collaboration for sustainable progress.
Wellcome is a global charitable foundation established in 1936, committed to building a healthier future for everyone. It supports science to solve urgent health challenges facing everyone, grounded in the belief that good health should be accessible to all. With a vision of a world where no one is held back by ill health, Wellcome’s strategy, policy, and funding decisions are shaped by its core values, which guide its operations, partnerships, and impact through science.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is the UK government department responsible for leading the country’s international development and foreign policy efforts. It oversees diplomatic, development, and consular work around the world, promoting the UK’s global interests and values.
As outlined in its Strategy 2022, the UK has committed to global leadership on climate change and health. The FCDO coordinates cross-government efforts to deliver on this strategy, advancing sustainable development and resilience in partner countries.
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