arthureshears

Assisting the ILO in Lebanon

Map of Lebanon showing major cities including Beirut, Tripoli, and Baalbeck, along with bordering countries Syria and Israel.

I am very pleased to be assisting the ILO in Lebanon. This assignment will involve synthesizing a comprehensive study of approximately 180 pages into a structured report of around 40 pages, while preserving analytical rigor, key evidence and policy relevance.

In March 2023, the International Labour Organization (ILO) began implementing ENABLE, a 3-year EU-funded programme to support sustainable livelihoods and access to decent work for social protection beneficiaries in Lebanon, particularly unskilled and unemployed youth, women and persons with disabilities. Within the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS), it supports employment activation so beneficiaries move beyond assistance by building skills, gaining work experience and accessing sustainable employment.

The 2023–2024 war displaced more than 1.2 million people within Lebanon and damaged or destroyed nearly 64,000 buildings, disrupting education for hundreds of thousands of students and contributed with other crises to economic contraction and increased unemployment as well as labour migration.

Using desk research, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs), this assessment under ENABLE analyses post-war market trends across five key sectors to identify value-chain constraints and opportunities for job creation. The findings inform short-term employment initiatives and market-responsive training to address skills gaps and support labour-market inclusion of marginalized people, contributing to productive and decent employment, poverty reduction, inclusive recovery and resilience.

It is encouraging to see the ILO with EU support continuing its important work in Lebanon.

Interested in International Development – Short Assignments (3 – 5 Months) Available with CUSO

Being an ex-CUSO volunteer in Nigeria and later a CUSO Field Staff Officer in Ghana, I encourage individuals to have a look at what CUSO International has to offer by way of assignments. These days both e-volunteering and international placement are available, so too are placements in the North of Canada. See the information below that I pulled from an email received today.

The links in the BLOCKS below do not work but you can see what openings are currently available and where. To see all available openings scroll down to the bottom of this post.

This April, discover flexible volunteer placements designed to create meaningful impact through shorter 3-5 month opportunities combined with e-volunteering options. Our latest placements focus on economic resilience, inclusive growth, and private-sector engagement, supporting partners to strengthen inclusive policies, advance gender equality, and support entrepreneurship and workforce development.
We’re seeking Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and skills-based professionals, including Curriculum Advisors for the mining sector, to help reskill and upskill individuals and support youth employment.
Indigenous individuals are especially encouraged to apply for our Youth Sports & Recreation Coordinator placement in Northern Canada, supporting youth wellbeing and community development.
If you’ve never volunteered with Cuso International before, this is a great time to start. There’s a placement ready to take you somewhere new, professionally and personally!

View all current placements on our website

https://apply.workable.com/cuso-international/?utm_source=Placement+Alert&utm_medium=Email

To read about my experiences with CUSO in Nigeria and Ghana (and later with different organizations in other countries), check out my book Overseas Adventures available on this website, or from AMAZON.

GOOD LUCK!

Another Exciting Opportunity with the International Labour Organization

Call for External Collaborator – Skills & International Labour Standards (ILS)

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is seeking an external collaborator to support a promotional initiative on international labour standards related to skills development and lifelong learning.

This assignment will contribute to strengthening the understanding, promotion, and practical use of key instruments such as Conventions No. 140 and No. 142, helping bridge the gap between standards and their application in policies and programmes.

The selected consultant will:
– Develop concise, user-friendly guidance for ILO specialists and constituents
– Translate complex normative frameworks into practical tools
– Produce communication materials to support engagement and visibility

🌍 This is a unique opportunity to contribute to advancing skills systems, lifelong learning, and the effective application of international labour standards globally.

📄 Full details and how to apply:
https://lnkd.in/dddbdgEa

📅 Deadline: 13 April 2026

In case you didn’t realize it, I like to promote engagement with the ILO whenever I can. I did many assignments with them over the years, in Afghanistan working on employment policy, in the Middle East reviewing competency standards development, and in Bangladesh as Chief Technical Advisor on the TVET Reform project. All were tremendously rewarding professionally, and the assignment described above looks that way too. Why not check it out?

And a reminder that my memoir, Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between is available from my website or from AMAZON.

IOM Currently Has 184 Openings

I liaised with IOM officials in Bangladesh some years ago but they work in many countries. Indeed, they have operations in 171 countries through more than 550 field offices across six regions.

Have a look at their website to find out about who they are, what they do, their partners and other information.

International Organization for Migration | IOM, UN Migration

Many UN agencies have recently modified their e-recruitment systems and the IOM is one of these agencies. You can find out what vacancies are currently available at the link below. Before applying, you have to register in their system. Instructions on how to do so are provided.

https://www.iom.int/iom-career-gateways

A variety of vacancies are available including full-time staff as well consultants in everything from health to construction.

Think YOU can make a DIFFERENCE. Then check out the IOM.

Good luck.

NGO SEEKING FUNDS FOR SURGICAL CLINIC IN EASTERN NIGERIA

Children running joyfully outdoors, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

At our Church Men’s Breakfast Club last Saturday, our speaker was a new congregant, Dr. Ulugu Ukpai, originally from Nigeria but now a proud Canadian.

Ulugu is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of an NGO called CHAMA based in Halifax, Canada but currently working in five countries in Africa.

Dr. Ukpai has scores of doctors in Nigeria who have volunteered their services to provide care to needy men, women and children. His ask right now is for $CAD 175,000 to build a surgical clinic in Nigeria so these doctors can provide more services. The land and permits are available but funds are needed for building and equipment.

Find out more about CHAMA and the work it does.

CHAMA – Challenge AIDS and Malaria in Africa

Think you can help, or want to find out more. See contacts in the CHAMA website.

The ILO is seeking an External Collaborator

Announcement from the ILO Evaluation Office seeking a professional evaluator for the independent evaluation of the UNV/ILO Partnership on the Measurement of Volunteer Work, with a deadline of 19 March 2026.

You can find the vacancy announcement below.

https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/293597

Let me apologize for sharing this announcement rather late. Note the closing date is 19 March 2026.

This announcement is personally interesting to me for several reasons. First, I know some of the very talented and committed people in the Evaluation Office at the ILO. Second, my TVET project in Malawi some years ago benefited from the skills and enthusiasm of national UN Volunteers who worked to support our communications efforts. I have and still do recommend volunteering as an option for many persons interested in international development who need somewhere to start. (See some of my previous posts on this blog about this volunteering.)

Note: To access this assignment you have to go through the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) system and register. Registration is free and allows you access to the ILO procurement system. Instructions on how to do this are provided in English, French and Spanish at the above link.

GOOD LUCK >>>

WUSC is looking for consultants

https://wusc.bamboohr.com/careers/263

Establishment of a Pre-Qualified List (Roster) of International Consultants

Application Deadline: March 9th, 2026

Introduction and Background

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 350 staff, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors, and philanthropic foundations.

To efficiently deliver on its growing project portfolio, organizational strategy, and business development initiatives, WUSC seeks to establish a Pre-Qualified List (Roster) of experienced consultants. This roster will serve as a readily available pool of technical specialists who can be rapidly mobilized to support WUSC’s operations globally on an as-needed basis.

Objective

The primary objective of this ToR is to solicit applications from highly qualified consultants to be included in WUSC’s Pre-Qualified Roster. Consultants selected for the Roster will enter into a framework agreement for the provision of specialized technical expertise and short-term support services across various thematic and operational areas.

If interested, check the details on type of consultants needed and the experience requirements on the webpage noted at the top of this post.

As a side note following my recent post about ‘volunteering’, WUSC is a well established Canadian volunteer recruiting and placement agency. They are clearly now adding another channel to their work – recruiting and placing both volunteers and consultants.

I wonder if other similar agencies will also look in this direction?

To Volunteer Internationally or Not?

In my experience, people will often volunteer at the beginning of their career before they have a family, or towards the end when their kids have left the nest. There is also a middle period when for enrichment or to take a break from regular routine, a professional including trades and technology folks take on something that is likely short and focused and aligned with their skill set.

Decades ago, I joined CUSO International as a young man for a two-year teaching stint in Nigeria, and just last year I volunteered as a semi-retiree for a short assignment in the Caribbean as a Catalyste+ Advisor. So I have seen both ends of the volunteer spectrum.

These days CUSO International offers a variety of short and longer term assignments. I posted about this organization before. They regularly announce up-coming volunteer positions in the Caribbean, South America and Africa.

Cuso International | Skills to share. Futures to build.

Catalyste+ generally provides more specialized services. Specialists are called neither volunteers nor consultants but rather Catalyste+ Advisors.

Global Hub for Economic Development | Catalyste+

One program they had in the Caribbean is winding down just as new programs are opening in the Philippines, Mongolia, and Viet Nam.

South of the border where thousands of development workers were laid off after cuts to USAID , there is current information on the DEVEX Career Hub website about the value of volunteering while waiting for a full-time development job.

https://pages.devex.com/index.php/email/emailWebview?email=Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGgY8ogXrv6mg2Eu4bewS2GmZyELvOX6KX5CNCfpCpKN4P9DYxjzEoVkmT5VSj_JHv7wEJPR6b50hOTkhw5JY00tz6iexYVXAZUWSY

As a closing note, let me say one can combine volunteering with other work. I still do some consulting.

GOOD LUCK, whatever you decide.

UNRWA is hiring

Good morning, all.

I noticed this post on LinkedIn and thought I would share it with colleagues. It is an extremely important and challenging role. Are you up for it? Have a look below.

UNRWA is recruiting!! Senior Consultant for Modernizing UNRWA’s Project Management System
https://lnkd.in/e8sxPESD
UNRWA is seeking an experienced senior professional to help shape the future of how we plan, manage, and monitor projects across the Agency.
This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-impact assignment focused on assessing our current project management systems, bench-marking best practices across the UN, and developing a strategic business case and roadmap for a modern, integrated digital solution that strengthens results-based management and decision-making.
We are looking for candidates with strong experience in project/programme management, business process analysis, and system implementation in large organizations, ideally within the UN or international development sector. Experience with ERP environments (especially SAP), results-based management, and digital transformation initiatives is highly desirable

I worked with UNRWA some years ago and enjoyed my time with them.

Good luck if you apply.

Cuso International Volunteer Placements

3-6 months (April Start)

See below for some new international postings from CUSO International and background on the organization itself.

I worked for CUSO years back as a teacher in Nigeria and some time later as a Field Officer in Ghana where we had about 70 volunteers in total. If interested, you can read about my experiences there in the first part of my memoir – Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points in-Between.

Cuso International (Cuso) is an international cooperation and development organization based in Canada that works to create social and economic opportunities for equity-deserving groups. Building on over sixty years of impactful work, we address global challenges by tackling the root causes of inequality. Working alongside our partners, we are focused on efforts to improve economic resilience, advance equity and inclusion for all, and deliver progress on climate action. We believe that by sharing skills, we can build better futures. Guided by our values of courage, inclusion, sustainability and accountability, Cuso combines innovative strategies and enduring partnerships to create lasting, meaningful change in communities across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.

Cuso International provides a comprehensive support package to ensure volunteers maintain a modest and healthy lifestyle aligned with local standards. This includes:

Monthly living allowance
Accommodation
Health insurance (including required vaccinations and antimalarial medication)
Round-trip airfare and visa/work permit costs
Pre-placement, in-country and reintegration training (along with access to self-directed materials and online resources)
Ongoing local support
Access to the Employee Assistance Program during and after placement

Current placements:

English fluency required

Youth Sports & Recreation Coordinator (Summer Placement) -Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada
Organizational Development Advisor – Georgetown, Guyana
Partnership and Collaboration Officer – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Project Management Advisor – Mekele, Ethiopia
Gender Equality Advisor – Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Communications Officer – St. Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Social Media Advisor – St. Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Digital Media Volunteer – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Resource Mobilization and Fundraising Advisor – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Spanish fluency required

Partnership Development Advisor – Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Strategic Partnership Advisor – Medellín, Colombia

French fluency required

Conseiller(ère) en communication – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) en entrepreneuriat / insertion économique – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) en formation et développement des programmes – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) en Mobilisation Communautaire et Engagement – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) en suivi-évaluation – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) en Technologies de l’Information – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) psychosocial – Yaoundé, Cameroun
Conseiller(ère) en Entreprenariat féminin et innovation – Abomey-Calavi, Bénin
Conseiller(ère) en Environnement et Changement Climatique – Dangbo, Bénin
Conseiller(ère) en Mobilisation de Ressources – Porto-Novo, Bénin
Conseiller(ère) en Plaidoyer et Égalité du Genre – Cotonou, Bénin
Conseiller(ère) en Suivi et Évaluation de Projets – Porto-Novo, Bénin
Conseiller(ère) en Suivi évaluation Redevabilité et Apprentissage – Lalo, Bénin
Conseiller(ère) en Suivi-Évaluation et Apprentissage – Cotonou, Bénin

View all online and international placements