North Star Skills for Development
For people who want to learn about international development, its rich experiences and opportunities
CBC Radio’s Information Morning Cape Breton helps listeners better understand and explore the challenges in our island’s future, remember their past and celebrate their neighbours’ accomplishments.
Arthur Shears had a 9-minute slot on the show on Thursday, March 23, 2022 where he described his new book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between”.
Listen to the clip here.
Catalyste + (Formerly the Canadian Executive Service Overseas – CESO)
The Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) was a registered national and international development charity that started in 1967 and provided services for more than five decades. On December 1, 2022—CESO announced the evolution of its brand and the organization’s new name—Catalyste+.
https://www.catalysteplus.org/media-and-news/ceso-becomes-catalyste-plus/
Catalyste+ advisors are Canadian senior-level professionals with extensive expertise from both the private and public sectors. Leveraging an average of 20 years of experience, advisors provide mentorship and advisory services to Catalyste+ partners and clients through a sequence of short-term, strategic assignments.
Unlike other Canadian volunteer agencies such as CUSO and WUSC which traditionally placed individuals on longer 1- or 2-year assignments, CESO now Catalyste +, offers an opportunity to volunteer for a much shorter period.
For example, in-person international assignments typically last from two to four weeks. In-person assignments in Canada typically last from two days to two weeks. Virtual assignments vary from one to two months depending on the program and assignment type. There are some exceptions for mentoring assignments, which could last up to a year with a few site visits.
Another difference is that Catalyst+ attracts and places older and more experienced individuals.
Eligibility Requirements
Typically, a minimum of 15 years working experience is required, with at least ten years of experience in the field or with a role that an advisor is looking to support. In select cases, we work with advisors with less experience, provided they have the right mix of knowledge and expertise to suit the Catalyste+ partner’s needs. Advisors must be:
Focus Areas
Catalyste+ focuses its work in areas and industries that drive inclusive growth and sustainable development as shown below. It draws on the depth and breadth of experience offered by Catalyste+ advisors to build capacity with businesses, governments and community organizations in Canada and in 30 countries around the world.
| AgribusinessEnvironment and Climate ActionGender EqualityGovernance | Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Value ChainsNatural Resources ManagementTourism and Hospitality |
Industry Sectors
Catalyste+ advisors offer expertise spanning a variety of other industry sectors and functional disciplines that benefit businesses, governments, and community organizations.
| Arts, Recreation and CultureBusiness Support ServicesEconomic Development, Microfinance and FinanceEducational ServicesFood and Beverage Production | Health, Nutrition and Social ServicesInformation and Communications Technology (ICT)ManufacturingWholesale and Retail Trade |
Other important information
The Catalyst+ website contains all the information you need to explore this option for volunteer development work in Canada and in countries abroad.
https://www.catalysteplus.org/volunteer-with-us/#advisor-journey
In reviewing the website, I particularly appreciated the step-by-step instructions on how to explore the option of becoming an advisor/volunteer, and the clear application process itself.
If you fit the eligibility requirements, match one of its focus areas, are in good health and have the urge to apply your skills in a new and productive way, why not check out Catalyste+.
May I share with you this video “Nkwazi Zazikazi” produced in Malawi by our UNESCO project, STEP, a few years ago. It starts with a local poet and soon breaks into a reggae song sung by local artist Sangie. Both Robert and Sangie were hired by our project to be youth ambassadors and promote different employment options for women. English sub-titles are provided.
The web link below takes you to the STEP Malawi website that has lots of audiovisual resources. Scroll to the bottom to find Nkwazi Zazikazi.
ENJOY.
My friends at Write Here Write Now (WHWN) at Bishops University in Quebec organized the book launch this past Saturday. It lasted an hour plus but was so much fun. I was able to bring a variety of hats (yes – real hats), scarves and other knickknacks to add some visual accents to my readings from half a dozen chapters of my memoir. It started with my favorite line and the first line in the book – “Are you a spy?” and continued with additional sections from Ghana, Guyana, and others.
During the Q&A, I made a reference to AMAZON where my book is now available in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, and other countries. That is also where you can leave a rating once you have read the book.
The video of the book launch is available above. ENJOY!
VSO is a British based charity which I first came across in the early 1970s in Nigeria. I was the only Canadian volunteer in my part of the Western Region of Nigeria, the two volunteers in the community some 15 kilometers away were VSOs. One of them, David Shaw, became a good friend and travel companion over the year we worked in close vicinity. Christine, the other VSO volunteer was only there for 4 months at the end of her assignment so I didn’t get to know her as well. Still they were both as dedicated and hard-working as I and our Nigerian colleagues.
VSO has grown exponentially since then, at least that is what I judge from reviewing their website.
https://www.vsointernational.org/about-us
Inclusive education
The website is a very rich source of information on the work they are doing internationally. The projects page gives well illustrated information on the many projects VSO runs across three global programs identified below.
Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.
Improving health services for all and empowering the most marginalised to exercise their right to quality care.
Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families
According to the VSO website, the organization’s core approaches are:
In addition, the website alludes to the importance of partnerships.
“We believe progress is only possible when we work together.
Partnerships lie at the root of all the positive change we create. Together, we work on programme development and delivery, research, fundraising and influencing decision-makers.
We work with:
Indeed, in my opinion, anyone interested in international development will enjoy the wide variety of stories illustrated on their website. The one which immediately caught my eye was using computer tablets to help teach basic literacy and numeracy at hundreds of primary schools in Malawi. In fact, when I was in Malawi a few years ago, VSO was piloting this programme. The pilot clearly worked well judging by the huge scale of the current project!
https://www.vsointernational.org/volunteer-with-vso
Much like the other parts of the website, the section on volunteering is full of detail. What caught my eye first was a call for volunteers “of any age.” That said, there are some restrictions depending on where the assignments are, but generally, this is what you’ll need to volunteer with VSO.
“Our volunteers come from all sorts of backgrounds and we assess each application individually, but you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
Also of note is that VSO can hire locals as volunteers in their country or in other countries.
The VSO site is definitely worth a visit.
You can also make inquiries here: enquiry@vsoint.org
The theme is “Go For the Goals.”
What goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals, of course.
What are you doing to mark the event? See the GOC website to get some ideas and learn more about why an IDW was established in the first place.
https://www.international.gc.ca/…/issue…/idw-sdi.aspx…
Have fun at your IDW event!
Thinking about the next series of topics for my BLOG, I decided to highlight some additional international volunteer agencies. The first agency described in this new series is the Peace Corps which by coincidence is celebrating 60 years of service in 2022.
Peace Corps has a wonderfully rich website which among other things describes two main volunteering options including 2-year, regular assignments, and shorter specialised stints. You must be an American citizen to apply and usually require a relevant degree but in some cases persons with 5 years of relevant experience will also be considered. When I checked the Peace Corps website on December 27, 2002 there were a number of vacancies advertised in different categories, and in different parts of the world including Africa, Central America and the Western Pacific among others.
By clicking on these different sectors, the different vacancies are revealed with descriptions of the location, the job itself, living conditions, essential and desired qualifications. Reading some of the vacancy descriptions reminded me that such assignments are often challenging and not suitable for everyone but for those with the right background, attitude and flexibility, these assignments can be very rewarding from both personal and professional perspectives.
The application process can take several months but there are a series of recruiters available in the US to answer questions and help applicants through the application process.
Even if you are not an American citizen, you may find the descriptions of countries and the work that Peace Corps volunteers are doing abroad to be of interest. If you are a US citizen, “…and ready to change the world”, you can follow the three steps listed on their Home Page.
After a long wait, this interesting set of stories will be released in December 2022.
My memoir is now available however, the book launch is delayed while I work on assignments for the ILO in Jordan and Lebanon; also my book designer in Malawi had power outages as he did a book redesign.
But long story short, the memoir is available in soft cover or as an ebook in epub or mobi format. There is also a pdf version for those who like to read on their computer.
The book launch details are not yet available but will include both a physical launch in Halifax and an online one with my friends organized from the Eastern townships of Quebec. The latter will have an international audience.
My website now has a storefront and shopping cart where you can order whatever version of the memoir you like. The store front and shopping cart are available now – simply click on the left hand button in the menu above – Overseas Adventures.
I will also put the memoir on Amazon and/or other online stores but that will be in the New Year.
Send your suggestions to: aeshears@northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca
You can win a free advanced copy if you are among the first five to reply.
The cost of the soft cover version will be CAD 20 plus shipping. The ebook and pdf versions will be CAD 7.99 – cheap at the price.
You can order the book now. Pleasant reading!
The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its competency framework in April 2015.
What is the UNESCO Competency Framework? The UNESCO Competency Framework provides an inventory of expected behaviors, skills, and attitudes that lead to successful performance. The UNESCO Competency Framework has three components:
• Core Values that are the shared principles and beliefs that unite all staff and should guide us in our actions;
• Core competencies that are a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities that result in essential behaviors expected from those working for the Organization;
• Managerial competencies that apply to staff with management responsibilities at P-4 level and above.
UNESCO uses the competency framework for a variety of functions including job profiling, recruitment, performance management, and promoting learning and career development. If you are looking to apply for a job with UNESCO, it is to your advantage to review their competency framework which is available online here:
The core values, core competencies, and managerial competencies are listed below for your convenience.
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Core Values
• Commitment to the Organization • Integrity • Respect for Diversity • Professionalism
Core Competencies
• Accountability • Communication • Teamwork • Innovation • Results focus • Planning and organizing • Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
Managerial Competencies (for Level P4 positions and above)
• Driving and managing change • Strategic thinking • Making quality decisions • Building partnerships • Leading and empowering others • Managing performance
______________________________________
My last long-term assignment (4 years) was with UNESCO in Malawi as Team Leader on the European Union-funded Skills and Technical Education Project (STEP). We used the elements of the framework when developing job descriptions for new staff and consultants, for performance reviews of the staff, and applied it as well to plan our own professional development.
The STEP Malawi website is still operating and has a wealth of resources available.
I have been doing some work for the ILO in Jordan, and thoroughly enjoyed engaging with issues the agency is tackling there.
The new recruitment website identifies a variety of employment opportunity types including:
1. international (at the professional level);
2. development cooperation (on a project or program);
3. local;
4. temporary (less than one year);
5. junior professional officer and interns;
6. consultants.
At the time of writing this piece (Sept 27, 2022) there were 77 vacancies listed with a description of each available. There is also a map that gives a picture of where postings are located.
I commend the page that provides helpful hints on completing an application. The application form is comprehensive and may take more than two hours to finish.
However, it will only take a few minutes to go to the website and have a quick look! If something catches your interest, you can explore it further.
GOOD LUCK.