I saw a number of new UN volunteer jobs posted recently, everywhere from the Western Pacific to South America and Africa. Their website also has some exciting new reports and other material including this map showing their impact across the globe.
Check their website to see a new UN report on Volunteerism, and job openings. Remember, with UNV you can be a national, international or e-volunteer.
During my four years with UNESCO in Malawi, our project had several young Malawians working as national UN volunteers. They did a great job in communications support and used that experience to further develop their careers.
If you want to read about my work in Malawi, check out my memoir – Overseas Adventures… available from this website or Amazon Canada.
It’s been awhile since I wrote about WUSC on this BLOG but a reference in the latest newsletter from the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) announcing new vacancies had me visiting their site again. Here’s what the ACIC said in their newsletter:
Your expertise can make an impact. By volunteering internationally, you can help create a better world for all young people. WUSC has provided over 10,000 Canadians with high quality, rewarding, and safe international and e-volunteer opportunities. Whether you are an early-career, mid-career or a retired professional, you can give your time and share your skills and experience in support of development programs that improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for young people around the world.
WUSC, much like CUSO International which I worked for in my early career, still sends Canadians abroad for development work (and to learn a lot in the process). WUSC also offers e-learning volunteer opportunities, a good option for those with families or other commitments who need to stay close to home. What is new and very encouraging for interested persons in low to middle-income countries is the opportunity to apply for a South-South volunteer assignment. There is also the chance to apply as a WUSC national volunteer in your own country. For example, I see on the current list of openings a position available in Iraq.
SOUTH-SOUTH Volunteer
The image below shows an example of an assignment description, this one for a job in Ghana lasting seven months. Check out the eligibility requirements shown. The full job description has many more details .
Conditions of Service for Canadian International Volunteers
The snapshot below lists the conditions of service for a Canadian WUSC International Volunteer. For those who might want to check out conditions for South-South or National volunteers, you can visit WUSC and explore further.
WUSC website
You can learn about WUSC and its volunteer opportunities here.
Also, you might find my book to be of interest. It is a memoir about my international work as a volunteer, advisor or consultant in sixteen different countries. Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between is available from AMAZON or … preferably from me at….
The following opportunity was shared with me by Dr. Julia Dicum, Director of Education at UNRWA.
UNRWA has a TVET programme that serves about 8,000 Palestine Refugee Youth and a similarly structured even smaller education sciences faculty programme (pre-service teacher training only) that serves about 2,000 Palestine refugee youth (mostly females). We are looking for a 6-month TVET/skills-based higher education consultant to advise us on sustainability models for the future management/governance of TVET and educational sciences (pre-service education training).
The JO TVET Consultant / P4 #262571 is online now. For easy reference, please follow the link below:
Note that UNRWA has programs in Gaza, the Occupied West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
This assignment is a transformational opportunity for the right person. Unfortunately, I am not available. I did work with UNRWA in TVET in the 2005-2007 period. My experience is described in a chapter of my book Overseas Adventures….
As those who read my BLOG will know, I was a CUSO volunteer teacher in Nigeria in the early 1970s and a CUSO Field Staff Officer in Ghana in the mid-70s. Those were exciting days and life-changing experiences. I am pleased to share with you news from CUSO International about an upcoming VIRTUAL Town Hall where you can learn about volunteering with CUSO.
See the rest of the announcement from CUSO International below, especially the date, time and link to join the conversation and ask questions. I highly recommend the virtual town hall to you.
Imagine yourself immersed in vibrant cultures, working side-by-side with local communities to create lasting change. Picture the friendships you’ll forge, the skills you’ll develop, and the unforgettable memories you’ll create. This is your chance to turn that dream into a reality!
At our upcoming event, you’ll:
Discover how your unique skills can transform lives across the globe
Hear inspiring stories from a past volunteer who’s returned with a renewed sense of purpose
Learn about the incredible support Cuso International provides, ensuring your journey is safe, rewarding, and impactful
Get insider tips on how to make the most of your volunteer experience
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking for a new challenge or a recent graduate eager to make your mark, Cuso International has a place for you.
Our expert panel will guide you through every step of the volunteer journey, from application to return. You’ll have the chance to ask questions and discover how you can be part of a global movement for positive change.
Ready to take the leap? Join us and unlock a world of possibilities. Your adventure awaits – and the impact you’ll make will last a lifetime!
Register now and take the first step towards an extraordinary experience that will not only change the lives of others but transform your own in ways you never imagined.
Find a Consulting Assignment with Short-Listed Firms
My previous post introduced readers to the Asian Development Bank, its organization, Bank activities and different ways to engage with the ADB. My focus last time was how consultants could find and apply for consulting assignments in their areas of expertise and the ADB’s area of need. I hope you were able to take some time to explore the agency’s elaborate web site and find assignments of interest.
Did you join the ADB consultant database? If you did, I would like to hear about your effort. You can add a comment at the bottom of this post. It does take time to get all your details added, but once done, it’s relatively easy to apply for a consulting assignment by sending in your EOI.
However, now let us move on to another way of getting that consulting assignment – by checking with short-listed firms, that is firms that are short-listed on a particular project which may require them to find outside consultants. And that could be you!
Click this link to take you to the page titled: Shortlisted Firms
Notice that the tab highlighted in the picture below is “Ongoing Requests for Proposals” so the list of projects shown are all those currently seeking Expressions of Interest from firms. You can filter the list by making country or sector selections to narrow your search. This page is a bit clunky in responding but eventually your filtered list will appear. To see the short-listed firms for a particular project, simply click the corresponding button in the right-hand column.
Depending on your selection, you will then see a screen like the one below that shows those firms that are short-listed for the project. The example below is not complete because the whole list was cut off but the illustration reveals the type of useful information provided. Details such as company name, contact person and position, contact information including phone, fax and email. The example below shows firms from Ireland, France, Singapore and Germany.
What next?
If you are interested in such a project and have the required qualifications and experience, you could write to one or more of the firms listed to inform them of your interest. Make sure you attach to your email a copy of your CV including contact information. Also, stress in your email how your background would be helpful in the upcoming project.
Now the firm may already have some consultants penciled in, but often project start up is delayed and sometimes a firm needs to replace a consultant. Even if this is not the case, your CV is now with this firm and can be added to their consultant database.
You can also mention in your email that you would be interested in future similar projects should they arrive.
NOTE: Although it is a good idea to share your CV with different firms, be careful not to be included on a proposed project team by different firms. The ADB frowns on such situations and can disqualify both firms if they see the same consultant in both bids.
Expand your search
Another strategy is to search for short-listed firms on projects that are now closed to EOIs. If your field is say, education, you can filter using that category, and others. To do this, just follow the above procedure but select the TAB “All Selections” as shown below.
Depending on your filters, you should get a longer list of short-listed firms that work in your area of expertise and in the country where you would like to work. (Just click “Reset” after each search to start again.)
Accessing the information through the website is free and you may want to try several filter combinations to check, for example, what companies in your country are bidding on projects, what companies are most active in a particular sector or country, and so on.
ADB provides a list of awarded contracts
You can explore which companies were awarded contracts. Why not continue your explorations and determine how to find this information on the ADB site yourself. Good luck.
Weekly Notice of Consulting Opportunities
Weekly notifications on consulting opportunities are available for registered users of the Consultant Management System (CMS).
PS. Don’t forget to check out my recently published memoir “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between”. It is available from AMAZON in many countries and from my website: www.northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca
If you have trouble finding the book, email me directly. aeshears@northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, and headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field offices around the worldto promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank admits the members of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries. Canada is a member. From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 68 members.
The ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank.
The ADB funds multiple projects in Asia and the Pacific and I had the privilege of working on such a project in Sri Lanka, as a consultant with GOPA, a German consulting firm. The bank advertises consulting opportunities for both individuals and companies. Most of these requests for individual consultants are for nationals, for example, in Viet Nam, the project would seek Vietnamese nationals. But there is often a sprinkling of requests for international consultants. My project was in technical, vocational education and training (TVET) which falls under the umbrella of “Education” in the categories of projects the ADB supports.
To learn more about the bank, its mission and activities, I recommend that you visit its main website which contains links to its structure, projects, partners, financing and more.
There are many ways to engage with the ADB. Check the tab “Work with Us” on the ADB Main page, and the following screen appears. Click on an item to explore your particular interest.
My post today focuses on opportunities for individuals who would like to explore assignments as a consultant working on ADB projects.
Consultants
If you click “Consultants” on the above page, the system takes you to a list of frequently asked questions. Select “How can I become adb consultant” and you are taken to a page with a ream of useful information.
ADB engages individual consultants and consulting entities (firms, universities, NGOs, etc.) for a wide range of assignments. Individuals wishing to consult for ADB must meet all of the following criteria:
There is plenty to study in the links posted above and I invite you to explore them on your own.
Reality Check
My experience applying to the ADB as an individual Canadian consultant has not been encouraging. The selection process is rigorous and my sense (unproven) is the staff who select consultants develop a cadre of favorites into which it is hard to enter. My work in Sri Lanka was conducted as part of a consulting firm’s bid and for many new consultants contacting companies short-listed for ADB assignments, may be a better alternative.
My next post will provide some advice on pursuing this option.
PLEASE SEND ANY COMMENTS ON THIS POST TO: aeshears@northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca
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.
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.
Adolescent health and wellbeing
Improving health services for all and empowering the most marginalised to exercise their right to quality care.
Resilient livelihoods
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:
Across all our programmes we focus on building communities that are resilient, inclusive and accountable.
Our three ‘core approaches’ – social inclusion and gender, resilience, and social inclusion and accountability – are fundamental to our volunteering for development approach, ensuring that the people we work with have the capacity to bring about change in their own lives.
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:
500+ local organisations in 23 countries;
governments at all levels;
funders, academic institutions and advocacy platforms;
corporate partners.”
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!
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:
at least three years’ experience in your professional field,
a relevant degree or equivalent qualification,
pass the criminal background check, pass VSO core competencies assessment
commitment to the full duration of your project engagement
willingness to live on a basic allowance and adapt to new living conditions, if you relocate as part of your work with us.”
Also of note is that VSO can hire locals as volunteers in their country or in other countries.
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.
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.
______________________________________
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.
