I stopped at Reddit recently and let them ask me a bunch of questions. I had posted this previously, but it looked funky so I decided to repost it in parts… So, you can better follow it! Enjoy!

[caption id=“” align=“alignnone” width=“506”] I don’t think those were the people asking the questions, though…[/caption]

So, here were the questions and my answers:

**Q:**I have a question about governance and development. Which comes first?

I’ve read a lot of reports on how dysfunctional governance structures are in many developing countries and how they hold back economic development. Some aid organizations have focused on training various departments and agencies in these governments.

I’ve also seen the claim that governance structures are something of a luxury good and countries only invest in them once the country has some development and raised standard of living. If true, the way to get effective and non-corrupt governance wouldn’t be to focus on governance.

Seems a bit like a chicken and egg issue. What’s your take? If you have scarce resources to help a developing country, would you spend them on improving the governance structures or focus on economic development directly?

A: It’s not that much of a chicken and egg issue because they come together. I think you were referring to “development” more in terms in economic growth and that does not always translate to “real” development, which in my perspective would be an increase in a person/community or country’s well being. I may be advocating for my own cause here, but I believe governance structures are important to ensure transparency, accountability and participation. So when economic growth arrives, those can be prioritised according to the country’s needs and not only political interests. But most importantly, if and when public funds are misplaced or misused, there are enough mechanisms in place to make sure that those funds can be somewhat retrieved and/or the population can find out about and plan an effective (non-violent) response.

Q: That’s interesting. How do you define “real” development? I’d assume something like median income or average purchasing power parity or something along those lines would be the best. How do you measure well-being if not economic development?

A: I would go beyond just median income. The qualitative jump of indexes such as HDI, IHDI and even the GINI coefficient is to say that “the median income” average unfortunately misses out a lot of the systemic violence that several groups within unequal societies face. If a hypothetical country has a 5% growth, but you have also gathered that this income was not distributed, it was still concentrated in the 1% and the perception of insecurity - for instance - has raised, plus people have less access to education and health, I would not consider that “real” development

Q: I thought median dealt with the long tail problem pretty effectively. Obviously means/averages aren’t great measures in societies with large gini coefficients, but what’s wrong with median?

A: You are right in saying that median income is a much better than average or just GDP and economic growth alone. I know there is even a discussion of trying to include in the post-2015 development agenda. The fact is the most of us can’t use alone it for most planning and programming, especially when dealing with issues that go beyond economic empowerment. There is not a single thing to measure in development. We also need indicators for health, security perception, education, changing in behaviors and attitudes and that’s a lot to ask from a single coefficient or median

Q: Cool thanks for taking the time to give such thorough answers!

Q: If you don’t mind, I’m also curious if you have an opinion on how effective aid is generally. You’ve got the Jeffry Sachs of the world v. the William Easterly or Dambisa Moyo viewpoint. Do you think aid has typically been beneficial or harmful? If the way the developed world does aid has been generally harmful, can it be made beneficial generally, in theory and practice?

I assume if you’re in the field you have a positive viewpoint, but having read both sides, I find both persuasive (aid can be beneficial, but largely hasn’t been) and I don’t have a strong opinion. Some of the work MIT’s antipoverty lab has been doing seems particularly good to me, and the argument for giving cash instead of stuff (like heifer international) seem strong.

A: Hi guys, sorry it took me a while to get back, but I was supposed to give you a head start.

Having work in many different countries and situations, I would say that aid’s effectiveness is very context-dependent. In my perspective and experience, aid has been more effective when the funds are proportionally small or medium scale. Large operations, in my view, have trouble with “exit plans” and tend to create dependency not only for the local communities (because it becomes a viable livelihood), but also for the aid workers themselves.

A lot of my best experiences came with countries or communities that “hired” the aid organisation to help them achieve a determined goal and with that the aid organisation could “sneak in” other beneficial mechanisms, like human-rights approach, gender mainstreaming and so on… Or that the community had some ownership of the project - they may have established the priorities or the project was done based on a participatory assessment, which means that the results given directly reflected their short and long-term needs and not just an international agenda. The idea is always, people like to be in control of their lives and projects do better when they allow that… Without creating dependency - that’s the tricky part.

Personal note: What I didn’t say here is that I am a massive fan of Easterly’s work on aid. I read all the books, articles and follow him on every single social media outlet possible. But that would seriously ruin my “cool effect”. Just kidding, it didn’t occur me to explaining that. Although, I do believe his argument and Dambisa Moyo are really different and she comes from a much more financial background than development itself. Well, that discussion will be left for another day.

Q: Hi. I work in a similar field and have a few questions:

• Do you feel that aid in one form or another is usually ‘with string attached’? If yes/no, why?
• How can we provide an incentive to development work (specifically subcontractors) to strive beyond the low benchmark objectives set?

How do we justify the role of the private sector in, essentially, a public sector such as development and what does the future hold for private actors within development?

A: Hi! Good to know, hope I would be able to answer you questions, but feel free to ask (or demand) explanations:

• I think aid usually has strings attached, which is not necessarily bad when it comes to demanding a human-rights approach, transparency, but more times than not it does force a model of development (usually a very Western-centric neoliberal one).

Working with indigenous communities that became very clear to me, so sometimes, it is important to aid organisation to bear that in mind and try to provide the best for the community you are working with by understanding their priorities and fitting those into the “international” mould.

• I may not have fully understood the question. It can be that we have different understandings of objectives. I think development should be impact-oriented, which means have a long-term perspective. The usual problem with subcontractors is that there is a narrow, more specific view of the problem or they don’t have a complete perspective of the situation or the actors in it. They also may not have a lot of familiarity with the issue they are dealing with in that specific context. But unless we are talking about specific cases, I can’t give you a more specific response.

We all have responsibilities regarding development and governance. We have important and yet distinctive roles in this process. Besides an ecological model or doing a stakeholder analysis, it is important to point out that we should know what are our roles within governance and development and how can we provide or demand solutions from other actors. Having said that, there are a lot of governments and other sub-national actors that now actively rely on private actors to do “traditional” government work, as well as corporations having real incentives (marketing-wise and ethically) to “invest” in development. A lot of aid agencies have invested a lot in creating corporate relations and developing engagement so, I think those relations will become increasingly blurred. As long as development is the main concern, not just the survival of the involved organisations, I see no problem with it. But then again, we are in the running for the post-2015 agenda, so there is still a lot to be seen.

Related:

It’s finally here! Doing what you love!

Welcome to the club!

Original post:http://www.reddit.com/r/AskSocialScience/comments/25qgwk/iama_governance_and_development_specialist_with_9/

When I was beginning my career at the Red Cross, I read this amazing article on what recruitment officers really look for and it as true today as it was in 2006. Now, since it Aidworkers network disappeared - if anyone knows why, please let me know - I am posting it again, so the article will live on.

What Recruitment Officers Really Look for

by Piero Calvi-Parisetti, 07/11/2006

Some Home Truths

Many candidates interested in working in international development and emergency aid are convinced that finding a job in this sector is just a matter of knowing the right people inside organisations and getting recommendations from them. This is absolutely not the case. Many others think that if they get the right kind of education - a master’s degree in a relevant subject, for instance - they they automatically qualify for a job as aid worker. This is not true either.

It’s difficult to board a moving train, but once you’re on, you can move easily from one car to another. That’s what it’s like in relief and development. The key can be summarised in one word: experience.

Experience rules

The extraordinary importance recruiters inside international organisations give to experience is also the reason why good education is not a guarantee of employment in the sector. It is not an exaggeration to say that, when considering a CV, a recruiter looks first a foremost (and almost exclusively) for experience: how long the candidate has been in the field, regardless of the specific positions. Then, and only then the recruiter considers what the candidate has been doing, what kind of organisations s/he has been working for, the job titles and so on. By and large, these two criteria “make or break” the success of an application. Education, especially lor low to mid-level positions in the field, is much less important.

It is not difficult to see why recruiters are so obsessed with experience. Recruiting an international aid worker is a lengthy and expensive process, often carried out by organisations that are constantly “budget challenged”. The last thing a recruiter wants to do is to go through the recruitment process and send the successful candidate to the field, just to have him/her returning home after a few weeks with some sort of psychological crisis, problems adapting to the new environment, or simply seriously frustrated.

Let’s face it - aid work is not for everybody, and you need more than strong motivation and good qualifications. The recruitment officer has only one way to make sure that you are “the right stuff” and that is the fact that you have done this before, that you “survived” and that you had a good enough experience that you want to do this again.

This may sound very frustrating to those who have not yet boarded the train. How do I get the experience organisations ask of me if I can’t get to work for the very organisations which can provide me with that experience?

Nonetheless, you must keep in mind that organisations do not succeed in meeting all their personnel needs and a large job market is there, constantly creating hundreds of vacancies. With solid motivation, you should not be discouraged: building the necessary experience is not impossible.

In a future article I intend to review the many possibilities offered in the field of unpaid voluntary work, which are an excellent way to prepare for future employment in this sector. A period of overseas volunteering is a great stepping stone for accessing: (a) semi-professional positions, meaning paid volunteer work offered by a great many organizations; and (b) professional positions, which specifically require previous experience in developing countries.

If you’re after a field-based aid worker job, investing some USD 5,000 of your own finances to cover the expenses for a year of overseas volunteering is an incomparably better choice than investing the same amount or more in a Master’s degree course.

About the Author

Piero Calvi-Parisetti works for the GIGnos Institute.

Related: Want to build career in international development? Don’t reach for the UN

Is Development work for you?

Graduate school can offer the space and time to explore issues you’re interested in, gain new skills, and reflect on how you want to put these skills to use once you graduate. But are you using your time to prepare for the career you want?

When I lecture students or chat with my own friends who are pursing graduate degrees, they constantly mention their fears of being prepared only for the academic world. If that is your concern too, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Have a sense of what kind of work you want to do

While you don’t have to have everything set in stone, it’s helpful to have an idea of the type of professional you want to become and the steps you will need to get there. It will help you have your goals in mind and to prioritize the steps you need to take to get “your dream job.” It will also serve as a powerful reminder of what you are striving for in particularly difficult days.

Related: Don’t know what you want to do? Try the NYU Career Tracks Exercise for clarity

Aim to gain practical experience

Volunteer and intern as much as you can. The earlier the better. You need to define yourself as a professional and in most cases that is a trial and error process. After university check out fellowships and service programs. Checkidealist.org for options and/or pay a visit to your career center, as they usually have a list of programs already in place. You can also check Stanford’s fellowship database, which has over 500 opportunities listed and many of them offer compensation.

Related: How to find a volunteer opportunity that will enhance your career

Focus on activities that will help you develop the “transferable skills” you will need for your dream job

If you are not interested in work in editorial or communications, being a peer reviewer of your university journal may not be as great addition to your CV as managing a fundraiser for your local animal shelter or helping with the logistics of an event in your university. Always keep in mind that if you are not interested in the project or activity and it does not contribute directly to the development of skills you will need, it will be added stress and a waste of time. There are many ways to be involved with your university that are helpful to your future career.

Related: Just graduated? Focus on transferable skills to land a job

Use your university’s connections

The alumni network of your university is a great way to connect with practitioners in the field and learn about potential opportunities. If your university doesn’t have an established database, look for former alumni on LinkedIn or ask for your professors to help you with an introduction. Any awkward feeling can soon be compensated with an offer to buy them a coffee or a tea.

Related: How to connect with alumni and find potential opportunities

Don’t go into graduate school thinking is a “safe path” to future employment

I know the job market is difficult out there, especially for international development. Heck, I even wrote a book about it. However, there is this myth that you will find your path in graduate school or afterwards it will be so much easier to get a job. This is not always true.

For practitioners, graduate schools provide a great space to discuss new methodologies, discuss issues from the field, improve their discourse and update their perspectives. It is a great opportunity to make a career change or become more of an expert in your chosen field. And often, when those people come out of graduate school having a few years of experience, their pay grade raises significantly.

That being said, there are other factors that affect job opportunities; for example, entry-level professionals, especially if studied the social sciences, might have a harder time finding a job. For international development jobs, employers often look for a) previous related experience, b) international experience and c) cultural adaption. Therefore, dedicating a year in a fellowship, Peace Corps or any other year-long volunteering program could be a much better investment. Or if you feel like you are missing out some practical skills, start with project management courses. Most importantly, don’t get into huge debt thinking graduate school will change completely your employment status…This simply isn’t always the case.

Article first published at: http://idealistcareers.org/can-graduate-school-help-you-land-a-job-in-international-development/

As you may or may not know, I wrote my first book “Doing What You Love!” and with that came a lot of learning. First, I decided to publish the book by myself, very independently and with a lot of self-financing. It was completely worth it having the freedom to launch your own product, but it was also absolutely terrifying. I had to own up any and every criticism. This was mine - start to finish, so there was nowhere to duck or cover.

The newsletter already existed before the book launch, and you can catch some editions here, here and here. But also subscribe. I don’t post them a lot in the page itself, because I feel like I’m cheating the guys that wait every Monday for a new edition. So, they get privileges for being loyal.

Now, I’m working on the Facebook page and twitter. I know that I need different voices and formats for different communities with different styles and that comes with building the community itself. Facebook can become a self-moderated community with time, whereas twitter is a quicker megaphone, but doesn’t allow giving up that much ownership.

Step by step, I’m creating this community and interaction with people and it is really rewarding. So, I hope to see you around and I hope you are enjoying the changes!

[caption id=“” align=“alignnone” width=“690”] “Writing is a struggle against silence”[/caption]

Sometimes I get the odd question why do you write? Which usually triggers an awkward reaction of responding… I don’t know? Or I just got used to doing it… Which are not entirely true, but are not wrong either.

Writing is my natural way of expressing myself. I would like to think that my arguments are better rounded; I’m funnier and somehow more likely to be taken serious. Maybe because words don’t have gender, colour or an age group? But if I’m being truly honest, writing for me is a cathartic process.

Everybody needs a safe space, where they can work their thoughts and ideas. Being a sort of bookish kid… Okay, forget the sort, being a total bookish kid, I saw in literature and writing a way to imagine a universe that was much bigger than me. In which I could conquer all my fears and be safely adventurous.

When I started going on adventures of my own and started exploring the “real” world. I had my notebook to write notes, make small confessions, be secretly sad or incredibly nervous. I could be my best self, owning up the most vulnerable me and it would all be ok. Maybe it is the last trace of traditionalism left in me, but I feel that there is something very powerful in the written word. There is an aura of eternity that makes every single word meaningful.

Now writing for me is a bridge to several people around the world. We can meet and discuss life; we can connect and share our stories, paths and sorrows. It’s no longer static, but a force on its own that reaches out and it is reached by many. I’m truly thankful for having the opportunity of expressing myself, because I know, it was not always historically possible. A lot of women had to fight for our privilege of today. But I’m also glad to have a voice and to have found a way to express it.

Hi guys,

So if you have been following this blog for a while you would know that I was writing a book! And that it hasn’t been all that easy, especially in the post-production stages… HOWEVER, I’m so glad about the results and that I was able to deliver before the end of May!

This started as just conversations, that become ideas and I’m so glad they turn out to something concrete that will hopefully support people in their pursuit for a job in international development.

In case you are wondering, the eBook is available on Gumroad and you can check it out in the link in the side bar or here.

In the midst of two major discussions on how development will be shaped in the coming years- the International Conference on Population and Development Beyond 2014 and the post-2015 development agenda - it is paramount that the needs of young people, especially young women are heard and included. For that, it is important to strengthen the agreements of ICPD in ICPD Beyond 2014, ensuring that those rights are prioritised in the discussions of the 2015 agenda. However, more than talk about the importance of hearing young people, this article discusses the dangers of not ensuring our rights.

My own country, Brazil, is supposed to be the booming power of South America. Its diplomatic core is well-renowned and it had an important role in re-defining discussions about development and the right to development from the countries from the considered “Global South”. Moreover it is actively trying to get a permanent position in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), claiming its regional expertise in mediation and peacebuilding. At the home front, on the other hand, gender-based violence is still part of the grim reality of being a woman. Rape, sexual assault and domestic violence are undeniable realities that are far from being treated with the seriousness that they deserve. When the victims are not explicitly blame for their aggressor’s crime, the system is so patriarchal and twisted that in a lot of the cases they just give up pressing charges.

Moreover, sexual and reproductive health services have appeared to have stop in time. Abortions are illegal. Many women are forced to carry through the pregnancy of anencephalic “babies” (essentially dead) with the risk of being arrested, because protecting the safety and well-being of those mothers was less important then not disturbing the group of the essentially white privileged males who have the religious seats in Congress. Yet, women are sexual assaulted and harassed every day and nothing is done about. Recently, it was discovered there was a whatsapp group that would set up dates to sexually assault women at the public transport in São Paulo. That’s how absurdly commonplace violence against women has become. Moreover, the large events we are having (World Cup, 2014 and Olympics, 2016) have only managed to succeed in increasing the cost of living, displacing people to the outskirts of major cities or forcibly removing people from their communities for aesthetical purposes.

Sexual and Gender-Based violence around the world are so rampant because even thought we have agreed on those principles, we don’t have a strong enough programming and incentives framework to make those needs a reality for all. The importance of incorporating those principles, with goals and deadlines to the post-2015 agenda is that beyond 2015 they will become a priority for the International aid system and for countries themselves. The MDGs defined project and funding priorities for the last 14 years, we advance so much on those 8 targets. But we need more. We need secondary education for girls, gender equality, democratic and safe cities, access to affordable health care with the guarantee of having our sexual and reproductive rights respected. We have reached space, overcame boundaries of science and advance a lot in creating a more dignified life for many, but it’s time we go beyond what we have to where we want to be.

This article was first published in CPDWatchdog47.

As you know, I’m writing a book on the International Development market and how to figure things out as a Humanities/Social Science student. Things are going well and I wrote the book itself sooner than I though, but the post-production process was a bit surprising. I always though writing would be the difficult part…

Let me tell you, I could have written (and definitely would have rather have written) three entire books and God knows how many articles trying to figure out the route of publishing the eBook that will balance low cost and high quality. It is pretty tough. So, right now, after adding a lot of great advice from friends and recruiters, I have passed the proofreading stage - which was fairly simple, to the mayhem of finding decent editing and formatting for the eBook at a reasonable cost. I get now why would people just pay publishers or let them do a lot of this work… It takes a lot of time and work to make sure you have the product that you envisioned in the first place.

I have been trying the freelancing route and I had some pretty horrid results with Elance. Some friends manage to find better results, so I’m not saying disregard it completely. To their credit, when I stated that I was not pleased with the services, they refunded me almost immediately.

Now, I’m back to trying to find a professional that would have this balance of great price and quality that would help me deliver results within my deadline. Fingers crossed

Let’s try to place ourselves in some bigger contexts, so within humanitarian and development work, you can be placed within three major areas:

RELIEF WORK

Also known as humanitarian assistance or emergency. Relief work is usually very high paced and short term. It is usually done in response to a sudden emergency, and comprises a rapid response to provide WASH (water and sanitation), food, shelter and logistical support.

PEACE BUILDING

This is development work carried out in conflict areas or areas that are just going through that transition. Those tend to be non-family duty stations.

DEVELOPMENT AID

This is usually what people mean when they talk about “development”. This is development carried out over an extended period, normally measured in years.

Understanding a job post:

So let’s become a little bit more practical, then. I have taken a random job post, so we can take a look:

Job post**: Project Officer Age International**

Salary: £31,500 per annum

Location**: London**

Hours**: 35 Hours Per Week**

Contract: Maternity Cover

Duration**: 9 months, with possible extension**

Job reference**: POAI/0314**

Closing date**: 25 March 2014**

First section of an advertisement will explain your title, the organisation, where you will be posted. Pay attention to where is located: London that means that job restrictions probably apply. The fact that this job is with Age international may mean that they would be willing to sponsor you, but that’s unlikely in the UK. Pay attention with similar situations with Oxfam GB, Amnesty UK, Save the Children UK, Care UK, IRC UK and others.

Other thing to look for: closing and posting dates. First, you don’t want to miss a closing date, so be aware at what date/time this post closes. If there is no clear time, just make sure you send by close of business (COB) in the location where post is being advertised. Secondly, why should you been looking for closing and posting dates? Because if a vacancy is only posted for a week, chances are this is not a “real” position. Due to most International Organisation and large NGOs recruitment and procurement practices a notice should be advertised for at least a week. Most processes go beyond the bare minimum to find suited candidates, so they are just trying to fill minimum requirements, I would be suspicious. I’m not saying not to apply for these posts, just be don’t create high expectations.

Job Description

Duties:

• Act as the Central Contact Person (CCP) for the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) ensuring excellent day-to-day information management in relation to the DEC.
• Main liaison point with the DEC, Age UK and HelpAge for international Emergency appeals and responses.
• Monitor budgets and expenditure for DEC appeals, co-ordinating the submission of drawdowns and ensuring pooled funds are remitted to the DEC of a regular basis.
• Coordinate the accountability process for Age International’s membership of the DEC.
• Review, contribute to and submit accurate narrative and financial reports, to donors as required.
• Monitor institutional grants ensuring all contractual requirements are understood and applied
• Provide financial support for annual planning and budgeting processes, reviewing management accounts and monitoring expenditure.
• Key liaison for Age International in the group-wide policy development work, reviewing all the policies and procedures Age International needs.

This is the main part you have to address in a cover letter. After reading this you have to ask yourself: can I do this job? How can I perform each of these tasks or if you had performed those?

Requirements:

• Experience of working in a similar role, ideally within a charity/international setting.
• Excellent understanding of budgets and proven financial management skills.
• Able to work to tight deadlines.
• Able to prioritise workload, especially during appeals when it will be very busy.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Ability to comprehend and assimilate complex information.
• Experience of working to support projects overseas, desirable.

This is obviously a very important section of the job advert, as it details how they are screening candidates. The position calls for direct experience in a “similar role”, which means experience as a programme officer, but mainly interacting with other actors on behalf of an organization. This may sound difficult for newcomers, but this sort of experience could easily be come by through a voluntary position in your Student Union or at a part-time job.

“Excellent analytical skills” or “Ability to comprehend and assimilate complex information” are soft skills that are highlighted as important, and are readily achievable from past work or from experience in a group or team (e.g. editorial boards, organising events etc.). Slightly more demanding to achieve are “Excellent understanding of budgets and proven financial management skills”. If you have any experience reporting how funds have been spent (e.g. to the University after organising an event you), this will have provided you with relevant skills.

In the last requirement, there is a qualifying phrase “desirable”, indicating that “Experience of working to support projects overseas”, has not been prioritized in the requirements. Allowing those without that experience to apply, but also meaning that in the case of many applicants with the same profile, that can be the element of decision.

Before you start getting invested in this process, you should seriously question: is development work for me? I’m not trying to crush your dreams here; I’m trying to make you think on the reason why you are investing your time and energy in this profession. What drives you? Why do you think you can do it well? What interested you in the first place?

This will help you clarify, not only your strengths, goals and vision, but also, help you correct paths if you realise maybe you are not interested in development. How so? Here are some examples:

“I decided to work in Development because I like travelling…” - If the travelling part is really what motivates you, then do just that. Become a travel blogger, travel guide or just plain adventurous. There are plenty of ways of making money while travel the World that are also development-related. I get more into it in the book, but you can always check HelpX and WOOF to find ways I which you can work while travelling if your goal is to see the world.

“I feel like working on Development would make me a better, more charitable person…” - It can do, but it is not a rule. For many people development is a purpose, for others is a 9-5 job or a diplomatic function without the attachment to a State. The ones that suffer the most are the ones that see as their purpose (as I do) because we tend to assume people’s motivations would at least be similar to yours and they don’t. Bear that in mind, have your truth clear and don’t force rules for the game on people that were not aware they were playing by. You can be incredibly charitable and not work in development. Supporting your charities of choice is one way of doing it. You can also be very uncharitable and work in development. My point is: your actions matter more than your intentions.

“I always wanted to work for the UN” - There are literally thousands of different UN posts. You can be at the UN as a representative of your country. You can be a translator, receptionist, driver, editor, engineer… You can work in the UN under almost any job under the sun (and snow, rain and grizzle) so having development itself is not a strategic advantage. Again, this is not to depressed you or try to get you discouraged. You need to see things clearly, there are plenty of jobs of the UN, but they are specialized, so you will HAVE to know what you can and cannot do. And in that lies one of the biggest issues for development students.

This is not a soul-crunching exercise, but to get closer to your own goal, you have to clarify what that goal is. There is no point of me sitting here and telling you how to apply for a post if you don’t have it clear how that post looks like. So, how do you find out? I’ll tell you next time we meet!