Photo Credit: © Annette Lemieux

As a global executive search firm, Mission Talent is in the business of having in-depth conversations with people from all over the world. In the spirit of connecting global leaders, we recently held a digital event on how NGOs and social movements can work together.

Recent social unrest has opened doors for change, but to remain relevant and impactful, NGOs must connect and keep working closely with social movements. This requires speed, agility, and vision, which can be hard to do within traditional organisational structures.

To discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that arise from working with social movements, we were joined by Anabella Rosemberg, International Programme Director at Greenpeace International in France; Avijit Michael, Executive Director at Jhatkaa.org in India, and Alejandra Bravo, Director of Leadership and Training at the Broadbent Institute in Canada. Here are a few of the themes that stood out from the very rich discussion:

“Enter and find yourself within, and find out what is your contribution, or step out.”
A social movement is defined as a moment with a huge level of action by people who are not usually activists. For an NGO in this space, it is challenging because there is the temptation to exert control and create structure. NGOs must manage their expectations, and decide whether they are part of the movement or not. They must embrace chaos and make themselves useful in a way that is movement generous, without the expectation of having a structure or any space for decision-making. 

“This isn’t just about recovery, but about rebuilding”.
COVID-19 has been a great revealer of what is currently wrong in our societies. It has brought out the best side as communities, but also highlighted social inequalities and discrimination all over the world. It has given us a rare opening to view what can be changed in society, and how it is possible to change the rules when needed if we work together. Social movements, across regions and issues, are coming together organically and they are connecting the dots that were missing before. In all of this, NGOs can contribute to social movements as allies, assisting in policy formulation, communications strategies or providing media and leadership training. 

“These crises give us opportunities to reflect on how connected we are to the societies in which we are trying to effect change”.
For NGOs to be relevant, they must become more reflective of society in terms of diversity and representation. NGOs need to challenge themselves to grow out of this current crisis. There is no “relationship” with a social movement as whole, but with people. Organisations were caught off guard on discrimination when Black Lives Matters erupted, and they should not have been. It happened because of a relational and representational disconnect. In order to build these relationships, organisations need to be transparent about what their interests are. They need to consistently show up without stepping in front and learn from the demands that are made from society in moments of eruption. 

“We need to move away from working issue by issue, campaign by campaign. It is not going to help us change the world.”
We must be radically committed to equity and not make people choose amongst their needs. By not connecting issues, we are doing just this. The anti-racism fight is not separate from the climate crisis. Communities do not experience one in the absence of the other. They experience everything at once. NGOs are making too many assumptions about what their supporters are experiencing without having engaged well first.

We’d like to thank our speakers for this rich discussion on this important topic. Please watch our social media for announcements about events in the future.

Mission Talent is currently searching for the new Executive Director for the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research. So, we decided to take a moment to learn more about the organisation and understand why investing in African social science policy research is important.

PASGR was founded in 2011 as a response to the declining academic standards, especially in quantitative research methods, in African social science institutions. It was initially funded by DFID with five-years to become self-sustaining. But it managed to do so in only two years, adding supporters like the Carnegie, Hewlett and Mastercard Foundations. To date, it has partnerships with 14 universities across more than ten African countries, with the goal of expanding in western and northern Africa. 

PASGR’s focus on public policy research is based on the understanding that public policy cuts across all sectors such as health, education, economics, arts and culture. As such, it hopes to positively influence public policy decision-making in Africa through its collaborative programmes to bring about social change. Its three core programmes are Research, Higher Education, and Professional Development and Training. 

PASGR’s Research Programme focuses on governance, with the core themes of urban governance, inclusive development, and social protection. The organisation has its sights set on providing increased opportunities for governance research, capacity building, and direct engagement between emerging scholars and established senior researchers. 

PASGR’s Higher Education Programme includes the Pedagogical Leadership in Africa (PeDaL) programme that brings together eight partners under the vision of transforming teaching and learning practices to enhance the quality of graduate programmes in Africa. It is the only African-led programme of its sort – and currently being implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Botswana. 

Throughout the years, PASGR also has enrolled more than 700 students in its Master’s Programme in Research and Public Policy, in its partner universities. PASGR continues to set its sights even higher.  A doctoral program in public policy is in the design phase and is envisioned to be established in different continental universities, fostering collaboration and an evidence-based approach to public policy on the continent. 

Through its Professional Development and Training, also known as the PASGR Institutes, the organisation has trained over 1600 researchers. Key features of the training programmes include the integration of gender and academic leadership development for university leaders.

It is this strive for excellence that led to PASGR being awarded an A+ in its ten-year DFID annual review. For its next phase, PASGR seeks to expand its reach to become a truly pan-African organisation, reflective of the full diversity of the continent. It will measure its success not by numbers of those enrolled in its programmes, but by how research is translated into “social and public policy that addresses the current and future key development needs of Africa”.

Spotlight On is an occasional series on some of the lessons we learn from our clients.

As we search for the new Executive Director for Oxfam Mexico, we took some time to learn more about the organisation's work in Mexico, and how inequality is expressed in daily life. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a light on inequality all over the world, and the case of Mexico is especially stark. With 53 million people living in poverty, it is ranked among the most unequal countries in the world and it is currently on the brink of financial crisis as the value of the Peso fluctuates to a degree rarely seen in recent history.

Inequality in Mexico has deep historical roots and manifests itself in wide discrepancies among the standard of living and life expectancy. The conditions that one is born into determines the trajectory of employment and educational opportunities, which widens the inequality gap, even within people from the same regions. The country is also geographically divided by income level; while the north has greater purchasing power, the south has the lowest wages.

According to the Women’s National Institute in Mexico, in some regions, women receive a salary of up to 60% less than men. in addition, women take on a larger responsibility of unpaid household work and emotional labour: on average, a woman spends 40 days per year on housework, compared to the 16 days a man spends. For the lower class, the difference is even wider: women dedicate 45 days a year to household chores, compared to 15 for men.

Indigenous people in Mexico carry out the majority of agricultural, construction or informal work, and overall have incomes that fall below the average. They are also more likely to live in isolated areas without access to basic services. The situation for women indigenous people is even worse; according to the United Nations, 7% of indigenous women live on less than USD $1.90 a day.

Oxfam International has created a tracking tool that ranks the commitment of countries to reducing inequality. In 2018, Mexico ranked among one of the least committed countries to reducing inequality. 

In this context, organisations like Oxfam Mexico are leading an action plan to influence different stakeholders to promote change. They take a three-pronged approach: 

1. Opening public space to debate and proposing ideas through campaigns and research to influence decision-makers; 
2. Creating alliances through the identification of other actors with common agendas to join efforts; and 
3. Working directly in the communities through economic, social, inclusive and sustainable development programmes, such as the program to support indigenous communities in defence of land and fair access to natural resources in Oaxaca. 

Oxfam Mexico also has an important voice as a Southern leader within the Oxfam confederation, which is leading a global campaign on inequality called Even It Up.

Like Oxfam Mexico, other institutions have joined voices to increase pressure to generate change, including FUNDAR, and Equis Justicia, IPAS, and Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir among others. Working together, they know that their voice will be louder and that they will be heard.

Recently, many people are finding themselves working at home for the first time. While some of us are used to working from home, others are finding it challenging, especially if you also have your children and the rest of your family around. 

At Mission Talent, we have more than ten years of experience working from our home offices. Reflecting on our first-hand experience, we offer tips that could help you to adapt to working from home — without compromising your productivity and health. 

Set up your workspace

• Like every great chef who prepares their kitchen to cook, you need a fresh clean space just for work. Having a designated workspace allows you to enter into work mode once you sit there, and "leave" work at the end of the day.
• If you don’t have a separate home office, you could use your kitchen table. Prepare and clean the table before you start working, and when it is time to eat, close your computer and hide it away, so you maintain small boundaries between activities. 
• Just because you are working at home, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a comfortable chair, a proper mouse and keyboard, and good headphones. You will be spending a lot of time with these tools, invest in the right ones.
• Make sure you have the programmes and tools you need to start working from home, like Slack or Zoom, along with other project management tools. But just because you have online workspaces, it doesn’t mean they run themselves, we suggest setting some ground rules and designating someone to keep them organized.

Set a daily routine

• It may be tempting to work in your PJs, but don’t underestimate the power of changing clothes — it helps your brain establish clear boundaries and stimulus to get into a “work-mode” and differentiate from your home routine. You might not need to be as dressed up as you would be for the office but dress in a way that demonstrates respect to yourself and your colleagues.
• Set your work schedule, the specific time you're going to start and finish. Be clear with your working hours and respect your schedule. When working from home it can be too easy to fall into the trap of over-working. 
• Add your availability and working hours into your calendar, so it is clear for your colleagues as well. Announce when you are online, say “good morning” or “good night” to let your team know when you are switching off.
• Know what time of day works for you to do what and play to your strengths. If you like to have quiet time in the morning to work, and take your calls in the afternoon or vice-versa, try to get into a routine. 

Mind your well-being

• Moving is important, mentally and physically.  Put regular workout times in your calendar, even if it's a home workout.  Small workouts matter too — do some yoga at home or jump 5 times, go for a walk, or take a dance break. 
• Take proper breaks. Get up from your chair and walk, have coffee or tea, or lunch. Don't fall into the trap of eating in front of your computer.
• Get outside every day. It can be a good way to help yourself transition from working to your own time.
• Try to maintain your regular eating habits to avoid the sluggish feeling of your metabolism having to adjust to new diet patterns.

Practice healthy communication  

• Have conversations with your colleagues. If you are used to working in an office with more people, you will soon miss the informal conversations and human contact. Pick a moment during early morning or at the end of the day to have a 30-minute check-in with your colleagues. 
• If you struggle to concentrate on your tasks, you can connect with a colleague via Skype or Zoom and work together in silence. Working with someone else online will give you a higher sense of commitment and responsibility. 
• Understand that written communication is different. Sometimes, the tone we put into a message we read is not the same as the one it was written in. If you are not sure, don’t assume — ask instead. You may not know what is going on on the other side of the screen. 
• If you have a problem or a sensitive topic you need to talk about, choose a call instead of a chat. It will save you time and potential misunderstandings. 

Be mindful of video-call etiquette

• If you have a conference call with your team, turn your camera on. Position the camera of your computer at your eye-level and look at the camera during an active conversation. Conversations run smoothly when we can include non-verbal communication cues. 
• If you are interrupted by the doorbell, your children or your dog, the best option is to excuse yourself, turn off your video and sound for a moment and take care of what you need to do. You can also help out your colleagues if they need it — the “host” of a Zoom meeting can mute anyone. 
• The people you are meeting with will appreciate it if you have a clean background behind you. It can be stressful to talk to someone who is sitting in front of a messy bookshelf, behind a bright light, or in front of an open door. 
• Your computer should have a “Do Not Disturb” setting — you can enable this function when you are in an important call so that no automatic alerts can interrupt and distract you. 
• Use headphones — the audio will be better and you will have less interference from external noise.

Feel free to reach out to us. We are here to support you. 
 

In 2009, Mission Talent was founded in Germany and South Africa. Today, the company has grown to a team of nine consultants based on four continents representing seven nationalities. To mark this anniversary, Katja Schramm, the Director of Mission Talent, reflects on what she has learned over the past decade, and what she is looking forward to in the next one. 

When you look back on the last ten years, what do you feel is your biggest achievement?
My biggest achievement is having built a company that is woman-owned, multicultural and made up of a close-knit team who works together virtually. To date, we have placed more than 390 leaders in 64 countries, and we have become known as a partner for organisations seeking a robust and thorough search process that increases their access to under-represented talent. Our team is driven by our commitment to place diverse and impact-driven leaders who are representative of the people they serve. 

When Mission Talent was launched, we set our sights on placing local talent, and in doing so we’ve been able to contribute to the enormous need to place women and candidates from the global South and East in leadership positions. We have worked with some of the biggest international NGOs, and we also have worked with organisations that represent new forms of organising models. Mission Talent has had the privilege of placing so many exciting leaders over the years, some of whom we recently profiled in a series of interviews about leadership transitions. 

What shifts have you seen in the international development sector?
In just ten years, we have seen a much-needed shift from a sector primarily led by the North to organisations wanting to be representative of the region they are serving by hiring local talent. While our sector still suffers from a lack of women leaders, we have seen a shift towards hiring more women, including diverse women, for leadership roles. 

Over the years, we have placed many executives that must lead across global federated structures. For these types of roles, we are looking for people with strong cross-cultural coordination skills and an influencing and enabling leadership style that brings people along.  But increasingly we are seeing the down-sides that come with operating from within federated structures and, with that, a drive to other forms of organising that can be more impactful. At the same time, we’ve seen a rise of virtual organisations and social enterprises and these are taking up spaces that were previously occupied by traditional INGOs. 

We have also seen an increase in people working remotely, and the possibility of positions being based at global hubs, making it easier to tap into broader and local talent markets. This especially provides more flexibility for hiring female candidates. 

For me, and all of us at Mission Talent, the biggest issue in recent years has been the safeguarding crisis, which has shaken our sector. Because so many brave individuals have been coming forward and speaking up, we have witnessed a much greater awareness and collaboration on safeguarding issues.

How has the safeguarding crisis impacted recruiting for the international development sector?
To be honest, it has left the sector and us at Mission Talent a bit in shock because everyone initially felt rather helpless. It's good that there is greater awareness and that reference checks and interviews are more robust, but what is missing is easier access to information about people who have had safeguarding issues. I would like to see a common effort from organisations so that we can avoid rehiring people who are known to have behaved inappropriately because even if we ask about these issues in a reference check, it is legal constraints make it unlikely for references to be frank about the matter.

At Mission Talent, we have a zero-tolerance approach for inappropriate behaviour and we are watching out for any warning signs throughout the entirety of our recruitment processes. We keep our ears close to the ground and pay attention to any kind of red flag. This includes listening to what people say, but even more so to what they don’t say. We are also starting to think more about incorporating psychometric tests, but this is a complicated approach to tackling the issue. 

What would be your advice to clients that want to recruit for diversity?
Don't be too strict in looking for the perfect match. Rather look for someone who brings emotional skills and strategic capacity, and then provide them with the training and mentoring to enhance their leadership and management skills. Recruiting a diverse leader can be time-consuming, and organisations need to be patient and invest the time and training to recruit people who have not previously held senior positions. Our sector cannot be more diverse and representative unless we invest in lifting people up. 

What are you looking forward to at Mission Talent?
In the immediate future, I am looking forward to rebranding and showcasing a fresh look for Mission Talent. We soon will have a new logo and website, and instead of using photos of people, we will be using custom illustrations. I am excited about this because I believe this to be the most ethical way to market a company working for social impact.

I am also excited about expanding my team. We are looking to bring in new client managers to help us grow in regions like MENA and Asia. We will also be looking more closely at some of the new players in international development, like social enterprises, and will seek to work with them.  

What gives you hope as you look at the field of international development and global change?
When I see young people taking ownership of their future, it gives me immense hope, and I am encouraged by young people's zero-tolerance for racism, populism, and the abuse of our planet. The future is with those young people. 

I’m also heartened by countries like Finland and New Zealand, who embrace young female leadership, and countries who are looking at alternative forms of measuring development, like focusing on well-being in Iceland or happiness in Bhutan. 

These are the things that give me hope. 

At the end of 2017, Mission Talent placed ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye as the Country Director for WaterAid in Nigeria. Previously, she was the Country Director at Girl Effect, and also the Country Director for Oxfam in Nigeria. In this interview, she talks about the role of women in making change happen, new approaches to providing access to toilets, and how WaterAid is influencing the government in Nigeria and, in turn, the rest of Africa.

How has your experience been with WaterAid so far? What programmes or campaigns are you working on now that you are excited about?
It has been an extremely wonderful experience. I come from the development sector, but I didn’t come from the water and sanitation sector, so it was a bit of a learning curve in trying to understand the topic within the Nigerian context. It was a surprise that up to 34% of Nigerians do not have access to adequate water and almost 60% don’t have access to adequate sanitation. Nigeria has 180 million people, so this is a lot of individuals and I was tasked with seeing how we can scale up WaterAid’s work. Trying to provide services is not an option because Nigeria is huge and WaterAid is not a big organisation and, nonetheless, it is the government’s responsibility to provide services. Instead, what we have done is to try and build a partnership with the government to support them in building capacity, strategic planning, and delivery. The government needs to be in the driver's seat and to prioritise water and sanitation. We’re not prescribing to the government what to do, we are advising them, and of course, we’re not the only ones trying to push this agenda, we also have The World Bank, UNICEF, and Action Against Hunger. 

The federal government has been on-board completely. Last year they declared a state of emergency in the water and sanitation sector, and they have really given the political will and drafted a national action plan. Part of that plan is a nationwide campaign on sanitation that we are working on with them. We’re still designing this campaign and don’t want to run faster than the government, because they need to be in the driver’s seat, so we have not launched it yet. A challenge we have is to try and get the state governments to do the same — to prioritise water and sanitation in the way the federal government has done. A lot of people recognise that water is necessary, but they don’t see sanitation as being as important, and so that has been a major challenge for us.  Another major challenge has been fundraising and trying to get the resources because everybody is chasing the same funders and the same donors. Even though water and sanitation are very critical, many donors are diverting from the water and sanitation sector. 

Nigeria is one of the largest and most influential countries in Africa, how does your work in Nigeria influence the rest of Africa?
Nigeria plays a very crucial role in Africa both in West Africa, the African Union and beyond. We are doing quite a lot in terms of advocacy and networking and to ensure that we are in all the influential meetings. We are also trying to get the Nigerian government to advocate for our positions because when they speak at these sub-regional bodies, it carries a lot of weight. 

Of course, we’re also able to influence our own organisation, because we have a regional office that will share best practices from the country offices. At WaterAid, we try to influence the ministries of different countries, and it always helps when you say, “Well, this is already being done in Nigeria”. Sharing best practices can be really helpful, so we’re making sure that the things that we do are properly documented and that we are sharing it within the wider organisation. Then, of course, we try to do a lot of media interviews across Africa. I have done quite a lot across the West Africa region, so trying to influence through the media and beyond the borders of Nigeria. 

Nigeria is densely populated, with large slums that still need access to toilets. What progress have you made and lessons can you share that would apply in other places?
Sanitation is a tough one because to be able to improve sanitation, people have to own toilets. It is not something that you can put in a central area like water that people go to fetch. You really need to have personal toilets, if not, most people will resort to open defecation. To have personalised toilets, they have to buy the toilets, because it is not sustainable to say that the government can provide toilets in people’s homes.

We have identified that there are three types of people who don’t own toilets. First, the people who can afford the toilets, but are accustomed to open defecation. These people don’t need a grant, they just need information on the toilets as something affordable and then they can pay for it. Second, there are people who know about toilets but can't afford the entire $80 or $100 that is required to build a complete toilet. Third, we have people who cannot afford the toilet at all.  What we have found in the past is that a lot of people constructed toilets when they were told about the importance of sanitation and hygiene, but the quality of the toilets was so poor that during the rainy seasons they collapsed. So those people that spent the small amount of money they have in trying to build this toilet and then having the toilets collapse don’t want to hear about toilets anymore, they want to do open defecation. 

We have launched a sanitation marketing programme, through which we’re trying to get small businesses to become interested in sanitation. What is very important for us is to train masons and bricklayers on how to properly set toilets so that there are no issues with them. We are also training the first set of door-to-door salespeople, and then attaching them to these entrepreneurs. The door-to-door salespeople get the business, they come to the toilet builders, and then they get a commission for every toilet that they build. It is a completely private sector-led approach that targets individuals who can afford toilets.

We are working with microfinance institutions to be able to provide finance to people that can afford part of the costs of a toilet to work with a monthly repayment plan. For those that can't afford it at all, we are working with the government to be able to provide toilets for this group of people. We’re pushing the SaTo Pans which are durable and cheap. They were developed by LIXIL and only cost about $3. We are also working with one of the state governments here to try and set up a plant for recycling human waste. In slum areas, once we make faeces a commodity, people will be able to take their waste to recycling centres where it can be transformed into a secondary product and they get paid for it. There is a lot to do, but as I said, many of these things need to be driven by the private sector and our role is to try and get the private sector awakened and aware of these different opportunities in the sanitation sector.  

You transitioned from a women’s rights organisation to WaterAid, how have the rights of women and girls continued to be a part of your work at WaterAid?
Well, for me it was a very easy transition, it was actually one that I wanted to do because it is mostly women who fetch water, and it is mostly women who are affected by poor sanitation, so WASH solutions are a very practical way of addressing women’s issues. What I have brought to the table is to recognise women’s role in decision-making and to ensure that we are training women as toilet builders. That was a bit of a controversy when I came in because a lot of the men who were in the organisation assumed that women would not be interested since it requires a lot of hard labour to dig the toilets. I told them there is no way you are going to know if women are interested if you don’t even let the women know that this opportunity exists. I insisted that we train the women, and in our first training three women participated. We can see that there are women who are interested and who are willing to venture into the water and sanitation sector, so we have pushed for that. Coming from a women’s rights background, I always say: there is no difference between men and women except their physiology — aspirations, interests, they are the same, so if you expose women to the opportunities that men have, then you find that there will be women who are interested. 

You have a PhD in Sociology, which is unique for a Country Director.  How have your studies informed your work?
I actually became a sociologist because I wanted to work in development. Sociology looks at how groups and group behaviour influences society, and we recognise that nobody lives in a vacuum, nobody lives on their own — people are products of their communities. So, when it comes to development, we have come a long way in terms of our perspective in that just because something worked in the West, does not mean it will work in Africa. Previously, we didn’t understand how those communities were organised or what made people behave in a certain way and how change happens. I think this is exactly where my sociology has been extremely helpful. In being able to make change happen, I am constantly critical of our methodology, trying to make sure that we understand that even in the same country what works in one part of our country may not necessarily work in the next part. We need to understand the community in its totality and how they are organised. Sociology makes me understand that if you're bringing good, that good has to do no harm because you need to understand how the community functions in order to be able to bring about change that will be sustainable. 
 

In October 2018, Mission Talent placed Masego Madzwamuse as the CEO for The Southern Africa Trust. Previously, she was the Team Leader for the Economic and Social Justice Cluster at the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA).

In this interview, she talks about how she has built up the resources of The Trust so it can tackle a long term agenda; and connects the dots between poverty, conservation, climate, and trade in Southern Africa.   

You have been the CEO at The Southern Africa Trust for almost a year. What have been the highlights for you thus far?
I joined The Trust at a time of multiple transitions, so there are a few highlights I’d like to share. First, I realised that there's a lot of partners who are committed to supporting an African-based and -led, grant-making organisation that play this critical role in policy advocacy. When I joined, like most non-profit organisations the Trust was faced with a challenge of sustainability driven by the changes in the funding landscape. Most of the funding agreements were coming to an end, but since then a number of donors have come on board to give us both operational support and programme support. The Ford Foundation has given us flexible funding to support our institutional capacity work and also have rallied behind our business and sustainability plan- a cutting edge space in our efforts for diversifying our funding base. One of the other partners who stepped up to our request for further support is the Mott Foundation which came on board with a three-year programme to support us in building a body of work around community philanthropy — making it possible for the Trust to continue with our grantmaking mandate. GIZ also came through with a three-year programme that is committed to keeping the voice of civil society within the regional integration agenda. The Open Society Foundation also stepped in to give us support for programmatic funding, having confidence from the relationship that I've had with them in the past, but also their own understanding of the role that The Trust plays in the region. Collectively, the funding that has come through has stabilised the funding base of the Trust for another two years, while we work on putting together a long-term sustainability plan. 

The other thing that I'm quite excited about is that we have appointed a new board chair — Stigmata Tenga, the Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Network. When you have women in leadership, it brings an opportunity to craft an organisation that is committed to women’s empowerment within the SADC region, but also an organisation that is led through emotional intelligence, compassion and a focus on staff wellbeing as core to the institutional culture.

The third highlight is, that since 2016, the board and the management of The Trust have been discussing the establishment of an income generating arm of The Trust that would mobilise resources and develop partnerships with mission driven private sector and provide fee-for-services to governments, donors, and the development sector in general. Three works ago, the board fully endorsed the establishment of this new social enterprise, so we will be recruiting a business plan expert who is going to be driving that sustainability arm of the organisation. This is certainly a space to watch as we develop new partnerships and learn from the corporate and social impact investment field and a number of non-profit organisations looking into innovative sources of funding. The investment arm is critical for the Trust to continue with our grantmaking mandate and mission.

The Southern Africa Trust works to increase the voices of civil society and policymaking in Southern Africa to eradicate poverty. What are you focusing on currently and what issues do you see as most urgent in the region?
Our emphasis on amplifying the voices of poor people is to acknowledge and build on the social agency that those who are affected by poverty themselves have. We have continued to be committed to building the social movements that galvanise the political voice of the poor and organise them to be more influential as a collective. We’ve remained dedicated to providing direct support and platforms to the social movements and organisations that represent those groups, so we continue to work with the Southern African People’s Solidarity Network.  We’re continuing to support the small-scale farmers through the Regional Farmers Association groups, and also putting emphasis in developing a programme and consolidating our work around women’s empowerment in support of the Rural Women’s Assembly. We also are continuing to work with the informal traders’ groupings through the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association. It’s quite critical that we continue to support these formations and seek out emerging movements, particularly as our governments are pushing big agendas around the continental free trade agreement and the SADC Industrialisation Plan. Trade is coming back into the African policy space as an important issue for unlocking economic development. We are emphasising the need for the continental trade agreement to be people-driven and responsive to the needs of people on the ground. I'm quite excited about that. 

I think that work on community philanthropy is really important because it goes beyond unlocking funding for civil society to actually strengthen the voice and space for democratising development at the local level where policy implementation is taking place. In line with building proactive constituencies of the poor to effectively demand accountability we are reaching out to organisations that work in the humanitarian, development, and the environmental space pushing for intersectionality. For instance, next month, we’re going to be convening in Zimbabwe with Amnesty International, Oxfam, ActionAid, and the SADC Council of NGOs to draw lessons from the impact and the preparedness around which governments and civil society responded to the emergency that was presented by Cyclone Idai. In that space, what we are trying to do is to surface the issues from a community perspective and amplify them, so we’re going to be flipping the script and through a three-day process where we’re purely listening to the conversation driven by the communities; their experiences, needs, aspirations, and what they would like to see being done differently. This forms part of a broader conversation on how you build community resilience to climate change at a local level. It is a timely dialogue in this era of climate urgency, natural hazards will continue to occur as a result of climate change, however they do not need to be disasters if proper systems are developed on the ground and communities are equipped with the right knowledge and support. 

The Southern Africa Trust’s mission is to strengthen the voices of poor people in policy processes, which is a unique mandate. How has The Trust helped poor people influence policy?
One of the examples is our work with cross border traders from Malawi where we negotiate between the customs authorities in Malawi and South Africa to ease customs procedures and reduce transaction costs for informal traders. While SADC has a free trade agreement in place, the agreement largely focuses on making it easier for business in the formal sector, The Trust has worked on some of the challenges that informal traders are facing. The ease of movement across borders is high on the agenda especially at borders where there are high-pressure points, like between Mozambique and South Africa, and South Africa and Zimbabwe. While the progress is happening at a bilateral level, we are hoping to upscale regional policy advocacy on movement of people at the SADC level. The recent signing of the continental free trade agreement offers an opportune moment to reignite the cross border traders movements. 

Another practical example has to do with the reparation of social security benefits for ex-mine workers migrant workers. For a while, people who had worked in the South African mines were not able to access their benefits upon their return to home countries. Through funding from DFID, we’ve been working with the Department of Trade and Industry and the South African Miners Association and Health Focus  to trace the beneficiaries and to begin the repatriation process. At a regional level, this work has opened up a conversation on regional social protection policy that is sensitive to labour migration patterns in the region. Relatedly, we have been working with FinMark Trust on opening up financial corridors for informal traders. There has been work between Lesotho and South Africa where migrant workers are able to remit some of their income back home through retail networks. For example, Shoprite has a money transfer programme that allows workers to remit their funds back to their home countries with very minimal transaction costs. This tags into a bigger agenda of financial inclusion for poor people. 

You have a background in environmental science, and previously had a long career with the IUCN. Are environmental issues part of your work today?
Absolutely — the reason being that biodiversity, environment and natural resources are the GDP of the poor. If you think about it, for a lot of the agricultural communities, being dependent on rain-fed agriculture means that healthy ecosystems are important for supporting their livelihoods. The environment also plays a big developmental role within the Southern African in terms of wildlife and tourism — a number of countries highlight this sector as important for economic diversification. It is difficult for me to think about a poverty reduction and development agenda that is oblivious to environmental sustainability.  

Climate change presents a major threat in terms of eroding the developmental gains that we have had in the region, and poor people are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. If our issue is really around amplifying the voice of poor people and reducing poverty and inequality, we can't ignore the space of climate policy. We have to be involved in making sure that climate change is responsive to those who are most affected. 

From a policy advocacy point of view, we are looking at ways in which The trust can contribute to that discourse. There is a lot of work to be done in terms of building internal capacities, of understanding the links between climate change, social policy and development.  A few partners have come on board to work closely with us, including UNEP, Resource Africa, Namibia Association of CBNRM Organisations (NACSO), Resilient Waters and a number of environmental organisations that have experience working in the space of community-based natural resource management. We are working together to amplify the voices of communities who are stewards of wildlife resources and highlighting the importance of increasing benefits and their roles and responsibilities within the management of the natural resources. This is very much part of the Trusts’ agenda to mobilise movements for accountability and strengthen the voice of the poor in public policy processes. While our partners bring sector specific expertise the Trust brings social and political advocacy networks.

There has been a lot of excitement over the growing movement for African philanthropy in recent years. How would you describe the state of African philanthropy and what trends do you see that are promising? 
The growing collaboration between African philanthropists and development practitioners is encouraging because I think there is an opportunity for us to work towards a collective vision, drawing on the comparative advantages that the different actors bring. What I find really encouraging as well is that unlocking the resources within the continent and channelling them towards our own development priorities means that Africa is positioning itself to be in charge of shaping the narrative and taking charge of the direction that development is taking in the continent. 

The other trend that I find quite encouraging has been in the work on community philanthropy. We have been looking into tapping into existing cultural practices of giving, but having conversations about how we organise and consolidate these practices and work with communities to identify collective programmes that they can contribute towards. These conversations unlock a strategic relationship between communities’ needs on the ground and the corporate social responsibility of the private sector. The strategic partnerships that are developing between NGOs and the private sector is an important space to keep looking into. 

As a leader, it is always important to reflect on your skillset. What skills do you find that you specifically bring to the role that has made you successful?
I have really found my background as a development policy analyst, a conservation and environment practitioner, and my work in the human rights space useful in terms of thinking holistically about the work that we do. My background also has been beneficial in thinking through the kinds of partnerships that we need to have in place so that we can take the mandate of The Trust a step further — the networking capacity across the sectoral divide has been quite useful. Having come from a grant-making organisation with a fundraising background has been useful in enabling The Trust to think differently about the business and development and the sustainability direction that we are taking. The networks that I have and the experience I have engaging with the private sector, philanthropy and also the traditional donor landscape space, has been quite useful. 

My creativity and flexibility have helped me to balance the multiple transitions that are needed within the organisation, while at the same time not losing sight of the importance of creating a positive environment within the team so that people keep inspired to do the very difficult work we have to push ahead. 

As you look forward to the years ahead at The Southern African Trust, what are you excited about achieving?
I am excited about building financial sustainability of the organisation, which would make it possible for The Trust to continue being mission-driven and have the capacity to provide the support that is needed in the civil society space and to build the movements. I think that we do need a vibrant civil society in the region in order to hold our governments accountable for the delivery of development, and we need the strong voices of civil society to reduce poverty. As long as institutions like ourselves are caught up in short-term funding cycles, it makes it difficult to keep pushing for the long-term agenda, so I am looking forward to us having adequate resources in the next three years so that we can put our efforts on the work that is needed on the ground. 

In 2016, Mission Talent placed Velina Petrova in the role of Knowledge for Impact Director at Oxfam International. She previously held various roles setting up systems for evidence building, monitoring, evaluation and learning at organisations like CARE, Creative Associates International, ChildFund International and Rare.

In this interview, she talks about what it means to lead a learning agenda across a complex global organisation that is always challenging the status quo—both of itself and the world.

You joined Oxfam almost three years ago, in the role of Knowledge for Impact Director, a new position at the time. How has this experience been for you so far? 
The experience has been captivating because I face creative tensions every day. When I joined, Oxfam had many ideas and much valuable experience in knowledge and learning for impact. But it also offered plenty of room for me to think, vision, and co-create with others just what this knowledge for impact mandate and agenda could be. As a result, I get to stand on the shoulders of giants every day, but I also get to look and reach further. I am still deeply humbled by everything Oxfam has achieved and learned throughout its history – and at the same time inspired to see how we can do better. This is a captivating combination, especially for someone in the knowledge and learning field.
 
What are you working on now that you are excited about?
My team is a group of truly brilliant and richly experienced people who make my days at Oxfam a joy. We have been quietly working on transforming some core organisational processes into more knowledge-driven ones. Our task is to ensure that organisational processes are done in a knowledge-based way because our success comes when others feel better equipped to apply what they have learned and to share the experience. At the moment, we are embarking on a journey of exploration and experimentation. We will accompany a process that will transform Oxfam’s presence in some countries and regions, building our relevance and impact in social enterprise and in new forms of evidence-based influencing and programming. I am happy that we are bringing an explicit knowledge and learning lens to this process. Ask me again a year from now – I will be excited to share the learning from what we have done well and not so well in this undertaking!
 
Your team has recently completed a new type of evaluation of Oxfam’s 2013-2019 strategic plan. Can you tell us about this?
We had a dual goal when working on the strategic plan evaluation: accountability and learning. First, we wanted to describe some of the results that we achieved which we saw as transformative in the world, and also some of the things that we didn’t achieve as well as we had planned in our strategy. Second, we wanted to have the explicit goal of learning because it’s one thing to describe results, and it’s quite another to honestly and carefully look at how you achieved them when you did, or why not when you didn’t. We have eight approaches typical to Oxfam work, what we think of as Oxfam’s “secret sauce”: active citizenship; thought leadership; influencing; impact at scale; partnership; knowledge and learning; program approach; and putting women’s rights at the heart of all we do. 

We looked at them one by one, and in combination, to see in which contexts and in which cases they did help us, and where we did not quite manage to apply them as well. Ultimately, we’ve written one part on results and one part on approaches. What it’s done for us is we have not only been able to be accountable in describing results, but we’ve also started to be able to strategise a lot more carefully and with more learning on what approaches we need to continue investing in.

So, that is how we have shifted the conversation a bit. It has been exciting to see senior management and global teams become engaged around the approaches and then the results become examples of them, rather than sort of, ‘here is a 50-page statement on results’, and it is a bit hard to know what to do with that.
 
How do you see the culture of Oxfam as a learning organisation and how do you promote that culture?
Internally, Oxfam is extremely self-critical. Unlike other organisations, where this can be more relaxed, in some cases, Oxfam is much more critical of its own work and ways of working, internally, than others are of it, externally. From a learning perspective, that’s a great culture to be in, because the organisation sets high standards for itself in everything that it does, and there is a constant drive to improve. Of course, it could lead you to some analysis paralysis, in the way that your strengths are also your downfalls. But the culture is one of very high standards and calibre of people coupled with very demanding ideas of what good work means.

I think the way to promote it is to both build on and nurture this, and at the same time in some ways to “smallify” things a little bit. With the knowledge and learning culture, it’s people’s daily micro-behaviours and micro-habits that make a big difference. Doing one small step better each day or asking one additional question in a reflection on programme quality, matters. If we want this to be the culture – the way people work and behave when no one is watching – we need to break down each big ambition Oxfam has to people’s daily behaviours and habits. 
 
As a confederation, Oxfam has been decentralising for many years and putting power in national leadership. How does your position help the national leadership of Oxfam to succeed?
Oxfam is, first and foremost, the 10,000 people who work, create, think, face problems, find solutions, and breathe life into everything Oxfam stands for, day in and day out. As a team, we have had an agenda of “democratising” our knowledge culture within the confederation. This is about acting on the belief that everyone is part of the knowledge and learning enterprise – but that some voices are not sought, heard, and valued when it comes to knowledge generation. This is true not only within Oxfam but in the world as well. So, this effort is about changing where, how, and by whom the knowledge and learning agenda is set, and whose knowledge is valued. We are seeking to promote a learning agenda by and for the Global South [and East], with feminist principles, and with more diverse definitions of the forms that knowledge can take. You could see this through the lens of gender, or race, or language, etc. You could use a more traditional human-resources take on diversity, and that would already be a big step in the right direction. But it is also more than that: it is about cognitive diversity. And I think that is the area where Oxfam needs to go next and where I think the world needs to go next. We want to live Oxfam’s transformative agenda on inequality – first at home, internally, in our own knowledge culture within the organisation.
 
How have you seen monitoring and evaluation be catalytic for Oxfam both internally, in how the organisation works, and externally, in fundraising, influencing or advocacy? 
Our knowledge fabric – the way we conceive it and practice it at Oxfam – is much more than our monitoring and evaluation work. We invest significantly in research. We do various assessments, reflection, sense-making, and learning exercises, as both one-offs and as longer accompanied processes. Most of all, we work under the assumption that everyone generates knowledge and learns every day in everything that they do — regardless of whether that is running an evaluation, a budget, a communications strategy, or a procurement process.

Internally, it has been catalytic when we have evaluated and concertedly learned from, then strategised around, “how” we get to impact. Many MEL efforts tend to focus on accountability for demonstrating results – this is, of course, hugely important. But at Oxfam, we are now increasingly seeing strategies focused on “how” results are achieved, who we need to be, how we need to be equipped in order to keep adding value in changing environments. This is both inspired by some MEL work we’ve done and inspiring us to figure out how to do MEL for it better.

Externally, there are various well-known examples of Oxfam using its knowledge to influence for change: from our overall inequality work to women’s unpaid care, even to responsible data practices (in the realm of influencing MEL practice itself!). These efforts have been catalytic because they have combined knowledge for impact contributed not only by MEL, but also by campaigns, programme implementation, policy, research, communications, and more. Our best efforts and our most influential knowledge solutions happen when many people come together to co-create them. 
 
One of the goals of Knowledge for Impact Director is positioning Oxfam as a knowledge-based organisation, collaborating with strategic partners – how are you doing that and what has been your proudest achievement?
We think of partnership as part of our organisational DNA, principles, and ways to add value in the world and not only as the instrumental means to operational ends. We are helping Oxfam programme staff reframe the narrative and practice of partnership to incorporate more strategic, longer-term alignments of interests and to ensure that the co-creation of solutions and mutual support for learning between Oxfam and its partners are always part of the relationship. For example, supported by an ongoing collaboration with the Partnership Brokers’ Association, we did several experiments in countries and regions that generated learning about what constitutes good partnering. The experiments included a range of initiatives, such as learning from new and unusual partnerships, the development of tools and guidance in partnership brokering, working out how to engage social movements and collectives, developing community feedback approaches, and more. Going forward, we will use these experiences to develop a blended learning approach for partnership. At the end of the day, we don’t always get it right in partnership. But I am proud that we ask the feedback of our partners, that we experiment how to be better together, and that we actively seek to learn and improve.
 
It must be challenging to lead across member and network-driven organisations. What are some of the advantages you see in this kind of model? What strategies do you use as a leader to keep everyone engaged?
It is challenging because we constantly have to assess which problems call for simple solutions and protocols for uniformity and efficiency across members of the confederation, and which ones are best addressed by multiple, diverse approaches better fit for complexity. From a knowledge for impact perspective, I cannot help but to see advantages: the pressing problems of our time, the ones that really matter, are complex, multifaceted, thorny, wicked, and not solvable by command-and-control ways of thinking or doing. Solutions to them will require the knowledge, learning, and wisdom of many, and the ability to figure out how to bring these together and co-create answers. 

I have a favourite quote about Ashby’s law of requisite variety. It goes something like this, “the internal diversity of any self-regulating system must match the variety and complexity of its environment if it is to deal with the challenges posed by that environment.” This also guides the strategy of keeping everyone engaged: work with purpose and build your collaborations and alliances around purpose, not around activities, deadlines, or steps. As the Knowledge for Impact Team at Oxfam, we get to be advocates, thought and resource partners, provocateurs, challengers, and critical friends across the confederation because we build relationships that focus on shared purpose and on the knowledge we can together generate around it. 
 

Dr. Suchi Gaur is the Lead, Global Engagement and Strategic Communications at the World YWCA, based in Geneva. She joined the World YWCA in 2018, after working in communication, gender, health and community mobilisation in India and South-East Asia. In this interview, she talks about what young women have in common all over the world, and what it means to ‘walk the talk’ for a global feminist organisation. 

You moved from a regional role in South-east Asia to an international organisation in Geneva about a year ago. What advice would you give your past self about this big move? 
One of the best decisions I have made in my life has been to make this move to a global position in Geneva, the hub of international NGOs. The advice I would give my past self would be to be more open and prepared for people from different cultures coming together and the implication of this on the way of working, including the cultural difference being in Europe. Working with international organisations comes with learning the art of managing the challenges around global teams. For anyone who wants to make this transition, my suggestion would be to have an open mind to challenges. There are a lot of cultural differences. Geography, food, environment, language — and everything affects you, so unless you are open to challenges, things might not be as pretty as they seem. 

What are you most proud of that you’ve achieved so far? 
When I joined the World Office, there were these amazing communication channels, but they missed the common thread of being strategically aligned. The office was undergoing transition. One of the things that I'm proud about, is that I have been constantly pushing everyone, including myself, to link communications and engagements in terms of enhancing our movement’s global brand value along with creating more entry points for young women to join the vision. I've been consistent in helping the office shape a vision towards making communication more effective. Change is never easy and it never comes smooth. But with change comes the ease of enhancing impact in the current global development environment. 

Earlier this year, we sent a callout to start a global communications group and we now have 20 plus national member associations representatives, with more to join. Previously, each of the 109 member associations working with us globally did so without us having a one on one, group based link to any of their communication point of contacts,  which meant that they were not engaged well in our branding activities. Now, we are consulting this group, asking them what will work and what is not working. From a brand perspective, one thing I am proud of is that we are now engaging the movement more into the process of developing the brand rather than just implementing it. We are also starting a young women’s social media champion group where young women are going to work with us and receive training in movement building, campaigning, through social media. Because it’s an organisation for young women, we are involving young women in the very fabric of creation of messages, selection of issues and doing campaigns and collaborations with others out there. 

When you're working with young women across so many cultural contexts, what commonalities do you see? 
All young women I have worked with, met and spoken to have stories to share. They have stories of success. They have stories of failures. They just need the right platforms to share them, advocate the issues around them, in a way that impact can happen. We have a young woman from Nepal who is working with us very closely. She has these stories of child marriage and runaway child brides from Nepalese villages, and how they have successfully gained a new life, with support of the local YWCA, that you're mesmerised listening to them. Another young woman from Kenya has shared many stories of FGM (female genital mutilation) impact on survivors with us. I have met women from Sri Lanka with inspirational stories of young women working in tea plantations. Despite all the global gaps and cultural and regional divisions, these stories are connecting us to each other because they evoke something in every young woman. This is the driving force behind the need for change. The YWCA movement is full of such stories of success and challenges. Through our upcoming ventures, the World YWCA is trying to see how to map them, connect these young women for consultation and sharing experiences, and then convert these into evidence-based advocacy work. 

It can be difficult to work within a networked organisation — what skills do you see leaders needing to do this kind of work, and what skills do you have that have made you successful in this context?
There are a number of skills that complement each other in this context. Networked organisations like the YWCA movement are a very diverse system to function with. A mind-set of inclusivity in leaders is extremely important. Being compassionate, understanding and accepting of the differences yet goal oriented is a must when working  in different parts of the world.

The other skill set needed, especially with youth-based organisations, relates to intergenerational collaboration. It is a big strength to have different age groups working in an organisation to keep the mission relevant while integrating generational wisdom.

My biggest learning as a leader has been that while it is important to make your voice heard, it is also critical to remain goal oriented to the larger vision. What happens easily in feminist organisations is that the goal is lost, because everyone is trying to be inclusive. How you work those dynamics is a big challenge, and I try to bring my feminist principles and my leadership principles together under the responsibility of ensuring that everything aligns to a key initiative or goal.

Which aspects of the YWCA global conference, the upcoming World Council in South Africa, are you looking forward too?
It is an exciting time with 300-500 global women and young women coming together. Everyone is super excited about the theme i.e., Young Women Transforming Power Structures for Gender Equality and the location⁠ — South Africa, which is so rich and culturally known for women’s movements. The World YWCA is looking forward to some amazing young women-led and focussed consultations and workshops, where we will be bringing great suggestions on how to further implement the bold transformative Goal 2035. 

The Council will be a platform where young women will be leading the process of furthering engagement and integration of young women into the processes rather than just given spaces to share voices at the podium. 

Feminist organisations always face the challenge of walking the talk.  How are young women integrated into the work of gender equality, not just as project managers and beneficiaries, but as decision-makers, do-ers and driving forces? For example, young women together are designing our feminist research methodology which will be shared at the World Council. They are the ones defining how we should consult amongst each other for not just what thematic areas to focus on, but also how. This means, young women are not being seen as mere participants but are driving the processes as they see it making sense for the young women. 

You recently returned to work after having your first child and which you have written about. This is an experience so many people have, but our society still does not do a good enough job supporting young families. How has this experience informed your work?
The day I found out I was pregnant, the first thought in my mind was that I have to warn my potential new employer in case they would prefer someone else to take on this role. But my current boss, our General Secretary, Casey Harden reassured me that YWCA is a feminist movement and that pregnancy is such an important phase for a woman which we need to embrace and support. It just strengthened my commitment towards this role because World YWCA made that commitment too — I realised I have to work harder, I have to work smarter, I have to give this more than my 100%. 

Even though I applied for day-care while I was pregnant, I haven’t yet been assigned a facility by the Canton of Geneva. Process in Switzerland are very centralised and so, access to daycare facilities aren't easy. This is a problem for working women like me who want to smoothly move back into their jobs post the exhausting process of giving birth. Now, my daughter and my husband come along with me to work. We share the responsibilities of raising our daughter. My colleagues help me and take her on their breaks too sometimes. Constantly breastfeeding in the office is not easy, but there is an element of comfort because my team regards it as normal. It is very important for women to have such a supportive work environment. Women work spaces need to be supportive and conducive to the different roles played by women. This is what walking the talk means at the end and I am extremely lucky that our General Secretary and the whole World YWCA team has been supportive of this process. 

We are in a movement where anything we are doing is actually showcasing and setting standards for the outside world to see that things can be done differently. As a women's movement, what you do, and how you walk the talk is actually how the world will look at you and your organisation. This experience has not only made me more receptive to the needs at work space but also the flexibility has helped me become more committed to making my work productive. I juggle at times but I balance it with defining what work will be done when. Feminist workspaces like these showcase that good work cultures mean more than just 9 to 5 work hours, and are aimed at productivity and embracing challenges to make work possible. 

When I share with friends and professional colleagues about how the office has been so supportive, the immediate reaction is that “that is so amazing, it is a dream for us women to work in such environments”. This is a reminder that we have a long way to go till we make work spaces for women conducive for them to grow and embrace their challenges. 

Bright Ekweremadu is the Country Director of CBM in Nigeria, an organisation working to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the poorest countries worldwide. He was previously the Managing Director at Society for Family Health (SFH), where he served for 14 years. 
 
How have you enjoyed the first months with CBM? What has surprised you about your new role?
I have been here for about three months, and it has been really exciting. I have wonderful colleagues in the country, regional, and international offices as well as the member associates — who are all very helpful, experienced and passionate about their work. It is very motivating and reassuring that I am in the right place.

One major surprise that struck me a few days after I joined is that CBM’s is not as widely known in Nigeria. Even though CBM started here in 1968, it is more known through the work done by its programme implementation partners than by itself. I think we all have to work on making CBM’s name known a lot more — not to take the glory, but for people to know that there is an organisation supporting these partners and their great work.

If you reflect on your transition from Society for Family Health to CBM, how do the two organisations compare in terms of organisational culture and challenges?  
Although SFH and CBM both work in health, the two organisations have very different focus areas. At SFH, the focus is on HIV prevention, malaria, and neonatal, maternal and child health.  At CBM, the overarching focus is on disability inclusiveness, which is something that is completely new to me. In Nigeria, there are a large number of people living with disabilities and nobody is listening to them or taking care of them.  

Both organisations face the challenge that the Nigerian government is still not contributing as it should to public health. It is really unfortunate that the international donor agencies are the ones funding health improvement projects, and the Nigerian government is riding in the backseat. That is gradually changing, but it is going to take some more time before we get to a comfortable level.

What challenges do you see for people with disabilities in Nigeria? 
I am very concerned about how persons with disability are surviving in internally displaced people’s camps. If people who are not physically challenged are finding life difficult in such situations, I can only imagine what the disabled are going through. This is one area where CBM has carved a strong niche for itself, although working in conflict areas is a major challenge for us. On a daily basis, I worry about the safety of the staff and partners. They get up in the morning and go into what I would call a battlefield to make sure that they are reaching people. The Government forces are there to help as well as the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO). INSO gathers information about safety issues in the Northeast and we get online immediate alerts once there is an issue at any place and we circulate the information to our staff members. This has been very helpful.

What projects are you currently excited about?  
The Seeing is Believing project really excites me. It is a comprehensive eye health programme targeting children under five and it has made a lot of impact with regards to preventable eye problems because children are screened at a young age. For example, recently the Albino Foundation in Nigeria had a national awareness conference where a large number of albinos gathered. We used that opportunity to conduct free screenings for all participants and treating eye problems that would have gone unaddressed otherwise. 

Mental health is a major problem in Nigeria and many people are walking around with stigma and are not being helped, so I am excited about the Comprehensive Mental Health Project that is being implemented by the Methodist Church in Nigeria through its NGO subsidiary called Comprehensive Community Mental Health Programme (CCMPH) based in Oturkpo in Benue state.  We are currently expanding the project to Borno, which is one of the states where the insurgents have been wreaking havoc since 2009. There are a lot of psychosocial issues associated with people who leave their homes and stay in these camps, so this project could help a lot of people recovering from this trauma.

As a senior leader in Nigeria, what do you consider the key skills a good Country Director needs to bring to the health sector to make an impact?
First and foremost, you need strong advocacy skills in order to see that the relevant policies are promoted and implemented. You also need a strong network and networking skills to partner with government and other organisations. Also, you must have team building and people skills to be able to build a trusting team, socialise and get involved.

What impact did the recent elections in Nigeria have on topics like disability-inclusive development and inclusion as a whole? What challenges or changes do you expect?
An estimated 25% of people have some form of disability, yet at the most basic level, disabled people were hardly considered during the planning stages of the election. Something has to be done so that they are able to exercise their right to vote. The Government of Nigeria should strategically consider the inclusion of disabled people in governance — as is the case in most African countries. But until disabled people are included in government, they cannot be represented adequately, they need to be on the table when decisions are being made so that they are able to speak on behalf of their membership. 

Unfortunately, the umbrella organisation of persons with disability in Nigeria seems to have been embroiled in a leadership crisis. This is one area where I want to get involved, to ensure that the trouble gets resolved amicably so that this group can present a common front. This would help them to confront the challenges facing them as a team so that they can speak for themselves and fight for their place at the decision-making table at both the state and federal levels.  

If you look at the public health situation in West Africa as a whole, what progress do you see and what gives you hope?
The health indices in almost every country in West Africa are poor. Over 80% of people in West Africa pay for their health out of pocket despite a large number of people living below the poverty line.  Recently Ghana has made progress because of its ability to embrace a  health insurance scheme.  Nigeria has a national health insurance scheme, but it is not working as effectively as it should. Although some state governments in Nigeria have started their own insurance schemes, it will be difficult for them to be effective if the national health insurance scheme is not working well. Both need to be rejuvenated. 

Another priority is that healthcare centres need to be strengthened in terms of structure and equipment-- and more importantly in terms of human resources. Our tertiary institutions are supposed to handle only referral cases, but they have become places where people go to for primary ailments. However, there is renewed interest at the federal and state level to rebuild the primary healthcare system. The states of Lagos and Delta are piloting arrangements where private institutions run the primary healthcare centres on behalf of the government. This is an innovative and wonderful approach and I see it as the future of primary healthcare centres and the health system in Nigeria. 

In 2017, Mission Talent placed Melanie Rutten-Sülz in the role of Secretary General at Youth For Understanding. Melanie works at the heart of a global federation of intercultural youth exchange organisations. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Global Coffee Platform, a multi-stakeholder sustainable coffee partnership. In this interview, Melanie reflects on what inspires her, and what she has learned from leading global membership organisations.

You have almost completed two years in the role of the Secretary-General at Youth For Understanding (YFU). Could you tell us in a nutshell, how has this been for you?
It has been an amazing journey over the last two years. I landed in a completely unknown and new organisation, with a strong mission, a very engaged and dedicated community with a global, decentralized setup, and an impressive legacy. But at the same time, from the first moment I started, I really felt at home and that I have arrived in a place where I can have an impact. I identify strongly with the mission and there are great people at YFU helping to bring the organisation into the future.

What are some of the most exciting moments you have been involved in?

It’s a career truth: one day you are the candidate, and the next you are sitting across the table leading the interview.  But being a panel member is not the time to sit back and relax − your engagement plays a key role in a successful hiring process.

Since 2010 Mission Talent has led more than 340 search processes for roles in over 60 countries across the world. We have worked with a variety of panels; most of them great - though some were not engaged, others too participative and some which even pushed candidates away with an old-school hierarchical approach.

We have found that the quality of your contribution does not depend on how experienced you are: whether you have interviewed hundreds of people or whether it’s your first time, your approach, attitude, and engagement are crucial.

Let’s start at the beginning: if you are working with a hired search consultant, let them guide you. Understand and respect the process to which you have agreed; you are partners with the same goal. Do not dismiss the importance of specific steps, and ask questions if you do not understand.  

An initial briefing call forms the foundation of the whole search. By giving the recruiter 40 minutes of your valuable time to have a briefing about the role. During this conversation, you can provide your insights into the role and share what your key requirements are. Even the best recruiters won’t find outstanding candidates for you based only on the job specification!

The role briefing is a conversation that has to happen with everyone who is part of the panel. Why? To ensure alignment amongst panel members. If you disregard this step, chances are, that weeks down the line, you’ll be forced to discuss the role when presented with candidates that not everyone finds suitable. Not only will candidates pick-up that the panel has no idea what they want, you might also find yourself back at the drawing board and having wasted the candidates’ and the recruiter's time − not to mention your own. It could even affect the reputation of your organisation.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the right questions are asked when you interview candidates. Ask your own questions; no one else can decide on your behalf what questions should be asked that would ultimately determine whether you want to hire someone or not.  Therefore, before an interview, familiarise yourself with the profiles of candidates, read previous interview reports, and think about what you want to know about this candidate for you to feel equipped and comfortable in making a decision.  

During an interview, have a conversation and a debate; an eye-level discussion is the respectful way to engage. There is no need for trick questions or an interrogative top-down approach. Be honest, transparent and professional. If you want to know about the candidates’ strengths, weaknesses and failures, then you should also be prepared to discuss your organisation’s successes and challenges. Not allowing candidates the time or safe space to ask questions, or even refusing to answer questions about non-confidential information is just bad manners.

It is crucial to keep in mind that, during an interview, candidates are also interviewing their potential future employer. If you do not perform and represent your organisation well, there is a big chance that you might lose the interest of your most sought-after candidates.  Start off by introducing yourself as a panel− do not expect that candidates know who you are.  Ensure that you also introduce the role before you start asking questions, as this will lay the foundation for an informed and trusted discussion where both parties can test suitability.  

Use an appropriate setting for an interview. The setting conveys a lot about you and your organisation. Refrain from using a telephone for off-site interviews since voice calls reflect only half the story. Modern technology allows for video calls, even in areas with weak connectivity (yes, we have had interviews with someone sitting in the Zimbabwean bush with elephants strolling by in the background).

Double-check how you come across during the video call. A virtual space does not warrant you to neglect basic manners.  Act as you would if you were all sitting together for an on-site interview: do not lie on a bed(!), be dressed appropriately, ensure that there are no interruptions, and do not read or respond to emails or check Facebook. For more about video call etiquette, please read this blog we published recently.

Overall, it is important that you assist your search consultant to stick to their process. You can support this by participating in meetings and calls scheduled to discuss candidates and by not changing set interview dates. Again, a frequent or inexplicable change of dates makes candidates lose interest; and rightly so.

Respond promptly to your search consultant’s questions. Great candidates are in demand and have other options; they need to be kept engaged and attracted to the role. Delaying a response might lead the candidate to lose interest. Remember, the search consultant can only represent your organisation favourably if you present him or her with sufficient information to actually do so.

Please remember, every step in a search and selection process is supposed to be a two-way street: both your relationship with your search consultant and your interaction with candidates. You have to show as much excitement, investment and interest in filling this role as you would expect from the candidate. If not, you’ll just end up sitting at the table alone.

It’s a career truth: one day you are the candidate, and the next you are sitting across the table leading the interview.  But being a panel member is not the time to sit back and relax − your engagement plays a key role in a successful hiring process .

Since 2010 Mission Talent has led more than 340 search processes for roles in over 60 countries across the world. We have worked with a variety of panels; most of them great - though some were not engaged, others too participative and some which even pushed candidates away with an old-school hierarchical approach.

We have found that the quality of your contribution does not depend on how experienced you are: whether you have interviewed hundreds of people or whether it’s your first time, your approach, attitude, and engagement are crucial.

Let’s start at the beginning: if you are working with a hired search consultant, let them guide you. Understand and respect the process to which you have agreed; you are partners with the same goal. Do not dismiss the importance of specific steps, and ask questions if you do not understand.  

An initial briefing call forms the foundation of the whole search; give the recruiter 40 minutes of your valuable time to have a briefing about the role. During this conversation, you can provide your insights into the role and share what your key requirements are. Even the best recruiters won’t find outstanding candidates for you based only on the job specification!

The role briefing is a conversation that has to happen with everyone who is part of the panel. Why? To ensure alignment amongst panel members. If you disregard this step, chances are, that weeks down the line, you’ll be forced to discuss the role when presented with candidates that not everyone finds suitable. Not only will candidates pick-up that the panel has no idea what they want, you might also find yourself back at the drawing board and having wasted the candidates’ and the recruiter's time − not to mention your own. It could even affect the reputation of your organisation.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the right questions are asked when you interview candidates. Ask your own questions; no one else can decide on your behalf what questions should be asked that would ultimately determine whether you want to hire someone or not.  Therefore, before an interview, familiarise yourself with the profiles of candidates, read previous interview reports, and think about what you want to know about this candidate for you to feel equipped and comfortable in making a decision.  

During an interview, have a conversation and a debate; an eye-level discussion is the respectful way to engage. There is no need for trick questions or an interrogative top-down approach. Be honest, transparent and professional. If you want to know about the candidates’ strengths, weaknesses and failures, then you should also be prepared to discuss your organisation’s successes and challenges. Not allowing candidates the time or safe space to ask questions, or even refusing to answer questions about non-confidential information is just bad manners.

It is crucial to keep in mind that, during an interview, candidates are also interviewing their potential future employer. If you do not perform and represent your organisation well, there is a big chance that you might lose the interest of your most sought-after candidates.  Start off by introducing yourself as a panel− do not expect that candidates know who you are.  Ensure that you also introduce the role before you start asking questions, as this will lay the foundation for an informed and trusted discussion where both parties can test suitability.  

Use an appropriate setting for an interview. The setting conveys a lot about you and your organisation. Refrain from using a telephone for off-site interviews since voice calls reflect only half the story. Modern technology allows for video calls, even in areas with weak connectivity (yes, we have had interviews with someone sitting in the Zimbabwean bush with elephants strolling by in the background).

Double-check how you come across during the video call. A virtual space does not warrant you to neglect basic manners.  Act as you would if you were all sitting together for an on-site interview: do not lie on a bed(!), be dressed appropriately, ensure that there are no interruptions, and do not read or respond to emails or check Facebook. For more about video call etiquette, please read this blog we published recently.

Overall, it is important that you assist your search consultant to stick to their process. You can support this by participating in meetings and calls scheduled to discuss candidates and by not changing set interview dates. Again, a frequent or inexplicable change of dates makes candidates lose interest; and rightly so.

Respond promptly to your search consultant’s questions. Great candidates are in demand and have other options; they need to be kept engaged and attracted to the role. Delaying a response might lead the candidate to lose interest. Remember, the search consultant can only represent your organisation favourably if you present him or her with sufficient information to actually do so.

Please remember, every step in a search and selection process is supposed to be a two-way street: both your relationship with your search consultant and your interaction with candidates. You have to show as much excitement, investment and interest in filling this role as you would expect from the candidate. If not, you’ll just end up sitting at the table alone.

Unas semanas atrás, comenzando una nueva búsqueda, contacté una candidata -a quién habíamos ubicado el año pasado en otro cargo- para que me hiciera alguna sugerencia. Basándome en la ubicación y el alcance de su cargo, estaba convencida de que ella podría darme alguna pista interesante de algún candidato potencial.

Y fue así. Incluso ella recomendó a alguien a quien yo había visto en un proceso de reclutamiento hace un tiempo y explicó por qué al panel le había gustado y había apreciado a esa persona, a pesar de que al final escogieran a otra.

Seguidamente contactamos a esa persona, ponderamos su interés y la evaluamos en el proceso para un cliente. Unas semanas más tarde, fue contratada.

Entonces, ¿cuál es el aprendizaje?

Luego de que tú formas parte de un proceso de reclutamiento, estas ansioso por explorar el cargo y ver si es para ti –y si tú eres el indicado para la organización. Te imaginas en el cargo, te preparas, tienes conversaciones al respecto y te sientes preparado para el reto. Pero no todo el mundo puede encajar perfectamente. A pesar de que la retroalimentación sea positiva y constructiva, ser rechazado puede resultar muy duro.

Pero hay un lado positivo: ¡te has expuesto y has demostrado tus capacidades! Y la ventaja de eso es que a pesar de no ser el indicado, las personas te recordarán por tus capacidades, experiencia y pasión.

Y aunque parezca poca consolación luego de ser rechazado, es importante recordar que ser rechazado para un cargo es sencillamente eso –no se trata de ti, sino de tu compatibilidad pera ese cargo en específico. Mantenerse positivo y comprometido significa que habrán otras oportunidades en el futuro.

Mi nerviosismo comenzó al leer el correo que me envió  Africa Prisons Project:

“Kamiti es una prisión masculina de máxima seguridad... [Los visitantes] deben evitar estar en un área apartada a solas con un reo. Es importante cumplir con el código de vestimenta oficial apropiado, evitar prendas ceñidas al cuerpo o reveladoras. La vestimenta no debe mostrar escote o exponer la parte alta de los brazos y deben evitarse los vestidos mini o cortos.”

Desde mi niñez, sabíamos que los peores criminales estaban encerrados en Kamiti, y aquí estaba yo, ¡visitando voluntariamente la prisión! Me imaginé que seria oscura y asquerosa. Esperaba que estuviera en las peores condiciones posibles. Sentía mariposas en el estómago. ¿Por qué estoy haciendo esto?

Durante el camino a la prisión, estaba sentada en silencio. Mi mamá estaba manejando; íbamos a realizar la visita juntas. Ella trataba de calmarme hablándome de cosas positivas, pero lo único que yo quería era silencio para lidiar con los nervios. Mantenía la razón de mi visita en mente: me entusiasmaba ver de primera mano el trabajo que está haciendo el APP. Estoy liderando las búsquedas para su nuevo Director de Desarrollo, de Servicios Legales y Directora de Educación Legal. Esta visita me permitiría comprender mejor al APP, y me ayudaría a continuar con la búsqueda. También quería experimentar el verdadero cristianismo en acción, ya que eso es lo que creo que está haciendo esta organización con su trabajo en las prisiones.

Llegamos al portón de la prisión de máxima seguridad Kamiti 20 minutos antes de la hora establecida. Una llamada a la Directora General nos aseguró que podríamos pasar y estacionarnos, pero deberíamos esperarla en el estacionamiento, ya que ella tenía la carta de permiso de acceso a la prisión. Había una larga fila de peatones en el portón principal. Por coincidencia, habíamos venido el Día de la Crianza a Distancia. Las familias traían comida y pasaban el día con papá, ya que los niños también estaban de vacaciones en estos días.

El segundo portón de la prisión, donde los reos están recluidos, es una gran puerta de madera con un letrero rojo arriba. No se permiten fotos. Seguimos a la recepción, donde entregamos nuestras identificaciones, la carta de acceso y las llaves del auto. Luego pasamos una revisión de seguridad; quitándonos los zapatos, cinturones y prendas.

Un guardia nos fue asignado y caminamos, atravesando el patio a la Academia, hacia donde APP realiza su programa de educación legal. También hay una escuela de primaria y secundaria para los presos que deseen completar su educación.

Al momento en que nos asignaron un guardia, recordé la conversación que sostuve con la Directora General: debíamos mantenernos cerca de ella y del guardia, no debíamos hablarle a los presos, y si ellos se nos acercaban o nos preguntaban nuestros contactos, debíamos dirigirlos al APP. ¡Noté que la DG también estaba ajustándose su abrigo y abotonándose!  Yo ajusté mi suéter y lo usé para cubrir mi pecho. ¡Mi mamá estaba súper calmada!

Mientras atravesábamos un tercer portón, hacia el patio, había mucha camaradería. Una carpa estaba puesta a un lado y un castillo inflable al otro. Había música y una sensación general de alegría. Me sentía calmada. Había familiares en todas partes.

Pasamos un cuarto portón a la parte industrial de la prisión, donde se encontraba la Academia. Mientras que atravesábamos cada portón, los guardias nos recibían con una sonrisa, apretones de mano y buenas vibras para APP.

Había prisioneros por todas partes, mantuve la cabeza hacia abajo. No hice contacto visual. No quería ningún incidente. No obstante, miré hacia los patios. No eran como me los esperaba. Estaban limpios, para cualquier fin. No era asqueroso. Pero no teníamos acceso al área donde están recluidos los presos. Las celdas. Tal vez en esa área es diferente.

Un quinto portón nos llevó a la Academia. Hablamos brevemente con un administrador y luego nos sentamos en la parte de atrás de una sesión de clases del Programa de Educación Legal. Dos de los estudiantes eran guardias de la prisión y el tercero era un preso. Los estudiantes interactuaban entre ellos y con el tutor mostrando interés y pasión. Actualmente, la organización APP tiene alrededor de 40 presos y guardias de prisión cursando el Programa Legal en conjunto con la Universidad de Londres. Los cursos ya han salvado vidas: una mujer bajo condena de muerte, estudiante de APP, llamada Susan Kigala ganó su caso en corte y fue puesta en libertad. Como resultado de su caso, la ley ya no obliga la pena máxima para todos los casos de asesinato en Uganda.

Saliendo de la Academia, nos detuvimos a conversar con un estudiante del APP que cursaba su tercer año. Es el décimo tercer demandante en un caso ante la Corte Suprema. Gracias a sus estudios en el Programa de Educación Legal de APP, ¡podrá representarse a sí mismo y a los doce otros demandantes! Nos dijo que el juez está a su favor, tal vez por la buena reputación de APP y por el hecho de ser un preso con conocimiento legal.

Haber visto el trabajo e impacto positivo de APP en la prisión Kamiti fue conmovedor. Nos dimos cuenta de algo muy bueno, esta organización es muy bien vista entre los empleados de la prisión y los guardias. ¡Esta visita definitivamente fue una motivación adicional para continuar apoyándolos!

A la salida de Kamiti, mi madre se aseguró de comprar algunas plantas del vivero de la prisión para apoyar el esfuerzo de los presos; esperamos que sigan creciendo al igual que el trabajo del APP, y que tengan un impacto positivo en la vida de los presos.

Mwende Njuguna es Consultora Sénior en Mission Talent.
 

En 2003 era pasante en la ciudad de Nueva York y fui a ver a Jeffrey Sachs (en ese entonces director del Earth Institute de la Universidad de Columbia) dar una serie de charlas sobre las Metas de Desarrollo para el Milenio (MDM). Éstas se convirtieron en las bases para el Proyecto del Milenio y Sachs después se desempeñó como Jefe Embajador de las MDM por muchos años.

Era una época emocionante. Las MDM eran metas nuevas y digeribles a las cuales las personas se podían aferrar. El pensamiento pragmático dominaba -si tan sólo hubiéramos tenido la planificación y los recursos para llevarlo a cabo, podríamos haberle puesto fin a la pobreza.

Yo solía tomar el tren hacia la parte alta de la ciudad para luego sentarme en la audiencia, totalmente inspirada. Era joven y fácil de impresionar y Jeff Sachs era mi héroe. Luego de cada charla, había una ronda de preguntas y respuestas, y recuerdo cuando un estudiante le preguntó:

“¿Cuál consejo nos darías?, ¿Cómo podemos involucrarnos?” Él dijo algo más o menos así: adquiere una habilidad, conviértete en ingeniero hidráulico o en especialista de la salud o en urbanista.

Su respuesta me ha seguido por años. Al igual que la mitad de los alumnos en el salón, yo había estudiado Relaciones Internacionales. Yo no era capaz de arreglar tuberías ni sabía nada sobre la distribución de mosquiteros. Era muy tarde para mí.

Pero, la semana pasada en el trabajo, tuve una revelación. Luego de hablar con el Director Ejecutivo de una organización, que se dedica a aportar acceso a la educación legal a prisioneros y luego con un emprendedor social, dedicado a ampliar los servicios para que los granjeros en el oeste de África puedan tener acceso a créditos, me di cuenta de que estaba haciendo exactamente lo que Jeffrey Sachs aconsejaba: había adquirido una habilidad y la estaba utilizando.

Me gusta creer que el desarrollo internacional ha logrado una nueva manera de pensar. Que actualmente reconocemos el hecho de que para lograr las Metas de Desarrollo Sostenible, debemos invertir en desarrollar líderes y en fortalecer las organizaciones. Ellos son el corazón que da vida a la sostenibilidad.

Es por esta razón que nuestro trabajo en Mission Talent es tan importante para nosotros. No importa qué esté combatiendo una organización; desde el cambio climático hasta el acceso al aborto seguro, nosotros escuchamos sus necesidades, analizamos el mercado y nos enfocamos en el trabajo de conseguir los candidatos ideales. Y tal vez no es tan sencillo como lo que Jeffrey Sachs proponía, pero el 2015 llegó y se fue.

Emily es Jefa de Investigación en Mission Talent, y escribió anteriormente sobre las MDMs aquí.

¿Cuántas veces he escuchado a alguien decir que han aplicado a algún cargo, para el que pensaban que eran los indicados, y al final ni siquiera recibieron una respuesta de la organización que lo anunciaba?

Conseguir o no una entrevista depende de lo que busca la organización. Esto puede o no estar explícitamente descrito en la solicitud del cargo. Ellos pueden estar buscando más al candidato “fuera de serie” que a alguien con una trayectoria comprobada.

Aún si este no es el caso, una amplia experiencia y una trayectoria impecable no son garantía de que serás seleccionado para la entrevista o que conseguirás el trabajo. Algunas posiciones sencillamente no están hechas para ti, aunque parezca que sí.

Los entrevistadores pueden estar buscando un “nuevo” tipo de habilidades o un candidato “diferente”. En un contexto de ONG, esto puede significar candidatos con un perfil de negocios o de emprendimiento. A nivel de CEO, esto puede significar alguien con experiencia en gerencia de cambios.

La organización puede estar más interesada en candidatos con perfiles convincentes, los cuales puedan representar a la organización externamente, tal vez aquellos que estén trabajando en temas como la justicia y los derechos humanos. Las ONG internacionales más grandes probablemente tengan más recursos para invertir en el desarrollo profesional de sus empleados.

Contratistas u organizaciones que estén enfocados en desempeño o en becas, tienden a buscar el candidato más adecuado en cuanto a la experiencia, resultados anteriores y destrezas técnicas. Muchas veces ellos no pueden arriesgarse o esperar a que los empleados aprendan y crezcan. Tienen metas que cumplir dentro de una meta de tiempo pautada.

Si tienes establecida una relación con el reclutador, siempre es bueno mandarle un mensaje rápido preguntándole sobre el cargo y su alcance, al igual que averiguar su opinión sobre tu perfil y si éste sería compatible en esta oportunidad.

Al final, si consideras que eres el adecuado para una posición, tómate el tiempo de redactar tu CV con el fin de resaltar los puntos en los que cumples con los requerimientos del cargo. Si crees que tus destrezas aplican, defiende tu caso de manera concisa.

Puedes estar consciente de que cuentas con la experiencia necesaria, pero puede que no se vea reflejado en tu CV. Haz que tu CV sea fácil de comprender y de no más de un par de páginas. Incluye el número de presupuestos y de empleados que hayas manejado y tus responsabilidades. Más importante aún, ¡coloca tus logros! Para algunos lectores, tu CV es más importante que tu carta de presentación.

These days, it seems every organization has a plan: a 2020 vision or a 2030 Agenda. It all sounds so futuristic. The years tick by faster than we think, and as soon as we know it, it’s time to devise a new plan.  

But when we at Mission Talent look to the future, we want to see a goal for more diverse and representative leadership. Who are the leaders of 2030, and what are we doing right now to promote diversity in leadership?

Organizations must take responsibility for their diversity– and we as employees, partners and members of civil society– must hold them accountable for doing so. The excuses of the twentieth century are crumbling, now is the time to be courageous and forward-thinking.  

Here are eight ideas. We would also love to hear your thoughts via Twitter or LinkedIn comments.

1. Understand that diversity covers many things – ability, gender, race, nationality, economic status, language and more. Diverse leaders bring diverse perspectives.

2. Do a diversity audit at all levels of your organization: you might be surprised what you find.

3. Have uncomfortable conversations with colleagues. Take the time to understand what’s missing from your team and plan for the future.

4. Design recruitment processes that reach broader talent pools. A strategic process will help you reach more diverse candidates. Bring in experts to help you do that if necessary.

5. Take risks & invest. Don’t just hire the safe candidate or the insider – recruit people to challenge the status quo. Invest in employee training. Today’s junior hire is tomorrow’s leader.

6. Don’t tolerate discrimination and harassment anywhere; you lose great talent when people feel marginalized.

7. Give employees opportunities to fit work into their lives. Raising small children and caring for elderly parents are life phases. So are caring for one’s well being or pursuing further education. Employees who are given flexibility through these periods are likely to stay loyal.

8. One new diverse hire is undoubtedly a good step. But it’s the beginning of a journey, not the end. Build an onboarding plan that prepares the employee to succeed and provides her with ongoing support.

The first ever Mix’n’Talent event brought forward a range of crucial reflections on how the civil society sector can drive social change in uncertain times.

One of the challenges that emerged from the discussions was that of silos. None of the challenges we face today can be separated from one another. And yet, all too often we try to address the world’s challenges from within our silos. We find silos at every level of our work: departmental silos within an organization; silos between one organization and another; silos between types of NGOs such as “environmental NGOs” and “human rights NGOs”. And even the civil society sector itself is a silo that views other sectors with suspicion.

Certainly, one NGO cannot prioritize everything. But we know that this is not necessary if we open up to the idea of strengthening coordination across and beyond the sector and work in alliances. Not simply partnerships, but true alliances built on a shared cause. Alliances that break through silos and stand above competition for funds and defending logos. Alliances with a strategic allocation of roles among partners that play to the different strengths and areas of focus, compensating individual shortcomings through a holistic approach.

The world around us is changing at increasing speed and global developments are challenging assumptions that many civil society organizations were founded on. Just as digitalization demands adapting funding models, the increasing interconnectedness of issues requires rethinking concepts of organizational identity and brand if we want to pursue our cause successfully. It demands a shift in our culture towards more networked thinking. And, as the discussion concluded, this requires trust. Trust beyond the silos, extending to other individuals, organizations and sectors. We need to learn to think and work as a movement.

This blog was written by Jana Merkelbach who also moderated the Mission Talent event. Her first guest blog entitled “Leading Change in Uncertain Times” was published on this site on 31/05/2017.

Al enfrentarnos con retos como la incertidumbre en el ámbito político, el cambio climático y la crisis humanitaria global y de refugiados -¿cómo podemos promover efectivamente el cambio social en tiempos de incertidumbre?

Esta pregunta reunió a líderes del sector de la sociedad civil en Berlín el 24 de mayo para la primera edición del evento Mix´n´Talent de Mission Talent. Tuve el placer de ser moderadora de un panel inspirador con Susanne Baumann, Jefe de Personal en Crisis Action; Sabrina Schultz, Jefe de la oficina en Berlin de E3G; y Jeannette Gusko, quien maneja la Marca Internacional y Participación de Change.org. Compartiendo sus experiencias, lecciones y pensamientos sobre el tema, el panel rápidamente participó en una discusión fructífera con los invitados del evento.

The other day I was arranging a few matters with a client. There were a number of terms she used during our communication where I had to ask what she meant by them in order to be sure we were on the same page. That made me realise - we all have our own organisational languages. Words we use often and that receive a certain meaning in the context we use them in.

When I talk about a search report to my colleagues we all have a clear understanding what this entails as it is our daily bread and butter. If, however, I use the exact same word with a new client I may need to be more specific and explain what we mean by it.

At the same time, when a candidate describes a campaign, some research, or a project, I need to make sure I know their organisational context and perhaps ask them what this work means in their specific area.

Although we tend to move in similar circles, we cannot always expect people to understand our everyday vocabulary. Even though we speak the same language, sometimes we really have to make sure we understand the sector-specific, or even organization-specific, nuances—and that we make ourselves similarly understood.

Hoy se está llevando a cabo una gran iniciativa en toda África, intentando reunir solidaridad panafricana para "hacer un llamado a nuestros líderes sobre los fracasos (de África) y construir un África mejor, más justa, más pacífica y sostenible". La iniciativa 'Africa Rising' fue creada por un grupo de 272 personas de 44 países africanos reunidos en Arusha, Tanzania en 2016. Lo más importante de esta reunión fue que los jóvenes africanos estaban en el centro de este movimiento con 'inclusión social, paz y prosperidad compartida 'como sus temas a tratar.

Mission Talent invita a los líderes del sector de impacto social a nuestro primer evento Mix’n’Talent en Berlin:

Es un momento retador para los que trabajamos a favor del cambio social. Enfrentamos incertidumbre en el ámbito político, el cambio climático, una crisis global humanitaria y de refugiados. Las fuentes de financiamiento tradicionales están cambiando. Entonces, ¿qué significa esto para nuestra manera de planificar para el futuro? Entre tantas amenazas, ¿existen oportunidades?

Many might expect a connection between seniority of a candidate and the quality of their interviews. That is not what we experience at Mission Talent: we’ve seen excellent interviews with more junior candidates and rather disappointing interviews with more senior candidates.

So what makes an interview successful?  In-depth preparation, excellent communication and some empathy are all crucial—as is meeting the key requirements.

Note: Everything in this blog is based on real experience.

La Dra. Hannah Fry, matemático del University College en Londres, describió recientemente cómo la data cada vez es más importante. Continuó explicando que los algoritmos que se están utilizando con frecuencia no están a simple vista, lo que significa que “el software está construido con un incentivo que puede no estar alineado con los intereses de cada individuo, quienes sólo son puntos de data dentro del mismo”.

El reclutamiento y el software de selección son un ejemplo. La promesa de encontrar eficientemente el candidato ideal utilizando palabras clave y algoritmos es bastante seductor, pero depende de los programadores y su enfoque. En su  conversación con The Register sobre algoritmos, la Dra. Fry dijo: “No puedes argumentar en contra de ellos. Si sus suposiciones y sesgos no están abiertos al escrutinio, entonces estarás poniendo un sistema en las manos de unos pocos programadores que no tienen ninguna responsabilidad sobre las decisiones que están tomando.” Luego describió cómo un algoritmo de LinkedIn mostraba publicaciones para trabajos de más alta remuneración con más frecuencia a hombres que a mujeres.

Mission Talent no evalúa a las personas con algoritmos, vemos a las personas que dan la talla y hablamos con ellos para averiguar más. Pero también nos da curiosidad; chateamos con otros que no son adecuados pero nos resultan interesantes y -a veces-tienen mucho más que ofrecer. La próxima vez que tengas que agregar a alguien a tu equipo, piensa en poner en práctica tu humanidad antes que las decisiones tomadas por una máquina.

La comunidad en internet ha estado disfrutando la entrevista entre el desafortunado Profesor Robert Kelly y la BBC, durante la cual sus dos hijos entraron a su oficina. La buena noticia es que, como dijo la BBC: “él supo mantener la compostura y pudo concluir la entrevista  exitosamente.”

La naturaleza de nuestro trabajo requiere que hagamos con frecuencia entrevistas a personas en sus casas o en otros ambientes y entendemos que puede haber imprevistos mientras nos hablan los candidatos, o incluso los futuros empleadores. Claro, aparecer en un Canal de TV global es otra cosa, pero ¿qué podría hacer alguien si se le presenta una situación similar en una reunión o en alguna entrevista?

Nuestra recomendación es saber cómo apagar el micrófono y la cámara antes de que comience la reunión. Si te interrumpe un niño, un colega bien intencionado, tú gato o perro, el timbre o incluso la alarma de incendios, excúsate brevemente y apaga tu micrófono y cámara. Resuelve la situación y luego toma unos cinco segundos adicionales para concentrarte antes de volver a encender la cámara y el micrófono. La mayoría de los entrevistadores serán comprensivos –y además habrás demostrado calma bajo presión.

With much excitement we have been following a growing resistance movement throughout the world in recent months – led by women. We feel moved, inspired and honoured to witness this.

Mission Talent—a team of eight, seven of whom are women from different countries—was debating how best to show solidarity on Wednesday, 8th March 2017 during A Day without a Woman. We felt strongly about not being silent on this day, showing solidarity and somehow using the opportunity to make an impact. We chose not to go on strike, as others are planning, because we believe that it would not have the desired impact in our particular context. On International Women’s Day we shall continue working for our clients and candidates, supporting them in their mission towards the very same goals.

Some of our team members would like to share with you what International Women’s Day means to them.

En la búsqueda de candidatos potenciales, siempre estoy atenta a conseguir los mejores. Pero a veces, los candidatos no se presentan adecuadamente en las entrevistas, por eso también estoy pendiente de cualquier evidencia adicional. Además de sus CV, los candidatos también pueden haber enviado presentaciones o artículos publicados. Tal vez tengan algunos videos buenos en internet, o un blog activo o una cuenta de Twitter.

En la medida en que los candidatos van avanzando en nuestro proceso, se les ofrece adiestramiento para que puedan presentarse de la manera más adecuada, al igual que aconsejamos sobre cómo demostrar cuando sus logros anteriores están alineados con los requerimientos del nuevo cargo. De esta forma, lo que descubrimos y aprendemos sobre el nuevo candidato crece a lo largo del proceso de reclutamiento -y en algunos casos, ¡también crece el conocimiento de los candidatos sobre sí mismos!

Esta es mi parte preferida de la búsqueda -desarrollar una relación con los candidatos y llegar a conocerlos de distintas formas.

El día después de que los americanos fueran a elecciones el año pasado, yo evadí las noticias y Facebook. El viernes pasado, algunas personas en mi timeline de Facebook estaban citando el discurso de inauguración del Presidente número 45 de los EEUU y yo decidí ni verlo, ni leerlo.

Como occidental, fui criado en un mundo que anhelaba que las mujeres fueran iguales.  Esos logros están siendo desafiados actualmente de una manera que jamás me imagine posible, incluso por alguien que ocupa un cargo el cual con frecuencia es descrito como el de “líder del mundo libre.”

Aún estamos viendo y experimentando profundas diferencias entre hombres y mujeres a lo largo del planeta. En distintas religiones. En distintas nacionalidades. En distintas culturas. La discriminación de cualquier cosa que pueda parecer “diferente”. En general, existe una falta de humanidad, de empatía y de compasión entre unos y los otros.

Nuestros planes originales de tener una escapada tranquila rápidamente se convirtieron en un viaje a la isla griega de Lesbos.

Lesbos no es sólo una hermosa isla para turistas. Sino también es el primer destino europeo de miles, o más bien de millones de refugiados provenientes de Siria, Iraq, Afganistán y otros países.

En teoría, es un procedimiento sencillo: llegan los barcos con 30-60 personas, idealmente acompañados de un grupo de voluntarios entusiasmados. Las personas se bajan de los barcos, se quitan los zapatos y las medias mojadas. Se les arropa con cobijas, se les distribuye agua y refrigerios. Luego llegan los autobuses para trasladar a todo el mundo al campamento de Moria, donde deben registrarse antes de seguir su camino. Idealmente, los pasajeros recién llegados ni siquiera deben pasar la noche.

Entonces ahí nos encontrábamos. Equipados con botas de goma, guantes y pasamontañas, para nuestra semana de cuatro turnos de 12 horas en el campamento de Moria. Como hablamos el idioma árabe, pasamos la mayor parte del tiempo en la fila de espera para registrar a los sirios e iraquíes.

Fue un curso relámpago sobre la vida de los refugiados en tránsito. 

It's always a good idea to prepare for an interview, but how? Of course, it pays to know about the organization and the role that you are applying for - but how to prepare for those tough interview questions? We've all read about how to make weaknesses appear as strengths and there are any number of websites which claim to have the answers to interviewers' toughest questions.

But let's consider what the interviewer wants. A well-run interview is not confrontational, but designed to give you the opportunity to show your strengths and how they match the role concerned. Typically, interviewers want to find out three things:

Have you heard? It's 2015; the Millennium Development Goals are up, the Sustainable Development Goals are on and governments are supposed to agree on a plan to prevent disastrous climate change at COP21 in December. Et alors?

I recently attended a conference on global transformation. The conference organizers (GIZ) announced that the gathering would become a biennial platform to review the Sustainable Development Goals. Admittedly this did not fill me with excitement. After 15 years, we have just arrived at the supposed completion of the eight MDGs, and now we are rushing forward with 17 new goals? The goals were agreed upon via one of the most consultative processes ever, but in the massive group think they have become so dull that I would only advise reading them now if you are thinking of heading to bed.

The idea behind creating a broader set of goals was to set targets for developed countries too. A nice sentiment, but in the process the goals have become owned by no one, yet for everyone. There is a saying in Brasil: A dog that has two owners starves. Without firm champions, the SDGs will never get off the ground.

We can't just propose another round of goals and hope for the best. We need to break the mould and propose something that will excite people. From a mobilisation point of view, it’s amazing that the MDGs worked as well as they did from 2000-2015. Many smart campaigners poured their heart and souls into spreading awareness about something incredibly hard to communicate. In 2000, the concept of development goals was new, and if you read the fine print, they were even achievable.

En Mission Talent, nuestro trabajo es hacer preguntas. Queremos saber qué tipo de líder buscan nuestros clientes, y les preguntamos a nuestros clientes sobre sus profesiones y sus metas para el futuro. Esta vez, pensamos que podríamos voltear el papel y hacer que los miembros de nuestro equipo: Katja, Sarah, Spencer, Emily, Lin, Prima y Tim, respondieran las preguntas.

1. ¿Cuáles tendencias en las actividades de desarrollo internacional te dan esperanzas?

Katja:

Veo mayor entendimiento acerca de la importancia de la participación ciudadana. Las ONG solían ser entidades cerradas a las cuales era muy difícil conseguir acceso y participar. Esto ha cambiado drásticamente y las ONG están reconociendo cada vez más la importancia del aporte ciudadano para promover el cambio.

Emily:

Yo recluto para muchos cargos de campaña, anteriormente había trabajado para una organización de abogacía, así que pienso mucho sobre cómo crear una exigencia popular para el cambio. Aunque muchas de las causas por las cuales estamos trabajando son inmensas, me motiva ver que algunas organizaciones de campaña estén abordando objetivos alcanzables, como modificar las políticas de compra de una compañía. También me complace ver cada vez a más ONG utilizar medios en línea de forma creativa para motivar a las personas a trabajar por el cambio.

Sarah:

Lo que me da esperanza es el hecho de que muchos accionistas, tanto políticos como económicos, estén tomando cada vez más en serio a las ONG. Al igual que la sociedad en general reconoce cada vez más que las ONG tienen un papel regulador importante en el sistema político internacional.

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Tendencias en Acceso e Innovación: el Congreso Humanitario de 2013

Entre el 25 y el 27 de Octubre, fui al Congreso Humanitario en Berlín organizado por Médecins Sans Frontiers, Médecins du Monde, la Cruz Roja Alemana, la Cámara de Médicos de Berlín y la Charité Universitätsmedizin. El evento reunió al rededor de 500 investigadores, profesionales y estudiantes para discutir las tendencias actuales, el conocimiento y las innovaciones en el sector humanitario, particularmente desde el punto de vista de la salud.

Esta fue la segunda vez que asistí al Congreso Humanitario. El tema de esta año fue “¡Sin Acceso!, ¿A quién le importa? ¿Cómo llegarle a personas con necesidad?”. El evento se centró en los obstáculos y las limitaciones para proveer la asistencia humanitaria, el planteamiento de la necesidad de más investigación, innovación y responsabilidad. Una de las interesantes soluciones presentadas fue la nueva iniciativa  MEDBOX una biblioteca de campo diseñada como recurso para obtener rápidamente conocimiento Humanitario directamente donde es requerido.