Open Letter to Development Young Professional(s)

Dear All,

Hope you are doing well.

I am writing to you all to seek and request your support in an endeavour that I am undertaking that involves a research survey. The larger question that I am attempting to address is "what are the capacity challenges of development workers/functionaries who have just begun a career in the development sector or have worked less than ten years in this industry". In other words, I am trying to understand the grey areas of capacities of development sector's Young Professionals. This research survey is part of developing a Resource Centre called Resource Centre for Responsible Actions (RCRA-International). This is in line with equipping development workers to deliver efficiently on development projects, most of which have been floated and funded to attain SDG -2030. I am using the broad term development sector to cover as many niche areas as possible and not to miss out any who are working towards sustainable development including those in CSR. 

Young Professionals and front line organisations face challenges while implementing or handling development projects that are funded by National or International funding agencies. For eg. When I started my career in development sector way back in 2001, as a new intern at Centre for Environment Education, I knew very little about how to ideate for development projects, how to present my concept, write a full fledge proposal and make budget, how to monitor the progress of the project that I was assisting or how to undertake continuous assessment to communicate to the higher up the strength and weakness of projects and also how to perform better with an action plan and SMART Goal. Since I was interning, I got to learn through assisting but still most of these skills came to me on job with mentors who guided me to be more efficient mainly through errors. But it was time taking process of learning by doing.

Not all the young degree holders from an array of discipline who wish to work in the sector of development hold information, knowledge and skills that can be applied in their work delivery. Not every one gets mentor who can teach and guide them on job. Also with more work from home scenarios, interactions have been curtailed to share and learn and this is becoming a norm. Peers and networks are good to chat with but not every body is ready to share information, forget Knowledge and skills, as the competition is getting tough day by day with fewer opportunity. Every body wants to be an edge above the others.

 It will be of great help from all those who fall in the young entrant, aspirant and working in the sector for less than or equal to ten years (those with more experience are also welcome to share) to participate and also circulate so that others can as well reach me from your networks.

I would be grateful, if I receive your active participation in sharing with me your answers on two question:

 Q.1. what are the four key skills and knowledge sets that you wish you had while entering or working in the development sector? in the order of precedence. 

eg. I wish, I knew how to do continuous monitoring of my project or I wish I knew how to manage grants or I wish I had the skill to manage project or I wish I knew how to write an annual report etc.

Q.2. What are the four key skills in that would have helped to manage times like COVID in development sector

eg. I wish I knew doing a web based survey, how to remotely manage your team and work, I wish I knew how to raise funds when funding is stopped etc.

Request all to also share it within their networks and groups so that I am able to capture more responses to work on and capture more capacity needs.

Thank you in anticipation.

Saba Ishaq (Ph.D)

Social Ecologist & Development Consultant