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Working in International Development and Humanitarian
Assistance A Career Guide 1st Edition Maia Gedde
Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Maia Gedde, Duncan Green
ISBN(s): 9780415698351, 0415698359
Edition: 1
File Details: PDF, 10.19 MB
Year: 2015
Language: english
WORKING IN INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

An indispensable career guide for everyone wanting to work in or already working in

the sector, Working in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance:
• provides a general introduction and insight into the sector, for those exploring it
as a potential career;
• gives graduates or career changers who are new to the sector an understanding of
the skills and experience that will make them stand out from the competition;
• provides practical advice on volunteering and internships, choosing Master’s
courses and the job search – and what to do when you don’t feel you are getting
anywhere;
• enables those already working in the sector to gain a long-term view of where
they want to go and how they might structure their professional development to
gain the skills and competencies necessary to move up the ladder;
• includes case studies, experience and advice from over 100 people already working
in the sector, including 50 different areas of speciality.
With case studies, worksheets, CV advice, job profiles and testimonials from people
in the field, Working in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance provides a
refreshingly honest introduction to the field for those exploring it as a potential career.
How do you become a country director for an international NGO? How can you
become a gender mainstreaming expert? What can you do to get into consultancy?
The book also offers a detailed account of the myriad careers and specialisms available
within the sector and methodologically describes the pros and cons of each option. If
you are not sure where you want to go with your career, this is the book for you.
Whatever your dream job, be it Programme Management, Environmental Advisor, on
the ground or in HQ, this book will give you an insight into what working in the
sector entails and how you can get into it. It will be an invaluable guide to all readers,
irrespective of their country of origin, who are interested in the sector.
Maïa Gedde studied Biological Sciences at Oxford University, but upon graduating,
decided there was more to life than cells. A year of travelling and a few temporary jobs
later she landed in the Africa Great Lakes and Horn Department of the UK Department
for International Development (DFID), which placed development and humanitarian
work on her radar. After a short course in Development Studies at Birkbeck College,
UK, she went on to do a Master’s in Development Studies in Uppsala, Sweden. She
co-authored Working in International Health (2011), a guide for health professionals. In
her early career she coordinated projects in a number of countries including Ghana,
Uganda, Malawi and Morocco. She is currently country manager for SPARK, a Dutch
NGO working in entrepreneurship and job creation in post-conflict countries.
‘A tremendous resource for all those seeking to enter and build their careers in the
international development and humanitarian assistance fields. Gedde’s book
provides much needed advice on the range and diversity of roles, how to identify
which aspect of the sector is for you, build your knowledge, skills and evidence,
and network and market yourself effectively to find and secure an opportunity.
Whether new to the sector, transitioning into it mid-career, or thinking about
how to take your experience further, the multitude of examples and case studies
woven throughout Gedde’s chapters provide superb insights and context to her
clear, practical and thorough guidance.’
Dr Jane Chanaa, Careers Team Leader, University of Oxford, UK

‘A thoroughly practical guide for anyone considering a career within international

development and humanitarian work; it’s sure to help you find the right path to
make your heart sing.’
Susan Davis, President and CEO, BRAC USA

‘This excellent guide comes out at exactly the right time. It provides historical
and political context for current discussions around a new set of Sustainable
Development Goals, to take us from 2015 to 2030, and provides some wonderfully
practical guidance and advice to those who think they might want to work in this
area.
The world of international development and humanitarian assistance is complex.
It can also be frustrating for practitioners, as some of the stories in this book make
clear. Idealism has to be tempered by reality – but it is the best place to start. So
if eliminating absolute poverty, protecting people in humanitarian situations and
saving the Planet – or any one of the above – sounds as if it might be for you,
and you want to know how to get involved, then read on.’
Professor Myles Wickstead CBE, Former Head of Secretariat
to the Commission for Africa (CfA)
WORKING IN
INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
AND
HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE
A career guide

Maïa Gedde
First published 2015
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Maïa Gedde
The right of Maïa Gedde to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification
and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Gedde, Maïa.
Working in international development and humanitarian assistance:
a career guide/Maïa Gedde.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Humanitarian assistance. 2. Economic assistance. 3. International
agencies – Officials and employees. 4. Nonprofit organizations –
Employees. 5. Non-governmental organizations – Employees.
6. Vocational guidance. I. Title.
HV553.G43 2015
361.2′5023 – dc23
2014036976

ISBN: 978-0-415-69834-4 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-415-69835-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-50270-9 (ebk)

Typeset in Bembo and Stone Sans

by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
For Taïa, for making me laugh every day
and tolerating my absences.

And my parents, for global and

unconventional foundations.
7KLVSDJHLQWHQWLRQDOO\OHIWEODQN
CONTENTS

List of illustrations ix
List of career profiles xi
Foreword xiii
Who is this book for? xv
Structure of the book xvi
Note on terminology xvii
Acknowledgements xviii
Abbreviations xx

Introduction 1

PART 1
The sector 3

1 Development and humanitarian assistance 5

2 Is it for you? 20

3 Who could you work for? 31

4 Where could you work? 51

PART 2
Breaking into the sector 71

5 Routes in 73

6 Academic qualifications 84
viii Contents

7 Volunteering and internships 101

8 The job search 119

PART 3
Moving up in the sectors 139

9 Advancing in your career 141

10 Working as a consultant 157

11 Starting your own NGO 167

12 Moving on 178

PART 4
Areas of speciality 183

Appendix 1 Reading lists 347

Appendix 2 Continuous professional development 353
Appendix 3 Humanitarian competencies 357
Index 361
ILLUSTRATIONS

Figures
3.1 Aid architecture diagram 32
3.2 Worksheet: developing an organisational shortlist 49
4.1 Aid per capita (in USD: 2012) 54
4.2 Sub-Saharan Africa map 57
4.3 Asia map 60
4.4 MENA region map 61
4.5 Latin America and the Caribbean map 63
4.6 Pacific Islands (Oceania) map 65
4.7 Top 20 recipients of international humanitarian response
2002–2011 67
7.1 Worksheet: volunteering and internships 118
9.1 Worksheet: setting career goals and reaching them 155
11.1 The project cycle adapted to an NGO set-up 168
A3.1 Core humanitarian competencies framework 357

Plates
1 Catholic Relief Services’ shelter and settlement technical
advisor Seki Hirano 4
2 In much of Africa cooking is done using very basic technology,
which has high environmental and health impacts 30
3 Chuon Chhon spent the first eight years of his life confined
to his parents’ house crawling on his front like an animal 70
4 Children in rural Uganda carrying water from the river to
their homes 100
5 A coca-producing family protest against the USA’s Plan
Colombia to eradicate illicit crops by indiscriminate
spraying of their fields 138
x Illustrations

6 Entrepreneurship and social innovation are vital to unlock

growth and economic inclusion in developing economies 166
7 Mock tombstones that were placed along the East River
by the Control Arms Coalition to coincide with a diplomatic
conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in New York 182

Tables
1.1 Selection of achievements and remaining challenges 11
1.2 Are you most suited to development or humanitarian work? 18
4.1 Top seven bilateral donors by aid disbursement (2009 figures) 52
4.2 DAC list of ODA recipients: effective for reporting on
2012 and 2013 flows 55
6.1 Comparison of courses and costs, accurate as of 2013 admissions 92
7.1 Motivations for doing volunteer work/internships and other
considerations 114
CAREER PROFILES

Advocacy and campaigning 185

Camp management 188
Capacity building 191
Communications 194
Country director 197
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) 200
Disability 203
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) 206
Economics 209
Education 212
Energy, environment and climate change 215
Engineering 218
Farming and agribusiness 221
Finance and accountancy 224
Food security 227
Fundraising 230
Gender 233
Governance 236
Handicrafts and design 239
Health professional 242
HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria 245
Human resources (HR) 248
Human rights 251
Humanitarian response management 254
Information and communication technology (ICT) 257
Knowledge–policy interface 260
Law and development 263
xii Career profiles

Livelihoods 266
Livestock and veterinary care 269
Logistics 272
Maternal, child and reproductive health 275
Media and journalism 278
Microfinance 281
Migration 284
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) 287
Natural resource management (NRM) 290
Nutrition 293
Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) 296
Peacebuilding 299
Policy 302
Private sector development 305
Procurement 308
Project management 311
Proposal writing 314
Protection 317
Public health 320
Research and academia 323
Rural development 326
Shelter and housing 329
Social protection 332
Sustainable tourism 335
Urban planning 338
Value chain analysis 341
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) 344
FOREWORD

Reading Maïa Gedde’s wonderful guide to working in international development

brought home to me how lucky I am. And how old. I started working in develop-
ment NGOs in the late 1990s, after a 20-year random walk involving a physics
degree, backpacking, human rights activism, journalism, a Latin American thinktank
and a spell keeping London nuclear free. Things are a bit better organised now –
I probably wouldn’t give the younger me a job.
The aid business has professionalised over the last few decades: aid agencies
have grown enormously in size and sophistication, with a rise in specialisation
(humanitarian emergencies, advocacy and campaigns, long-term development,
new academic disciplines). It has internationalised, with the old domination by
‘white men in shorts’ giving way to a much more global intake of personnel. And
it has prompted a boom in students seeking qualifications and ways to find that
cherished job where you can get paid (a bit) for changing the world.
But that is where international development has so far failed. It has not put in
place the kind of entry schemes (graduate entry, sponsored degrees, professional
qualifications etc.) and career ladders that other, more established professions have
introduced.
In part, I am glad – there is something about making development too slick,
too much of a formalised career that could undermine the political and moral basis
for getting involved in the first place. Excessive professionalisation could exacerbate
the current tendency to try and distil development into an apolitical technocratic
exercise, when the reality, whether a country or community prospers or languishes,
is determined above all by issues of power and political struggle.
But even if a conveyor belt from university to country director might be a bad
idea, it is still worth helping those desperate to get a foot on the ladder before they
become disillusioned and drift off to other destinies, and this book makes a real
contribution. Not only does it chart the full range of potential jobs and their
xiv Foreword

concomitant lifestyles, it also illustrates it with hundreds of quotes from the men
and women who are currently doing them – the whole aid business becomes
humanised along the way. Gedde helps the reader sift through the options, finding
those that most fit their character and expectations. She even throws in a handy
dummy’s guide to theory and practice in development.
For years, I have felt a slight twinge of guilt at the inadequacy of the advice I
have dispensed to bright-eyed graduates asking how they can get a start in the aid
business. Now I know exactly what to recommend, and for that, I am very grateful.

Duncan Green
Senior Strategic Advisor, Oxfam and author of
From Poverty to Power (book and blog)
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?

In the last two decades the number of people interested in pursuing a career in
the fields of development and humanitarian assistance has grown exponentially.
One of the development veterans I spoke to said ‘When I entered the field no
one wanted to go to work in a place like West Africa. I was one of just a handful
of candidates’. These days there are often over 200 applicants per post. Equally,
Development Studies Master’s courses are now commonplace in universities
around the world, whereas two decades ago only a few of select universities offered
such courses.
As the quest to end poverty remains at the centre of the media limelight, young
people from developing and developed countries alike flock to the challenge.
Regardless of academic background they turn towards the sectors of development
and humanitarian assistance in search of a dynamic and multidimensional career –
often more attractive and exciting than some of the other more conventional
employment options. The question for them is how to launch a career with relatively
little experience and become a professional in these increasingly competitive sectors.
Mid-career professionals from other fields, in search of a more meaningful and
socially responsible career or keen to pursue personal growth and new professional
horizons, are also interested in exploring this transition. As the sectors are
increasingly valuing corporate experience, this transition is becoming easier. They
want to explore what skills are in demand, and how they can market these in a
way that is attractive to recruiters in the sector.
Those towards the end of their career also find exciting opportunities to put
their skills and knowledge to good use, in new environments that greatly value
their extensive skills. What options are there?
So whether you are a newcomer, exploring the field for the first time, a graduate
with experience, career changer, sector changer, social entrepreneur or retiree
looking to put skills to good use, this book will address many of the questions that
you may have.
STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

This book is grouped into four parts. Parts 1–3 comprise four chapters each. The
fourth part focuses on 54 different areas of speciality featuring a personal case study
and career trajectory within each. While it is important to understand the whole
context, it is not necessary to read the book from beginning to end in order. Each
chapter has been designed to be stand-alone, for you to dip in and out of as relevant.
For the newcomer who has a vague notion that they would like to work in
either the development or humanitarian sectors, Part 1 helps to shed some light
on what work in the sectors really entails and provides a dose of reality. It will
also help you to develop more focus and explore what appeals the most.
The broad scope and lack of clear career paths within the sectors can create a
confusing and seemingly impenetrable mesh for the job seeker, disillusioned by
job applications sent out without receiving any positive response. Part 2 of this
book exists to help job seekers and career changers to make concrete plans on how
to enter the field, building up relevant skills en route.
For those already working in the sector and planning the next steps in their
career, Part 3 looks at some of the different options available. This section helps
you to draw on practical advice from senior peers on how to get where you want
to go.
Part 4 looks at the different areas of speciality within the sector. This will allow
the student to plan their entry better, according to in-demand skills. The career
changer will be able to understand what transferable skills they have and how these
might be able to be put to good use.
NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY

There is significant controversy around using the term developing country – as we

may argue, all countries are developing and changing. No country is free from
poverty and hardship. However, it is also a term that is widely used, although
definitions vary and each organisation tends to have its own. For example, when
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses the
term without qualification it is generally taken to mean a country that is eligible
for Official Development Assistance (ODA) (see Table 4.2). The World Bank usually
uses the term to refer to low- and middle-income countries, assessed by reference
to per capita gross national income (GNI). Fortunately, however, the differences
in coverage are usually minor.
For the purpose of clarity, the term international development has been used to
refer to work that is done either a) outside of one’s own country of origin or b)
in one’s country of origin but working for an international organisation. What
would be termed local development (working on a local project, in one’s own
country of origin with local funding streams) is not explicitly included.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am extremely grateful to all the friends, colleagues, acquaintances and all those
who enthusiastically responded to my emails after a request for information.
Almost one hundred people from every corner of the globe have contributed to
this book, adding to it by openly sharing their experiences, providing information,
reviewing chapters or connecting me to other relevant people. It is truly a
collaborative effort and their support and encouragement has helped to make this
guide more real; although I alone am responsible for any shortcomings. Some have
preferred to remain anonymous but those worthy of mention include: Ajoy Data,
Alain Phe, Albert Gasake, Alessia Radice, Alia Hirji, Andreas Stensland, Annelies
Ollieuz, Annetta De Vet, Arja Oomkens, Auke Boere, Benecite Giaever, Brenda
Sinclair, Carly de Wit, Catharine Russell, Celestin Karamira, Céline Grey, Charles
Karangwa, Courtney Blodgett, Daniel Magrizos, Daniel Mcavoy, David Lahl, David
Russell, David Williams, Debora Randall, Ed Humphrey, Ellie Dart, Erin Boyd,
Estelle Lantin, Fabian McKinnon, Francois Widmer, Fraser Pennie, Geoff Coyne,
Georgie Fienberg, Gill Garb, Hannah Matthews, Hatty Barthrop, Hazel Douglas,
Ido Verhagen, Janno van der Laan, Jeannetta Craigwell Graham, Jeff Riley, Jemma
Hogwood, Jennifer Lentfer, Jessi Smolow, Josep Subirana, Juliette Prodhan, Karen
Twining Fooks, Kate Doyle, Kate Mandeville, Katharina Funke Kaiser, Line
Loen, Liny Suharlim, Liz Caney, Lucita Lazo, Lynn Dines, Maggie Carroll, Mandy
Gardner, Marc de Klerk, Marcella Pasotti, Mariana Infante Villarroel, Marilise
Turnbull, Mario Noboa, Matt Bolton, Matt Jackson, Maurice Masozera, Max Perry-
Wilson, Mbacke Niang, Mhoira Leng, Michael Brosowski, Milton Funes, Momoko
Harada, M. R. Thomas, Mya Gordon, Nansubuga Mubirumusoke, Nicholas
Meakin, Niels Hanssens, Olivia Zank, Pam Steele, Patrice Boa, Phil Crosby, Pyt
Douma, Richard Labelle, Richard Stuart, Rieke Weel, Robert Nurick, Robyn
Kerrison, Samantha Wakefield, Samuel Munderere, Sandra Ondogwu, Sarah
Terlouw, Seki Hirano, Shandana Mohmand, Shreela Chakrabarti, Sian Rogers,
 Acknowledgements xix

Silla Chow, Sive Bresnihan, Solange Baptiste, Sophie McCann, Tara Lyle, Ted
Schrader, Thea Lacey, Thurein, Vanessa Baird, Victor Monroy, Weh Yeow, Will
Snell, Zach Gross and Zach Warner.
My publishers at Routledge also deserve a very special mention: Andrew
Mould for picking up the idea from the start, Sarah Gilkes for the finishing phases
and Faye Leerink for the in-between – requiring endless patience, gentle prodding
and continuous changing of the publication date as I found yet more people to
interview.
The spaces that provided the inspiration and tranquillity required to bring this
book together include Altea and Finestrat libraries (Spain), rooftop terraces in
Fez Medina (Morocco) and the late-night cool air and red misty dawns of Kigali
(Rwanda).
Last but by no means least, numerous friends who supported me in the process
and offered endless words of encouragement; special mentions are due to Lucy-
Anna Kelly, Jessi Smolow, Michela Fanara and Monique Drinkwater.
ABBREVIATIONS

AAA Accra Agenda for Action

ADB Asian Development Bank
AECID Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional y Desarrollo
AFD Agence Française de Développement
AfDB African Development Bank
AfP Alliance for Peacebuilding
AGCI Agencia de Cooperacion Internacional de Chile
AGI Africa Governance Initiative
AIDS Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome
ALC Access Livelihoods Consulting
ALNAP Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
in Humanitarian Action
ARC Australian Red Cross
BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
C4D Communication for Development
CAFOD Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
CAP Consolidated Appeal Process
CAR Central African Republic
CBHA Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies
CBO community-based organisation
CCF Community Capitals Framework
CD Country Director
CDC Centre for Disease Control
CDI Centre for Development Innovation
CDPM Certified Development Project Manager
CHL Certification for Humanitarian Logistics
CI Caritas Internationalis
 Abbreviations xxi

CIHC Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation

CILT Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport
CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
CMAM community management of acute malnutrition
CODEV Cooperation & Development Centre
CPF Centre for People’s Forestry
CRED Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters
CRS Catholic Relief Services
CSO civil society organisation
CSR corporate social responsibility
DAC Development Assistance Committee (part of OECD)
DANIDA Danish International Development Agency
DCED Donor Committee on Enterprise Development
DDR disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration
DECC Department for Energy and Climate Change
DFID Department for International Development
DM&E design monitoring and evaluation
DOTS directly observed treatment, short course
DRC Danish Refugee Council
DRC Democratic Republic of Congo
DRR disaster risk reduction
EFA Education for All
EIA environmental impact assessment
EKN Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
ELRHA Enhanced Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance
eMTCT elimination of mother to child transmission
EPLO European Peacebuilding Liaison Office
EU European Union
EUCORD European Cooperative for Rural Development
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FFA Forum on the Future of Aid
FIDH Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme
G8 The Group of Eight (G8) – forum for the governments of
eight leading industrialised countries
GAD Gender and Development
GBV gender-based violence
GIS geographic information system
GIZ German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation
GNC Global Nutrition Cluster
GNI gross national income
GNP gross national product
GPYE Global Partnership for Youth Employment
HAP Humanitarian Accountability Partnership
xxii Abbreviations

HDI Human Development Index

HFH Habitat for Humanity
HHP health and hygiene promotion
HIPC heavily indebted poor countries
HIV Human Immuno-deficiency Virus
HLDP Humanitarian Leadership Development Project
HQ headquarters
HR human resources
HSK Harambee Schools Kenya
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
ICS International Citizen Service
ICT information and communication technology
ICT4D ICT for development
IDA International Development Association
IDP internally displaced people
IDS Institute of Development Studies
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC International Finance Corporation
IFRC International Confederation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies
IGA income generating activity
IGES Institute for Global Environmental Studies
IHDI Inequality-adjusted HDI
IIED International Institute for Environment and Development
IIEP International Institute for Educational Planning
ILO International Labour Organization
IMC International Medical Corps
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMRD International MSc in Rural Development
INEE Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies
INGO international non-governmental organisation
IOM International Organisation for Migration
IPDET International Program for Development Evaluation Training
IQC indefinite quantity contract
IRC International Rescue Committee
ITPC International Treatment Preparedness Coalition
IUED Institut Universitaire d’Etudes du Développement
IWMI International Water Management Institute
IYIP International Youth Internship Programme
JICA Japanese International Cooperation Agency
JPO Junior Professional Officer
KOICA Korea International Cooperation Agency
KPI key performance indicator
 Abbreviations xxiii

LAC Latin America and the Caribbean

LDC least developed country
LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
LIC low income country
LLB Bachelor’s in Law
LLM Master’s in Law
LMIC lower- and middle-income country
LMS learning management system
LSDP Logistics Skills Development Programme
LSHTM London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
LSTM Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
LUMS Lahore University of Management Sciences
LuxDev Luxembourg Development
M&E monitoring and evaluation
M4P markets for the poor
MANGO Management Accounting for Non-Governmental
Organisations
MBA Master’s in Business Administration
MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation
MDB multilateral development bank
MDG Millennium Development Goal
MENA Middle East and North Africa
MFI microfinance institution
MIDA Migration for Development in Africa
MoH Ministry of Health
MPA Master’s in Public Administration
MPH Master’s in Public Health
MSF Médecins sans Frontières
MSMEs micro, small and medium enterprises
MV Millennium Village
NABC Netherlands–African Business Council
NACA National Agency for the Control of HIV AIDS
NCRE National Competitive Recruitment Exam
NGO non-governmental organisation
NHS National Health Service (UK)
NOHA Network on Humanitarian Assistance
NRC Norwegian Refugee Council
NRM natural resource management
NYU New York University
OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
ODA Official Development Assistance
ODI Overseas Development Institute
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights
xxiv Abbreviations

OIE World Organisation for Animal Health

OPM Oxford Policy Management
OVC orphans and vulnerable children
P4P Purchase for Progress
PAR Participatory Action Research
PATHS Partnership for Transforming Health Systems
PCDN Peace and Collaborative Development Network
PM4NGOs Project Management for NGOs
PMI Project Management Institute
PPP Public Private Partnership
PRA participatory rural appraisal
PSD private sector development
R&R rest and recuperation
RAPID Research and Policy in Development
RS remote sensing
SAP Structural Adjustment Policy
SGBV sexual and gender-based violence
SIDA Swedish International Development Agency
SLA Sustainable Livelihoods Approach
SME small and medium enterprise
SOAS School of African and Oriental Sciences
SSA sub-Saharan Africa
SSR security sector reform
SSRRR Shelter and Settlement Rapid Response and Recovery
STIs sexually transmitted infections
SUN Scaling Up Nutrition
SV Skills Venture
SWAT Surface water treatment system
THET Tropical Health Education Trust
ToR terms of reference
ToT training of the trainers
UK United Kingdom
UN United Nations
UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
 Abbreviations xxv

UNOCHA United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs
UNODC United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime
UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services
UNV United National Volunteers
UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization
VASS Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences
VSF Vétérinaires Sans Frontières
VSLA Village Savings and Loan Association
WASH water, sanitation and hygiene
WB World Bank
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organization
WID Women in Development
WRI World Resources Institute
7KLVSDJHLQWHQWLRQDOO\OHIWEODQN
INTRODUCTION

When I started on this project, over three years ago, and engaged Routledge’s
interest, I didn’t quite realise what a task it would be (a friend has dubbed it War
and Peace). In this time I have profiled 54 different sectors and job roles, interviewed
over 100 people and been permanently tuned in to any career news related to the
sector.
Many have asked me what triggered the idea for the book. I became interested
in the development sector after my first degree, but I combined some years of
work and travel before going on to do a general Master’s in Development Studies.
But even after securing my first job I found career opportunities in the fields of
development and humanitarian assistance complex and difficult to navigate. What
skills could I market? Where did I want to go? The options seemed vast but
opportunities limited.
Around this time I came across a guide to medical careers. I started to envy the
set career trajectories of the more conventional careers I had previously shunned.
They still required important decisions to be made, but the routes in and up were
more clearly defined and documented. There was no equivalent for the
development and humanitarian sectors, so I set about writing the book that I felt
that I, and the sector, needed.
As I now prepare to submit the manuscript, the feeling is bittersweet. It has
been fascinating to engage with so many leaders in the field of development and
humanitarian work, some veterans, others still finding their path. I have learnt a
lot from their experiences and hope that through this book, you will too. One
certainty I have is that, without exception, everyone in this field has a very interesting
story to share.

Maïa Gedde
Kigali, February 2014
7KLVSDJHLQWHQWLRQDOO\OHIWEODQN
PART 1

The sector

This first section will help to give you an understanding of what working in the
sector involves, where you could work, and who the major employers are. It helps
to give those new to the sector some perspective of the field and what opportunities
may exist for you within it.

• Chapter 1: Development and humanitarian assistance provides a brief

introduction to these two fields, touches on some of the main discourses and
historical defining events, and explores the interconnection between them.
• Chapter 2: Is it for you? explores some of the aspects that most often attract
people to the sector, and addresses some of the common concerns.
• Chapter 3: Who could you work for? The employers within the field of
development and humanitarian assistance are broad; this chapter breaks down
the leading organisations into the major sub-sectors.
• Chapter 4: Where could you work? Whether based in a donor or recipient
country, jobs primarily follow the aid channels. This chapter helps you to
understand where these are concentrated.
PLATE 1 Catholic Relief Services’ shelter and settlement technical advisor Seki
Hirano holding a focus group discussion with Tuareg refugees on the
border of Mali and Niger in 2012.
Source: CRS/Seki Hirano
1
DEVELOPMENT AND
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

If you are new to the world of development and humanitarian assistance you
probably have many questions. Before embarking on the journey this book will
take you through – career opportunities – you need first to understand the basics
of the sectors themselves. What actually is development? What is its goal? What
is the difference between working in a development and a humanitarian crisis?
What might you be more suited to?
This short chapter cannot cover all these issues in detail but aims to give you
a very brief introduction to these two very broad fields of work and highlights
some of the key issues and trends within them. Appendix 1 offers a reading list of
books and resources that can help you to take this journey further.

What is development?

A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the
rich use public transportation.
Gustavo Petro, Mayor of Bogotá

Development is a complex issue, not always easy to define and thus so difficult to
achieve. A principal focus of development is poverty reduction. In an attempt
to help gauge the extent of poverty around the world, the World Bank (WB)
developed the concept of absolute poverty in the 1990s and the international poverty
line was anchored at $1.08 dollars per day. This was the minimum income needed
to meet a person’s basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter by the standards
of the world’s poorest countries. It is typically measured with respect to a
household’s average income, not the individual. Thus, the poorest of the poor –
the target for many development programmes – are those who subsist on less than
$1 per day. In 2008 this line was revised to $1.25 dollars a day1 and moderate poverty
as less than $2 a day.
6 The sector

Many development programmes aim, either directly or indirectly, to reduce

extreme poverty. But the concept of absolute poverty is troublesome as it fails to
meet broader quality-of-life issues or address the levels of inequality in society. These
criticisms led to the concept of relative poverty, which defines poverty in relation to
the economic status of other members of the society: people are poor if they fall
below prevailing standards of living in a given societal context. By this definition
we find a large number of poor people in the so-called developed countries.
Both these concepts are, however, largely concerned with income and
consumption but poverty can be multidimensional in nature. Social exclusion and
lack of access to basic human rights, such as health, shelter, education and sanitation
– for whatever reason – are also an issue. Infrastructure and access to such services
is also important.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) uses a wide definition
of development: to them, it is ‘to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable,
to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living and to be
able to participate in the life of the community’. For others, development is the
process of finding creative solutions to chronic problems of hunger, poverty, disease,
joblessness and powerlessness (Monterey Institute of International Studies).
The Human Development Index (HDI) is used as a measurement to capture
social and economic development by combining indicators of life expectancy,
educational attainment and income into a composite human development index.
The HDI was first produced in 1990 by the Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq
and the Indian economist Amartya Sen, and published by the United Nations
Development Programme. It started as a single statistic, whereas now it can be
disaggregated by indicator. In 2010, the Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) was intro-
duced. In 2012 the country with the highest HDI rank was Norway, and the one
with the lowest was Niger.

Grand ambitions, realities and the future of development

Global poverty continues to be a tremendous problem today and no less striking
than it was immediately after the Second World War era. Some of the key issues
have changed, but as progress is made in one area, new challenges emerge in another.
Extreme poverty still affects one in six people worldwide.2 One criticism is often
made that development aid is not impartial, and there are often political agendas
hidden behind poverty reduction.
Development projects thus happen in complex and multifaceted situations, where
narrow approaches do not work. The challenge is that often development projects
are designed with a shallow understanding of the broad and complex contexts in
which projects exist. Poverty reduction is not a linear path, and cannot be achieved
by climbing up the rungs of a ladder. We have learned that churning out volumes
of plans and programmes to accomplish ambitious targets in just three years does
not work. We also need to recognise that the development of ‘rich’ countries happened
 Development and humanitarian assistance 7

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT

The concept of development has its origins in the industrialization of the
nineteenth century, when societies were being reshaped by economic and
political changes. But it was only after the end of the Second World War
(1939–1945) that the idea of development resurfaced with the meaning we
use today. International institutions such as the United Nations (UN), the World
Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were created to assist Europe
in its economic recovery from the war. While Europe rebuilt itself and Europe’s
colonies started on a path towards independence, the US embraced its new
position of global leader and drafted a new foreign policy for the advancement
of less economically developed areas. This was a global movement for peace
and reconstruction and the start of globalisation.
As prevailing theories on the best way to do development changed, as did
international priorities, distinct development decades emerged. A few
characteristics of these are:

• 1960s: As post-war Europe recovered, they started to see themselves as

part of a movement for change and ‘progress’, pooling their resources to
assist the poor. In 1963 US President Kennedy inaugurated the PeaceCorps
scheme to promote social and economic development. African nations had
or would imminently gain independence. But the approach adopted was
top-down and paternalistic. As developing countries took centre stage in
the majority at the UN, it was a decade full of optimism and the 1961 UN
plenary meeting declared it the United Nations Development Decade (the
first of many). But visionary leaders such as Patrice Lumumba in Zaire (now
DRC) faced a lot of meddling from the former colonial powers when these
leaders did not serve their interests. A pattern of military coups also started
to define African politics. At the same time, in the east, the Asian Tigers
of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan started their indus-
trialisation and maintained rapid growth rates that by the end of the
century placed them in a high income country status.
• 1970s: The landmark 1974 Sixth Special Session of the United Nations
General Assembly called for a New International Economic Order to
eliminate the unjust trading patterns inherited from colonialism. But at
the height of the cold war, the optimism from the 1960s faded when the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil price was
hiked in the mid 1970s, plunging the world into a recession. Oil-exporting
countries had large amounts of extra money which Western banks used
to grant huge loans on very relaxed terms to Third World countries,
burdening these countries with impossible repayment rates for decades
to come. Donors also engaged in large-scale development projects mostly
ill-fitted to the local contexts, resulting in failures: these White Elephants
8 The sector

of development occurred where misallocation of investment with negative

social surplus often benefited local politicians. Import substitution indus-
trialisation was also advocated.
• 1980s. Reagan’s trickle-down economics favoured the wealthy and high-
income earners and in the 1980s loans were no longer offered as freely
as in the 1970s. Following the neoliberalism ideology spearheaded by the
‘Washington Consensus’ institutions – The World Bank and IMF – loans
were now provided on the condition that a country adopt Structural
Adjustment Policies (SAPs) to ensure debt repayment and economic
restructuring. It required poor countries to reduce spending on things such
as health, education and development, while debt repayment and other
economic policies were made the priority. Unfortunately SAPs had a
negative impact on the social sector and reduced the standard of living
of many of their citizens. For example, in health, SAPs affected both the
supply of health services (by insisting on cuts in health spending) and the
demand for health services (by reducing household income, thus leaving
people with less money for health).
• 1990s: This decade saw an agenda for change brought about by bad
governance and authoritarian regimes. The emphasis was on good
governance and democracy, and participative approaches to development
and the environment were on the agenda. Local ownership, sustainability
and bottom-up approach became buzz-words. But change was slow:
despite the fact that the 1990s saw a drop from 30 per cent to 23 per
cent in the number of people globally living on less than a dollar a day
– mostly due to progress seen in China and India – this is commonly known
as the lost decade of development. While the US and much of Europe were
booming, more than 50 countries suffered falling living standards. The
UN attributed much of the decline to the spread of HIV/AIDS, which
lowered life expectancies, and to a collapse in incomes, particularly in the
commonwealth of independent states. Many countries were spending
more in servicing debts to the World Bank and the IMF than they were
spending on health and education.
• 2000s: The start of the new century saw a burst of enthusiasm to end
global poverty. At the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000,
eight international development goals – the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) – were established and agreed by all 189 United Nations
member states with a target date of 2015. The eight goals were to:

1 eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;

2 achieve universal primary education;
3 promote gender equality and empower women;
4 reduce child mortality rates;
5 improve maternal health;
 Development and humanitarian assistance 9

6 combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;

7 ensure environmental sustainability;
8 develop a global partnership for development.

Not everyone agreed with the MDGs of course, as they felt certain areas
– such as human rights and disability – were distinctly lacking. But what
they did succeed in was to unite the development community and bring
about more collaboration as agreed during the Paris Declaration. 9/11
also created a consensus that poverty was the world’s problem, but the
UN urged the West to abandon the one-size-fits-all liberalisation agenda
foisted on poor countries. The biggest ever anti-poverty movement came
together under the banner of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY. Together with the
Drop the Debt Campaign and others, they lobbied the G8 at Gleneagles
in 2005, demanding that rich countries stop blocking a global trade
system. ‘Trade not aid’ became the slogan. The G8 Finance Ministers also
agreed to provide funds to the World Bank, IMF and the African Develop-
ment Bank (AfDB) to cancel $40 to $55 billion in debt owed by members
of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) allowing them to redirect
resources to help accelerate the progress towards the MDGs which was
a huge achievement. Rich countries also committed to scale up their
contribution to 0.7 per cent of their gross national product (GNP) towards
official development assistance (ODA) by 2015, although such a pledge
was also made back in 19703 and not upheld. Following the massive media
attention issues of poverty and development received, more and more
people started to plan a career in the sector, with Master’s programmes
in International Development becoming increasingly popular in
universities around the world.
• 2010s: The 2008 global economic crisis that originated in developed
countries only started to have a visible effect at the start of this decade.
Aid budgets were cut with stand-alone international development depart-
ments such as the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
– a 45-year-old federal agency – which was merged into the Department
of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2013.4 This emphasised a
conservative move to keep trade policy as a key part of their foreign affairs
agenda. Others, such as Australia’s AusAID followed suit. Budget cuts were
accompanied by tighter donor demands around effectiveness and
efficiency. With the Arab Spring, youth unemployment hit the world
agenda as it impacted on economic growth, security and stability. Climate
change and food security were also high on the agenda. The global
development agenda for the post-2015 period was initiated in 2010 and
has sustainable development at its centre. The website post2015.org brings
together this thinking.
10 The sector

under very different circumstances to what ‘poor’ countries currently face, so neither
the process nor the end product can nor should serve as a model. Creative,
innovative, multifaceted solutions are needed.
Two bodies of thought now predominate. One focuses in on the reality that
there is no quick fix solution: more money and longer term investments are needed
to bring about development. The other one asks what is there to show for the
hundreds of billions of dollars of international development assistance that have
been invested, since children still die for lack of 12-cent medicines to prevent
malaria? Do we really need to invest more in this bottomless pit? This discontent-
ment about the effectiveness of aid, together with the most recent global financial
crisis, has seen aid budgets significantly cut over the last few years.
While many challenges do remain, it is important not to forget some of the
successes that have been made. Table 1.1 highlights some of these successes in the
last 50 years.
As a sector, the development industry is relatively new and is professionalising.
It has evolved significantly from its rather ambitious and naive origins over six
decades ago to a mature and professional industry today. But most would agree
that significant reforms are still needed to start producing real, lasting change. The
good news is the sector is anything but stagnant: those who have worked in the
field for some years well know the dynamic nature and rapidly changing priorities.
As a development professional you will constantly need to be learning, adapting
and innovating and, most likely, changing your focus several times in your career.
This in itself may be one of the challenges – the constant search for the silver bullet,
the solution to end poverty. In light of this, what does it mean for the person
carving a career in this field? What are the trends we will see over the coming
years?
In light of these changes some of the trends we will see in future might be
reduced donor budgets and increased emphasis on private sector development, public
private partnerships, entrepreneurship and job creation. There is a real emphasis
on what really works, grounding development projects in the knowledge base.
Impact evaluations with rigorous methodology will be in greater demand. The
post-MDG agenda has committed to ‘End Poverty’ as the first goal and ‘Leave
no one behind’ as the first of five ‘transformative shifts’. Despite this, the social
impact of economic downturns and crises will hit the most vulnerable hardest and
humanitarian capacity will be essential to prevent these crises resulting in long-
term poverty.

Humanitarian assistance
While development concerns itself with poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance
is designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity
during and in the aftermath of emergencies.5 There are of course several links
between extreme poverty and conflict, insecurity, vulnerability and humanitarian
TABLE 1.1 Selection of achievements and remaining challenges

Sector Key achievements Remaining challenges . . .

Health • In the past 20 years the number of the world’s • About 29,000 children under the age of five – 21 each minute –
chronically undernourished has been reduced die every day, mainly from preventable causes (70% of these
by 50% deaths are attributable to just six causes:
• In the past 50 years infant and child death rates diarrhoea, malaria, neonatal infection, pneumonia, preterm
in the developing world have been reduced delivery or lack of oxygen at birth, and occur mainly in the
by 50% (Source: USAID) developing world) (Source: UNICEF)
• Smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1979 • Ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa have less than three doctors
per 100,000 people. The global average is 146 per 100,000
(Source: WHO 2006)
Food • The Green Revolution and improvement in • 842 million people in the world do not have enough to eat
farming methods has meant that food yields (although this number has fallen by 17% since 1990)
per hectare are higher today that at any other • In developing countries, rising food prices form a major threat
point in human history to food security, particularly because people spend 50–80%
of their income on food (Source: www.un.org/waterforlife
decade/food_security.shtml)
• One in four of the world’s children are stunted from lack of
food (Source: www.wfp.org/hunger/stats)
Democracy and governance • There were 58 democratic nations in 1980. • Less than 1% of what the world spent every year on weapons
By 1995, this number had jumped to 115 was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and
nations (USAID) yet it didn’t happen
• Corruption is still an issue that hinders the development of
many countries
continued . . .
TABLE 1.1 Continued

Sector Key achievements Remaining challenges . . .

Economic growth and • Some African countries now have an average • Inequality is rising. The poorest 40% of the world’s population
financial independence growth rate of 7% – much higher than present- accounts for 5% of global income. The richest 20% accounts
day Europe – and similar to the growth levels for three-quarters of world income
that propelled the Asian Tigers into high • Nearly 40 per cent of the world’s unemployed – about
income countries 81 million – are between 15 and 24 years of age. More youth
are poor and underemployed than ever before posing a risk to
a country’s stability

Education • Literacy rates are up 33% worldwide in the • Nearly a billion people entered the twenty-first century unable
last 25 years to read a book or sign their names (UNICEF)
• Primary school enrolment has tripled in that • While MDG 2 has been met with 90% enrolment in primary
same period (USAID) education, dropout rates remain high, quality is often poor and
57 million children remain out of school (Source: www.un.org/
millenniumgoals/education.shtml)

Environment • Deforestation in developing countries has • Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have
slowed down (but still remains higher as inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation
2.5 billion people in Africa and Asia rely provisions
on biomass fuel) • The population of the 49 least developed countries is growing
nearly twice as fast as the rest of the developing world
 Development and humanitarian assistance 13

ENDING POVERTY: A REALITY IN OUR GENERATION?

In the 2005 bestseller, The End of Poverty, economist Jeffrey Sachs argued that
with proper planning and funding, extreme poverty could be wiped off the
Earth by 2025. In 2005 he set out to achieve what others – and millions in
aid – had failed at. Sachs, the director of the Earth Institute at Columbia
University and special advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the MDGs,
teamed up with Raymond Chambers, a pioneer of private equity investing and
a passionate philanthropist, to establish Millennium Promise through the
Millennium Villages (MV). It was an interesting idea: take a village, address
the root causes of extreme poverty, taking a holistic, community-led approach
to sustainable development by uniting science, business, civil society and
government, and eradicate poverty. Each village representative was armed with
a 147-page, Millennium Villages Handbook, written by 30 academics, which
detailed, intervention-by-intervention, how to reorder village life and thereby
eradicate poverty. Between 2005 and 2015 the aim was to show how these
villages could provide a scaleable sustainable model for development with the
promise of eradicating extreme poverty, hunger and preventable disease.
Public, private and non-profit partners showed their commitment to ending
extreme poverty by supporting Millennium Promise. Fifteen villages in Africa
were selected. Where others have failed has Sachs succeeded? Now nearing
their end in 2015, progress has definitely been made (but so too it has outside
the selected villages) but the anticipated levels of success have not been met.
Sadly, it seems that the solution to ending poverty cannot be found in a 147-
page manual.

www.millenniumvillages.org
Jeffrey Sachs (2005) The End of Poverty: How We Can Make it Happen in Our
Lifetime, New York: Penguin.
Nina Munk (2013) The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the Quest to End Poverty, New
York: Doubleday Books.

crises. The poorest countries invest the least in disaster preparedness, so if a disaster
hits, it is usually beyond the capacity of national authorities alone, so the
international community will be mobilised to respond. These countries also have
high population densities in poorly planned urban areas, so the number of people
affected is large. And there is a close link between poverty, unemployment
and stability.
Humanitarian assistance tries to ensure the best possible outcomes for people
affected by disasters and crises. The characteristics that distinguish it from other
forms of foreign assistance and development aid are:
14 The sector

• it is intended to be governed by the principles of humanity, neutrality,

impartiality and independence;
• it is intended to be ‘short term’ in nature and provide for activities in the
‘immediate aftermath’ of a disaster.

Emergency response deals with the immediate aftermath of emergencies. This can
include the provision of material relief assistance and services (shelter, water,
medicines) emergency food aid (short-term distribution and supplementary feeding
programmes) relief coordination, protection and support services (coordination,
logistics and communications).6 However, many emergencies result in prolonged
vulnerability and some organisations stay on to invest in long-term reconstruction
efforts – a middle ground between development and disaster response.
Today, humanitarian funding comes through the UN Consolidated Appeal Process
(CAP), although the International Confederation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC) and other organisations run their own appeals too. It is a process
that brings aid organisations together to jointly plan, coordinate, implement and
monitor their response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. It also allows
them to appeal for funds cohesively, not competitively, and based on a consolidated
humanitarian action plan.7
Government donors give the largest amount of humanitarian assistance, on
average accounting for over 70 per cent of the international humanitarian response
since 2007. Private donors are thought to have provided more than a quarter of
all humanitarian assistance over the past five years, largely in the form of voluntary
contributions from the public to non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The number of inter- and intra-state conflicts has steadily been reduced over
the past 20 years. Nevertheless, tens of millions of people are still affected by
protracted conflicts and some new conflicts, and the number of people internally
displaced by armed conflict around the world is increasing – from about 17 million
in 1997 to an estimated 26.4 million people at the end of 2011.8 The effects of
armed conflicts are felt most strongly by vulnerable communities in countries such
as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and South Sudan.
At the same time, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters is increasing
in magnitude and the impact is felt most acutely in the developing world with
Africa and Asia the hardest hit. Over the last 30 years, people on these continents
have made up approximately 88 per cent of the total number of reported deaths,
and 96 per cent of the people affected by natural disasters.9
The humanitarian landscape is evolving, with global challenges – such as climate
change, population growth,10 rapid and unplanned urbanization, and food and water
insecurity – leaving more and more people at risk. At the same time, new types
of organisations are becoming increasingly involved in emergency response, from
telecommunications companies to diaspora groups.11 Humanitarian needs are
expected to continue to rise in the coming decades.
As the world becomes more industrialised, we are likely to see an increase in
technological catastrophes as a result of natural hazards affecting areas such as oil
 Development and humanitarian assistance 15

SOME KEY EVENTS IN THE EVOLUTION OF

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
Before the Second World War, only a small number of organisations were
dedicated to humanitarian assistance, and the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC, founded in 1863 with the objective of ensuring protection
and assistance for victims of armed conflict and strife) led the way. Humanitar-
ian efforts were concentrated in the immediate post-Second World War
Europe. CARE USA, was founded in 1946 to provide food relief in the form of
care-packages to war-devastated Europe.
Events unfolding after the Biafran war in 1968 helped to shape a
humanitarianism that we know today. The Eastern part of Nigeria had declared
independence, calling their new state Biafra. In response, the Nigerian army
attacked the rebel government. Things went very badly for the Biafrans, but
no one in the West cared. The British government continued to happily sell
arms to the Nigerians. The ICRC was on the ground, but unable to speak out
about the events they witnessed, due to its stance of impartiality and neutrality.
This brought the criticism that the Red Cross was complicit with the Nigerian
Government and their mass killing and starving of between one and three
million Biafran people.
The Biafran government did a strange thing, and hired a PR firm in
Switzerland to help raise awareness of the atrocities happening in Biafra. They
sent daily mail shots and updates out to every leading newspaper and MP in
the UK. People started speaking out. Pictures of starving children caught up
in the genocide started to appear in the newspapers. People mobilised and
this was the start of a humanitarian appeal as we know it.
A young French doctor who was working in Biafra for the Red Cross
wouldn’t accept remaining silent. So he went about changing the humanitar-
ian landscape and set up Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) in 1971. While still
bound by principles of neutrality and impartiality, MSF considers one of its
functions to be speaking out on human rights abuses, drawing attention to
cases of human rights violations that MSF considers under-reported, and on
occasions taking a stronger stand and denouncing egregious violations. Unlike
the Red Cross, MSF is also willing to enter war-torn areas without the
permission of authorities.
This was the start of a humanitarianism that had the power to right wrongs
around the world rather than just alleviate them. This also brought about the
idea of ‘humanitarian intervention’ which was behind the decision to attack
Iraq, Libya, and is one of the central beliefs of our age. It divides people. Some
see it as a noble, disinterested use of Western power. Others see it as a
smokescreen for a latter-day liberal imperialism. The early 1990s saw some
disastrous humanitarian engagements in Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia.12
16 The sector

The 2004 humanitarian relief efforts in Sri Lanka post-tsunami drew

attention to the need for greater coordination and professionalisation, and
the need to impose standards within the humanitarian community. As aid
poured into the affected area following the extensive media coverage of
the disaster, so too did individuals, small and big relief organisations. Chaos
ensued as individuals and organisations tried to get rid of their money in the
most effective way – creating competition among agencies which in some
cases actually hindered their humanitarian efforts. Small NGOs and individuals
with little humanitarian experience also flocked in, frequently undercutting
standards. One example was in housing where smaller NGOs built unsafe
temporary housing, without any consideration of the future development of
the area.
Between 2005 and 2010 the humanitarian sector reformed, with a greater
emphasis on coordination and quality standards – a challenge, as in an
emergency there is usually very little time for this.13 The UN has spearheaded
a cluster approach, with agencies grouped according to their expertise such
as water and sanitation, nutrition, child protection or health. Each cluster is
led by a UN body, such as the World Food Programme, United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) or the World Health Organization. OCHA is the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Today humanitarian relief is governed by a series of best practice stand-
ards that recommend how organisations should relate to one another and
also work with their staff. The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP)
International has introduced one such standard. The voluntary Code of
Conduct of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and NGOs in Disaster
Relief is another. The Sphere Project aims to uphold the standards of the global
community and the People in Aid Code of Good Practice related to human
resource (HR) management.

pipelines or dams. The humanitarian community may therefore have to respond

more frequently to technological and environmental disasters. But still over half
of humanitarian assistance is going to long-term recipients where disasters reoccur
and people are caught up in a vicious cycle of chronic poverty and crisis.
Future trends show that there will be greater assistance from domestic
governments and more spending from non-DAC donors such as Turkey. There
is an emphasis and greater need to develop the skills of local aid workers, to build
local and national capacities to prevent and mitigate future humanitarian crises.
One of the challenges will be around compliance with humanitarian principles,
law and access to victims. But digital connectivity is also transforming how we
respond to emergencies, as was demonstrated in the Digital Humanitarian Network
to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
 Development and humanitarian assistance 17

The community is also increasingly looking towards disaster risk reduction

(DRR) as a way to mitigate the impact of disasters: prevention is always better
than cure. Unfortunately, relatively little is yet invested here. The emphasis here
is also on developing the resilience of the community, that is:

the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist,

absorb, accommodate and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely
and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of
its essential basic structures and functions.14

Are you more suited to work in a humanitarian or

development context?
Working in development and emergency response are quite distinct. Each requires
different skills, personality traits, values, outlooks and lifestyles, with many people
making a conscious decision to work in one field or another, although many people
successfully make the transition between the two.

I work on food security issues and have done so in both humanitarian and
emergency contexts. But the work in both these environments is very different.
In humanitarian contexts you are likely to see almost immediately the impact
of your work but it is short lived. With development work you have to invest
significant time before seeing results, but the focus is on long-term change.
Charles (Burundi)

If you are starting out in your career in the field, it is important to get an idea
about where your interests lie in order to better plan your entry into the sector.
Table 1.2 helps to highlight some of the characteristics and differences between
the two extremes of humanitarian and development work. There is of course a
middle ground, longer-term reconstruction work, not included here.
Now that you have a broader understanding of the fields of development and
humanitarian assistance, you are encouraged to read further about these areas.
Appendix 1 offers some key reading lists, including books, journals and blogs.
Chapter 2 will take you on to explore some of the highs and lows of working in
the sectors.

I worked on a social housing project in Honduras after hurricane Mitch

destroyed many homes. International NGOs flocked in with support. Many
faith-based organisations offered free houses. My organisation on the other
hand, offered smaller houses, purchased with a loan. I was in charge of this
project, with a target to build 5000 houses. You can imagine what a hard time
I had, convincing people to take one of our houses instead of a free one.
There were several occasions where I had made an arrangement with the
community to start building our houses, and the next day another organisation
18 The sector

TABLE 1.2 Are you most suited to development or humanitarian work?

Development Humanitarian assistance

Job characteristics

Longer term contracts common (6–36 Short-term missions (1–6 months), unless
months or permanent) – unless you you are working in longer term
are working as a consultant reconstruction efforts
Relatively stable work and living Likely to be working in insecure zones
environment with heavy security restrictions
Likely to have a heavy workload but Fast-paced and 12-hour days not
8–10 hour days possible uncommon – often in a high pressure
environment (especially in the immediate
aftermath of a conflict or natural disaster)
Results not always immediately visible, More likely to see immediate results of
working towards longer term objectives one’s work
Normal holiday allowance Regular rest and recuperation (R&R)
breaks and longer gaps in between
missions
May be based in HQ or in the field Likely to be in the field on missions, unless
you have a coordination and management
role at HQ
Many positions allow family to Mostly unaccompanied positions except
accompany in more stable environments
Often working on coordination and Working closely with local populations
management of projects, often one
step removed from local populations
Potential areas of work: farming and Potential areas of work: emergency health care,
agribusiness, gender, microfinance, logistics (e.g. food aid), public health,
reproductive health, governance, protection, displacement and refugee camp
rural development . . . management . . . (see Part 4)

Personal characteristics

Adapts well to new environments and Copes well in stressful and insecure
cultures environments with ethical and moral
challenges
Ability to understand and respect Level headed in face of the social and
different points of view, not a political complexities of humanitarian
‘my way is the right way’ attitude emergencies
Ability to see the big picture and form Team player, flexible and easy-going in
strategic partnerships (networking is a relation to personal need
key skill)
Ability to see the big picture and the Knows personal limits to maintain health
long-term impact. Adapts vision and avoid burnout
and sense of fulfilment with daily work

Note: For professional competencies for Humanitarian Assistance see Appendix 3, Core Humanitarian
Competencies Framework.
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
officers in England, and afford protection to all goods deposited in
their charge.
In this place we were again supplied with plenty of provision,
water, and peto, and were desired to remain till the caboceer of
Setta, a large town one mile farther, where we were to lodge for the
night, should come and meet us, and take us into the town with
military honours. My people were now all much fatigued after thirty-
three miles march on a very narrow and rough path, and under a
tropical sun, so that they were glad of the opportunity thus afforded
them to obtain a little rest.
After remaining an hour, the approach of the caboceer of Setta
and his soldiers was announced by the noise of their drums and
horns, formed of small elephants’ teeth. My soldiers were now
ordered again to fall in, in marching order, and to receive the
caboceer, who in a short time afterwards entered the quadrangle,
escorted by about two hundred well-armed soldiers. The troops were
drawn up similar to our form of relieving guard. The caboceer, his
captain, and other officers, advanced to the front till within four paces
of the spot where I stood. They then prostrated themselves on the
ground. Raising themselves to their knees, they remained in a
kneeling posture, rubbing themselves over the head and arms with
dust; and then again they stooped to kiss the dust in token of
humiliation and submission to the King’s stranger, and Queen of
England’s captain, as they called me.
After the usual complimentary palaver on such occasions, the
caboceer and soldiers of Setta commenced dancing to their rude
music. Their dances, however, are anything but what an Englishman
would consider dancing, for they very seldom use their feet, but go
through a number of fanciful movements, according to the taste of
the individual performers. The principal movements are by throwing
the shoulders backwards and forwards, in some degree resembling
the gymnastic exercise used in drilling our English soldier in order to
expand the chest, but much quicker. Another motion used by them,
which is considered the most amusing in the dance, is a rotatory
movement of the hips, changing to a backward and forward motion
of a most disgusting description. After this party had performed their
dance, my guard went through a similar dance.
It was now about sunset, and I was very anxious to proceed, for,
as my readers will recollect, there is no twilight within the tropics,
therefore as soon as the sun disappears from the horizon all
becomes dark as midnight. We accordingly resumed our march, and
at thirty-four miles arrived at the town of Setta, where we were met
by all the inhabitants. A number of the caboceer’s people met us
with torches, it being rather dark. Here the crowd was so great, as to
prevent my progress for upwards of half an hour. After this we
advanced to the market-place, which is under the shade of three
large trees, with branches of enormous extent. Here they again
commenced dancing, being generally joined by the inhabitants of the
town. I now dismounted, and seated myself under one of the trees till
this ceremony was finished, when I presented the captain of each
party of soldiers with a couple of flasks of rum, to give a dram to
each of their men, or at least to give them each a taste; after which,
we were shown to our quarters. These were much better than I
expected. Being very tired, I was soon stretched on my mat, but was
much disturbed by the caboceer sending a band of picked
musicians, with instruments something similar to the hautboy.
Although the sounds were not void of melody, still their absence to
me at this time would have been a great relief; but as I knew they
were sent with a view to amuse me, I bore the annoyance with
tolerable grace.
In about an hour after entering my quarters, numerous large
calabashes of provisions of various descriptions, with plenty of peto
and water, were brought into the court-yard, and placed in front of
my quarters. This was a present from the caboceer for myself and
soldiers. After the usual forms of tasting had been gone through, I
ordered the provision to be divided amongst my soldiers and private
servants, of course reserving some for myself. Finding my servant
Maurice in a feverish state I gave him some medicine, in hopes that
a night’s rest might improve his condition, and after a few visits from
different parties of influence in Setta, I was allowed to retire to rest. I
felt thankful to be left alone, and in a few minutes fell asleep,
forgetting once more the anxieties and cares of my chequered life.
My slumbers were sweet and refreshing, and my little mat was to me
equal to a bed of down, and much more convenient, as it could be
rolled up like a sheet of paper, and carried in the hand.
July 10th.—Early in the morning, I was awakened by the
caboceer’s messenger, who had been sent to inquire after my
health. Thank God, I was well and quite refreshed, and felt no longer
the fatigue of the previous day’s journey. Not so, however, my poor
white servant: he was still suffering much, and was in a high fever. I
again administered James’s fever powder and sedative of opium.
Soon after the messenger’s return the caboceer and principal
officers came to my house, or quarters, to pay their morning
compliments, and palaver for about three quarters of an hour. During
this time I gave each of them a glass of rum. They then retired, and
in a short time returned with an enormous quantity of provisions for
our breakfast. The dishes, or calabashes, containing the food, were
all placed on the ground, in the yard in front of my house, in order
according to the different sizes.
When this arrangement was finished the chief caboceer and
attendants advanced and placed themselves before me, at the
distance of about four yards. They then knelt down on both knees,
my own captain or caboceer following the same example,
accompanied by several of his principal officials and headmen.
These, however, placed themselves in my front, facing the former
party. The caboceer of Setta then commenced a very clever
complimentary speech, declaring his own great satisfaction, as well
as that of all his people, at being honoured with a visit from the
King’s English stranger; and at the same time expressing a hope that
I and other Englishmen might again frequently visit his country.
Thanks were returned by the captain of my guard in the name of his
Majesty the King of Dahomey. Both parties then prostrated
themselves, kissing the ground and throwing dust over their heads,
and rubbing themselves all over the head and arms with the same.
Next he presented me with the food which had been sent, the tasters
touching each dish as they were named, similar to the mode of
touching and calling off messes in a soldier’s mess-room. The pots
and calabashes amounted in all to thirty-seven in number, some
containing as much as an English bushel.
The natives are in general very good cooks, and contrive to make
a great number of dishes from the same material. Of the animals
cooked were bullocks, roasted and boiled, as well as stewed, sheep,
goats, venison, and the young elephant, pork both roasted and
boiled, fowls, Guinea fowls, Muscovy ducks, and turkeys; and of
vegetables, yams, manioc, sweet potato, India corn or maize, with
numerous varieties of underground peas, as well as many other
sorts above ground. Their food is generally highly seasoned with
pepper and palm-oil, which, when fresh, has an excellent flavour,
and is very wholesome.
It should always be remembered, that the palm-oil imported into
England is not the same as that used by the natives. The oil sent to
England is merely the outside of the nut, similar to the outside of a
plum or any other stone fruit. The oil exported is extracted from this
pulp, but the palm-oil used here in cooking is extracted from the
kernel taken out of the stone of the palm-nut. It is equal to our best
salad oil. A vegetable called accro, of great utility, is generally used
in soups. It is boiled till quite stringy, and is given to invalids. It is said
to be very strengthening. Shalots and different sorts of pepper are
also much used, as well as bananas and plantains.
After the usual ceremony of presenting me with provisions had
been gone through, and I had thanked my generous host, the
caboceer and his attendants repeated the same form of prostration
and throwing dust over their heads, and rubbing dust over the arms
and head, acknowledging my thanks. The caboceer’s and my own
taster now commenced tasting every dish, in order to shew me that
everything was good and wholesome. Then, after drinking water with
the caboceer, as a mark of sincere friendship, we were left to devour
our food, my soldiers and other people using their naked fingers
even in eating stews and soups, and each individual endeavouring to
cope with his comrade. We were also furnished with plenty of peto,
which is here manufactured in a superior manner.
 After breakfast several Dahoman traders came to pay court to me.
One of them presented me with a very large Guinea fowl, quite
black, with jet black legs. The caboceer also presented me with two
of the common Guinea fowl, and some of the traders or merchants
from Dahomey subscribed and purchased some goats, and some
peto, which they presented to me. In fact, during the whole day
presents were arriving from different parties. Amongst them was a
very old woman, apparently about ninety years of age, and nearly
blind. This poor old creature, anxious to show her loyalty to the King
and respect for his stranger, presented me with two eggs and four
strings of cowries, in all probability all that she possessed in the
world. She expressed her shame at making so small a present, but I
assured her that a white man did not estimate a gift according to its
intrinsic value, but according to the intention with which it was
bestowed, and told her to remember that the Great Fetish above,
God Almighty (for they have an idea of such a Being) did not
estimate our gifts by their magnitude, but by the purity and sincerity
of the heart. In return for her present I gave her as much as I did to
those who had given me a hundred times the value. This seemed to
give universal satisfaction to the multitude assembled. After receiving
the presents the poor old woman prostrated herself after the manner
of her country, and remained in a kneeling posture till she had sung
a song in praise of the white stranger.
A little harmless deception was here attempted to be played off at
my expense by one of the soldiers of my guard. This young man was
one of the King’s huntsmen, and being anxious to compete with the
others who made me presents, by some means procured a very
large Guinea fowl. Making a hole through the neck of the bird with a
knife, or some similar instrument, he assured me upon presenting it
to me, that he always shot his birds in the neck, and with bullets.
This I knew was not true; and upon making some further inquiries,
with a view to ascertain whether this was the suggestion of his own
brain or proceeded from others, I learnt that he had been prompted
by others, probably with a view to raise my opinion of their superior
skill in shooting. I soon convinced them, however, of my total
disbelief of their being able to strike any prescribed part of a bird of
much larger dimensions than the Guinea fowl, and offered the man
ten head of cowries if he would even hit a bird in the neck fastened
to a peg stuck into the ground. The caboceer, however, refused to
allow him to try. Of course this objection saved the young
huntsman’s credit for the present, but I had made up my mind to test
his capabilities on the first occasion which might present itself. In the
meantime I made him a present of a paper of needles and a thimble
for the fowl, for which he seemed very grateful.
Having received so much kindness from everybody in this place, I
determined to make a general distribution of needles, having
upwards of six thousand with me for the purpose of giving away.
News to that effect soon spread through the town, so that my court-
yard was soon filled, and hundreds waited outside. With some
difficulty I cleared a small space for myself to sit down and distribute
my needles, giving four needles to grown women and two to female
children; but I soon found several of the young ones come a second
time. As soon as the caboceer became aware of this, he gave orders
that any one who should be detected coming a second time should
be flogged. This threat had the desired effect; still a considerable
time elapsed before I had finished making my presents to the female
portion of the assemblage. The caboceer very judiciously hinted the
necessity of either reducing the distribution in number, or confining it
to the old people, remarking that I had many other towns and
countries yet to pass through. This advice was well timed, and I
forthwith acted upon it, although some hundreds arrived after I had
left off.
Dinner-time had now arrived, and a messenger came to inform me
that it was on the way to my house. After a few minutes a quantity of
provisions exceeding that of the morning was placed before me in
the same manner as before, and with the same ceremony as I have
already described. I selected such dishes as I preferred for myself
and people, and the rest were given to the soldiers. After dinner the
caboceer sent his head messenger to ask if I would allow him to
order a parade of his soldiers to dance before me for my
amusement. Of course etiquette demanded my assent, but I
postponed the honour till I had taken a survey of the town and its
neighbourhood, and had made some observations upon its soil and
productions. This proposal was readily assented to, and after I had
dressed myself in uniform, I mounted my little charger, and rode
round part of the town, accompanied by all my own private servants,
except my own white servant, Maurice, who was still suffering from
illness. During my ride I came in contact with the horse of the captain
of my guard. My own as well as his being entire horses, made some
desperate efforts to come in contact with one another, and I was
obliged to punish mine severely with the spur, which caused him to
plunge and kick violently. The people seemed very much astonished,
and expressed their admiration of the white man’s horsemanship.
Horses are not bred in this country, consequently very few of the
natives ever saw a horse, except at Dahomey, whither a few are sent
as presents to his Majesty. The rider is invariably held on the
animal’s back by two men, who walk on each side. After I had taken
a survey of the town, which occupied about an hour and a half, I
returned to the market-place, where I found all my own soldiers (with
the exception of those who had accompanied me) as also the
soldiers of Setta: the market-place being comfortably shaded from
the sun by large trees, gave the assemblage a very imposing
appearance.
I now dismounted, and sent my horse to the stable. A seat having
been prepared for me, I took my position by the side of my captain,
the soldiers of Setta commencing the amusement by dancing of the
most singular description; the motion being chiefly, as before
described, from the hips and shoulders—an excellent gymnastic
exercise, and well calculated to strengthen the limbs and expand the
chest. After a few awkward leaps they were formed up, and ordered
to charge; upon which an irregular rush was made in the direction of
a supposed enemy. During this operation an irregular fire was kept
up, with shouts or yells. They then suddenly returned, each soldier
bringing with him a bough or a handful of grass, and laying the same
at the feet of the caboceer or captain. These are considered as
heads cut off their enemies in the charge with the short sword, which
is carried by all soldiers, as well as a musket. My guard now took
their turn in the dance, and went through the same manœuvres as
the former. After this, both parties sat down pretty well tired. I then
distributed a quantity of rum amongst the caboceers and headmen,
to give amongst their people, which was received with shouts in my
praise.
I could not help strongly contrasting the different dispositions of
the people here and those on the coast. The people of this country
are governed by good laws, and although to Europeans they may
appear very stringent, yet they are quite necessary to govern a
savage people. After my friends had drank my health, and I had
returned the compliment, I went back to my quarters, where I found
my white man Maurice a little recovered, but still obliged to lie down.
Again I was visited by all the head people of Setta, many of whom
asked me very shrewd questions respecting England, our trade and
manufactures. The extent of our shipping, and our power on the
ocean, seemed to surprise them most of anything. Of this they had a
previous knowledge, from visiting Dahomey, and no doubt, heard
there of the capture by us of so many slavers. In a short time supper
arrived. My visitors remained with me until a late hour, when I was
glad to go to rest.
The town of Setta is situated on a gently rising ground,
commanding a view to a great distance in all directions. The soil is a
rich loam of a clay colour. Corn is grown here in abundance, and of
various sorts; ginger is also cultivated here. The country abounds
with game, partridges, and Guinea fowl. Cattle here are very good,
and numerous in proportion to what I observed on the coast. Sheep
and goats are here also in abundance. The domestic fowls are the
Guinea fowl, common fowl, and Muscovy duck, as well as the
common duck of England. Pigeons are generally found in great
abundance in all the towns and villages. The caboceer of Setta is a
very fine man in person, about six feet in height, and well formed,
and with good features and a pleasing expression. Before leaving his
town he presented me with a very fine bullock.
Setta contains about nine thousand inhabitants. Their worship is
pagan, but they are not at all prejudiced against any other religion.
They manufacture the earthenware which they use in this place. The
town is surrounded by a clay wall about the height of seven feet only
and three feet thick.

FOOTNOTES:
[20] The paths are so narrow in most instances as only to admit
of one foot at a time, and are sometimes two feet deep.

END OF VOL. I.

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

 Transcriber’s Notes
A few minor errors in punctuation and spacing have been corrected.
Page 26: “any person of note die” changed to “any person of note dies”
Page 83: “being invaribly buried” changed to “being invariably buried”
Page 102: “with several baracoons” changed to “with several barracoons”
Page 122: “Ke Suza” changed to “de Suza”
Page 169: “where the land is olwer” changed to “where the land is lower”
Page 170: “to my servicee” changed to “to my services”
 *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TRAVELS IN
WESTERN AFRICA IN 1845 & 1846, VOLUME 1 (OF 2) ***

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