ALNAP2 December 2004

Jonathan Potter

Executive Director

People In Aid

www.peopleinaid.org

© People In Aid 2004

H?llo, Nationally-recruited staff

• Hello,

• Hullo or

• Hollo?

© People In Aid 2004

Hullo!

“Indeed, a significant number of the agencies consulted within this study do not appear to have basic statistics concerning their ‘local’ staff, let alone a database of their names, details, skills etc – the basics for an HR management system.”

Understanding HR in the humanitarian sector, People In Aid 2003.

© People In Aid 2004

Nationally-recruited staff: numbers

- 1997: 53% of 63,900 were ‘indigenous country staff’

- People In Aid survey ‘03: 89% of total staff are NRS

- EPN ‘04: Average of 86%

© People In Aid 2004

Nationally-recruited staff: why do they work for INGOs?

• Kudos 7.5

• Pay 7.45

• Help the Community 7.45

• Career opportunities 6.77

• Values 6.41

© People In Aid 2004

Issue: equity

• ‘Equity (fairness) is not the same as equality but is applying the same values to different situations’.

• Contextualisation.

Security, inductions, benefits, selection......

© People In Aid 2004

The People In Aid Code says:

• “Indeed, growing concern over the status of host country staff means that there is now only one Code indicator where a distinction between international and host country staff can even be implied – though it is understood that different cultural and legal backgrounds will affect groups of staff in different ways.” People In Aid Code 2003

© People In Aid 2004

Issue: management

• ‘Rigorous performance appraisal, linked to career development, is vital if NRS are to be managed equitably’

• HR or line: who is responsible?

© People In Aid 2004

Issue: learning and development

- Average of 3% of international staff used to be NRS

- Average of 35% of NRS are on short-term contracts (EPN).

Obstacles:- Data- Short contracts- Restricted funding

© People In Aid 2004

Hello, People In Aid!

• Impact of contract length• Performance management

- individual, team, at a distance• Induction: handovers/briefing• Mentoring and coaching• Basic line management skills

Cross-cutting themes:• NRS• Cross-cultural issues

Thank you !

www.peopleinaid.org

Jonathan@peopleinaid.org