odi fellowship scheme 2015

The ODI Fellowship Scheme Providing Capacity - Promoting Careers

Jema Davis – Programme Officer, ODI Fellowship Scheme

November 2014

What is the ODI Fellowship Scheme?

We provide governments of low and middle income countries with high-calibre junior professional economists and statisticians recruited internationally from among the best universities in the world to work as local civil servants on two-year contracts.

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This achieves two things:

• Governments of developing countries obtain high-calibre junior professional economists and statisticians in line positions under local management in a flexible way and at a price they can afford

• Postgraduate economists and statisticians gain valuable practical work experience in a developing country through an internationally recognised and prestigious scheme (not a volunteer scheme – Fellows receive around £21,000 pa)

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Why do countries want ODI Fellows?

• Countries embarking on ambitious reform may simply not have the quality economists and statisticians needed to complete key tasks on time

• Top policy-makers may know what they want to achieve and may receive Technical Assistance from World Bank/IMF and others yet may need skilled people to help in getting technical work done

• Lack of public sector reform and investment has resulted in failure to attract and retain top quality economists and statisticians

• Permanent employees may be studying so gaps need to be filled

• Countries emerging from conflict starting to build public sector capacity

• Countries value Fellows in their public sector structures as they bring energy and different perspective and can help transfer skills to local staff

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• Established in 1963

• Worked in over 40 countries

• Placed more than 1,000 Fellows

• 57 awards made in 2013, 52 in 2014

• 107 Fellows currently in post working in 27 countries

• Introduced new “statistics stream” in 2014

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Which countries want ODI Fellows?

Africa – Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar

Caribbean – Guyana, Haiti

Pacific – Fiji (SPC), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Vanuatu

… and possibly others for 2015!

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Where are ODI Fellows posted?

What do ODI Fellows do?

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What do ODI Fellows do?

• Prepare national budgets and development plans

• Macroeconomic forecasting and analysis

• Provide economic analysis for monetary policy

• Advise on trade policy and trade negotiations

• Aid coordination and debt management

• Devise strategic responses to HIV/AIDS crisis

• Advise on application of environmental economic instruments – climate change

• Conduct household and enterprise surveys

• Produce and analyse economic statistics

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What do recent ODI Fellows say?

“The ODI fellowship scheme is a unique opportunity to be on the developing government’s side of the table. I felt uniquely absorbed into the workings of the ministry and feel a deep connection to the staff that I worked alongside. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to present research to high level policy makers and to influence on a daily basis some of the key functions of government.”

John Spray, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Liberia 2012-2014

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“The Fellowship Scheme provided an invaluable opportunity to discover a part of the world and a culture about which I knew nothing before I started. Working in the Commerce Ministry of a small country exposed me to a wide range of issues, and allowed me to contribute in a small way to the planning process for the country's development. It also exposed me to several dilemmas underlying international development, made me interrogate my assumptions and perceptions about economic and social change, and introduced me to a large set of thought-provoking people from all over the world.”

Karan Nagpal, Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business, Vanuatu, 2012-2014

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“The Fellowship has been a great experience; I simply would not have had the opportunity to work on such high-level projects anywhere else. There is also a great deal of freedom in the job, which allows you to pursue areas where you can really make an impact. However, the cultural differences have been very testing, making the job exceptionally frustrating at times. That said, this has taught me that there are always ways to get things done, providing you are willing to work hard for them.”

Matthew Mirecki, Ministry of Finance, Namibia, 2012-2014

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What requirements do you need to apply?

• Excellent degree and postgraduate qualification in economics, statistics or related subject

• Sound grasp of economic theory and its application

• Intellectual skills – problem-solving, analysis of data and information

• Communication skills - technical ideas to non-specialists

• General work skills – able to prioritise, time management, ability to work without supervision, report writing

• Personal skills – confidence, patience, flexibility, ability to work with others, willingness to learn

• Demonstrable interest in development

• Relevant work or voluntary experience

• Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, STATA, SPSS)

• Language competence

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What do ODI Fellows gain?

• Two years valuable work experience in development working within public sector of developing country

• Develop personal and professional skills

• Acquire in-depth insight into life in developing country and possibly learn new language

• Establish contacts with wide range of people and organisations

• A salary of about £21,000 pa

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Some illustrious former ODI Fellows

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Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State

for Business, Innovation and Skills

(Kenya 1966-68)

Prof Anne Mills CBE MA DHSA,

London School of Hygiene and

Tropical Medicine (Malawi 1973-75)

Dr Martin Weale CBE, UK Monetary Policy

Committee (Malawi 1977-79)

Sir Suma Chakrabarti, European Bank

for Reconstruction and Development

(Botswana 1981-83)

Lord Andrew Turnbull, former UK Cabinet

Secretary (Zambia 1968-70)

How is the Scheme organised?

• Scheme is a demand-led partnership between ODI and partner governments (normally based on MoU)

• Costs of Fellows shared between the employing government and ODI

• Postings determined mainly by government preferences

• Administrative arrangements covered by ODI run by small team of four – Robin Sherbourne (Head), Susan Barron (Programme Manager), Darren Lomas (Programme Officer), Jema Davis (Programme Officer)

• Fellowship Scheme presently enjoys funding from DfID and DFAT

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How is the Scheme organised?

Remember: Fellows are employees of the government or public bodies they are working for not ODI employees.

The employer is normally responsible for:

• Paying the local salary

• Extending the same conditions of service as locally recruited staff

• Ensuring Fellows receive work permits

ODI is normally responsible for:

• Administration including recruitment, selection and pre-departure briefing

• Outbound and homebound expenses

• Monthly supplementation

• Emergency medical insurance

• Providing information about security issues

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What timetable does the Scheme follow?

Nov – 17 Dec 2014 Accepting applications

January Shortlisted candidates invited to interview

Early-February Referees contacted for shortlisted candidates

Late-February Selection panel held at ODI in London

Late-February Firm and Conditional offers of Fellowships made

March – June Placement Tours to allocate Fellows to posts and monitor progress of

Fellows in post

June Governments confirm their requests

June Fellowship offers agreed with Fellows

July Briefing session held at ODI in London

July-September Start dates agreed between Fellows and governments

August – October Commencement of postings

ODI is the UK’s leading independent think tank on

international development and humanitarian issues.

We aim to inspire and inform policy and practice to

reduce poverty by locking together high-quality

applied research and practical policy advice.

The views presented here are those of the speaker,

and do not necessarily represent the views of ODI or

our partners.

Overseas Development Institute

203 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

T: +44 207 9220 300

www.odi.org.uk

[email protected]