Program Management
In-Country Management of the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) Program, Department of Foregin Affairs and Trade – Australian Aid Program (formerly AusAID), August 2007 to November 2017
The AVID Program is an Australian Government initiative that aims to strengthen mutual understanding between Australia and it’s partner countries and make a positive contribution to development. Every year, the AVID program places around 1000 volunteers in developing countries. Volunteers work with local counterparts in partner Host Organizations to achieve sustainable development outcomes through capacity building, skills transfer and institutional strengthening. AVID assignments cover a diverse range of sectors including Education, Environment, Gender, Governance, Health, Infrastructure, Rural Development and Trades.
From 2007 to 2017, DevConcepts successfully provided in-country management services for the Australian Government Volunteer Programs, which included the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) and Volunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA) Programs. Over the course of the 10 years (2007-17), DevConcepts managed and supported around 500 Australian Volunteers who were assigned to the Philippines. They also partnered with over 250 local and international host organizations, which include non-government organizations (NGOs), local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), international NGOs and academic institutions.
DevConcepts was subcontracted by Scope Global (formerly Austraining International) (2007-2017) and by the Australian Red Cross (2011-2015) to provide in-country management services for the AVID Program in the Philippines. Our scope of services included: strategic management, partnership and assignment development, training of volunteers and host organizations, monitoring and evaluation, welfare support and security risk management. DevConcepts was recognized for pioneering numerous best practice initiatives in volunteer management, especially in Host Organization engagement, organizational assessment, programmatic approach, in-country orientation, monitoring & evaluation, capacity building, security risk management and program administration.
Philippines Program Perception Survey, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), February to August 2013.
DevConcepts partnered with Sustineo Pty Ltd in the conduct of the AusAID Philippines Program Perception Survey (PPPS). This study aimed to gain a detailed appreciation of AusAID’s target adience’s awareness and understanding of Australia’s aid efforts in the Philippines, and an insight to the attitudes of the target audience to the Philippines program and to Australia in general.
DevConcepts provided project management services and commissioned national experts and field survey teams who undertook quantitative (household survey) and qualitative (focused group discussions, key informant interviews) surveys of close to 1000 respondents in 10 provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Through DevConcepts’ excellent project management support, the study was completed on time, on budget and with high quality of output.
Interim In-Country Management for the Australian Red Cross-Australian Volunteers for International Development (ARC-AVID) Program in Mongolia, Australian Red Cross, Mongolia, January 2013.
Australian Red Cross (ARC) contracted DevConcepts to provide in-country management services for the ARC-AVID Program in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. DevConcepts seconded our Program Manager, Myles Liquigan to act as Interim-ICM in Mongolia for a one-month period where she was responsible for the day-to-day management of the volunteer program there. Myles provided in-country support to ARC and volunteers particularly welfare support, emergency assistance, monitoring & evaluation, etc. This undertaking demonstrates the high quality of DevConcepts volunteer management services that is globally recognized.
Development of a Pilot Results-Based Management (RBM)Framework, Scope Global (formerly Austraining), Hanoi, Vietnam and Manila, Philippines, June 2009 to February 2010.
DevConcepts was engaged by Austraining International to take part in the development of a pilot Results Based Management (RBM) Framework which the company envisioned to roll-out across all its global programs. DevConcepts was involved in a series of planning workshops held in Hanoi, Vietnam and led the development of a pilot RBM Framework and Program Logic Model for the Philippines. We also facilitated the conduct of a 2-day RBM training-workshop in the Philippines that involved a number of local partner organizations who took part in the pilot-testing of the RBM system.
Organization Development
Visioning and Strategic Planning Workshop for the Philippine Federation of Family Farm Schools, Inc. (PhilFeFFARS), Philppines, April 2013.
DevConcepts facilitated a 2-day visioning and strategic planning workshop for PhilFeFFARS which was participated in by members of their executive board and representatives from the different member family-farm schools. With the assistance of DevConcepts, the group was able to craft their vision and mission statements, as well as set their 5-year strategic goals. They were also able to develop their action plans for the next 5-years.
Visioning and Strategic Planning Workshop for the Gelacio I. Yason Family-Farm School (GIYF-FFS), Philippines, September 2012.
DevConcepts facilitated a 2-day visioning workshop and mid-term review of the 5-year strategic plan for GIYF-FSS. Through the support of DevConcepts, GIYF-FSS was came up with clearer and well-crafted vision and mission statements that captures what the organization is truly about and how they would like to be recognized. DevConcepts also assisted them in reviewing their strategic goals and making these more measurable and actionable, and directly aligned to the organization’s vision and mission.
Host Organization Volunteer Programmatic Planning Workshop, Scope Global (formerly Austraining), Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Philippines, September 2008.
The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) through Austraining International supported and funded the conduct of a pilot Host Organization Volunteer Programmatic Planning Workshop. This 3-day workshop involved representatives from 10 local host organizations of the Australian Government Volunteer Programs (i.e. AYAD and VIDA Programs), as well as representatives from Austraining International and AusAID-Manila. DevConcepts developed the concept and design for this pilot workshop, and facilitated the entire program. We also developed an HO Programmatic Approach Planning Workbook® which was the key instrument used by the participating organizations in crafting their 3-year volunteer programmatic plans (VP2). The VP2 adopted a project approach to volunteer engagement and looked at having successive volunteer placements to the organizations in order to achieve sustainable development outcomes.
Training and Capacity Building
Training Program on Best Practices in Volunteer Management and Host Organization Engagement, PT Austraining Nusantara, Jakarta, Indonesia, June 2014.
DevConcepts was commissioned by PT Austraining Nusantara to undertake a training program for their AVID In-Country Management Team. DevConcepts designed and implemented an extensive 4-day program that involved learning sessions and workshops on best practices in volunteer management. Additionally, we also facilitated a pilot host organization programmatic planning workshop and a volunteer sharing session. DevConcepts also supported the PTAN ICM Team in developing their Action Plan.
Training Program on Capacity Building by Volunteers, Scope Global (formerly Austraining), Adelaide, South Australia, November 2011.
For the second time, DevConcepts was commissioned by Austraining International to design and facilitate a session on Capacity Building for outgoing Australian volunteers as part of their Pre-Departure Training in Australia. This session aimed to clarify with the volunteers what capacity building is in the volunteer context, and how they can effectively help build capacity of their Host Organizations (HOs) or the communities they are working with. Volunteers were also introduced to the DevConcepts Capacity Development Framework®.
Training Program on Capacity Building by Volunteers, Scope Global (formerly Austraining), Melbourne, Australia, March 2010.
DevConcepts designed and facilitated a session on Capacity Building for outgoing Australian volunteers as part of their Pre-Departure Training in Australia. This session aimed to clarify with the volunteers what capacity building is in the volunteer context, and how they can effectively help build capacity of their Host Organizations (HOs) or the communities they are working with. They were also introduced to the DevConcepts Capacity Development Framework®.
Business Representation
Philippine Country Representative, Scope Global (formerly Austraining), April 2008 to June 2010
DevConcepts was contracted by Austraining International (now Scope Global) to provide business development and representation services for the company in the Philippines. Our services included marketing of Austraining services to key clients and stakeholders, partnership building and networking with Philippine and international consulting companies, project proposal development, strategy development, and national consultants identification, among others.
Country Representative, Adelaide Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT), January-December 2015
The Adelaide Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) is a growing school that offers certificate, diploma, advance diploma and graduate diploma course, as well as English Language Programmes. Their courses are designed to be your pathway to higher education in the Australian university sector and provide provide good grounding for a career in business management.
DevConcepts served as the Country Representative of AIBT in the Philippines in 2015. Our scope of services included: marketing and promotions of AIBT and their courses; exploring partnerships with Philippines-based educational institutions, including twinning arrangements for curriculum delivery.
