This is an invitation to National Movements, Local Associations, and Area Organisations to second a professional staff person on a short-term (3 months) basis to the World Alliance of YMCAs.
From January 2013 to August 2014, the following professionals have participated in the Staff Placement Programme:
- Jesus Abraham Martinez, YMCA of Mexico,
- Matheus Medeiros, YMCA of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
- Sven Larsen, Y-Global – Norway,
- Sebastian Vogt, YMCA Germany,
- Mikhail Guskov, YMCA Russia,
- Stephen Webb, Independent Consultant & Volunteer,
- Leonardo Tamagusuku, YMCA of Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Jamie Lockhart, YMCA Scotland
We are very grateful to them and their YMCAs for their support.
We are now confirming the next phase of staff placements for three months during the period from September 2014 to August 2015 and staff professionals from the following YMCAs have confirmed they will participate.
- Jesus Abraham Martinez, YMCA of Mexico
- Mario Trichilo YMCA of Siderno – Italy
- Paul Turner, YMCA of Australia
We invite all YMCAs to consider this amazing opportunity! We have various expressions of interest and we would like to make plans for more staff placements this year.
Why is the Staff Placement Programme Important?
This is a strategic priority. One of the resource development objective’s of OUR WAY Strategy is the Staff Placement Programme.
We invite you to consider this proposal and to send us your ideas of persons who could participate in the programme. Please send your letter of interest to Selma selma@ymca.int — Here is how it works:
Terms of Agreement:
National or Local YMCA: The YMCA (Area, National Movement, or Local YMCA) agrees to second the professional staff person to the World YMCA office for a 3-month (consecutive) period with the salary to be paid by the sending YMCA (Area, National Movement, or Local YMCA). The sending YMCA agrees to maintain the staff person as an employee. The National, Local YMCA, or Area Organisation will cover the round trip airfare of the staff person and their ongoing salary during the placement period. The candidate’s participation should be authorised by the National or Local YMCA leadership.
World YMCA: The World YMCA agrees to cover the cost of accommodation, food, local travel for the 3-month period in Geneva. A professional staff from a YMCA (Area, National or Local) will have a placement in Geneva, over a 3-month period, with a possibility for a rotation over 3 years. (i.e. for 3 months every year over a period of no more than 3 years). The World YMCA reserves the right to interview the candidate in order to ensure the experience and assignments match with the expectations of the candidate.
Mutual Benefit:
The staff person will have a professional development opportunity during their experience at the World YMCA. During this time period the staff person will be able to continue to fulfill some their staff responsibilities and functions for their National Movement on a remote basis.
Volunteer Candidates:
If the individual is a volunteer or retiree, they will need to negotiate with their home YMCA financial support for their travel to and from their home to Geneva. The World YMCA will cover expenses in Geneva for food, lodging, and local travel during the two or three month period.
Overview:
The World YMCA is focused on a transformational global agenda of social change – empowering young people. YMCAs everywhere are strong – and are local and community based. In each community, YMCAs seek to fulfill our Christian mission to serve young people and their communities. The YMCA worldwide has built great strength and relevance at local and national levels in more than 11,200 communities and 119 countries. We believe we can do more. Collectively as a global movement — we believe we can bring positive experiences and change for a better world for young people as a global YMCA.
What does the Staff Placement Programme do?
– Increases the staff capacity (on a short term basis) and enhances learning and knowledge at World YMCA headquarters through involvement of a professional staff person from a member YMCA movement.
– Enhances the knowledge and experience of a YMCA professional from a member National Movement, Local YMCA, or Area YMCA Organisation.
– Works to help implement OUR WAY Strategy and focus on strategic initiatives for increased organizational capacity and sustainability of YMCAs around the world.
– Supports implementation of the worldwide Youth Empowerment in Action change model and framework, with special focus on research.
– Expands the YMCAs’ collective image and impact (with capacity, resources, and knowledge) to be made available to the worldwide YMCA movement on youth empowerment, movement strengthening, and resource mobilisation.
Functions: The Staff Placement works on specific projects within OUR WAY strategy: youth empowerment, movement strengthening, resource development, research, communications, advocacy. These include:
Support Youth Empowerment Strategy – Work with Change Agents: Work with staff to continue to advance the Change Agents programme. Support organisation of training and leadership development including webinar sessions for Change Agents through definition of best approach for the themes, help to identify speakers, writing reports on results, and social media activities (Facebook group). Follow up with Change Agents: This includes delivery of assignments, mentorship, registrations and database.
Comprehensive Youth Focused Research and Analysis: One Million Voices youth voice project — this is a dedicated worldwide research effort focused on young people aged 15 to 24. This ongoing research project is identifying the visions, perspectives, and needs of the young people in all areas of the world through use of a questionnaire instrument. Work assignments related to this project will be a priority. The person will track and monitor progress of implementation of OMV for data collection, communicate with national movements. The person will enter OMV data in a data entry frame. In addition, the person will conduct interviews and consultations with YMCAs on Area, National, and Local levels to gather quality information on programmes, impact, scale. Focus areas are: Employment, Health and Well-Being, Civic Engagement. This will involve data gathering, data analysis, synthesis of information, and development of reports. It will include collection of worldwide evaluation reports on YMCA youth empowerment programmes.
Resource Development: Fundraising Initiatives: Work with staff on fundraising including development of proposals, data gathering on prospects, networking and cultivating potential donors in collaboration with Areas and national and local YMCAs located in each country.
Property Development: Work with staff on asset mapping and data gathering on YMCA assets worldwide and strategic assessment of property development opportunities.
Communications/Social Media: Staff placements work on targeted communications/social media projects to advance youth empowerment with a focus on Change Agents. This includes working together with World Alliance staff on organizing, planning, and holding webinars, providing updates for information platforms, planning for worldwide social media campaigns, such as the World Challenge and for world level events for Change Agents. This includes articles for the website (Stories of Empowerment/other news), World Facebook Page posts, Development of Presentations, contact with National Movements.