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Building Bridges & Capacity: Policy Internships & Fellowships

Building Bridges & Capacity: Policy Internships & Fellowships. Dr. Susan Phillips School of Public Policy & Administration Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. PIAF - Goals. Increase mutual understanding and policy capacity in CSOs (& government)

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Building Bridges & Capacity: Policy Internships & Fellowships

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  1. Building Bridges & Capacity: Policy Internships & Fellowships Dr. Susan Phillips School of Public Policy & Administration Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

  2. PIAF - Goals • Increase mutual understanding and policy capacity in CSOs (& government) • Build networks and institutional learning, not just individual learning • PIAF funded as a pilot project of Voluntary Sector Initiative • Managed by CVSRD in partnership with University of Victoria

  3. Format • One year pilot (plus one) • Senior public servants / senior CSO staff spend up to 10 months in the ‘other’ • National: including regional offices of the Government of Canada • Fellows – research • Interns - operational

  4. Importance of Partnership • Formed a partnership of: • Host Organization • Home Organization • Fellow/Intern • Was about networks, not individuals • Means of sharing the learning • Competitive application process • Fellow/Intern got salary replacement

  5. How it Worked • Placements of about 10 months • Formal Exchange agreements • Staff person at CVSRD to nurture • Natural cycle: • Advertise in March-April • Select in June • Start in September • Finish in June

  6. Other Features • Orientation and Summer Institute to learn about policy and culture in the ‘other’ • Could do this for graduate credit • Monthly conference calls • Fellows/Interns had to produce a reflection paper to share the learning • Presented at a final Showcase

  7. Assessment • Very strong interest • 90 inquiries the first year; over 200 the second • Very positive experience • Evaluations are wildly enthusiastic • Variety of fields, departments and CSOs across the country • Formed networks: every fellow = 3 (plus .5 student)

  8. Lessons • Valuable means for individual learning and building policy capacity • Need to share the learning and build networks • Have to commit to doing it for more than a year to make it sustainable and to have real impact

  9. Current Status • 2nd year interest grew • had over 200 inquiries • No money for salary replacements • 5 Fellows – all from government • Is no current funding, project in suspension • Is enormous potential • Could include business, other governments

  10. Lessons • Fund salaries • Does not need to be full (65% - 75%) • Importance of orientation and other means of learning / connection • Address perceived conflict of interest • More perceived than real • Check in regularly and problem solve

  11. Conclusion • PIAF was a useful experiment • Enormous interest in both government and civil society • Government pilot, but hard sell • CVSRD is now looking at how to change it into an academic or perhaps an international exchange • Ideas? Interest in partnership?

  12. More Information. . . . CVSRD: www.cvsrd.org Susan Phillips: susan_phillips@carleton.ca

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