Human Resources

What background do development experts have and what should they have? In Spain there are many academic courses, which launch around 200 graduates of development cooperation onto the market every year. The new “development cooperate worker statute” promoted by the current Spanish government a few months ago, is awaiting approval. On the other hand, the Master Plan 2005-2008 promises an initiative of training and modernisation of Spanish development cooperation staff.

Apart from this, the new guidelines for aid provision call for new professional profiles with experience in public finance, state and judicial reforms or in humanitarian aid. Alike some other countries, Spain has programmes to recruit personnel in different international organisations, or to foster temporary exchanges of staff with other organisations.

How is the multidisciplinary discipline of development studies organised in Spain? What is the relationship between diplomats and development cooperate workers? What are the strategic plans to consolidate a professional Spanish team, that is capable of giving answers to global policy needs?

Backgrounder by FRIDE

"Possibly the most delicate subject to discuss of the Spanish Development Cooperation is its human resources. Due to a rigid and bureaucratic system, as in the Spanish case, change and improvement of the present system as far as the management of the human resources, is slow and problematic ...."