Document(s) 2 of 3

    IDRC has helped to shape the careers of many award holders. Fellowships and Awards' annual Internship competition is one of IDRC's most popular awards competitions, attracting many highly qualified candidates. Those selected are assigned to various program initiatives to gain experience in the day-to-day work in an international development organization.

Fellowships and Awards invited former interns to write a few words on their experiences at the Centre. Read what this dynamic group of individuals have to say about their internship at IDRC.

Sarah McCans, Urban Poverty and Environment, Intern, 2007-2008 Story and Video Slide Show of Sarah McCans

Michelle Osborne, Innovation, Policy and Science, Intern, 2006-2007

Lessons learned from my field work experience:

1. Before working with anyone in your field research area ask them in a very casual way if they have political affiliations. Ask other people who know them also. This will help avoid a situation where you may be seen as having political ties or be a supporter of a group/individual when you are in fact not.

2. Before leaving on travel, go to your bank and tell them the exact dates of where you are going and when you will be there.  That way they won't freeze your account when you need it most

3. When you are at the bank before leaving, change your pin to a 4-digit code (many countries do not accept a pin with more digits than this and most banks won't let you change your pin overseas). Your bank should inform you of this prior to leaving – however they do not always.

4. Before leaving, it's a good idea to have TWO credit cards in addition to your bankcard. Keep them and emergency cash in separate places (preferably always be wearing a money pouch).

5. Check with at least two travel agencies and with local colleagues and acquaintances in the area you will be doing your field research in before booking domestic airlines (one travel agent may say they are reputable, when in fact it is far below international aviation standards).

6. If there is no reputable airline going to the region where you want to go, try your best to find an alternative (i.e. arrive in a nearby city on a more reputable airline and take a bus from there to where you need to go).

Jessica White, Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health, Intern, 2005-2006

"I have never before worked in an environment that is as nurturing, both professionally and personally, as IDRC.  The investments in my professional development and the opportunities to try new things (e.g. presenting in an internationally teleconferenced meeting!) helped to develop my sense of professional confidence.  I am extremely grateful to have had a (rare) paid opportunity to apply my knowledge and professional skills as it has allowed me to sustain myself while investing in my future career goals."

Kamathe Katsongo, Cities Feeding People (CFP), Intern, 2005

"Upon arriving at IDRC, the intern is called upon to discover a new environment. Assigned to a work team, the intern must adapt to the team’s work methods and work towards the attainment of the internship’s objectives, from which may arise a number of important challenges. On the one hand, the intern must adapt to the immediate environment, and on the other hand, he/she must internalize his/her new work environment. The supervisor — being the one person closest to the intern — plays a determining role in this context. The permanent bond that develops between the intern and his/her mentor ensures the intern's successful development.  At the beginning of the internship, it is essential that the workplan developed for the entire period be carefully mapped out in accordance with the internship’s objectives. It must also be in line with the team’s expectations.

Obviously, the orientation session conducted at the beginning of the internship enables the interns to become acquainted with the Centre’s numerous resources early on. The role of the supervisor however, is undeniable. The bond between the mentor and the intern allows the latter to progressively familiarize him/herself with other members of the team.

In other respects, each work team is teeming with expertise; the training should take advantage of this wealth of information. The supervisor may be indisposed (work-related absence, sick leave, etc.), in which case other team members can ensure continuity.  For example, three months into my internship, my supervisor found a new job and left IDRC. However, I was not worried as the entire team was already interested in my research.

Still, it is the intern’s responsibility to inform IDRC’s scientific community of his/her research interests, as well as know how to locate a specific resource to exploit in order to ensure the research’s progress. The intern’s socialization becomes an asset that facilitates communication between members of the same community.

In fact, during my internship, I observed that an intern’s successful social integration allows him/her to easily communicate with other team members and take advantage of their respective field expertise. Social integration generates a pleasant work atmosphere necessary for all team work, which consequently, yields profitable results. Time spent at IDRC becomes not only scientifically and professionally satisfying, but personally enriching."

Bruce Currie-Alder, Managing Natural Resources (Latin America) (MINGA), Intern, 2003/Professional Development Award, 2004

"Through the Centre Internship and a subsequent Professional Development Award, I was able to conduct new research, prepare peer review publications, contribute to IDRC planning processes, develop skills in project management, and assist in preparations for an international workshop. During the summer of 2003, I researched three multistakeholder processes for environmental management in southern Mexico, the results of which were subsequently published in the Minga Working Paper Series and presented at two international conferences in Mexico. I had the opportunity to assess lessons learned from IDRC projects in participatory natural resources management and water governance, the results of which contributed to IDRC programing and were shared at a workshop at Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the Guelph University Rural Studies Conference in 2004. I reviewed draft research papers for the Tenth Congress of the International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP) and helped to organize a workshop with IDRC partners to assess learning and future needs in common property research. After the departure of a member of the Minga Program Initiative, I helped to manage several water management projects in the Andean region and participated in a project development workshop in Bolivia. Finally, I received training in French and in social analysis, and learned how to shoot and edit digital video to prepare an eight-minute video of IDRC participation at the IASCP 2004 Congress. Through these awards, I was able to enhance my international experiences and learned how development research may inform different stakeholders and influence policy making. Ultimately, these awards were key in gaining employment within IDRC’s Policy and Planning Group."

Maggie Gorman, Policy and Planning Group (PPG), Intern,  2004

"A main objective of my internship was to gain experience working in a professional environment with highly qualified individuals where I would be able to learn from them valuable professional skills that would be integral for future employment.  With certainty, I can say working in the Policy and Planning Group has enabled me to do so.   One of the most valuable parts of this internship is the availability to draw on the vast experience of coworkers who have worked in this field for many years while at the same time providing an important network of other interns to learn from, work with, and share experiences.  In working with the PPG team and being kept abreast daily of the current development policy environment, I feel I have a better understanding and capacity to work analytically in the development policy field.  The team's openness and patience in helping me learn by taking the time to explain various processes and institutions has been a valuable experience.  Further, in being tasked with writing reports and briefing notes, and reading several others, I now have a better understanding of the style and writing requirements that these types of information-sharing exercises require.  This has been rewarding for someone with my background, who has very little experience working in the development field.

In terms of specific projects, I have devoted a portion of my time to an independent research project, which requires literature reviews, conducting several meetings and interviews with professionals from government, NGOs, and the private sector who are able to provide me with valuable information, in addition to attending two conferences on my topic.  This experience has helped me build confidence and capability in, among other things, interviewing, networking, and research.  The rest of the time, I work directly with the PPG team.  This has been especially rewarding as I've worked on an IDRC corporate study, which has helped advance my understanding of various types of IDRC work, as well as my familiarity with the historical-political context in several developing countries, and how the research environment is sustained through adverse political, social, and economic conditions." 

Noah Schiff, Partnership and Business Development (PBD), Intern, 2004

"I had never worked in Canada in an international development role, and look at this as a launching pad for my career based within the Canadian context. For that reason this internship has been a most valuable stage in my professional development and career objectives, and I don't know how I would have come back to Canada, with a paycheck, otherwise."

Regan Suzuki, Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), Intern, 2004

"I would suggest that one of the reasons that my internship experience has been so positive is that I came with little expectations other than my intention to make of it what I could. Having had several prior internship experiences (one, a local Cambodian NGO experience which was short-lived and resulted in my transferring to UNDP, and experience as an intern with UNEP in Japan), I had come to the conclusion that little more could be expected from an internship than simply an opportunity to glimpse the working environment and "behind-the-scenes" reality of organizations. I had had to fight a bit in both of those situations to convince them of the need to have an intern at all, and thereby was generally happy to just be a part of the corporate structure. Being able to actually feel as though I have been able to conduct research that I find meaningful has been, in my view, a bonus. I would have been satisfied with leaving IDRC simply having gained insights into its internal dynamics, and it has thus more than exceeded my expectations. Perhaps it is only until you have come to expect that very little, career-wise, will be offered to you on a silver plate, that you come to appreciate the opportunities you are presented with, in whatever forms they come. This extends as well to supervision. My prior experiences had led me to expect little supervision, and in fact, I have come to enjoy working independently. The fact that my supervisor was not based in Ottawa I did not see as a shortcoming. Overall communication was good, and the opportunity to spend time in person during a PI "writeshop" held overseas, also contributed to the good working relationship. I suspect, however, that in the case of someone preferring greater structure and guidance, the situation may not have been ideal."

Andres Vélez-Guerra, Cities Feeding People (CFP), Intern,  2004

"For my internship with the Cities Feeding People (CFP) program initiative at IDRC, I conducted a research project regarding access to land for urban agriculture in Francophone Africa.  I developed this idea following my Master’s degree work on access to land for housing in Latin America.  Upon my arrival at the centre I met Luc Mougeot who was my internship supervisor and the CFP Team Leader.  In our first meeting, we set a work plan and decided to use 70 percent of my work time for my research project and 30 percent to help with CFP programing.  

Working with Luc was an amazing experience.  During my first four months at IDRC I met Luc every two weeks to discuss my research work and to narrow down my research focus.  Luc’s vision of developing cities helped me to shape my understanding of urban agriculture in the South.  He also provided me with methodological skills, cutting-edge research information, and contacts worldwide. 

Once I had advanced in my literature review and developed a theoretical approach to the issues I was studying, I started selecting a place for my fieldwork.  At this point in my internship I was more involved with the CFP team, therefore using more of my work time to help in the programing.  This allowed me to understand IDRC better and to develop a network in Africa for my fieldwork.  I spent 10 weeks in Bamako, Mali working with farmers’ organizations and studying their means of access to land.

Upon my return to Canada, I presented my fieldwork findings during the American Community Garden Association (ACGA) 25th Annual Conference in Toronto and finished my research paper based on the literature review and the fieldwork.  The internship expanded my understanding of developing countries’ urban issues exponentially. I cannot think of a more stimulating and challenging institution to start a career in international development than IDRC."

Xu Yang, Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), Intern, 2004

"Working with the ICT4D team was a great learning experience. This opportunity was especially meaningful for me, having a background in both ICTs and development studies. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from China, I was rather nervous and uneasy when I started my Master’s in International Development Studies in Canada, without knowing what the direction of my career would be, although I had a strong interest towards development issues.

This internship presented me a perfect combination of these two fields — using ICTs for development in different parts of the world. Throughout the year, I obtained opportunities to conduct my research with various assistances from the Centre, such as financial support, professional guidance, etc. Thanks to the internship, I was able to listen to experts from Canada, Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific regions, and  discover how ICTs could impact people’s lives in developing countries. Moreover, I am not confused and scared anymore — I am confident enough to pursue my career in this specific field in the future."

 
Xu Yang's visit to Menwangzhuang Village, China, October 2004, where she investigated issues related to the utilization of ICTs for development through telecentres.

Tahira Gonsalves, Peacebuilding and Reconstruction (PBR), Intern,  2003

"I have been the PBR intern here at the Centre since January, 2003. So far, it has been a tremendous learning opportunity, filled with new knowledge and ideas, some demystification and also hope and satisfaction. These 10 months have allowed me to understand a number of different processes more deeply: first, the research process, which, while I had spent time during my Master’s attempting to refine, still needed and will continue to need more fine-tuning. Research as a process is certainly never complete. What I was able to do here at IDRC was conduct fieldwork and interviews, which I did not have an opportunity to do during my Master’s degree. The flexibility to design my own research, formulate methodology, conduct the research, and now proceed to put it together in some semblance of coherence, has been a great experience, though of course not without its frustrations!

In doing this research, I have also been able to establish various contacts as well as benefit from the experience of a wide variety of people in academia and development-related work, both within the governmental and nongovernmental sectors. This has been intellectually valuable and will no doubt continue to be valuable in terms of future contacts.

Having the opportunity to informally represent PBR at various conferences, seminars and workshops has also been very beneficial. There have also been opportunities to attend the various talks and brown bags organized within IDRC as well as benefiting from training sessions provided by the Centre.

The term "internship" may be slightly misleading though, as it is quite different from an articling, clerkship, or apprenticeship of some sort. Here, the internship experience will be quite different for different interns. Moreover, it is really up to the intern to obtain what they want from their internship. Some of us were in the midst of completing our degrees, while others had done so recently, or some time ago. Being at different points in our lives, our expectations were also varied. As such, I would advise any new intern to be clear about what it is s/he wants from the internship and proceed to get it! It is an advantageous time in that there are opportunities available and a relatively ‘stress-free’ working environment. It is of course not permanent and lacks the stability of other jobs, but it is a time to be able to focus on individual research and gain something from the international development milieu."

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