Bringing on board professionals to ensure the successful implementation of a project’s activities is the goal of every recruiter working in the international development sector. Yet the competitiveness of the development environment out there demands creativity in this approach which is sometimes rather hard to achieve. How to be creative and enrol freelance consultants by utilizing a unique CV database and recruiting platform were the main features of the “Best practices in recruiting freelance consultants for donor-funded projects” webinar conducted in early March by DevelopmentAid.
Multilateral and bilateral donors seek highly professional experts to work with the funds they provide. Specialized skills and expertise, relevant educational background, multilingual, and experienced in the geographic region of the project are just a few of the requirements mentioned in the Terms of Reference of every service contract that is financed by international agencies. These experts, whether employed for short, mid or long-term periods, act as qualified advisers in specific fields of development, and their contribution to the project’s implementation is crucial in order to meet its overall objectives. So it is therefore vital to implement creative recruiting strategies that will bring on board those professionals who can deliver undeniable inputs to ensure a project’s successful implementation.
Firstly, however, one needs a solid, up-to-date database of potential candidates, the maintenance of which is one of the best practices to relieve some of the burden of the recruiting process and for projects with a very short deadline in particular. Working with freelancers requires flexibility, excellent communication, and persuasive skills, efficient digital tools, and the ability to make quick decisions.
“Take early action! Recruiting should start before the shortlisting phase of the bidding process. Analyse the donor’s requirements and take them literally. Start identifying potential experts after crafting an overall picture of the tender or grant opportunity. The evaluator responsible for pursuing the consultants should understand, in quantity and quality, how relevant their expertise seems to be for the smooth running of the project, to transform the information provided into mathematical, measurable data in order to make the right decision”, stated Giulia Pilia, Business Developer and Recruiter at Naxta, an Italian consultancy with over 20 years’ experience in European integration, international cooperation, and internationalization.
Giullia Pilia made reference to specific issues drawn from participants’ practices such as verifying the stated work experience and expertise of candidates. “Experience without supporting documents is not a proved experience”, the recruiter added. At the same time, the recruiter underlined the importance of competitive financial offers, meeting donors’ requirements, and the necessity to maintain a functional database of experts.
The webinar offered practical advice that allowed participants to establish a strong rapport with the speakers and ask for any relevant information they needed.
“A technical proposal for a service contract has several essential elements such as the methodology, timeline, outcomes, etc. However, during the evaluation process, the most significant attention is paid to the CVs of the key experts”, noted Sergiu Cașu, Business Development Director at DevelopmentAid.
Tatiana Bostan, a DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions’ Senior Recruiter and Bid manager with over 10 years’ experience, explained in detail the support offered to company’s customers in order to identify those qualified, committed, and motivated candidates who would bring the necessary technical and operational competencies to development projects and programmes.
Tatiana outlined the wide range of possibilities the DevelopmentAid platform offers.
“CV screening is one of the services our clients can rely on in order to determine whether a candidate may or may not be appropriate for a certain role. Our recruitment department helps various organizations to apply certain filters to screen candidates’ CVs to provide a shortlist. We agree a strategy with the clients on the project’s requirements and needs and the assets the experts should possess. In a short period of time, we provide the shortlisted candidates who meet all the requirements”, she added.
The “Best practices in recruiting freelance consultants for donor-funded projects” webinar is part of a series of events organized by DevelopmentAid after consulting the development community regarding the subjects that would be of most interest to be covered in future webinars.
This edition brought together over 200 participants. To gain valuable information about recruiting qualified consultants for particular roles, get free access to the webinar by contacting us at membership@developmentaid.org. Stay tuned to the latest news and gain access to upcoming webinars on DevelopmentAid.
