JPO Stories
A future in international development
Wesley Jickling is a Canadian JPO currently working with UNDP in Ukraine.
1. Name
Wesley Jickling
2. Duty Station
UNDP Ukraine, Kyiv
3. Where are you from?
I am Canadian, born and raised in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Estevan is a mining and farming town in the south-east corner of Saskatchewan, a province that is famous for its wide-open, endless prairies. Actually, Saskatchewan is about the same size as Germany and Poland together, but less than one million people live there.
4. What did you study?
I completed a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations at University of Calgary (Canada), where I was also captain of the university basketball team. I completed a Masters Degree in Development and International Relations at Aalborg University (Denmark). My master's thesis focused on the potential of coalitions of developing countries/emerging economies to achieve more favorable outcomes, in coalition as opposed to "going it alone", from the Doha round of world trade negotiations.
5. What were your pre-JPO professional experiences?
My goal throughout university was to have a career in the UN. So after finishing my studies, I took my first position as an intern with UNESCO in Brasilia, Brazil. This was a 6-month internship, and I was involved in UNESCO's HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. Then through a Canadian government programme (YES - Youth Employment Strategy) I secured another six month posting, this time with UNAIDS in Swaziland. I ended up working over one year with UNAIDS, before joining WFP Swaziland as a consultant. I worked with WFP for another 6 months, and then I was offered this JPO position with UNDP Ukraine in 2005.
In the zone of exclusion around Chernobyl
6. What do you do as a JPO?
Officially I am a "Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation Officer". A real paragraph! In practice, my work is focused on programme management and, now, UN Coordination. My role has been to standardize project lifecycles and business processes for UNDP Ukraine, and now to advise UNDP project and programme managers on adhering to the standards/requirements of the Results Management Guide. What this means is that I spend a lot of time working with individual projects to 're-align' their existing workplans, and together design a results-based plan, develop a strong framework to monitor progress and quality of results, train/advise project managers to fully use Atlas as a financial and results management tool. I support projects not only in designing and organizing their work, but also in terms of reporting and communications with partners and donors.
Now I am also covering the UN Coordination Specialist role in the office, temporarily while my colleague is away on maternity leave. My workdays are now much longer and much more hectic, but it's a very challenging role and I hope to continue in this direction as a next step in my career (the UN Coordination part, not the longer and more hectic workdays).
7. Five random words that come to your head about your first year as a JPO
Adjustment. Being new to UNDP and to Eastern Europe, there was a lot of adjusting required. It took a while to learn and adjust to UNDP, coming from UNAIDS and WFP. Again, coming from an emergency situation in Swaziland (HIV, persistent drought, food shortages), it required time to adjust to the development context and complex dynamics of the political situation in Ukraine.
Russian. I really enjoy learning languages, and so I was very keen to learn Russian (most people in Kyiv speak Russian as a first language). I quickly realised that Russian is an incredibly complex language, and very difficult to learn for English speakers (who have no concept of declension). I have persisted with Russian lessons throughout my time here, and I have invested many many hours pouring over exercise books and vocabulary lists. After two year years, it would be a stretch to say that my Russian is at an intermediate level. I can have normal conversations and communicate whatever message I need, but I make a lot of mistakes. I'm a looong way from being fluent...
Protest. Since arriving in Kyiv, it seems there has been an endless succession of "protests". We live near the city's main park, a very nice place to walk and relax. But for months at a time it is off limits, as thousands of "protestors" from eastern Ukraine use the park as a campground/staging point for impromptu parades through the city. Several times a year, there is some noisy protest in front of the UN House here. Many issues are taken up in front of our gates.
Challenge. Integrating into UNDP and the country office, and achieving personal results has been a welcome challenge.
Learning. You always hear talk about "life-long learning", and since arriving at UNDP I fully understand. The amount of information and trainings that UN staff have access to is incredible.
8. Most enriching professional achievement so far?
This one's still in progress! Successful implementation of the CEDAR project in Ukraine (for Capacity Enhancement for Delivering Achievable Results). CEDAR is the name given (by headquarters) to the process of re-aligning existing projects with Results Management Guide requirements, standardizing business processes (project appraisal, project board ToR), initiating and maintaining full/proper usage of Atlas as a results management tool. I am the CEDAR manager, and we're on schedule to complete the process in November.
9. Future steps?
Definitely my future lies in international development. I prefer to stay within the UN, and in the short to medium term at least, with UNDP. The work I am doing now is very interesting, and I would like to see it through to completion and gain a bit more experience in project management. But I would say that I prefer to work in more crisis and emergency situations. I find UNDP's work in governance and capacity development to be exciting, but my work with WFP most fulfilling in my opinion. So in the long run, I aim to return to WFP.
10. Words of advice to future JPOs?
Self-belief, to be confident in your abilities and quality of your work and ideas. Self-initiative, to make the most out of your time as a JPO, if necessary by defining your own goals, finding your own opportunities to contribute and create a niche role for yourself. Adaptability, to be ready to take on a wide variety of challenging tasks that may not relate to your job description. Respect the opportunity you have been given and the culture you are working in.
