Opinion: A multigenerational approach should be part of US rebuilding efforts

Deploying multigenerational teams through the incorporation of “experience” into an expanded framework for diversity, equity, and inclusion — enlarging the DEI acronym to DEEI — is increasingly being tested by the private sector. This broadened approach could also benefit the development industry.

Building on a growing trend, nearly 30 million Americans who were born between the years 1946 and 1964, sometimes referred to as “baby boomers,” were in retirement nationwide by the third quarter of 2020 — a situation that many may have been forced into. While the international development community has yet to thoroughly research and publish its own data on the topic, anecdotal evidence suggests it is not immune.

We believe the implications of this evolving trend are significant and that reduced development budgets may be exacerbating human resource departments’ staffing decisions. Whether this trend will set the stage for unintended consequences for donors and beneficiaries in the quest for the sustainability of programmatic assistance will be determined in time.

Coupled with employee workforce reductions — both voluntary and involuntary — another trend involving development sector employees is emerging in tandem. Younger, well-educated, international development practitioners are proliferating. Entry-level positions are extremely competitive, and in Washington — the industry’s “capital” — the city’s positive standing nationally among younger workers was visible in the cubicles and lunchrooms of development firms before COVID-19 struck.

Opportunities are many for cutting-edge-technology-knowledge savvy young professionals prepared to simultaneously manage core administrative duties and demanding new business efforts. Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence suggests that in-house opportunities for senior international development staff are at best stable or more likely decreasing in line with current national trends.

To grapple with stagnant or shrinking foreign assistance budgets, international development consulting firms can recruit young professionals to fill positions at a fraction of the cost of senior staff. To gain a competitive edge, companies can strategically implement a “two-fer” or “three-fer” business model. Under this model junior level, professionals can become go-to substitutes for more experienced senior staff, as donors often award contracts to lowest cost providers when technical considerations appear similar among competitors.

With an eye to cost-cutting to further reduce overheads and ensure profitability and competitiveness, development consulting firms can also cite “budgetary constraints” as a basis for recruitment and retainment decisions that meet donor procurement demands for best value. These business decisions may not, however, be contributing to the achievement of sustainable development results from a donor or beneficiary standpoint.

In the wider corporate arena, a clear correlation between the presence of diverse teams, innovation, and profitability is emerging. In the traditional corporate sector, currently, 8% of Fortune’s best places to work were reported to include deep experience in their DEI strategies, and 28% focused on managing cross-generational programs. If the trends we present for the international development industry are consistent with corporate America — which we believe to be the case — this approach could be of value.

To help the U.S. administration’s efforts to achieve the goal of “America is back” diplomacy, adopting a multigenerational approach that formally incorporates experience into formal DEI development industry programs will be essential in the rebuilding process.

Just as some of the most successful corporations have followed Society for Human Resource Management Foundation’s age-diverse recommendations, if approached systematically, a DEEI approach could contribute to the achievement of sustainable impacts in a world where the complexity of development challenges is growing.

Deep experience in the field and office, along with historical knowledge, networks, and relationships, remain essential. As international development contexts become ever more challenging, bringing well-balanced, multifaceted, and multigenerational teams to highly complex international arenas will be key to achieving success.

The U.S. government is well-positioned to encourage development consulting firms to shape how DEEI is implemented in support of development objectives. Policies and guidelines can be drafted for DEEI standards.

While each business should develop its own approach, development consulting firms should also be encouraged to publicly report metrics on the ways their profits are being used to prepare young practitioners for future leadership roles in international development, as part of their social responsibility and sustainability goals.

As part of U.S. President Joe Biden’s “whole-of-government approach,” and an “all-hands-on-deck commitment” to bring America back, the United States should assess how development practitioners of all generations can best be engaged at key moments in program and project cycles. Both junior and senior professionals should be strategically empowered to help the U.S. solidify its leadership role in the international development arena for sustainable development to be achieved.