Putting together a team of talented international and local staff isn’t easy, but it’s something clients expect RTI to do well, Brendon Miller, business and partnership development for RTI, told Devex at the 2013 Partnerships Forum in Nairobi.
The key is to look for emerging local leaders with balanced managerial and technical experience who might just need exposure to those who have been leading projects, he said of finding local talent. Those who are able to manage a project and also possess the technical background to identify what’s going right and what’s going wrong will get looked at first.
For local organizations looking to work with RTI on donor-funded projects, Miller recommended that they be very clear in communicating what their capabilities are, which means preparing material so that a senior decision maker can understand in two to three minutes who you’ve worked with and what you’ve accomplished.
Miller also suggested attending conferences or events organized by implementing partners to “get in front of people who are interested in what you do.”
Local organizations should also feel comfortable turning the tables and asking international organizations what their goals are, Miller said.
“You know you have a savvy local partner when they’re asking what you’re trying to accomplish because they care about helping you accomplish your goals and making sure you have alignment,” Miller said.
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About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers is a global development reporter for Devex. Based in Bangkok, she covers disaster and crisis response, innovation, women’s rights, and development trends throughout Asia. Prior to her current post, she covered leadership, careers, and the USAID implementer community from Washington, D.C. Previously, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has since reported from more than 20 countries.
