CAREER GUIDANCE FROM MONICA CURCA, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN LOS ANGELES, USA

Follow Monica on Twitter: [ @MonicaCurcaPAX ]

1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?

 I look for someone with passion, curiosity and open mindedness. 

 

2. What do you do?

I am a peace-builder and communications specialist. I am currently working as the Communications Manager and Restorative Justice Community Organizer for a local community-based NGO, in addition I am a consultant for peace-building and social impact organizations helping them with strategic communications, experiential learning and peace-building.

3. Why do you do what you do?

I have a passion to help tell the story of those that have not been heard, I want to augment and amplify those voices. Mostly I do the work I do to shift the dominant narrative towards peace.  

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

I take everyday as it comes - more recently I have been envisioning where I want to “end up” I think it's better to prepare yourself and make yourself available but always be ready for what might be.  

5. What values are you committed to?

I am committed to community, peace, justice, compassion

 

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

50-60 hours

 

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

Technical: Design, media strategy, writing, editing photography among others. 

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

If you want to go far ahead of the people you serve you might lose them. Innovation is great but not everyone is there yet. 

9. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: Entry-level SBCC practitioners)

That you need to bring SBCC into every space. It's an organizing and strategic planning model as much as it is a communications strategy. It is useful in all areas. 

10. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?

"If you wanted applause you should have joined the circus"… it keeps you grounded

 

11. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Every experience makes us who we are.  I would however worked harder to remember that I have something valuable to contribute and advocate for myself even when it felt like the tide was against me. 

12. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?

The big issues and problems that we can solve. 

13. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?

I focus on SBCC for Peace and International Development and thus I am connected with peacebuilder organizations like the Alliance for Peacebuilding. However, I found WACC to have great information. I am also part of social marketing associations.

 

14. What mistakes have you made?

I let others define who I was.

 

15. What one thing do you still struggle with?

The saying “the first revolution is internal” is very relevant. We must first strive to transform ourselves and our outlook before and during this type of work … sometimes I fail at this. 

16. What traits impress you the most in a working professional, irrespective of their area of expertise?

Humble leadership, I respect people who keep their eye on the prize and are not easily bought and sold. 

 

17. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?

•  Analysis,
• Asking the right questions,
• Research and understanding context,
• Strategic priority,
• Excavating positive deviance,
• Collaboration,
• Having a clear vision of the outcome and working to get there.

18. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?
Kindness and perseverance -- as they say, people may not remember what you did for them, but they will remember how you made them feel.

 

19. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?

Don't give up.

20. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

 I have rediscovered my calling and vision for my work … this positive energy has propelled me into some great successes. Myself along with coalition partners across California just won a bill that became a Law which requires police to document who they stop. This law will curb racial profiling. This sort of ecological model systems change required all sorts of behavioral change, attitude change and shifting of beliefs as knowledge increased. It was a great accomplishment for us as it will literally affect millions of people and curb racial profiling by law enforcement for communities of color in California. 

21. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?

We need to find ways to include and enhance SBCC into every field. 

 

 END//

CAREER GUIDANCE FROM MICHAEL D'ANTUONO, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN NEW YORK, USA

Follow Michael on Twitter: [ @ArtAndResponse ]

1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?
 
Integrity and a good sense of humor.

2. What do you do?

I make paintings that challenge people to think more objectively about socio-political issues.

3. Why do you do what you do?

As an ex-adman, I recognize how the masses have been manipulated to misplace blame and vote against their own best interests by being bombarded with a lot of misinformation. I use my artistic talents to spur discourse and inspire a people to question the messages they are sold.

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

I had no idea, and that’s what makes it exciting.

5. What values are you committed to?

I’ve always been a bit obsessive about justice. I have zero tolerance for hypocrisy and excessive greed.

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

I never have the time to count them.

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

As an artist, my required skill is to visually communicate my message. The other skills are to be able to get my message seen by as many people as possible through promotion.

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

The pay is not very good.

9. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would have started a few years earlier. I began this career at 53.

10. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?
Thinking about all the things they want to accomplish tomorrow.

11. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?

My work is controversial, so even though they privately praise me, large organizations are generally too afraid to associate themselves with me in fear of offending potential donors. The California Endowment’s Son’s & Brothers were brave enough to sponsor some stickers of one of my paintings.

12. What mistakes have you made?

Waiting too long for people to live up to their commitments. Although you can generally accomplish more with the help of others, in my experience, it’s been more expedient to take control myself rather than wait for help that doesn’t come.

13. What traits impress you the most in a working professional, irrespective of their area of expertise?

Integrity. It doesn’t matter how intelligent or talented a person is if their heart isn’t in the right place.

14. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?

Perseverance. There is no substitute.

15. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?

Envision a long term plan with specific goals and then be flexible enough to deviate from that plan.

16. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

I am fortunate that some of my paintings have received enough attention to direct the conversation on institutional racism and other issues. Art can’t change the world, but it can spark discourse, and that can be the start of positive change.

17. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?

I’m currently writing a children’s book based on my video, “Dear Mr. 1%” about corporate greed. [ Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYtJW0J7rNM ] Whatever the issue, it’s best to instill information to the young in an entertaining way if possible, for that will be engrained in their hearts and minds for years to come.

18. Which other SBCC maven would you recommend for this interview?

If you had contacted me a couple of years earlier, I would have referred you to my old friend, Pete Seeger. Short of Nelson Mandela, there never was a more dedicated SBCC maven in our lifetime. I recommend you research him.

19. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?

Maybe, “What has your experience in SBCC taught you?”

 END//

CAREER GUIDANCE FROM TOSIN AKIBU, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN ABUJA, NIGERIA



Follow Toskin on Twitter: [ @2weta ]

 
1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?

I realised over time that I am the average of the five people I hang out with. So outside of my colleagues at work (when time permits) I hang out with people who push me to be a better me, who challenge me to my elastic limit while expanding my capabilities.

2. What do you do?

I communicate behaviour change while mainstreaming gender. I am a social and behaviour change communication specialist who picked up gender programming along the way and merged both together.

3. Why do you do what you do?

Communication is life. Equity makes life easy. So working to achieve both gives me boundless joy and satisfaction.

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

Ending up sounds fatalistic to me. I chose this path because it translates to being paid for loving your job.

5. What values are you committed to?

Resilience, determination, impossible does not exist.

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

None! Except when I am not working which amounts to the rest of the week. Ok on a serious note, 40 hours a week minus overtime.

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

Deftness, open mindedness, positivity, probing mind, keen eyes, wicked sense of humour.

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

Communication being interpreted as information dissemination only.

9. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: Entry-level SBCC practitioners)

The tipping point of change is the most critical point of behaviour change and is the fulcrum of your work. Never overlook or ignore it.

10. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?

When you get your participants right and you involve them every step of the way, everything else is settled.

11. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Nothing… everything that happened were ingredients required to make this broth called “experience”.

12. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?

How do I use communication to make smokers stop smoking!

13. What one thing do you still struggle with?
To see people adopt the desired change in behaviour now…as in now.

14. What traits impress you the most in a working professional, irrespective of their area of expertise?
Dedication.

 

15. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?

1. Be sensitive to the dynamics of your context.
2. Never assume you know the situation, nothing is ever as it seems.
3. Be open minded… non –verbal communication is also communication and might be used as a BCC material someday.
4. Audience segmentation is everything. 
5. Don’t stop asking ‘why’, ‘why’, ‘why’.
6. Listen to the participants, listen, listen.
7. A communication strategy only becomes one when you understand the situation, segment your audience, focus and design, create, monitor and evaluate.

16. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?

 

Passion!

 

17. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

 

 That moment when you get feedback from the participants on how your intervention helped them make informed and sustainable decisions.

 

18. Which other SBCC maven would you recommend for this interview?

 

Auwal Kawu

 

END//

CAREER GUIDANCE FROM JESUS MATSUKI, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN MADRID, SPAIN

Follow Jesús Matsuki on Twitter: [ @JesusMatsuki ]

1.What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?

One of the qualities that represents friendship: a trustworthy person.

2.What do you do?

I am a journalist. At the moment, I divide my time working in two separate areas: social work and as a spokesperson for the Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid's city hall). I am also a member of the Unidad de Comunicación de Emergencias (Emergency Communications Unit) for the Spanish Red Cross.

In social work, I am managing a communication for development project in Cañada Real (Madrid), for an organisation that I created. Cañada Real is an area where most of the population is at high risk of social exclusion.

We want to determine how communication works within the population of this area and how they can acquire the relevant information to improve their life conditions. To achieve this we are analysing the communication process, identifying the influential community leaders, analysing the usage of technological tools, studying how they send and receive information from the public, social and religious organisations and analysing the presence and use of local media (radio, television and newspapers).

After this analysis we will develop and execute a plan to make communication bidirectional and more effective.

3.Why do you do what you do?

Sometimes you have to work in the job which can allow you to pay the mortgage, the education of your children, or most of the times, you cannot decide the job that you want to work for. Fortunately, this is not my situation. I love working in the area of communication.

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

It´s too soon to say that this is the end of my career (hahaha). I have been working as an anchor in radio, producer, etc. and now I am doing what I´m doing. Who knows what I will do in the future? For sure, it will be under a kind of communication project, it doesn´t matter whick kind. It´s just part of the journey! We will never know where are we going to end up.

5. What values are you committed to?

Information save lives.

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

I work 40 hours, but I dedicate almost 20-30 hours to social projects.

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

 Being calm, analytic, and communicative!

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

Hum...just waking up so early! Hahaha.

9. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?

You should trust what you are communicating. If you don´t, don´t communicate it.

10. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

For sure, I would have studied more languages.
11. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?

My own organisation “Guia de Babel”, the Spanish Red Cross, and journalism associations.

12. What mistakes have you made?

It´s almost impossible to keep track of my mistakes... Most of the times it has boiled down to not listening to good advice that I received!

13. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?

Honesty, team worker, accept challenges, perseverance.

14. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?

First of all, it's okay not to know what you want to do for your entire life, but you still need to have a plan... Just start planning for what you want to accomplish over the next five years. Even just to keep the job you do right now, you need to be ambitious.

15. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

Most of the times, the best reward that you can receive is from yourself. You can be a perfectionist professional, but you should accept that you will do it better next time, and congratulate yourself whenever you achieve something.

16. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?

In relation to our financial situation, "crisis" is the most used word in Spain. And a big mistake that many organisations are doing, is  to reduce funds that go to their communications departments. They forget that communication is not an expense, but an indispensable investment.

17. Can you recommend a "must-read" book that will help us broaden our skills as working professionals or inspire us to reach our highest potential?

Any book that contributes to spiritual growth. There´s no nice flower to smell if you don´t have good sand where you can plant the seed.

18. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?

It would be about how to open your mind to know in depth the people you are targeting for your communications. We need to listen much more than talk!

19. Which other SBCC maven would you recommend for this interview?

Jacobo Quintanilla -- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

20. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?

Are we forgetting the importance of the one-to-one in communications projects ?


END//

CAREER GUIDANCE FROM ANDERSON OGOYE, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN GALKACYO, SOMALIA

Follow Anderson on twitter: [ @oogoye ]

 1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?

They should be good listeners and open to other peoples' opinions, ready to express themselves, and should have a good command of the language in use.

2. What do you do?

I am a social worker (humanitarian worker).

3. Why do you do what you do?

To earn an income.

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

Yes, I studied to specialize in this field.

5. What values are you committed to?

Self-discipline, Social interaction, Diligence, Flexibility, Commitment, Team work, and Ready to learn.

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

40 hours -- in exceptional cases I do 60 hours.

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

Basic computer operational skills, Ability to read and understand, Creativity/ability to initiate a project to a feasible output.

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

Yes – security risks, language barriers, harsh weather conditions.

9. What is the background of most senior-level executives in your SBCC circles?

Most hold master's degrees.

10. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: entry-level SBCC practitioners)

I wish I knew about SBCC appraisals as they relate to community effective preference in terms of mode of communication.

11. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?

Conceptualization and implemention of SBCC initiatives.

12. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would seek more training in SBCC. In particular, I would focus on targets-perceived weaknesses in SBCC that can be strengthened.

13. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?

Intent to SBCC.

14. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?

All humanitarian actors implementing SBCC in Somalia.

15. What used to be your biggest weakness?

Language barrier and monotony of specific messages.

16. What mistakes have you made?

Impatience with the SBCC set-up.

17. What one thing do you still struggle with?

Ensuring successful SBCC in terms of hygiene practices in Somalia.

18. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?

• Conceptualization
• Flexibility
• Persistence
• Understanding
• Innovativeness
• Adaptability
• Cohesion

19. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?

 

Understanding/conceptualization of the subject of SBCC and articulation/presentation of SBCC messages.

 

20. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?

 

Good background/training of SBCC as opposed to on-job training by many SBCC actors.

 

21. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

 

Successful implementation of SBCCC campaigns and impact-oriented programs.

 

22. What factors do you consider most often when planning for the future?

 

Feasibility, Dynamic social context, or Best-worst scenario. 

23. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?

 

Changing contexts, rigid mindset of locals hence delayed conceptualization of the SBCC subjects in Somalia.

24. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?

 

Improving of SBCC materials, modes of communication and evaluation of SBCC initiatives.

 

25. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?

 

How do you improve SBCC in a culturally rigid environment?

 

END//

CAREER GUIDANCE FROM CHARLIE BECKETT, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

 

Follow Charlie on twitter: [ @charliebeckett ]

 

1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?

I don't really look for any special qualities. I either know people for work, or through that mysterious alchemy of coincidence and emotion that creates friendship.

 

2. What do you do?

 

I am a professor of Journalism and I run a journalism think-tank.

 

3. Why do you do what you do?

 

Because it is enjoyable and I am good at it. And by chance.

 

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

 

I never really had a clear idea of where I would end up. But I did not expect to be a journalism professor until I applied for the job.

 

5. What values are you committed to?

 

Mainly scepticism about saying that I am committed to any one set of values.

 

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

 

I am working all the time in a sense because media is now 24/7 so I never stop learning. But in real terms? I guess 40-50 hours.

 

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

 

A keen interest in journalism and how it's changing. An ability to teach and research.

 

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

 

Lack of time.

 

9. What is the background of most senior-level executives in your SBCC circles?

 

Too varied to list.

 

10. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: Entry-level SBCC practitioners)

 

I think it's important to know that it is not about your technical qualifications and much more about your character and aptitutde. So with journalism it is vital to be very curious and hard working not just clever.

 

11. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?

 

Make yourself indispensable.

 

12. If you could do it all over again, would you do it differently?

 

In a million ways but perhaps in no ways at all.

 

13. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?

 

The competition from so many well educated committed rivals!

 

14. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?

 

LSE - London School of Economics

 

15. What mistakes have you made?

 

Too many to list.

 

16. What one thing do you still struggle with?

 

Numbers.

 

17. What traits impress you the most in a working professional, irrespective of their area of expertise?

 

Commitment - flexibility - self-criticism.

 

18. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?

 

Impossible to define because success is so various - it also depends on your definition of success - some of the saddest, loneliest, narrowest people are very 'successful'.

 

19. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?

 

Look at people 5-10 years ahead of you and think would you like to do their job.

 

20. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

 

So many every day in the sense of a successful class but perhaps most of all my books and my work with Channel 4 News in Africa in 2005.

 

21. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?

 

Far too many to list - journalism is changing radically as is education - so an ability to adapt is vital

 

22. Can you recommend a "must-read" book that will help us broaden our skills as working professionals or inspire us to reach our highest potential?

 

I don't really like the idea of 'must-read' books.

 

23. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?

 

Well I am going to write a book on how emotions play a part in social media and journalism communication - so that's the one for me.

 

24. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?

 

Do you think your answers will be of use to anyone?

 

 

END//

 

CAREER GUIDANCE FROM STACY HILLIARD, SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER BASED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Follow Stacy on twitter: [ @TAYSHAconsult ]

1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?

I tend to hang out with people that all actively support and encourage each other to follow our dreams and what we want to do, as well as people who have a similar outlook on life – whether it is political, personal or lifestyle we are want to leave the world a better place than when we entered it.

2. What do you do?

I am a Director and Founder of an international development consultancy, Taysha Consulting, we focus on behavior change and communications. I also serve as the International Chair for the C4D Network, an international network of C4D professionals and practitioners.

3. Why do you do what you do? 

I know this sounds cliché, but I want to make a difference and to leave the world a little bit better than when I found it. However, as I get older I have realized that there are innumerable ways in which we can all make a difference, it doesn’t need to be something “grand”. I saw this at the funeral of my grandmother who was teacher in a small town in Arkansas, USA. The church was filled with people that she had taught over the years, it was truly moving and inspiring.

The reward of seeing others I work with reach their potential is enough drive to do what I do, but also working in a field where every day is different and presents new challenges keeps my work exciting and fresh.

4. Is this where you thought you would end up?

Not at all. My undergraduate degree is in Business and my first job was in Sports Marketing and I was actively looking for jobs in the area of sports, but I then ended up working in security software (long story). I was always politically interested and active in the United States, so I moved into political and economic affairs after the tech bubble burst in the early 2000’s, it was during this that I decided to return to education and get my Masters’ in International Relations.

After my Maters’ I worked in the British Parliament, which lead me to International Development when the Conservatives where in Opposition in 2007.

It was through the work of the Conservative Party in Rwanda that led me to my work in International Development. I wouldn’t change where I am or how I got here for anything in the world. I feel that my background in the private sector along with government and politics provides me with a unique and valuable perspective for my work.

5. What values are you committed to?

I have a saying, “If I am hired to do the same job twice, then I haven’t done my job.” I am committed to sustainability and the transfer of knowledge. We all talk a lot about sustainability, but I don’t always feel that the actions reflect the rhetoric. I truly feel that the best thing we can do in the field of international development is to actively build capacity and mentor where needed.

The right to freedom is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. I am a true believer true equality and in freedom of choice, expression and speech. I feel these are fundamental human rights.

6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?

My work week is very much determined by deadlines, so the number of hours that I work changes week to week, but when I am at home in the UK I tend to work a typical work week of 40 hours a week. However, when I am travelling “in-country” for projects I typically work longer hours, so a work week is about 60 hours a week.

7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

As with most jobs, much of my day-to-day work is administrative, so skills in accounting, planning and project management are extremely valuable. Other skills that are extremely valuable include the ability to think and plan strategically, specialist communications skills as well as research and analysis skills. Additionally, I have found leaving time to for creative thinking is useful for designing new programmes and tools.

8. Are there any negatives to your job?

I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t have a negative in their job. The main negative I have found is the inconsistency and uncertainty to my schedule. I often travel with one week or a few days notice for two or three weeks at a time, this makes it very difficult for planning in my personal life, but it is part of the job, so you learn to deal with it.

9. What is the background of most senior-level executives in your SBCC circles?

There is not specific background of the most senior-level executives in my SBCC circles. Some are academics, whereas others have come from a very practical background in social science, communications or both. Some are researchers, some come from a journalistic background, others come from a private sector background, like myself – so there is not one background that determines those in my SBCC circle.

10. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: entry-level SBCC practitioners)

There is so much I wish I had known at the entry-level! Mainly I wish I had known how little I actually knew. Experience accounts for a lot, and it pains me to say this, because my Dad used to always (and still does) say this to me – so he was right. You are always learning and you can always learn something from someone or a situation.

11. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?

The best piece of advice I have ever received was to always ask for help, because the worst thing someone can say is no, which really isn’t that terrible in the grand scheme of things. Make the effort to figure things out, but don’t wait until something is too far gone to ask for help.

Additionally, we have all had to start at the bottom and know how difficult it can be. We have all had some help or guidance from someone along the way – we are happy to provide that to others, but you have to ask.

12. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

To be honest, I wouldn’t do much differently, I think mainly because I never thought I would be working in this field. I believe that everything I have done has contributed to where I am, so I think if I did things differently I wouldn’t have the same approach.

However, I would advise people who are entering the field from a graduate standpoint to try and volunteer their services and intern wherever possible, because as I said experience accounts for a lot – the job I learned the most from was my internship.

13. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?

Entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should be most concerned about the unintended consequences of programmes. The challenge with our field is its seriousness – we are altering the lives of individuals and shaping the futures of countries, this can’t be taken lightly. When planning a programme/project you have to think through the challenges and outcomes – positive and negative – such as, empowering girls in education programmes and giving girls books and supplies can marginalize boys and result in violence against girls for the perceived favouritism.

14. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?

I am the International Chair of the C4D Network, an international network of C4D professionals and practitioners (www.C4D.org and @C4D_Network). The C4D Network focusses on connecting C4D professionals in person and online to exchange information and best practices. I am also a member of The Communication Initiative Network, Knowledge Management for Development Network (KM4D), the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the Humanitarian Practice Network (part of ODI) and I am an active member of Chatham House in the UK, amongst other local and political groups. 

15. What used to be your biggest weakness?

Oh wow, I still have weaknesses, I think I have just learned to realise when they are interfering and to deal with them earlier rather than later – they never go away. I think my biggest one is that I can be quite stubborn. For example, if I put a proposal or approach forward, then I expect others to have a constructive opinion or criticism. I will be hesitant to change my mind if someone is unable to back up their opinion without reason or without alternative approaches.

16. What mistakes have you made?

I have made plenty of mistakes, but I think one mistake I have made, sadly, is being too trusting. You need to always make sure you have some sort of agreement or commitment from clients and/or partners in writing, even if you are working with friends. It isn’t rude to ask for something in writing and will not hurt a friendship, it is business and it protects everyone involved. Remember, just because you are working in international development for the betterment of society doesn’t mean that it isn’t a business.

17. What one thing do you still struggle with?

The main thing I struggle with is saying no. It is very hard to say no to people when people genuinely want your help, but I have found that in order to give your best you have to ensure that you are able to do that and overstretching yourself only means everyone gets a little bit of you as opposed to a few people getting the best of you – which I believe is better in the long run.

18. What traits impress you the most in a working professional, irrespective of their area of expertise?

I will tell what I am not impressed with – where you went to school, how many degrees you have or who your family is – because at some point in time you have to prove yourself.

It is people who work hard, are committed to their work, which means learning as much as they can and working just that little bit extra, people who are principled – you know where they stand, whether you agree with them or not and people who do not see themselves as the victim – people who feel that I don’t care what others think, I can do this – that is what impresses me the most.

19. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?

1. Strategic thinking and planning
2. Research – the basics
3. Analysis – being able to see how everything fits into the big picture
4. Communication skills – internal as well as external   
5. Administrative skills
6. Budgeting
7. Monitoring and evaluation – learn what it is, why it is important and the basics

20. Considering all the people you have met in your line of work, what personal attributes are essential for success?

To have success in this line of work you must have belief in yourself and what you are doing, belief and trust in others and most of all you must be able to listen to people and hear that they want and their needs.

21. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?

The best advice I can give it not to focus on the job, but rather what you what to achieve, because there is not just one way you can achieve your goals. What do you want to do – this isn’t a job title – where do you want to work, how do you want to work, what do you want to achieve? Focus on these things and you will be one of the lucky ones who are able to wake up every morning and know they are doing something they truly enjoy.

22. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

I can’t just say one thing has been my most rewarding accomplishment, but what I find rewarding is seeing the outcomes of a project years down the road, seeing the progress of an individual that I have worked with and seeing a positive change in societies.

23. What factors do you consider most often when planning for the future?

The main factors I consider when planning the future have to do with sustainability. There are a lot of interesting projects that I could work on, but all too often they are not sustainable in the long run. We have to think about what happens when the donor funding is not available, how does a project carry on?

24. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?

Changes to donor funding and focus are always in flux and directly affect opportunities in this field, for better and for worse. SBCC goes in and out of fashion in donor circles, as do other aspects of development. It therefore falls upon us in the field to ensure that we remain relevant and are flexible to change with the ebbs and flows of donor programmes.

25. Can you recommend a "must-read" book that will help us broaden our skills as working professionals or inspire us to reach our highest potential?

One book that I read when I first started working in international development was The Blue Sweater, by Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder of Acumen. This book is a personal account that reached a chord with me and really shows just how interconnected we truly are as a world. It is a book I always recommend to people entering the field. It isn’t overly academic, which I think is part of its appeal.

26. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?

This is a big question and something I have given some thought to. When I did a project in South Sudan on the reduction of child marriage we saw an interesting trend where we surveyed young girls about what they wanted to be when they grew up and without fail they all said they wanted to be a doctor, a businesswoman or a teacher. Now something to note is that there are very few, if any in the places where we were working, female doctors, businesswomen or teachers, which got me thinking. As female international development workers we have a direct and for the most part intentioned effect on young girls in the communities in which we are working and visiting. I think it would be interesting and important to explore this topic further.

27. Which other SBCC maven would you recommend for this interview?

There are a so many people I would recommend for interviewing. I would suggest that you speak with Soledad Muniz, who works for Insight Share, an organization that does participatory video.

28. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?

If there is one thing you could change about the industry/field surrounding SBCC what would it be and why?


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