2024 Career Booster for Swedish-Finnish JPOs- Evaluation

2024 EMERGING LEADERSHIP AND CAREER BOOSTER FOR FINNISH AND SWEDISH JPOS

29 April - 17 May 2024

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DATA

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Swedish & Finnish JPOS- 2024

Agencies

JPOs

Duty Stations

23

45

26

Years of Experience within the UN System

18%

Male

82%

Female

COurse Completion

JPOs

Finnish JPOs

Swedish JPOs

18

45

27

Course Completion:

Pending End-of-ProgrammeEvaluations:

16 Swedish JPOs Submitted Evaluations

Swedish: Elin Karlsson , Elin Törnbom Duthu

Finnish: Anna Taussi, Lina Pyykkö, Jaakov Schilman, Nita Syväoja

23 Finnish JPOs Submitted Evaluations

2024 EMERGING LEADERSHIP AND CAREER BOOSTER FOR FINNISH AND SWEDISH JPOS

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Quantitative Feedback

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Evaluation Results

• Achievement of overall objective was rated 4.4 out of 6

• Administrative and technical support was rated 4.4 out of 6

• Overall satisfaction with the course was rated 4.5 out of 6

• Applying the learning acquired through the course at work was rated 4.6 out of 6

• 90% recommended the programme to other colleagues

• UNSSC Facilitation Team in terms of professional skills, facilitation, teaching methodology and effectiveness was rated 4.5 out of 6

specific learning objectives

• Articulate the Finnish and Swedish Development Cooperation's key strategies and priorities was rated 4.2 out of 6

• Learn behavioural strategies for building resilience, boosting learning and progress, and developing effective professional relationships was rated 4.2 out of 6

• Intentionally pursue a path for career growth that is aligned with a personal vision of authenticity, purpose, and a fulfilled life was rated 4.2 out of 6

• Successfully identify, highlight and communicate their strengths, talents, competencies and uniqueness was rated 4.2 out of 6

• Through hands-on practice, establish effective and impactful interviewing techniques, including both competency-based and situational questions was rated 4.2 out of 6

• Describe current trends and skills which are expected of UN staff, both those of today and of the future was rated 4.4 out of 6

• Build and nurture a peer network of mid-term JPOs and other peers for future resources and support was rated 4.5 out of 6

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Evaluation Quotes

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Evaluation Quotes

"The training was well-adapted to my goals. I learned a lot about myself and appreciated the opportunity for introspection and reflection. I now feel better equipped to articulate my strengths and challenges, which will be invaluable for my future career."

"I loved the entire program! For me, the week was transformational. Reflecting on my career, life, and future with so many experts guiding me through different perspectives, tools, and inspiration was incredibly rewarding. I now see many more pathways and feel inspired to stay in the UN."

Evaluation Quotes

the expert talks were amazing and i was very helpful to link the learning in the modules with the actual experience of some leaders

"It was great to have JPOs from two member states. The group felt very coherent, contributing greatly to the creation of a safe and transparent space to share different experiences. It was wonderful to have a wider group of JPOs from different duty stations and agencies, offering expanded networking opportunities and greater peer exchange. Expanding the participation to include more countries could be beneficial, provided the group size remains manageable."

"This was a great opportunity to meet other JPOs, including those from my UN organization. Understanding that I wasn’t alone in my experiences was invaluable. The peer-to-peer exchanges were particularly useful in facilitating this."

Evaluation Quotes

"The LEGO exercise was excellent, and I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. Alison Osbourne's style of integrating small tasks into the lecture was also very effective, and the personal brand exercise was fantastic."

" I greatly appreciated the opportunity to train alongside the Finnish JPOs. I highly recommend continuing this approach, as it provides more networking opportunities, creates a dynamic group, and facilitates the sharing of perspectives between the two Nordic cultures."

"I am now open to future opportunities within the UN system. I have gained new perspectives on this career path and been reminded of the privilege it is to work in this environment."

Evaluation Quotes

"It was a brilliant idea to bring both Finnish and Swedish JPOs together, as it allowed for broader perspectives, learning, experience sharing, and added networking opportunities between the JPOs, donors, and different participants."

"The training was an excellent way to meet other JPOs and served as a platform to get to know each other well, learn about their work and expertise, and build a network of peers on the same journey."

"I am more motivated than ever to continue pursuing a UN career."

Evaluation Quotes

"There were excellent opportunities to meet with colleagues and learn from their experiences. I strongly suggest maintaining this format in the future."

"It was a fantastic training! The expanded network, coupled with our shared cultural values, allowed for deep discussions and mutual understanding. It’s important to come from similar cultures when sharing values and cultural context."

"The joint training was one of the main highlights. It was excellent to expand my network with other JPOs. The fact that Sweden and Finland share similar cultural understandings and values made it easy to connect during the training sessions since we share a similar mindset."

Evaluation Quotes

"Working on your career is different from working on your job. I learned that we all hit career plateaus in our lives. Some are sooner than others."

"I fully recommend Finland to continue this course jointly with Sweden. It brings a great balance to have peers from other countries, and I enjoyed being mixed with peers during discussions and workshops. The conversations allowed for valuable comparisons of best practices, with plenty to relate to."

"The training was very well-organized and provided me with a great positive experience."

Evaluation Quotes

"I would fully recommend Finland to continue having this course jointly with Sweden. I believe it brings a great balance to have peers from other countries, and I enjoyed we were mixed with peers in the table discussions and workshops. The conversations allowed some comparisons of best practices but there was more importantly a lot to relate to, which would have not been a case in case the cohort would have been all from different countries. I do enjoy meeting with other peers, but often in these cases the conversation ends up being too fragmented as every country has their peculiarities in the JPO-process."

"The training came at a very good time as I am soon finalising my JPO-term, and it provided both reflection time and "thinking tools" as I am considering my next career moves. Also, the networking among peer-JPOs and with the training facilitators and presenters was invaluable, so I would definitely recommend!"

Evaluation Quotes

"Loved it - it was great to socialize with the Swedish JPOs. I learned a lot from them. Also very useful content."

"I think this is a very useful training overall, and helps in planning the next step and provides opportunities for networking with peers. Because this training has already been developed and refined over the course of a few years, it is fairly low risk and effort to join in on this course and it provides a lot of value for the JPOs which can help them continue their careers in the UN."

"I would warmly recommend this training for mid-term JPOs and especially in this setting with Swedes and Finns together."

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Thoughts on the joint programme

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Joint Programme

"I would fully recommend Finland to continue having this course jointly with Sweden. I believe it brings a great balance to have peers from other countries, and I enjoyed we were mixed with peers in the table discussions and workshops. The conversations allowed some comparisons of best practices but there was more importantly a lot to relate to."

"I really appreciated to do the training together with the Finnish JPOs and would recommend this approach for the future as well. It provided more network opportunities, a bigger and more dynamic group, and interesting sharing of perspectives between the two Nordic countries/cultures."

Joint Programme

"I would fully recommend Finland to continue having this course jointly with Sweden. I believe it brings a great balance to have peers from other countries, and I enjoyed we were mixed with peers in the table discussions and workshops. The conversations allowed some comparisons of best practices but there was more importantly a lot to relate to, which would have not been a case in case the cohort would have been all from different countries. I do enjoy meeting with other peers, but often in these cases the conversation ends up being too fragmented as every country has their peculiarities in the JPO-process."

"To me the joint training was one of the main highlights. It was excellent to be able to expand my network with other JPO's. The fact that Sweden have Finland have similar cultural understandings and values also made it easy to connect during the training sessions since we share similar mindsets."

Joint Programme

"It was great to have JPOs from two member states. I am not sure if it is due to the similar cultural and societal backgrounds, but the group felt very coherent and contributed greatly to the realization of a safe yet transparent space to share different experiences. It was great to have a wider group of JPOs from different duty stations and agencies, offering expanded networking opportunities and greater peer exchange. It could be beneficial to have even more countries joining such a training, while acknowledging that the group size might quickly grow too big."

"I think it was great to be together! expanded network but in many ways similar culture so we could discuss and understand each other. I think it is important to come from similar cultures, as a lot of discussion as based on sharing values and cultural context (and benefits back home!)."

Joint Programme

"It was great to have a mix of both Finnish and Swedish JPOs in this training. I already knew some of the Finnish JPOs but this way, I got to know many more people that I didn't know beforehand. Sounds like the JPOs from both countries have quite similar experiences in navigating the UN so it was a great match."

"It was excellent that the course was a joint course for Finnish and Swedish JPOs from the perspective of added value, peer exchange, networking etc. However, in the case of Sweden and Finland, the cultures are relatively similar and the countries have a long history together, hence the link was natural. Also the size of the group was perfect."

Joint Programme

"It was great to have JPOs from the two member states. I am not sure if it is due to the similar cultural and societal backgrounds, but the group felt very coherent and contributed greatly to the realization of a safe yet transparent space to share different experiences. It was great to have a wider group of JPOs from different duty stations and agencies, offering expanded networking opportunities and greater peer exchange. It could be beneficial to have even more countries joining such a training."

"It was great to have a join training with the Swedish and Finnish JPOs! It allowed for further networking and hearing from more perspectives."

Testimonials

Anni Boiro, UN Women

"I found this program an excellent opportunity to reconnect with myself, which is critical for progressing in a fulfilling way within the UN system. The time away from work to connect with peers in person and reflect on our future careers was extremely valuable. The entire week was highly connecting, and I left feeling more aligned and prepared for the next steps in my career."

Associate Programme Management Officer, Switzerland, Finnish JPO

Elin Gidloef, UNEP

"I appreciated having a full week dedicated to reflection and discussion. It was very useful to revisit why I entered this program, reflect on my current position, and where I want to go. The networking opportunity and peer-to-peer learning with the other JPOs were the biggest highlights."

Associate Program Officer Rwanda, Swedish JPO

Luisa Mons, UNOPS

"Before the training, I was uncertain about my future in the UN due to work culture concerns. After the training, I feel more optimistic and equipped to handle these challenges. It was also inspirational to hear about different pathways to building a UN career and to meet so many people in similar situations."

Programme Analyst, USA , Swedish JPO

Anssi AnoneN, WHO

"The training came at a perfect time as I am nearing the end of my JPO term. It provided both reflection time and valuable 'thinking tools' for considering my next career moves. The networking among peer JPOs and with the training facilitators and presenters was invaluable. I would definitely recommend this program!"

Technical Officer, Health Innovation, Kenya, Finnish JPO

Pragna Jui Chakma, UNICEF

"The 2024 Career Booster for Finnish and Swedish JPOs was a valuable training that provided insights into the emerging demands of UN agencies for recruitment while also being a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow JPOs and build a network of peers."

Child Protection Officer,Tanzania, Swedish JPO

Petra Matsi, WHO

"This training was a highlight of my year! I had a wonderful time connecting with fellow JPOs and sharing experiences. This kind of peer support is absolutely priceless. The motivational facilitators left me feeling very inspired about my future."

Technical Officer, Switzerland, Finnish JPO

Andreas Rugova, UNICEF

"This course served as a powerful reminder of the need for continuous training and education to navigate the complexities of the UN system effectively. As stewards of change and progress, it is incumbent upon us to stay updated on evolving global dynamics and equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive positive impact. I strongly advocate for more training initiatives to enhance our understanding of the UN and its operations, ensuring we fulfill our responsibilities as agents of positive change."

Innovation Officer, Albania, Swedish JPO

Maria Hughes, UNEP

"I would warmly recommend this training for mid-term JPOs and especially in this setting with Swedes and Finns together."

Associate Legal Officer, Thailand, Finnish JPO

Maria Kosonen, WMO

"I think this is a very useful training overall, and helps in planning the next step and provides opportunities for networking with peers. Because this training has already been developed and refined over the course of a few years, it is fairly low risk and effort to join in on this course and it provides a lot of value for the JPOs which can help them continue their careers in the UN."

Hydrology, Water, and Cryosphere Officer, Switzerland, Finnish JPO

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