Photo: C. Flore Ngo Biyack |
A global framework concept on human resources development was developed for youth care workers over the course of a participative and inter-national process. In addition to a job profile, this concept includes seven guidelines for the career of youth care workers: recruitment process, orientat-ion, vocational training, on-the-job training, integration period, oppor-tunities for learning and development, termination of employment.
The concept was developed in different phases:
Phase 1: Analysis of the existing concepts and experiences
At the beginning of 2004, the first matter we were faced with was providing adequate training for youth care workers. However, it soon became clear that human resources development means much more than just training. It requires a framework, the elements of which (such as profile, structure and position, working conditions, personnel recruitment and selection, training and support measures, evaluation, separation processes) must fit together exactly in order to allow for successful youth care work.
A first draft of a human resources development concept (based on questions that had arisen from the analysis of the documents used to date) was presented to the decision-makers. For the concept to be accepted, it was important to take the guidelines used in practical work into consideration. In addition, new guidelines for the concept were introduced. People working in the field, staff members directly involved, and the young adults were included as well. This was when the idea of working with the method of storytelling formed.
Phase 2: Working with stories – Storytelling
Staff members from all over the world collected stories according to a predetermined ratio: young people, youth care workers, SOS mothers, village directors and external parties were to talk about their most important experiences of growing up.
Talking about their experiences was an enriching experience for everyone involved. The young people particularly enjoyed it and felt as if they were being taken seriously. Giving them a say and getting them to participate in a global concept was a fundamental element of the approach. In this way, by the autumn 2004, far more than 200 stories had been collected from 19 countries from all four continents. These stories were then evaluated and this led to various results. One result was that some youth care workers felt that too little value was placed on their work and that it was considered less important than the work of the SOS mothers. It also became clear that the transition from the SOS Children’s Village to the SOS Youth Facility must be prepared more thoroughly.
Phase 3: Development of a first human resources development concept and pilot phase
The results of the storytelling analysis were an important basis for the development of a first human resources development concept which was presented to numerous SOS staff members for their feedback. After their feedback had been included in the concept, some parts of the human resources development concept were tested in a pilot project in various countries on all continents from July 2007 to July 2008.
Phase 4: Development of the final version and global implementation
The experiences gained in the pilot phase will also be included in the concept before it is released for global implementation in 2009.