Project profile — Cuso International - Volunteer Cooperation 2015-2020

• El Salvador (0.83%)
• Myanmar (6.13%)
• Benin (3.12%)
• Ethiopia (4.57%)
• Bolivia (8.07%)
• Costa Rica (0.77%)
• Cameroon (7.95%)
• Laos (6.53%)
• Guyana (3.18%)
• Jamaica (5.09%)
• Congo, Democratic Republic (6.85%)
• Peru (9.18%)
• Philippines (3.11%)
• Kenya (1.26%)
• Dominica (0.63%)
• Nicaragua (6.77%)
• Nigeria (3.60%)
• Colombia (4.96%)
• Indonesia (1.53%)
• Grenada (0.63%)
• Honduras (6.54%)
• Belize (0.63%)
• Tanzania (2.54%)
• Canada (3.64%)
• Saint Lucia (0.63%)

• America, regional (1.26%)

• Basic Health: Health personnel development (12281) (11.90%)
• Decentralisation and support to subnational government:
Decentralisation and support to subnational government (15112) (5.89%)
Legal and judicial development (15130) (4.11%)
Democratic participation and civil society (15150) (4.91%)
• Other Social Infrastructure And Services: Employment policy and administrative management (16020) (12.61%)
• Business And Other Services: Business support services and institutions (25010) (23.40%)
• Other Multisector: Rural development (43040) (27.19%)
• Unallocated/ Unspecified: Promotion of development awareness (99820) (9.99%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)

This volunteer cooperation program supports approximately 1,125 volunteer advisor assignments. The project aims to: (1) improve the economic and social well-being of communities in targeted countries; (2) improve local partners’ competencies, capacities and collaboration through the placement of professional volunteers; and (3) improve the knowledge, awareness and networking of Canadians (e.g. diaspora, alumni, universities, civil society and private sector) to engage in Canada’s development efforts by organizing knowledge-sharing events across Canada. The project includes Innovation Funds that support piloting and scaling of cutting-edge development practices. Cuso is the leading volunteer cooperation agency in diaspora engagement and mobilizes diaspora volunteers as part of this project.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased capacity of developing country partners to deliver sustainable development results, in response to local needs, by making use of the skills and expertise of qualified Canadian volunteers; and (2) enhanced Canadian participation in Canada’s sustainable development efforts.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2020) include: (1) 1,255 volunteers were recruited, then deployed and assigned to 1,080 distinct mandates to work with 377 local partners within 17 countries; (2) 2,876 tools were created or adapted by volunteers and local partners in the areas of inclusive sustainable economic growth, access to quality health services, and gender equality and social inclusion; (3) 91% of inclusive sustainable economic growth partners, 94% of health partners, and 88% of gender equality and social inclusion partners reported a moderate or significant increase in skills, knowledge or abilities due to the support of volunteers; (4) 87% of partners reported an improvement in their service delivery. The types of improvements include effectiveness, quality, reach and sustainability of services delivered; and (5) 1,007 outreach events took place across Canada reaching 64,463 people with information about Cuso and Canada’s international development efforts. These results have contributed to the increased capacity of project country partners to achieve sustainable development results that meet local needs.

• Proactive disclosure