The Training That Turned Aspiration into Practice in Development Cooperation
“The knowledge, methods and skills I gained through the IPM training remain extremely relevant.
I continue to apply them in my work to this day.”
My commitment to contributing to the fight against extreme poverty has been shaped over many years, rooted most fundamentally in growing up between two contrasting realities: on the one hand Jamaica, where I became aware of the diverse and multifaceted challenges faced by a developing country; on the other hand Germany, where I encountered the opportunities associated with a comparatively prosperous society. This contrast not only broadened my perspective, but also deepened my determination to contribute to equitable and sustainable development through a meaningful professional path in the sector.
After completing my studies in international economics and development and gaining experience through several temporary and voluntary assignments, I was seeking to further strengthen my profile and transition into sustained professional practice. The Coordinator in International Project Management (IPM) training at Gesellschaft für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (GNE) provided exactly that opportunity. The programme enabled me to deepen my sector-specific knowledge, develop practical competencies in project management for development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, and benefit from a learning environment that was both professionally rigorous and closely aligned with the realities of the field.
Alongside technical knowledge, the training strengthened essential communication, presentation and interpersonal skills that have remained highly relevant throughout my career. Its practical orientation allowed me to apply what I had learned immediately when I joined World Vision as an intern. From the outset, I was able to contribute to research, knowledge management, technical advisory work, and project management-related quality assurance, drawing directly on methods and approaches acquired during the IPM training. As my responsibilities expanded, these foundations continued to support my work in project design and proposal development, grant and partnership management, stakeholder engagement, as well as the facilitation of effective collaboration and capacity strengthening across teams and partners.
Over time, this initial professional step developed into more than ten years of experience in project management and strategic collaboration across the East and Southern Africa region. In my roles, I have coordinated complex multi-country and multi-stakeholder portfolios, contributed to project design and funding proposals, strengthened quality assurance and learning processes, and represented the organisation in engagement with donors and external stakeholders.
The competencies I gained through the IPM training continue to inform my work to this day, whether in the use of problem and solution trees during project design, the development and refinement of logframes and M&E plans, the participatory development and implementation of project work plans, delivering presentations for internal and external audiences, or capacity building and knowledge-sharing with colleagues and partners.
Looking back, the GNE IPM training was a formative and rewarding investment in my professional development. It provided a strong foundation not only for entering the sector, but also for taking on increasing responsibility, contributing at a strategic level, and building a career that continues to be both personally fulfilling and rooted in the pursuit of positive socio-economic impact.