Creative provides valuable training to AAAS Fellows
By Maggie FarrandApril 8, 2014
Conflict analysis training delivered to 18 post-doctoral Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will enable them to provide more conflict-sensitive guidance to federal agencies and future U.S. programming around the world.
The March 26 training session, titled “Diagnosis and Programming in Fragile and Emerging Markets,” focused on policy and programming in conflict-affected settings. It was held at the AAAS headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Creative has developed great skills in the design and implementation of programming in fragile and conflict-affected areas,” said Charito Kruvant, President & CEO of Creative. “This training was a great opportunity for us to share that expertise with a like-minded audience at AAAS.”
The training, based on the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development fragility framework, familiarized Fellows with key aspects of the framework and discussed some of the often-unintended consequences of international development.
“This was a very interactive session which I loved,” says one participant. “I liked that it got me 100 percent out of my comfort zone.”
Examples of real programs were used to illustrate activities promoting economic stability versus undesirable activities that may lead to economic and social instability.
The 18 post-doctoral professionals are part of AAAS’s Science and Technology Policy post-doctoral Fellowship Program that provides opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking and implementation through a fellowship at one of the 30 participating national organizations. They include the Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of State, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes for Health and USAID, among others.
Presenters included Dr. Cynthia Irmer, Senior Advisor at Creative, Dr. Bradford Strickland, Director of Private Sector Alliances at Creative and Dr. J.W. Wright, Senior Director of Creative’s Economic Growth Group.
Both Strickland and Wright were AAAS Fellows: Strickland served as a Diplomacy Fellow from 1996-1998; Wright was a Diplomacy Fellow from 1998-2000 and also served in an overseas post in Egypt from 2000-2002.
“The training involved interactive discussion about design and management of foreign assistance and business in fragile and conflict affected countries,” said Strickland. “The Fellows also received hands-on experience developing an operational plan for follow on activities.”
The training was held in conjunction with the “Making Markets Work” conference, sponsored by Creative Associates International.
The conference discussed the role of social innovation in market stabilization; the changing role of the private sector in international development; economies in crisis and recovery. Featured speakers included: Charito Kruvant, President & CEO of Creative; Ambassador James Michel, formerly of the Department of State and USAID; John Sullivan, Executive Director and President of the Center for International Private Enterprise; and Dr. Pauline Baker, formerly of the Fund for Peace.