By Nilam Bedi
RAGCED Cadre Director
Against a backdrop of a forty-year career in crafting policies and programs in the broader public interest globally, my Rotary journey has, in many ways, been an extension of my professional life. Rotary’s four-way test and its focus on improving lives raise similar strategic and operational questions that public policy practitioners grapple with for any undertaking – what really matters, how best can results be achieved and how will the impact be measured? Keeping this in mind has allowed me to add value to Rotary activities at the club, district, and international levels.
As the Technical Coordinator for Rotary Foundation’s Community Economic Development and RAGCED’s Cadre Director, I draw upon several lessons and observations from my cumulative experience as a Cadre advisor for projects in diverse areas of focus (Water, sanitation, and hygiene; Environment; Peacebuilding; Education and literacy):
- Community Economic Development (CED) is a significant and important area of focus for Rotary. With a focus on ‘Supporting investments in people and communities toward alleviating poverty by creating measurable and enduring economic improvements….” is hugely important to Rotary’s aims and objectives. In the last ten years, Rotary’s Global Grants in this area of focus have totalled almost $105 million. This is over and above initiatives that may have been funded through other channels – e.g. district grants, club-initiated projects and through partners. The CED focus is also directly linked to at least for of the seventeen sustainable development goals:
- No poverty
- Zero hunger
- Decent work and economic growth, and
- Reduced inequalities
- There is, understandably, an overlap between Rotary’s seven areas of focus. Collectively, the seven areas of focus pretty much link with most, if not all, of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but each SDG may often map onto more than one Rotary area of focus. The implication for Rotary, including the Rotary Action Groups (RAGS), is that projects must not be conceived and implemented within silos. Collaboration among areas of focus and RAGs will improve our collective impact. To this end, I facilitated meetings between the leadership of a couple of RAGS to explore mutual interests. In April, RAGCED will be making a presentation to an ESRAG audience.
- The Cadre is a valuable resource that can help in designing effective and sustainable projects, whether for Global Grants or otherwise. The Cadre leaders can play an instrumental role in connecting the clubs and districts with Cadre advisers with relevant expertise and local knowledge. Within RAGCED, we have a strong Cadre leadership team, based in different geographical regions, that can make the needed connections. A point to note is that while the Rotary Foundation appointed Cadre for the CED total to about 66 at this point, there are an additional 30 Cadre advisers from other areas of focus that have joined RAGCED. This bodes well for a holistic approach to projects through collaboration among Cadre advisers with different areas of expertise.
- With the aim of tapping effectively into the pool of Cadre expertise available, we surveyed advisers identifying themselves with CED expertise. The survey, focusing on the needs of advisers to enhance their effectiveness and potential, had an over 60% response rate. The results will further inform the operational plan for RAGCED and be useful in informing our approaches to collaboration, communication, and advice.
Questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome and can be directed to cadre@ragced.org.
Nilam Bedi, an economist, has worked in public policy fields in regional, national, and multilateral organizations, including the World Bank and the United Nations. He consults worldwide on sustainable development planning and capacity building. He is the Past President of the Toronto Eglinton Rotary Club, chairs District 7070’s Environmental Action Committee and serves as an Assistant District Governor. He is active in the international aspects of Rotary as a member of the Cadre of Technical Experts, as the Cadre Coordinator for Rotary’s Community Economic Development area of focus and as a Technical Officer for ESRAG and Director of RAGCED.