Year end is always embraced with gusto as we all look forward to the holidays. It is also a time to ensure that deadlines for activities, reports and expenditures are met. As a result, the Delegation in Canada was engaged in a plethora of actions. These included implementing project activities, attending several high level meetings, conferences and seminars as well as planning for next year.
Our growing list of alliances and potential partners means more work! This was all good – as the Delegation received genuine interest in, and appreciation of IICA’s role. As a result, responses to requests were varied and diverse, ranging from partnering on a World Bank/IDB mission, connecting LAC Head of Mission to strategic players in Canadian Agriculture to project proposal preparation.
Always on the look-out for win-win opportunities, the Delegation utilized the services of several interns to conduct selected discrete mini-assignments, while introducing them to the world of international development. Participants in the Research and Internship Assistance Program (RIAP) for 2016 successfully concluded their work while the new call for 2017 attracted very promising candidates. Another mutually rewarding exercise was the visit of Project Specialist Vanessa Zamora, from Headquarters to augment her professional development profile as well as to coach staff on the nuances involved in the successful execution of a FonTC project.
The Institute is committed to knowledge generation, sharing and management. As a consequence numerous virtual sessions were hosted by Delegations, Flagship Projects, Headquarters and the Centre for Strategic Analysis (CAESPA). The team at IICA Canada made full use of these in addition to also hosting a couple designed to share emerging innovations and methodologies relevant to Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Delegation in Canada having completed a fulfilling year, anticipates that 2017 is going to be a fantastic one! It will certainly be a special one, as Canada will be celebrating its 150th anniversary, IICA its 75th and Canada in IICA, its 45th! The team wishes our colleagues within the Institute, and our stakeholders and friends in Canada and our member states a wonderful season and an outstanding New Year!
