Consortium for Haiti: improving governance, education and economic development
For more than 35 years, CESO has been working in Haiti, helping to develop strong and sustainable local organizations by providing capacity building services. Recognizing the wide-ranging needs of the Haitian communities, CESO entered into a strategic partnership with three other Canadian non-profit organizations in 2004, combining our resources and expertise to offer focused support in governance, education and economic development.
Le programme de coopération volontaire (PCV) is a consortium of four non-profit organizations; World University Services Canada (WUSC), Centre d'études en coopération internationale (CECI), la Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie, and CESO, which started in 2005. The goal of PCV is to develop the capacity of our local program partners; thereby, strengthening their ability to better meet the needs of their clients. The successes of our joint efforts led to the second and current phase of this collaborative venture funded by the Canadian International Cooperation Agency (CIDA) (2010 – 2015).
While CESO’s specific focus is on governance and economic development, together with the PCV we have achieved many positive results:
Improving governance
- State institutions and civil society have been assisted in the reorganization of their decentralized organizations; in particular, we have helped the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPEC), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI), the Ministry of Status of Women and Women's Rights (MSWWR) and the National Confederation of Educators in Haiti (NCEH)
- Institutions have improved their capacity to work together through meetings organized by PCV.
- Public perception of the role and quality of work produced by MSWWR officials has improved significantly.
- NCEH leaders assisted by the program initiated their own training sessions for federations of Artibonite. Members who were trained have adopted new attitudes, resulting in improved quality of their work.
- Municipality of Dessalines officials now use communication tools developed by PCV, such as a municipal newsletter, programs and community meetings, website and brochures.
- Various committees focused on women’s issues are closely monitoring and ensuring women’s involvement at all levels at NCEH.
Reinforcing education
- Partners in vocational and technical training were able to improve programs in key sectors such as tourism, agriculture and textiles. In particular, the implementation of Vocational and Technical Training (VTT) programs has led to the development of various micro and small business activities in the South East region.
- Departmental directorates of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, the inspectorate and school leadership have improved their basic skills in management and programming, thereby, improving the quality of education.
- Teachers trained in computer skills now use the knowledge gained to prepare paperwork and better organize their work.
- PCV facilitated functional collaboration between several key sectors in VTT, which has enabled the development of realistic programs and practices that meet market needs.
- The National Institute of Vocational Training developed a refrigeration program that enabled the establishment of several contractors and has played a role in the successful launch of several economic activities in the refrigeration industry.
Strengthening economic development
- Companies or associations produce services or products of better quality, especially in the area of textile and agriculture.
- Micro to medium size enterprises have improved their business management (i.e., participatory diagnosis, business plan development, business revitalization, approaches to economic development and social solidarity).
- State institutions actively and efficiently regulate tourism activity in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and schools in the south.
- A member of INDEPCO Artibonite who was provided with highly specialized technical support was able to create a small company that manufactures and design T-shirts.
- Trained executives at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry successfully took over project analysis following training received.
- Support for solid waste management has created a sectoral platform for environmental protection and has mobilized all vital city sectors to implement the recommendations made by the CESO volunteer advisor.
How You Can Help
Although we have accomplished a lot in Haiti since the beginning of the program, there is still work to be done. More volunteers are in demand to undertake capacity-building assignments. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer,
read Become a Volunteer Advisor in Haiti (French) to learn how.
For more information, please contact:
General information about PCV in Haiti
A local representative in Haiti
Léonel Garnier, Program Manager
For program information
Laurence Caron, Program Officer
1-800-268-9052, Ext. 6479