DPP voices

Executive Master in
Development Policies
and Practices
alumni and employers survey
2012-2015
 DPP
AT A GLANCE
Delivering strategic skills for mid-career Delivered with: Contact
Since 2003, the Executive Master in Development Policies and Practices has offered professionals:
decentralized education, distributed across the global South, with: Designed for working professionals, requiring 8 weeks Regional Hubs
of full-time learning away from work (5+3) for the first (2 in Asia, 2 in Africa
and final module, respectively (earns 30 ECTS) and 1 in Latin America) dpp@graduateinstitute.ch

Strengthening of analytical and leadership skills (such

35 34 as mediation, negotiation, intercultural and

558 alumni
alumni
alumni
participative management) Months’ professional
6.3%
6.1% thesis project (done

59 countries
in Completion of a job-related thesis at/for place of work) dpp.graduateinstitute.ch
till date
High geographic diversity of lecturers and participants
SWITZERLAND Languages –
CENTRAL ASIA South-South collaboration, cross-training and options in English,
AND CAUCASUS networking through the joint module in Switzerland French and Spanish
152
alumni
95% of our participants are currently working in their
CENTRAL 149 174
alumni
27.2% countries of origin
alumni Modules earned
AMERICA 31.2%
26.7% Partly supported by: “in the region”
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
14
alumni
SOUTHEAST the Canton of Geneva
ASIA Final Module
LATIN
2.5%
AFRICA
the Avina Stiftung
(3 weeks)
AMERICA other private foundations in the North and the South in Switzerland
6.1% percentage of alumni from the region
out of total number of alumni
OTHER
34 number of alumni International partnerships,
from the region decentralized modules
The surveys are conducted
DPP aggregate alumni
by gender and
in
5 regional hubs and
a special program
every 8 months after each graduation.
professional sectors for Afghanistan The return rate was of
since 2003
Private
ALMATY 90% for the alumni
78% for the employers.
Sector Kazakhstan
Bilateral 3.2% OUAGADOUGOU
Agencies 18 Burkina Faso HANOI
5%
28
Vietnam The present survey covers
the period 2012-2015.
54% Internatinal
Organizations
LIMA
302 46% 16.3%
91 Peru
female Civil
alumni 256 Society
male
alumni 50.7% participant’s employer
Public 283
Sector testimonials
24.8%
138 ACCRA
Ghana participant’s testimonials
Employers feedback on program effects employers survey

Employers recognize effective and in-depth changes

Olivier Geissler strengthened his capacities in strategic
thinking, analysis and planning. He is more systemic
in the professional practice of DPP alumni and policy oriented about ensuring the sustainability of
our activities. He enhanced his skills to structure
concepts and documents. Capitalization and know-how
Did you notice any changes in Did your organization use transfer are more systematic.
his/her professional practice? the results of the thesis? Rolf Widmer,
Director, Fondation suisse du Service Social International

97% 88% The collaborator has assumed new, dual management

94/97
Was he/she promoted after
attending the DPP program?
107/122
Is your collaborator still
working in your institution?
positions as Co-Director of an important project of
Swiss Cooperation and now spends a percentage of
his time as Deputy Director of HELVETAS Swiss
Intercooperation Bolivia. I am convinced that the new
skills and tools acquired during the training contributed
to the fact that he could assume these new positions
without any difficulty.
Haldimann Esther
Director, HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Bolivia

34% 80% Following the thesis of Mr. Laminou Abani on the elaboration
of a manual of procedures for Nigerien government
33/97 97/122 institutions, our own institution has used this thesis to submit
a proposal to the government for adoption and fundraising.
Mahamoud Elgou
Secretary General of the Department of the Prime Minister –
yes High Commission for the Modernization of the State of Niger

Alumni career effects

45
number of number of
alumni survey female alumni
45
male alumni

DPP contributes to the professional empowerment

of women and offers a new professional outlook 29
to everyone 20
15

13 17 16
expect an upcoming have earned a promotion have received
promotion in title and responsibilities a salary increase 55
45
19
49
13 37

left their previous employer feel that their enhanced contributions

for a better position in another have been entrusted with helped improve the performance
organization (since graduation) more responsibilities of their team
Values and effects of professional thesis The findings of the thesis
alumni survey strongly influence
professional projects
and environments

51% the results of their thesis have strengthened

the influence and visibility of their organization.

The results of my thesis are already beginning to shift

approaches and strengthening public policy dialogue on
disabilities in Colombia. They have been the starting
María del Pilar Oviedo Cáceres DPP ‘15 point for new intervention processes executed by Santo
Tomas University’s School of Optometry and its
Associate Centre for South America associated centre, the UNESCO Chair of Visual Health
UNESCO Chair in Visual Health
and Development. I submitted my thesis to the World
Colombia and Development
Research Leader
Council of Optometry, and it obtained the highest scores
for its academic quality and relevance in the field,
winning the prize granted at the first World Congress of
Optometry in August 2015.

67% their organization has used the results of their thesis

to improve its interventions and/or formulate new strategies and activities.

My organization has used my DPP thesis to understand

Beatrice Mkani DPP ‘15
SIKIKA – Quality health services
for all Tanzanians
Tanzania Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
the topic in a wider perspective. I have also been using
the thesis to back up my arguments in different forums.
We are developing a new strategic plan and have
shared some important points to take note of, in order to
improve the implementation of our interventions.

86% had the opportunity

to share the results of their thesis with other colleagues / institutions.

The DPP provided me with the necessary preparation,

Sambo Sok DPP ‘15
OXFAM Australia in Cambodia
Partnerships Officer ‘Mekong Regional
Cambodia Water Governance Programme’
analytical skills and qualitative tools to conduct on-site
research in the consultation process of a controversial
hydropower project on the Mekong. My project looked at
fishermen's transboundary participation at the
Lao-Cambodian border. This experience equipped me with
a deeper understanding of the situation on the ground, that
will enhance my capacity to release effective grants to our
partner organizations and better evaluate project outcomes.

96% the results of their thesis allowed them

to gain a better understanding of the issues related to their work.

My thesis findings have supported conclustions of

Assel Kuttubaeva DPP ‘15
International Center Interbilim
Manager of the Peacebuilding and
Kyrgyzstan Conflict Prevention Programme
an independent external impact evaluation of the program
that I manage, and have been used in a number of
negotiations and meetings with the Government and Donors.
As a result, the government has approved nationwide
implementation of the program I piloted. Currently we are
seaking funds to institutionalize the program in my country.
 Refined analytical, leadership DPP participants skills development
and methodological skills alumni survey
for actual professional
situations and sound Edwin Mang'eni DPP ‘16
decision-making Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations in Somalia
Kenya Conflict Analyst

overall strengthening of
When I look back to when I joined the Executive Master in
DECISION MAKING Development Policies and Practices (DPP) I notice how
much my way of thinking and working has changed. I have
*4.39 The strengthening of my leadership skills facilitate
my stronger decision making capacity
adopted a more systematic approach to undertaking my
duties. From a policy perspective, this means adopting a
systematic way of problem analysis and planning before
4.29 I was given more responsibilities in terms of
project management and/or institutional management
embarking on drafting new policies.

overall strengthening of Laurent Torche DPP ‘15

LEADERSHIP SKILLS Swiss Agency for Development
and Cooperation (SDC)
Switzerland Chief of Section

4.33 My organization now involves me more in written and/or

oral communication (reports, public presentations, etc.)
The DPP has allowed me to deeply understand the approaches,
4.39 My organization has given me more responsibility
in term of teams leading
views and expectations of development professionals from
the South in term of international cooperation, and more
specifically from West Africa. It also gave me the opportunity to
4.46 I improved my negotiation skills and I am better able to interact
with stakeholders that are at different levels of decision making explore in a scientifically rigorous way development-related
issues, which increased my knowledge and personal skills, and
was also helpful to my institution.
4.29 I have improved my mediation skills and I am now better
able to manage internal and/or external conflicts

Mavzuna Abdurakhmanova DPP ‘15

overall strengthening of
Open Society Institute Assistance
ANALYTICAL SKILLS Foundation in Tajikistan
Tajikistan Program Coordinator

4.62 I now have another perspective for analysis of

the context and of the relevance of my work
4.59 I’m better able to identify the various development
stakeholders, their roles, their interests and strategies
4.48 My organization involves me more in the formulation,
implementation, monitoring, evaluation of projects
4.44 My organization now involves me more in substantive
discussions and the elaboration of strategies
The DPP was an excellent opportunity for me to rethink and apply my
existing professional skills and knowledge through the prism of
international development. It enhanced my strategic vision through
analysis of global tendencies, existing regional tensions, critical
evaluation of the international development institutions and their impact
to the different societies, and this forced me to look at routines of
development in more complex way. Another wonderful opportunity that
DPP provides is a great network of professionals from almost all parts
of the world, and I am honored to be a part of it as an alumni.

Nana Ber Hassane Toure DPP ‘15

overall strengthening of
ADAZ (Association for the Development
METHODOLOGICAL SKILLS in Arid Areas)
Mali Head of socio-economic integration project

4.45 I am better able to communicate a reflection

to an audience through an oral or written presentation Thanks to the knowledge that I acquired during the DPP, my way
of working is different and I can better live up to my numerous
4.43 I am better able to write a report following
the analysis of a situation responsibilities. I was equipped with new methodological tools that
allowed me to elaborate appropriate strategies leading to concrete
4.34 I am better able to use and analyze data and effective actions for the development of my community in
Northern Mali. The DPP gave me confidence in myself; I can better
argue and be more convincing in debates and discussions at
national and local level.
*satisfaction rate on a scale of 5