28 April 2006

TOKTEN, or Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals, is an innovative UNV programme that allows expatriates from programme countries to return home for a period ranging from two weeks to three months to contribute their skills and services to their homeland’s development.

First introduced in Turkey in 1977, TOKTEN provided cost-effective technical services to enhance national capacities through the expertise of a country’s own expatriates living abroad. Circumventing some of the linguistic, logistical and cultural challenges faced by non-national service providers often deployed in development contexts, the TOKTEN system was a clear example of South-South cooperation at its best, one which transformed “capacity-building” from a noble development principle to fruitful development practice.

After a slow period, TOKTEN appears to be back in vogue, as Country Offices in post-conflict programme countries increasingly turn to this model. Below, we profile three successful TOKTEN programmes currently at various stages of operation around the world: in Afghanistan, Viet Nam and Sudan.

Afghanistan

The TOKTEN programme was launched in Afghanistan through UNDP after the Bonn Peace Agreement in December 2001. As of March 2006, 29 UN Volunteers have successfully completed their TOKTEN assignments in Afghanistan with various government departments.

UNV, in close consultation with the UNDP Country Office in Kabul, began by launching a special section on the UNV website to invite Afghans living abroad to register their skills. The team then collaborated with other UN agencies to identify needs which could be supported through TOKTEN assignments, and strengthened the UNV unit in the office by recruiting a Programme Officer to gather UN Volunteers and help manage the programme.

The major developmental goal of Afghanistan’s TOKTEN programme has been to support national capacity-building efforts of the Afghan Interim Administration and the successor government. The TOKTEN UN Volunteers handle an ambitious mandate spanning governance, urban development, education, health, agriculture, natural resource management and gender issues.

They train trainers, provide technical assistance for financial management and aid coordination, create mechanisms of transparency, participation, inclusion, and flow of information, and implement ICT plans. Civil engineers and site planners work to improve Afghanistan’s urban transportation and communication systems. On the education front, UN Volunteers serving under TOKTEN train teachers, develop education materials and curricula, strengthen required skills for employment, and ensure access to education resources and services. Health service professionals train medical personnel and community health workers on the latest scientific techniques and preventative care, address malnutrition problems, and help to establish effective policies to broaden access to health services. UN Volunteers serving under TOKTEN also work to reverse environmental degradation and improve agricultural practices to increase productivity and strengthen marketing capabilities.

In all these endeavours, the TOKTEN volunteers aim to mainstream gender issues, empower women to take more active roles in the development of their countries, train trainers on gender mainstreaming and awareness-raising campaigns, and support UNIFEM and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in their activities.

Currently, TOKTEN assignments are funded through DEX (direct execution) as well as through Rapid Deployment Facility funds provided for Afghanistan by the governments of Belgium, Japan, Luxembourg and Germany.

Viet Nam

While not every country has a sufficient expatriate population for a successful TOKTEN programme, Viet Nam, like Afghanistan, was well placed to benefit from the many nationals living overseas, primarily in the Australia, Canada, France and the USA. The country took advantage of this wealth of expatriate nationals and placed 20 TOKTEN consultants in Viet Nam between 1990 and 1992. For the next decade, Viet Nam utilized its wide pool of expatriates to build capacity and make much developmental headway. In 2001, Viet Nam refurbished its TOKTEN programme, creating a website and database to promote the programme overseas.

Over the next few years, the programme proved so successful that the Vietnamese government decided to continue the initiative under its own aegis. Collaboration between the government and UNV/UNDP officially ended in 2003 based on the conclusion that the TOKTEN objectives had been met with flying colours and sustainable mechanisms had been created for future development.

Sudan

Recently launched in partnership with the Government of National Unity, TOKTEN Sudan will encourage various Sudanese institutions to identify immediate capacity needs and bring interested expatriate Sudanese professionals to Sudan to share their skills and expertise for up to eight-week periods. UNDP will cover the expatriates’ travel expenses and provide a living allowance in Sudan. Through this project, UNDP aims to increase the participation of the Sudanese diaspora in the ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts in Sudan, especially in war-affected areas.

Two months following the launch of this initiative, the first TOKTEN UN Volunteer is already on board, two positions have been advertised, and UNDP has been receiving more requests from various Sudanese institutions.

“TOKTEN Sudan is part of the dividends of peace that the country is reaping following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement,” said Jerzy Skuratowicz, UNDP Country Director. “UNDP Sudan is strongly committed to working closely with the Government of National Unity and the Government of South Sudan to create social and economic conditions to ensure the success of the implementation of the CPA.”

The project is part of UNDP Sudan’s Governance Programme that focuses on creating an environment conducive to sustainable human development and peace. Interested Sudanese professionals who are living abroad and have permanent residence or citizen status in another country have been invited to apply to participate.