Haiti skills bank final report

Haitian-Americans for Economic Development (HAFED) served as subcontractor. Despite uncertainty about Haiti"s political and economic stability, the project"s goals were largely met. The project received more than 1,700 resumes vs. a targeted 1,500 (after screening, 1,216 resumes were included in the skills bank). This great response was the result of aggressive outreach, including direct mail campaigns to VITA volunteers, USAID leads, etc; electronic advertising on Usenet and listservs; postings on VITA"s web and gopher sites; meetings at the Haitian Embassy and presentations to Haitian groups in the United States; advertising and news stories in VITA"s newsletter and in Haitian newspapers; and radio spots in Haiti, North America, and the national Pacifica network in the United States. Nearly 900 resumes from the skills bank were provided in response to over 100 requests from potential employers, and 11 placements were made. The timing of the project (ending just prior to Haiti"s presidential election) seems to have had a negative impact on participation, both for database registrants and companies who might use the database. Several potential registrants were uncertain whether inclusion of their private career information, to which the government would have access, represented a political liability or not. However, all resume requesters were positive in describing the value of the information acquired. Problems included frequent communications and power outages which delayed logistical coordination, unreliable transportation in Port-au-Prince, the short timeframe allowed for database design and operation, and communication difficulties between VITA/USA and HAFED/USA. More on-site training of HAFED/Haiti staff early in the project could have increased efficiency.