Senior managers and officials gain valuable knowledge when they are directly exposed to the practices of their counterparts in other countries. These exposure visits often lead to the participants gaining insights that enable them to transform their previously held knowledge into practical applications at their workplaces back home. Equally important, these types of visits facilitate changes in attitude and an openness to test new approaches. For over 20 years, FIT has designed and managed more than 3,000 specialized study missions, drawing on an ever growing network of experts from the public and private sectors in Canada to meet the needs of its partners in several countries. Study missions are very carefully designed to blend the right amount of training with site visits for optimal exposure in a short period of time.
FIT’s study missions are designed to build the knowledge and skills needed to meet the challenges of changing economies and societies. FIT’s customized training programs expose executives and government officials to best practices from around the world. Training is provided in a diverse range of sectors, including legal reform, science and technology, NGO management and organizational development, and public policy reform. Each study mission includes visits to selected industries; government departments at the national, provincial and municipal levels; colleges and universities and the private sector.
China Program
Through the China Program, FIT has assisted Chinese enterprises and governments in meeting the challenges of economic and social transformation by introducing executives and government officials to Canadian models and methods. Drawing on a network of experts in both the public and private sectors, the China Study Missions have provided customized training and education in a number of sectors including production safety, water resource management and conservation, human resource management and anti-corruption. Since 1990, over 2,700 senior and mid-level managers have participated in this program. Each mission is designed to maximize opportunities for participants to learn from Canadian experience and models through direct interaction with their Canadian counterparts. This continued knowledge sharing represents a considerable opportunity for strengthened international cooperation, promotion of Canadian values and support to economic and social change in China.
Small and Medium Enterprise in Upper Egypt (SMEDUP) - Mission to India
One component of the training and technical assistance package designed to develop the capacities of SMEDUP partner organizations was study missions. Officials from the Social Fund for Development and directors, board members and senior staff from the four SME service delivery organizations participated in a three-week study mission to India. Through this activity, the participants gained knowledge and insights from innovations in micro- and small credit programs from cutting-edge practitioners and organizations working in the sector. The group met with SME practitioners and government officials at the national and state levels in order to explore the role of government in supporting micro- and SME development through policy and regulatory mechanisms.
Nigerian Energy Sector - Mission to Canada: 2007
Recent reforms in the political and economic spheres in Nigeria have led to increased investments and economic growth. One result of the changing environment is increased demand for energy. In response, the Government of Nigeria has restructured its energy policies and systems that regulate the generation and distribution of power, in particular electricity. In August 2007, FIT designed and delivered a 10-day in-Canada training program for 16 senior government and private sector officials from the power sector. The principal objective of the training mission was to provide the opportunity for participants to learn about recent regulatory changes in the energy sector in Canada, and to meet with counterparts from public sector utilities and private sector energy firms. Participants in the mission included senior officials from the Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Rural Electrification Agency, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, as well as private distribution companies.
Export Development Training – India
This activity assisted the Canara Bank to design, develop and deliver a comprehensive training program for its senior managers, aimed at improving their trade development and export market information management capabilities. A one-week course for participants on the fundamentals of export and trade financing was followed by a study mission that included meeting with selected industries, government support agencies, import and export associations and banks in India, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the USA. The program concluded with a one-week planning session, resulting in an Export Development Strategy Document with recommendations and conclusions for use by the Canara Bank.
Operationalising Gender Policies – The Philippines
FIT organized a study mission for officials from the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women to introduce participants to the rights of Canadian women in the workplace. Through the mission, senior and mid-level civil servants from the Commission gained exposure to many different types of work settings, as well as Canadian legislative and regulatory experience in the areas of pay and employment equity. The project concluded with an intensive workshop to draw comparisons between Canada and The Philippines, synthesize what participants had learned and draw out lessons appropriate to the Filipino context. Information and knowledge acquired through these activities were applied to the drafting of a national plan to promote employment equity, pay equity and prevention of sexual harassment in The Philippines.