Written by Alawi Masud

As a primarily youth focused organization, Accountability Lab understands that junior level staff bring critical perspectives on our work,  provide important support to projects, and fuel innovation and connectivity. But as with many organizations that have many staff working on a variety of issues across 11 geographies, there is always room to better engage our teams. In order to provide a more formal space for junior staff all around the world to to build interpersonal relationships, support each other’s work, learn from one another, and connect with senior Accountability Lab staff, AL developed the Junior Staff Council (JSC).

The JSC includes one representative from each of our country Labs. It brings in new members on a quarterly basis, giving all junior staff the chance to engage and learn. The JSC works together to roll out at least one major project or event for all the Accountability Labs per cohort to improve cross-country collaboration and generate new reflections. Examples of events previously include: a culture fest, a speed networking night, a series of writing workshops, a guide and practice sessions on public speaking, holiday celebrations, and so on. Through developing events and activities together, the JSC builds understanding, relationships and a shared culture.

I asked previous Junior Staff members about their experience in the Junior Staff Council to get a better sense of why it matters. Here’s a sumary of what they said:

Ahmed Raza (Pakistan)

The Junior Staff Council has taught me how to prioritize tasks and manage time for multiple activities. It also helped me improve my communication and public speaking skills. I learned to focus on using my strengths. I feel more connected after completing my cohort, and these connections will be helpful professionally. I have always had a great time being a part of the Junior Staff Council, but if I am to talk about one memory in particular, it would be the ice-breaker activity at our orientation session. Everyone introduced their talents; some were singers, some were artists, some were dancers. It’s always nice to know that AL has staff with such diverse skills and talents!

Oshin Maharjan (Nepal)

I was always excited to become a member of the Junior Staff Council, as my colleagues used to talk about it often. The events organized by the council were so fun; they always gave me opportunities to network with colleagues from different countries. When it was finally my turn to be a member, I mentally prepared myself.. My colleagues from Nepal always hyped me up and encouraged me to lead the council, which was one of the reasons why I wanted to take the lead. When Ahmed (the previous leader) announced I had won, I was really nervous as I thought it was a joke. I even prepared to give a speech, but luckily there was no competition or voting. I was very excited.
My favorite memory was when I had to attend the JSC from a shopping mall as I was physically attending other events simultaneously- I realized a strength of mine is multi-tasking. I felt proud of myself while sharing my experiences here in Nepal. The group photos, group work and preparing the collective reports were new, fun, and something I look back on.

Parnneh Mallobe (Liberia)

Being on the Junior Staff Council has created a bridge for us junior staff to freely connect and ask for support in our daily tasks at the Lab when necessary. I’ve made friends from the JSC, and that is its beauty.
My favorite memory of the JSC was working closely and learning from other young people. The diversity of the team and the ideas that came forth were always a joy for me. My favorite event was the conversation we had with Blair on his vision for AL.
I have learned from the JSC that a key is to use the most significant resource you have- which is your team. Get them interested, listen to their ideas, and even push some of them to get even more involved 😊.

Tinotenda Chishiri (Zimbabwe)

Through the different training and events that the JSC organizes, I feel more connected with my peers around the world. It is always good to connect, learn and share experiences and ideas. The JSC provides an opportunity to get to know other AL peers.
My favorite memory of the Junior Staff Council was the very first meeting that I attended as a member. We did a fun exercise where we were shown a series of animated pictures and were tasked to tell an accountability story based on them. I was quite nervous about the first meeting; however, this task made me feel at ease, excited me to be a part of the council with other amazing people from the other Labs, and helped start the process of building team spirit amongst all members. When l was a part of the JSC, l learned about the power and importance of teamwork. It was always great to see what we could do, despite everyone being in different countries and time zones.
I have learned some valuable skills from the JSC. These include how to write proposals from the writing workshops, which have proved to be helpful in our fundraising activities. I also learned how to keep online audiences engaged. This was essential, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown period when many engagements were online.

In conclusion

As a translocal network that centers learning in our work, the successes of the Junior Staff Council have provided a valuable blueprint of how to embed lessons in a sustainable and engaging way. Council members have taken up the challenge of scaling diverse innovations between network labs – a process that is only expected to grow as we do.

Sheena Adams