Issue 46, May 2014

one

Our global newsletter for staff and volunteers

IN THIS ISSUE: How do we reflect our values in our daily

practice? ONE message ** ONE partner ** ONE interview ** ONE tip

** ONE team-buddy ** ONE project ** ONE calendar ** ONE quiz

Produced by the Internal Communication Team with special thanks to: Chris Bain, Jacquie Heany, Jo Kitterick, Panikos

Efthimiou, Tania Dalton, Jane Adanje, Patrick Lawrie, Libby Abbott, Becca Manning, Philip Talman, James Steel, Lizete

Teofilo, Martin Heaney, Mieke Evans, Tony Sheen, Camilla Storrie, Jonathan Spink, David Singh. For internal use only.

Contents • p2 Chris Bain‟s welcome message • p3 Jesuit Development Service •

p4-7 From Brixton to Romero: the journey continues • p8 Travel safe to South

Sudan • p8 Pedal Against Poverty • p9 Team building? Get social! • p10 CAFOD is

getting Hands On • p11 Country Office closure dates • p12 IT numbers

Page 2 Issue 45, May 2014

Dear colleagues, I would like to welcome you to our first CAFOD One of 2014 -

our quarterly magazine for all staff and volunteers – and hope

that the benefits of the rest and blessings you experienced in

your Easter break are still with you!

Firstly, many thanks for sharing such insightful comments following the announcement of

our Strategic Review period. There was a strong welcome from many of you, and some valid

questions from others. I am very grateful for your openness. Personally, along with all our

Directors, I am committed to listening to your questions and want to answer them honestly

and transparently – and be more available for face to face conversations.

This Strategic Review will build on the outcomes of our Building a Sustainable Future

(BSF) programme which on many fronts has improved internal processes and approaches

and focussed our work across the Divisions. The Review itself has been triggered both by

questions about the sustainability of our budgets and some significant changes in CAFOD‟s

external working environment; a volatile institutional funding environment, shifting

dynamics of global power and poverty, an increase in development actors, and new thinking

in the local and global Church. These and other changes need to be understood and reflected

in CAFOD‟s priorities in the coming years.

The review is an important task for all of us. It will be led by the CLT and the Board but it

will require the positive contributions from staff, volunteers and partners to be relevant and

meaningful. We want the review to help shape the kind of organisation we need to be for the

next generation. There is a legitimate call for intermediary agencies like CAFOD to have a

clear understanding of its roles and core purpose, to be transparent and accountable for

what it does and what it spends, with ways of operating which are relevant to how we need

to tackle poverty and injustice today, and in the future.

Our review must be rooted in our Catholic identity, focussed on the communities we serve,

and with better stewardship of the resources we spend on ourselves. CLT is working to

produce a clear „Guiding Paper‟ which we will use to invite input on crucial directions.

I recognise that change is the one thing that is constant in our work - and many of us are

already in the midst of managing change right now. But as difficult as this may be, I believe

this is the right moment to undertake this review so that we can manage the pace of change

- in the direction and focus of our work -over the next 3-7 years. This I believe would best

serve our partners and the communities they serve throughout the world, and our

supporters in England and Wales. Thank you

one message

Page 3 Issue 46, May 2014

partner one

Jesuit Development Service (JDS)

CAFOD supports the work of the JDS in the west of El Salvador,

near the border with Guatemala.

We are working alongside small farming communities in Guaymango and Jujutla, some of

the poorest municipalities of the country, yet curiously, just below the coffee plantations

that belong to some of the wealthiest families of El Salvador‟s traditional elite. Some

statistics from a UNDP report (2006) and from the JDS‟ own survey (2008) include the

following:

About half of the population lives in extreme and severe poverty.

A quarter of children under five suffer from malnutrition.

A third of households lack access to drinking water

Almost two thirds of households are without electricity.

Three out of four houses are made of adobe, or a mix of mud and sticks, with no

proper floor.

Reflecting on solidarity

Farmers from villages supported by CAFOD and the

JDS organise a campaign for free and clean water.

The banner reads: “Water shouldn’t be sold. It

should be defended”

“Solidarity refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the

priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few.” Pope Francis 2013

CAFOD and the JDS are working together to improve food production and markets and

encourage the development of small businesses.

By Sarah Smith-Pearse

Page 4 Issue 45, May 2014

So, let‟s just start with: When did you join

CAFOD?

I started in 1998 so I‟m probably a dinosaur,

officially, and I first joined CAFOD as part of its

Public Education Unit. And that contained our

education programmes and our campaigning

work.

Oh, so it was combined? And what were you

doing?

In that first role I was responsible for our youth

programming. And it was just at the end of the

old millennia and we were expanding.

Can you describe a bit of the journey that has

taken you from where you were in 1998 to where

you are today?

When I started at CAFOD, I remember walking in

on my first day and thinking, „Right, I‟ll give this

two years and then I‟ll move on‟ and far too late, I

am here many years later.

I recognise now in 2014, I‟ve stayed here because

every year has been different. There‟s been new

challenges, there‟s a lot of dynamism and that, for

me, has kept me challenged. Coming into contact

with different people, different partners around

the world, different issues, just soaked up lots of

my stimulation and energy and has kept me

there.

And you‟ve seen a lot of change. 1998 to 2014, so

16 years. What for you have been the difficulties,

the challenges, the opportunities, along the way?

I think there has been a lot of change. Actually,

the biggest narrative all the time I‟ve been here -

whilst there‟s been unpredictability - has been

steady growth.

The opportunities? You know, CAFOD is seen as a

bit of a comfortable animal but I think actually

interview one

From Brixton to Romero:

the journey continues

Thoughts and reflections

of a cotton mill girl

Jo Kitterick, Head of

Directorate, has nervously

accepted this interview and

seems slightly anxious because

talking about herself doesn‟t

come naturally. She is humble

but confident and has great re-

flections after 16 years working

for CAFOD.

Page 5 Issue 46, May 2014

underneath, it has quite a creative spirit. I think

that means with growth you can create new

opportunities.

I think, CAFOD over the years, in any of its

changes, has always sought to seek opinions,

certainly of staff. Maybe not always done it really

effectively, but its intention‟s been honourable.

And I think some of the challenge is, in seeking

input from staff it‟s not always been clear to us

what happens with that information.

I have a deep rooted sense that it is taken on

board. But as staff members we don‟t all speak

with one voice and it‟s a really difficult task to try

and look at the trend and say, „Right, what can we

take from this to move forward as an

organisation, and yet keep everybody happy?‟

You make some really interesting points there

talking about staff and being a manager. I spoke

to a few people and – you blush now! These are

some of the things people have said about you:

“She‟s a great manager; really good to work with

and for; she‟s been a great mentor; she‟s a great

motivator” It sounds like you‟ve got all the boxes

ticked!

Oh dear!

So, how do you retain that energy, that passion,

that enthusiasm in an organisation for 16 years?

That‟s pretty impressive.

Oh goodness. I don‟t know if I always retain the

enthusiasm, but I do know what I‟m inspired by

and I absolutely love and am committed to what

CAFOD sets out to do in its mission. (possible

quote)

I can honestly say the creativity of partners, the

volunteers and the staff combined, have been a

constant source of joy…as well challenge, because

it makes you think!

At times I can become tired and think, ‟Oh here

we are again, another review! Where‟s it gonna

take us?‟ but I think actually when I do look at the

long term, not one year has been the same as a

previous year, so something must be driving us in

a way that doesn‟t have us completely stuck.

So where were you before CAFOD?

Immediately before CAFOD I had done some work

with the Church of England. So, for those who

may not know the Church of England and the

Church Urban Fund wWork, it‟s a really significant

resource that the Church of England committed

to, to devote resource to working in the UK with

those living on the margins of poverty.

That was the last role that I had. I‟ve been a

teacher; I‟ve worked in higher education, teaching

politics and sociology; I‟ve been a community

organiser.

All your work is about people. Clearly there‟s

something about working with other human

beings that ticks the right boxes for Jo.

Well I‟m not very good with numbers I guess! I

really enjoy the dynamic of the dialogue and

trying to see where the points of commonality

are.

Where were you born?

Bury, Lancashire, in a little mill town. As a mill

town it attracted a range of immigrants, so it was

a very diverse town to grow up in.

And did you go to school in Bury?

I did. A Catholic school - St Gabriel‟s High School.

It‟s a comprehensive.

Those were the days. And what happened after St

Gabriel‟s?

And then I went to a convent sixth form school

“At times I can become tired and think, ‟Oh here we are again,

another review! Where‟s it gonna take us?‟ but actually when I

look at the long term, not one year has been the same as a previ-

ous year, so something must be driving us in a way that doesn‟t

have us completely stuck.”

Page 6 Issue 45, May 2014

Those were the days. And what happened after St

Gabriel‟s?

And then I went to a convent sixth form school

and went on to university. I stayed in the North

West for quite a while - I went to Manchester and

studied politics.

So, in terms of where we‟re at today in CAFOD

and where we‟re trying to go in the next three,

five, 10 years, whatever, what do you think needs

to happen for the organisation to continue to

thrive and grow and deliver what we deliver,

globally?

I think there are some pillars that we should

always hold, and sometimes we need time to step

back to revisit some of those key pillars.

If we are about anything, we are about the

communities and the partners that we serve and

it is always wise to step back now and again and

ensure that our partners have what they need.

The review period that we are about to instigate

suggests this. Now and again, as Romero says,

„You need to step back and take the long view.‟

It‟s easy to say, but it‟s not always easy to do.

(possible quote)

Do you think the review that we will be going

through is going to give us that space?

We‟re not growing as an organisation, we‟re not

looking to recruit extra staff over the next year,

and yet our costs are rising quite significantly.

That doesn‟t need to be the only focus, but we do

need to sit down and say „Is this the best way of

operating to focus on the communities that we

serve? Have we got the balance right?‟

I think your question, which I‟ll come back to, is

„Will this really help us do that?‟

I can‟t put hand on heart and say „It will deliver

this‟ because this is a tight timeline - we want to

ensure we listen to partners, input from staff and

key external stakeholders and look at ourselves as

a whole organisation.

There is constant change going on. I recognise

colleagues very close to me are still in the middle

of some change processes that have only just

initiated. What we‟re going into is extremely

challenging,but I think the risk of not attempting

to do that is more risky than not.

What people - leaders, men, women, whoever -

have inspired you in your life?

My mum and dad for a start. They were very

countercultural and made me think really hard.

I‟ve been inspired by how CAFOD lives the

Romero story and how we interpret that story for

people year in, year out. I‟ve met some amazing

partners and those people really inspired me.

As a child, was Jo a very good girl?

I think I was. The thing I remember my aunts and

my relatives saying to me: „you are so bold‟ and

bold is a really interesting word because I think

they meant bold with a little bit of determination

and bold in a way that you can be obstinate, there

is a good and a shadow side to that word.

Studious?

I wasn‟t bad, I think I was ok.

Did your homework every day?

No, I didn‟t do my homework every day. But,

Panikos, I did enough just in time to make it work

and some things I found really easy and other

From Brixton to Romero: the journey continues Thoughts and reflections of a cotton mill girl

“Oh goodness. I don‟t know if I always retain the enthusiasm,

but I do know what I‟m inspired by and I absolutely love and am

committed to what CAFOD sets out to do in its mission.”

Page 7 Issue 46, May 2014

things I really struggled with. I remember those

days you are being forced to do things you really

didn‟t have a natural energy for and having to see

through was really hard work.

You are really involved with the organisation and

now have this kind of pivotal role and there is a

lot going on. What do you do to relax?

White wine helps. I don‟t have too much of it I

must say, but it helps at times.

The truth of the matter is that I come from a

wide family network scattered all over the place

and just keeping in touch with them takes time

and it is joyful.

I have two little boys rather later in life - one

eight year old, one two year old and they certainly

distract you from the harder issues and also

remind you what life is about. Juggling that and

work can be a real challenge because I found a

passion for both, and at times you feel terrible

about not doing both very well either.

Where do you get the energy for both?

Because you do.

The white wine?

The white wine helps! You also recognise

that in these roles - in all of our roles in

CAFOD - there are times where it can be

hard to juggle, but hopefully the juggling

does pay off enough to make a

difference.

What did you do for Easter?

I don‟t drive very often - I try to avoid it,

but I drove up the motorway to see

family in the north of England and spent

a lot of time stuck in traffic. That was

Easter. I also went to Church, took part

in mass and had chocolate, and had

Easter egg hunts...

Jo, you‟ve got an opportunity to give an

Easter message, like the Pope but not

the Pope... what would your Easter

message be?

Easter comes best when you have time to think,

take time out and then start to look forward. That

renewed look at the next few months hopefully

gives us an energy and appetite to look again at

the long term and embrace the next few months

and years ahead.

“Now and again, as Romero

says, „You need to step back

and take the long view.‟ It‟s

easy to say, but it‟s not always

easy to do.”

Panikos, our Learning and Development

Manager, has a secret life as a reviewer for

cultural events. This includes interviewing a

whole range of actors and actresses but he

prefers to speak with people with real passion

and commitment. So he is looking forward to

his next assignment. Get in touch if you want

him to interview someone.

Page 8 Issue 45, May 2014

one

Travel safe to South Sudan

Each of our offices around the world has a Security Plan document,

This is designed to help keep you and your colleagues safe and to

enable our work to run smoothly. Our Country Representative for

South Sudan, Jane Adanje, introduced us to the 2014 version of

Juba‟s security plan. The

contents include: • travelling in

and around Juba • local culture

and customs • communications •

unsafe areas • crime • unrest and riots • carjacking • landmines

and plenty of other essential information.

Read the complete document on CAFOD Connect: click here >

tip one

Attention people in North London and

Hertfordshire: where will you be on 18 May?

* Pedal Against Poverty - Sunday 18 May *

CAFOD‟s annual 10/19 mile sponsored cycle ride is about to happen in the Lee Valley Country Park in

North London and Hertfordshire. Last year approximately 200 people took part and we raised almost

£10,000 in the process.

Please contact the Westminster office if you would like to take part or volunteer to help.

On the 24th of every month, there‟s a reason to

celebrate: PAYDAY! For this momentous occasion,

CAFOD‟s Romero House has a monthly meet up

on the last Thursday of the month, bringing

together colleagues to share and celebrate

something in unison.

However, when you arrive at the pub, to partake

in friendly chatter and a pint, you realise that it‟s

more than a chance to celebrate your flush bank

account. In fact, you find that it‟s not really about

the money, but about celebrating camaraderie

with colleagues.

Ensuring we have these social events really helps

us unwind and get to know each other on

personal levels. You may find Tim Cohen from

Directorate discussing the topic of American

healthcare, or Amy Beecher from Supporter

Donations sharing her love of greyhounds.

The invitation to Last Thursday Social, open to all

those who can attend in London, boldly states:

“Talk of work is discouraged/not recommended.”

Of course, we hope

this is taken with a grain of salt, as this is a

perfect opportunity to share each other‟s work

achievements, upcoming events or projects, and

ideas that can flourish with the help of cross-

organisational input. Teams may find under more

social, laid back settings that they can really

brainstorm more freely and creatively.

Regardless of the topic of

conversation, it‟s about giving

colleagues an opportunity to come

together and communicate. As Last

Thursday Social continues at Romero

House, it would be inspiring to hear

Diocesan and regional teams have

their own regular and friendly get-

togethers that encourage discussions

of all time.

Page 9 Issue 46, May 2014

team-buddy one

Team building? Get social!

Libby’s efforts on fostering camaraderie

Last Thursday Socials have been known to complement special events, like this Christmas party at Romero

House. Get in touch with Libby if you want to be involved in the next Last Thursday Social: labbott@cafod.org.uk

Page 10 Issue 45, May 2014

project one

What is the first Hands

On project?

It is a water resource management project in

Kitui, Kenya.

10 years ago the land was green and fertile.

A combination of factors such as changing

climate, deforestation has led to a loss of

natural vegetation and the soil has turned to

sand. The Musosya dam which used to store

the regions rainfall has completely silted up.

The community of Kitui have a plan to

transform to heal their land and make the

whole area water efficient. This is a big two

year project that includes almost 50 kms of

terracing, building a series of new mini-dams,

planting tens of thousands of trees, all of

which will help to divert and retain rainwater.

The total project budget is £206,517.

Hands on is responding to a changed

development landscape which requires from

us greater investment in our partnership

approach. With this type of funding our

programmes in CAFOD reinforce the role of

communities in making their own decisions.

Hands On is a series of 2 year

livelihoods projects that link

supporters from England and Wales

with the people of a specific

community as they work to

transform their lives and future.

Since 23 April, we now have

successfully gained 318 Hands On

supporters—already a great result!

Get in touch with Mieke

mevans@cafod.org.uk to

know more about Hands On

The International Operations Team (IOT) have collected public

holiday/office closure data and posted this information centrally on

CAFODConnect calendar.

Page 11 Issue 46, May 2014

Connect the dots for an overview of some of the ways we share

news at CAFOD!

CAFOD One Staff briefing Managua to Manila (M2M)

Every month colleagues are

invited to gather in Amigo

Hall or join us online for

corporate headlines and

presentations from across

CAFOD.

It comes straight to your

inbox every Thursday.

You‟re reading it! This

magazine goes to all of

CAFOD once every four

months.

Was any of this news to you? Get in touch with Maddy Prior in internal communications for a

refresher in Communication and Collaboration in CAFOD.

stop-shop one

Please check the

Corporate calendar when

planning visits overseas

so you are aware of office

closures and therefore

making best use of your

time.

Tools like the corporate

calendar on

CAFODconnect help us

centralise important

information. You no longer

have to trawl through

your inbox to find a set of

dates...that could be

different to those in your

colleague’s inbox!

Issue 45, May 2014

Catch up…

To click on the underlined links > read the online version on the CAFOD One page of

CAFODconnect.

CAFOD One is our global newsletter for staff and volunteers. It is produced by the

internal communications team. If you have a story idea for a future edition please

get in touch.

Page 12

quiz one

Can you guess how many

requests and incidents IT and

Facilities UK answered last April? Try and match the category with the

Equipment

request

Facilities

Incident

Facilities

Request IT Incident

IT Request

Incident

20 8

95 198 176

15

Patrick Lawrie, Head of IT & Facilities

Services, says: “These numbers are helping us to

design new ways of working in order to be more

reliable and consistent”

Answers: Equipment Request = 20, Facilities Incident = 8, Facilities Request = 95, IT Incident = 198, IT Request = 176