Australian Red Cross Delegates Program

20Delegates Program Annual Report 2011-2012Indicator 9: Fifty percent of delegates in the field are on repeat missions ormission extensions with Australian Red Cross.Forty-six mission extensions were processed in the 2011/12 financial year. Of thetotal 662 months in the field for the 2011/12 financial year, 34% were completed bydelegates on mission extension. While there is an emphasis to extend missionswhere possible to retain the knowledge of delegates and ensure their work issustainable, the program is balancing this with a need to promote missionopportunities to as many delegates in the talent pool as possible.Of the 141 missions assigned this financial year, 37 (26%) were filled by first timedelegates and 104 (74%) were undertaken by delegates who had previouslycompleted one or more missions with Australian Red Cross.Delegates undertaking repeat missions or mission extensions represent anincreased return on investment, as fewer program resources are utilised in therecruitment and training of delegates for each deployment. Delegates undertakingmultiple missions are also able to apply the knowledge, skills and experiencegained through previous missions and adapt these to their current context.Having deployed on mission five times to countries including Vietnam, Papua NewGuinea and Pakistan, Water and Sanitation Delegate Suzie Sarkis reflects on whyshe continues to undertake missions as an aid worker with Australian Red Cross:“I am motivated by a desire to use my skills for humanitarian good. It is satisfyingbeing in an environment surrounded by people who are unified in providing help topeople who are less fortunate.”Indicator 10: Ninety percent of repeat missions or mission extensions withAustralian Red Cross are filled by delegates with favourableperformance appraisals.One hundred percent of repeat missions or extensions were filled by delegates withabove satisfactory performance feedback.During monitoring trips to Afghanistan, Fiji, Haiti, Panama, and attendance at theRed Cross Asia regional meeting in Bali, meetings were held with seven delegatemanagers, all of whom reported positively on the professionalism and strongperformance of Australian Red Cross delegates.