The Exchange of Personnel in Development Cooperation
The exchange of personnel in development cooperation, also called Personnel Development Cooperation (PDC), is a well-established and valuable element of Swiss development cooperation. It consists of assignments of qualified experts in volunteer status (international volunteers) in countries of the Global South, during which they are employed by partner organisations. PDC is a form of international cooperation that focuses not on money or technology, but on personal and professional exchange between people from different cultures. The aim is to support the further development and strengthening of local partner organisations that are committed to improving living conditions in their communities. In addition to these traditional North-South assignments, PDC also includes South-South and South-North assignments, in which professionals from the Global South work in other countries.
Fostering Cooperation, Strengthening Capacities
Assignments in PDC are conducted exclusively on the initiative and according to the needs of a partner organisation in the Global South. The latter defines the objectives and the profile of the expert required. This ensures that the assignment is tailored to local priorities and provides targeted support for the initiatives of partner organisations and local institutions. PDC assignments contribute to strengthening or further developing the skills and capacities of partner organisations to deliver services to the local population.
During their assignment, the professionals share the living conditions of the local population, which facilitates direct, continuous exchange with their peers about their professional knowledge and values from a position of equality.1 The focus is on learning from each other and working together. Through this mutual exchange of skills, knowledge and ideas, the professional volunteers contribute to efficient and sustainable development.
In PDC, the risk of dependency on the North is low, as the focus is on interpersonal and interprofessional exchange. The assignment is limited in time and the local organisations retain their own responsibility: Once the cooperation has ended, the activities that have been developed together are to be continued independently by the partner organisation. This ensures that external support does not replace local structures or create new dependencies.
Modest means, Big Impact
A PDC assignment is not about large infrastructure projects, but about exchanging knowledge and strengthening local organisations. Thanks to the personal commitment of the professional volunteers, PDC is a form of international cooperation that achieves a significant impact with modest means.
The experts deployed in PDC receive only a daily allowance based on local living conditions to cover their living expenses on site – and thus voluntarily forego a Swiss-level salary.
Contribution to the 2030 Agenda and Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy
Personnel development cooperation is a nationally and internationally recognised instrument of Swiss international cooperation. It complements other forms of development cooperation such as technical or financial cooperation. PDC contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2025–2028.2
As an umbrella organisation, Unité's activities mainly contribute to Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting global partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The personnel development cooperation of Unité's member organisations contributes to the achievement of the following SDGs:
SDG 2: Zero hunger
SDG 3: Good health and well-being
SDG 4: Quality education
SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Back in Switzerland
Assignments in personnel cooperation are based on the principle of reciprocity: Swiss professionals work closely with local partner organisations in the Global South, focusing on learning from and working with each other. This enables the experts to engage with other social, economic and cultural realities. They learn from the partner organisations and the local population, thus developing a deeper understanding of global interdependencies and inequalities.
Upon their return, they bring their experiences and perspectives back to communities at home – be it in their professional environments, social circles, or through civil society engagement. They help raise awareness about development issues, promote understanding of global justice and motivate others to take responsibility. In this way, PDC contributes not only to sustainable development in the Global South, but also to a society based on solidarity, openness and social responsibility in Switzerland.
1] This mutual exchange of expertise and capacity building has been demonstrated in several studies by Unité, the German Institute for Development Evaluation, and the International Forum for Volunteering in Development.
2] The effectiveness of PDC and the added value it brings to Swiss development cooperation was confirmed in 2018 in an independent study commissioned by the SDC (Hoffmann 2018).