An overview of country level Engineers Without Borders

Summary of various EWB organizations around the world. Prepared by EWB Canada for discussion at our National Conference in January 2010

Year founded 2001 (Registered Charity 2003)

CEO / ED Andrew Lamb (Chief Executive)

Mission / Vision A world where access to technology or infrastructure is not a barrier to poverty alleviation. To facilitate human development through engineering.

Core values • Committed to the role of engineering in society• Believe in the spirit of volunteering• Endeavour towards professionalism and engineering rigor• Support transparency and an open environment• Committed to continuous learning and improvement• Inspire and prepare the next generation

Websites www.ewb-uk.org

HQ Cambridge, United Kingdom

People National Executive: 20 (3 full-time staff, 2 part-time staff)Placement Volunteers: 39

# of overseas staff / volunteers

39 placement volunteers on placements lasting 3, 6 or 12 months (2009). No staff overseas. 1 part-time administrator.

# and type of chapters

Affiliated branches: 18EWB societies: 16 (not yet affiliated)

Domestic program areas

•Training (5,538 participants on 170 courses), Education (12 universities), Outreach (17,700 pupils reached)

International programs

• Placements (39 volunteers with 20 partners), Bursaries (40 awards in 23 countries, Research (58 projects inc. 1 PhD)

Operating countries

India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Lao PDR, Tanzania, Ecuador, Uganda, El Salvador, Philippines, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Uganda, UK, Switzerland.

2006 2007 2008 2009 20100.0 €

100,000.0 €200,000.0 €300,000.0 €400,000.0 €500,000.0 €

62,110.80130,160.40

231,936.00177,890.40

436,879.20

Annual revenue (mil €)

36%

10%

44%

10%Funding sources (2009)

Companies

Individuals

Foundations

Government

Top five donors (2009):

1. Anglo American2. UK Government Department for

International Development3. The Royal Academy of Engineering4. Barclays Capital5. The Happold Trust

EWB UKOverview

EWB UKIssue / Approach

What is the main issue you are working to resolve (max 50 words)?

The relief of poverty by removing barriers to development. We are creating a new generation of engineers who understand and can respond to the global issues that we are facing.

What is your main approach in working through this issue (max 200 words)?

We work closely with other development organisations, engineering firms, universities and experienced professionals. We work in a very practical way – the UK is somewhat over-run with large and small international development orgnisations, experts and campaigns asking people to learn more, do more and give more. So we offer people (particularly young engineers) a way to actually do something. For example, our placements programme is essentially a work experience scheme where young engineers can to share specific engineering skills requested by our partners. Our training programme offers weekend courses where people can learn about and build, say, solar cookers, rope & washer pumps or GIS maps of slums. Our bursaries programme gives small grants to fund member’s own projects following peer review (giving other members the chance to learn about donorship). We offer formal and informal education opportunities through our education, outreach and research programmes – the latter of which finds researchers to work on problems identified by partners.

So we help our members to learn about development and engineering’s role in it. They then often go on to work for Oxfam, WaterAid, Save the Children, the UN or engineering and consultancy firms involved in major aid and infrastructure projects. As the development sector has professionalised, we are a unique organisation that provides young professionals who have the right understanding and skills to create positive, long-term change.

EWB USAGeneral overview

Year founded 2002

CEO / ED Catherine A. Leslie P.E. (Executive Director)

Vision

Mission

Our vision is a world in which the communities we serve have the capacity to sustainably meet their basic human needs, and that our members have enriched global perspectives through the innovative professional educational opportunities that EWB-USA provides.EWB-USA supports community-driven development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design and implement sustainable engineering projects, while creating transformative experiences and responsible leaders.

Core values - Integrity - Service - Collaboration - Ingenuity - Leadership- Safety

Websites http://www.ewb-usa.org

HQ Boulder, Colorado

People Paid staff: 23 ; Members: 12,000

# of overseas staff /volunteers

Chapters make a 5 year commitment to communities and travel to those communities periodically throughout the year, Ave. # of members travelling annually: 2,0000

# and type of chapters

University chapters: 195 Professional chapters: 96Corporate Networks: 10

Domestic program areas

• 13 projects are in the USA• International Conferences, Regional Training Workshops

International programs

• 395 Active Projects in 45 Countries• Applications of Engineering principals are at the core of the

international programs which take a holistic aproach

Operating countries

427 Active Projects in 45 Countries / Most Active Countries• Honduras (48) Guatemala (33) Kenya (31) El Salvador (23) Nicaragua

(22) Peru (20) Bolivia (16) Ecuador (15) Uganda (14) Mexico (14) Ghana (13) Tanzania (11) Thailand (11)

2006 2007 2008 2009€0

€2,000,000

€4,000,000

€6,000,000

€8,000,000

2,025,100.0

2,841,300.0

6,275,500.0 5,467,000.

0

Annual revenue (mil €)

54%36%

6%4%

Funding sources (2009)

In Kind Contribu-tions

Contributions and Grants

Membership Fees

Other

Top five donors (2009):

1. ASCE2. BOEING3. Google4. CDM5. CH2MHILL

EWB USAIssue / Approach

What is the main issue you are working to resolve (max 50 words)? We are working to eliminate the disconnect between the education of engineers versus the practice of engineering. This disconnect is producing engineers who are not trained in real world skills nor understand that the project is about more than just an implementation.

What is your main approach in working through this issue (max 200 words)? Using cross-organizational working groups and forums, we are discussing this issue within the student, professional, and academic groups and it has resulted in many different efforts. These include increased professional mentorship requirements for student projects, a Faculty Leadership Committee to provide additional resources for faculty advisors, an eLearning training forum, and will continue on within discussions this year.

EWB CanadaGeneral overview

Year founded 2001CEO / ED George Roter, Parker Mitchell (co-founders)Mission / Vision None right now (tore it up in 2008)Core values •Strive for humility

•Invest in people•Courageously commit•Ask tough questions•Dream big & work hard•Address root causes for impact

Websites www.ewb.ca; www.myewb.caHQ Toronto, ONPeople Paid staff: 25 ; Domestic leaders*: 320;

Paid members: 1,000; Unpaid members 50,000# of overseas staff / volunteers

30 FT African based volunteers (12-36 months)40 FT summer interns per year (4 – 6 months)

# and type of chapters

University chapters: 26City networks / Professional chapters: 7

Domestic program areas

•Supporting rural African capacity, •Advocating for improved Canadian policies toward Africa, •Engaging Canadians to contribute and connect to Africa, •Helping the engineering profession serve global society.

International programs

• Agriculture and enterprise development• Water and Sanitation• Governance and Rural infrastructure

Operating countries

• Ghana, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Zambia

2006 2007 2008 2009€0

€500,000€1,000,000€1,500,000€2,000,000€2,500,000

12900001570000

1970000 1990000

Annual revenue (mil €)

25%

20%30%

25%

Funding sources (2009)

Companies

Individuals

Foundations

Government

Top five donors (2009):

1. Aeroplan (€50k)2. Canadian Energy Pipeline Assoc (€ 40k)3. CIDA (€80)4. Wardrop / Tetratech (50k)5. Young Fund (€40k)

*Domestic leaders volunteer more than 10 / week

EWB CanadaIssue / Approach

What is the main issue you are working to resolve (max 50 words)?

The overarching problem EWB Canada is trying to solve is the ineffectiveness of the development sector to improved livelihoods of those living in extreme poverty. This is essentially the second tragedy articulated in William Easterly’s White Man’s Burden.

What is your main approach in working through this issue (max 200 words)?

EWB Canada’s approach is to improve design and implement of development programs. Bettering design is done by a connecting between development project designers and the field realities. Specifically connecting NGOs and government to communities. As such EWB Canada places staff in communities for long terms (from 4-40 months) to under stand field realities. Our people are partnered with local organizations to improve the capacity of those organizations. As a result of this work EWB Canada staff gain insights on what is and isn’t working at the implementation level and bring this information to decision makers at the donor and project design levels. EWB Canada believes that bright, passionate and well trained staff working at the local level can improve the implementation of development programs and simultaneously gain insight into lessons for better design of these programs.

The second side of the issue is that western societies and governments are not creating the conditions for success in the economically poor parts of the world. EWB Canada believes that a caring, connected and knowledgeable west population will take actions in their own lives that contribute to positive development outcomes. As such EWB Canada tries to create a sense of global connection.

Year founded 2003

CEO / ED Lizzie Brown

Mission / Vision

EWB Australia works with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of sustainable engineering projects. Through the process of helping people in need we become more socially aware and responsible, improve ourselves, inspire others to action and further our ultimate goal of sustainable development

Core values 4 C’s: Conscious, Concerned, Comprehend, Challenged

Websites www.ewb.org.au

HQ Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

People Paid staff: 13Members: 4,689

# of overseas volunteers

28 Overseas Volunteers;21 Volunteers in Indigenous Australian placements

# and type of chapters

University chapters: 12Regional chapters: 12

Domestic program areas

1. Facilitate meaningful and lasting change2. Engage individuals and organisations in meaningful3. Improve development engineering practices4. Nurture development leaders5. Be a small giant

International programs

Many programs in areas of water access and sanitation, education, health care, organizational support, leadership, renewable and non-renewable energy, and infrastructure

Operating countries

Australia, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Timor Leste

2006 2007 2008 20090.0 €

200,000.0 €

400,000.0 €

600,000.0 €

800,000.0 €

80,286.40181,944.00

377,750.40

587,996.80

Annual revenue (mil €)

46%

44%

9%

1%Funding sources (2009)

Companies

Individuals

Earned

Other

Top five donors (2009):

1. BHP Billiton2. ARUP3. Sinclair Knight Menz4. Worley Parsons5. John Holkind

EWB AustraliaIssue / Approach

EWB AustraliaIssue / Approach

What is the main issue you are working to resolve (max 50 words)?

What is your main approach in working through this issue (max 200 words)?