About Fredskorpset
Fredskorpset arranges reciprocal exchanges of personnel between organisations in Norway and developing countries. Our objective is to contribute to lasting improvements in economic, social and political conditions in the world.
When people from different countries meet and get to know each other, this gives rise to knowledge, understanding and empathy… and the world gets smaller. That is why we give ordinary people the possibility to work for longer periods in a foreign country.
The exchange occurs in a partnership between two or more organisations or companies, with support from Fredskorpset. The aim is to promote the mutual exchange of knowledge, experiences and skills. This goes both ways: the organisation or company both sends and receives participants.
Fredskorpset is a public body answerable to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and financed totally over the State Budget. For the year 2007, Fredskorpset has been allocated NOK 165 million. Over the past five years, about 2500 participants have been exchanged.
The partnership
Fredskorpset supports personnel exchange between companies and organisations. Employees or others affiliated with these organisations swap jobs for an extended period.
Fredskorpset does not recruit participants: this is done by the involved organisations, called ‘partners’. Most partners recruit among their own employees. But some also search for participants externally. You yourself must inquire about the possibilities of participating in exchange with our partners.
The relationship between your home partner that recruited you, and the host partner, where you are going to work, is regulated by the partnership agreement. In this agreement the partners have agreed upon the aims for their collaboration, and decided upon what type of personnel to exchange. They have also defined work tasks for you that are stated in this agreement.
The relationship between you as a participant and the partnership
As a participant, you are employed by one of the partners. Your employment is regualted in a participant agreement which you will sign with the relevant partner. Participants exchanged to and from Norway are, for practical and legal reasons, as a roule formally employed by the Norwegian partner. South-south participants are usualy formally employed by their sending partner.
The laws and regulations concerning employment in the country of the partner with whom you sign the participant agreement, will form the legal basis for the participant agreement (labour law, holiday law etc.).
The participant agreement should contain a description of your work tasks in the preparatory phase, during your stay in the host country and for the follow-up activities after coming home. We expect you and your host partner to be in dialogue about necessary adjustments to plans along the way.
While posted abroad, your line of reporting is to the host partners contact person or to your supperior at your place of work. The host partner has contact with your home partner on a regular basis. Your home partner will most likely also expect you to share your experiences while you are on an exchange.
The FK secretariat and the participant
As a participant, you are employed by a partner institution. There is no direct legal connection between FK and you as a participant. Your rights and duties are regulated by the participant agreement which you have signed with your partner institution.
You will however be directly in touch with FK in the preparatory course prior to your posting, and a home-coming seminar (except some south-south participants, where this is not organised). You might also take part in FK network activities after returning home.
The three phases of the exchange programme
As a participant, you will take part in the three phases of our exchange programmes:
1. Preparation: You will participate in FK’s preparatory course. In addition your partner and yourself are responsible for part of the preparations.
2. The posting to your host country: You will work with your host partner abroad.
3. Follow-up phase: After coming home, you will do follow-up activities for your home partner and share your experiences based on the work and stay abroad.
What is expected of you as a participant?
As a participant, you are expected to:
- work for the partners in line with the the participant agreement and the objectives set for the exchange.
- share experiences and be open to learn, during the exchange, as well as upon return to your home partner.
- work in line with the values of FK; reciprocity, equality, openness and solidarity.
- act in line with FK’s Code of Conduct
Some practical information
As part of the agreement with FK, your partners will provide you with the following (within a modest standard):
- Living allowance (For participants from the south, the allowance is split in two, one part is for living in the host country, and another part is for maintaining the level of salary in the home country. This part is normally paid through the home partner). The partner, in collaboration with FK, sets the level of allowance, based on the level of education and experience needed of the participants, the costs of living in the respective country, and what the partners see as an appropriate level of allowance in their partnership. Allowance might vary between partnerships
- Housing
- Insurance
- Some expenses related to leaving one’s home country and establishing oneself in a new country
- Transport to/from host country, to/from work, and some official journeys
- Some expenses related to the follow-up activities to be conducted after coming home
- If you have children, there is a small grant for a family visit
Tax: You will normally have to pay tax, either to your home country, your host country, or both. What will apply to you has to be found out by you and/or the partners, by contacting the local tax authorities.
Vacations: Your rights to vacation will be regulated in your participant agreement, and will follow the laws of the country of your formal employer.
Health care: Your partners will provide you with the needed information to meet your needs for health care.
Emergencies: Your partners have developed a plan for the management of crises which also contains important contact information (medical doctors and hospitals, embassies etc). If you haven’t been provided with this kind of information, ask your partners to get it!
Information regarding practical issues is available on www.fredskorpset.no, under the link documents: service manual (this information is mainly directed towards your partners, but might be of interest for you as well).
Conflict of interest
Living in a new environment provides you impulses for a lifetime. You will be living and working together with new friends, colleagues and neighbours. The concept of “living” is more complex than the concept of ”visiting” a place as a tourist. You will have to cope with a new working culture, new knowledge and other opinions. Though most of the experiences are purely for the good, you should be prepared for the opposite as well. Your well-being is dependent on how you adapt to the new environment and everyday life.
Prior to the exchange, it is wise to discuss potential misunderstandings with your home partner and your host partner, and to clarify your expectations. Try to get a picture of what your work will be like. At the same time, be flexible! You will hardly ever find what you expect to find, as it is difficult to imagine what it will be like before you have tried it!
If your working situation proves to be difficult, you should first try to solve the problems with your host partner. You have a personal responsibility to approach any problems with sensitivity and care. If your initial efforts are not successful, you may contact your home partner for further assistance in solving the difficulties.
As a last resort there it is possibile to contact the FK secretariat. FK, normally by the officer in charge of the project that you are part of, may enter into a dialogue with the partners to contribute to solving the problem. Be aware that there is no solution for you as a participant without involvement of the partners. Most conflicts are solved without FK involvement.
We wish you all the best as a Fredskorpset participant!
Appendix: Code of Conduct