The recruitment of international technical experts is a complex process that involves successive decision-making stages at several different levels of power both in France and in the beneficiary countries. On-going dialogue between donors, partner countries and FEI ensures top quality and timely recruitment.

A “quality approach” to facilitate recruitment of experts

FEI applies a quality approach to the recruitment of international technical experts (ITE):

• standard private-sector contracts that have been adapted to the ITE's circumstances,
• expatriate status for health and social benefits and the same tax and customs treatment as Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs technical assistants,
• a modern pay scale adapted to experts’ activities.

Becoming an international technical expert

The following persons are eligible to become international technical experts:

• civil servants in central government, local government and the hospital system,
• contract employees of central government, local government and the hospital system,
• private sector experts with relevant profiles.
• There are no nationality criteria for eligibility.

International technical experts’ tasks

FEI recruits international technical experts to act as:

• advisers in high-level institutions, such as executive secretariats of government ministries and magnet hospitals;
• project managers, advisers to managers, mayors, etc.;
• senior and junior sector experts.

International technical experts must contribute to institutional capacity-building in the partner administrations. Their action must lead to the partners’ ownership of projects through know-how transmission. This requires experts to have high-level technical qualifications, the ability to transmit their skills and to work in a multicultural environment. Furthermore, technical assistance requires achievement of outcomes, which calls for defining common objectives with the beneficiary and joint accountability for outcomes.