The R4D Challenge: Phase 2

In 2023, as part of a pilot project funded by the Crawford Fund and Australian Volunteers Program, six RAIDers signed on as Australian Volunteers to take on an opportunity to consolidate training and experience. The volunteers applied learnings from Phase 1 of the program in the design and delivery of a program of activities in collaboration with Vietnamese researchers, during a visit Vietnam in mid-2023. The remote component of Phase 2 included a total of seven 7 remote meetings. These meetings were loosely structured around development of an activity, where individual volunteers developed an in-country activity that related to priorities defined by VNUA. The volunteers met weekly to discuss their activity proposals. During the remote component, three webinars were held where guests shared expertise on: activity design, co-design principles, in-country volunteering. Additionally, the volunteers were inducted to the volunteering program at a 1/2-day online workshop.

The in-country component of Phase 2 saw RAIDers deliver a series of activities during this 2-week visit to Hanoi. The volunteers went to VNUA, where they finalised development of their activities, alongside Vietnamese researchers. These activities were delivered according to the final training program. Additionally, RAIDers provided a review of content covered in Phase 1 and attended research and industry facilities in Hanoi.

Their journey began back in September of 2020, when they signed on to a training program – The R4D Challenge: Implementing Projects from Afar – designed and delivered through a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, RAID and the Australian Volunteers Program. Phase 1 of the program involved participating in a 5-week research and leadership workshop series, facilitated by David McGill from the University of Melbourne, Jenny Hanks and Mia Dunphy from the RAID Partnerships Team.

The workshops connected Australian and Vietnamese early- to mid-career researchers (EMCRs) and through collaborative learning partnerships, where each RAIDer was paired with a Vietnamese participant. The series enabled experienced Australian and Vietnamese researchers to share knowledge, experience and facilitate discussion around the research process – from proposal, implementation, data analysis, through to communication of outcomes. Participants were encouraged to build leadership and planning capacity at each step along the way.

The success of this program, led to a continuation of The R4D Challenge facilitated by a renewed Partnerships Team consisting of Michael Scobie, Camilla Humphries, and Alex Russell. Phase 2 of the RAID-VNUA program saw volunteers applying learnings from Phase 1 of the program through the design and delivery of a program of activities in collaboration with Vietnamese researchers. The program was enabled by the Australian Volunteers Program via a 12-week hybrid volunteering assignment. The hybrid approach to volunteering is designed to enable working professionals to participate in the Australian Volunteers Program, by working with international counterparts via online workshops and communication in the months leading up to an in-country component.

Despite challenges aligning Australian and Vietnamese workloads, the program was successful in building relationships between individuals and organisations, and sharing knowledge and experience between participants.

The RAID Network looks forward to building on the successes and learnings from Phase 1 and 2 in 2024, in collaboration with our Australian and Vietnamese partners.

If you would like to know more about the RAID Network and our programs, sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter and other RAID Network news here.