Many ICRC staff work for the organization for several years, then leave to continue their professional lives in another sector. The professional experience they acquired at the ICRC is a factor of success in such career changes.

To those wishing to continue with the organization the ICRC offers opportunities for career development, gradually increasing the level of responsibility and encouraging horizontal mobility, for the purpose of maintaining and developing skills and guaranteeing internal and external employability. Ongoing learning is one of the basic givens of career development at the ICRC.

The professional life of an expatriate typically progresses through three phases:

• during the first two or three years, staff members learn institutional skills and about the ICRC's basic activities; this is also the time when each staff member's potential is assessed;

• after three years, staff members can aspire to management functions and middle management positions involving the coordination of large-scale projects and supervision.

They take on growing responsibilities, and are required to display confirmed abilities of commitment and leadership and sure skills in managing personnel and making decisions in complex situations;

• after several years, a successful career comprising supervisory positions will result in the expatriate assuming strategic functions and occupying senior management positions.

Regular appraisal of competencies and performance

The career path of ICRC staff is largely shaped by regular evaluations of their performance. Once a year or after each mission, everyone's performance is assessed in writing by the direct supervisor. Everyone can comment on their performance and on their aspirations. The written evaluation (appraisal report) gauges performance, the quality of the person's contribution and the results obtained in terms of the objectives set. It examines the level of competence displayed in the post and of respect for professional ethics. This system of appraisal reflects the ICRC's expectations of its personnel. It is a key component of the ICRC's human resources management policy.