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COURTESY RAVI MOHABIR NOVEMBER 2014 BCBUSINESS 37 R avi Mohabir, 40, had done some volunteer work in Victoria in the time left outside his busy schedule as a Deloitte partner helping big clients make the best use of informa- tion technology. But he knew he wanted to do something more—"to give back." He just didn't know what. A light bulb went on when, in 2013, Deloitte sent out a note offering its Cana- dian employees the chance to be an overseas volunteer with Cuso International, a Canadian organization that has been placing skilled volunteers with agencies in developing countries for more than 50 years. Deloitte has been a Cuso partner since 2008, and more than 45 employees have volunteered to share their skills in develop- ing countries over the past six years. Mohabir jumped at the chance, even though it would mean six weeks out of the of ce. Cuso offered placements in Africa, Cambodia or Guyana. Mohabir left the choice up to Cuso staff and ended up in Guyana, the country he had left as a toddler. The post let him make full use of his skills in helping organizations use IT to increase their effectivness. In Georgetown, Guyana's often-steamy capital, he was plunged into meetings with Cuso staff, volunteers and local development organiza- tions. The goal was to come up with a simple, effective way local partner agencies could track program results and assess their real effec- tiveness in changing lives. The questions were basic for any organization: "Are we really getting the best bang for our buck? And what is the change that's happening for the end user?" It was a great experi- ence, says Mohabir, and a chance to test his abilities in an entirely new environment with new challenges. "You actually think outside the box and have to learn quickly about the capacity of the local organizations. You're starting fresh—you need to prove that you can be useful. And the experience provides valu- able skills in understanding different work cultures." The result of Mohabir's work—a standardized, easy- to-use system for monitoring program effectiveness— will help Cuso's partner organizations in Guyana and Latin America improve programs. And it will satisfy the growing demands by their international funders for clear evidence of effectiveness. Mohabir was the rst Deloitte partner to take a placement; previous volun- teers had been less senior. Deloitte and his partners in B.C. were quick to support the effort, he says, and without that it wouldn't have been possible. He helped prepare a detailed work plan to ensure clients were sup- ported in his absence, and used vacation and unpaid leave for the time away. His time away was also an opportu- nity for others on the team to take on more responsibilities and showcase their abilities. "It's a chance to step up and show the part- ners what they can do," he says. And clients appreciated his commitment: Mohabir even did a lunch-and-learn presentation to a group of interested clients when he returned. The volunteer commit- ment was rewarding profes- sionally and personally. "It's a pretty big step and is pretty scary, but it is a remarkable experience." Case Study: Deloitte and Cuso International