DEVELOPMENT FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is headed by Jan Gelfand. Mr. Gelfand holds a Masters degree in Rural Sociology with a focus on participatory research and community development and an undergraduate degree in Recreation Administration, both from the University of Alberta. He has an extensive background in disaster management, contingency planning, programme management and evaluation, community development, as well training and cross cultural adaptation. He has over seven years experience working with the Red Cross movement managing a range of programmes largely in Central and South America.
Mr. Gelfand has a depth of experience in all of the four service areas of Development Focus International. He has carried out disaster management and risk reduction evaluation and review exercises throughout the world, mostly as a team leader. In addition, he has coordinated relief efforts, assessment missions and written over seventeen international relief appeals. Mr. Gelfand has also built emergency contingency plans and carried out institutional development and training of trainers programmes at the community, institution and government levels based on detailed participatory planning processes, including political risk analysis.
Mr. Gelfand is an active member of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Disaster Field Assessment and Coordination Teams. In this capacity he was team leader for a mission in response to the Argentine economic and social crisis of 2001 and 2002, which focused on building response and contingencies in a climate of extreme political, social and economic unrest. He is also a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination and participated in an evaluation of the Guatemalan government’s National Disaster Reduction Coordination Centre (CONRED). He has carried out real time evaluations of disaster management operations in India and Bangladesh. Furthermore he is equally versed in addressing risks reduction associated with other areas, such as health and livelihoods.
Mr. Gelfand has six years managing intercultural training programmes. His experience includes leading an intercultural training session for over 800 NATO and UN peacekeepers from Canada deployed to Bosnia. He has also designed, implemented, and facilitated numerous intercultural training sessions in nations throughout North and South America.
Mr. Gelfand has lived for over 15 years in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish. He is a Canadian citizen and has been a resident of Bolivia for the last 10 years.
