Summary

Capacity development specialist with a focus on cross cultural leadership and organizational development, human resource management, development-military collaboration in peace and security missions, public sector reform in a post-conflict recovering failed state, intercultural team building and communication, participatory strategic planning and evaluation, and culturally appropriate institutional design. Expertise in training for peace operations, development project conceptualization and design, organizational analysis, group facilitation, research, training for policy development and organizational change, valuing diversity, refugee and immigrant issues, team building, participatory management, staff development, performance management and evaluation, and other human resource development activities. Experience in the Middle East (Iraq, Egypt, Qatar), Afghanistan, Africa, South America, Asia, the Canadian north and Alaska; background in Adult Education, Community Development and Social Work Education in intercultural contexts.

Languages English, French

Education

Post-Masters Coursework: University of Alaska (Fairbanks) College of Human & Rural Development. Cross-Cultural Education in the Public Service (1987).

MCEd(Master of Continuing Education) University of Saskatchewan (1978). Focus: Distance education for development, northern/rural socio-economic development, intercultural relations, community development. Thesis: Distance Education for Isolated Indian Reserves.

BSW(Bachelor of Social Work) University of Regina (1976). Focus: Development education, northern/rural social development, community development.

BIS(Bachelor of Independent Studies, Integrated Studies) University of Waterloo (1972). Focus: Structure of post-secondary education, community media, applied social sciences.

Experience

Senior Governance Advisor, Iraq Local Governance Program – RTI International Baghdad:   Strengthening the provincial civil service in Iraq, a USAID-funded post-conflict reconstruction initiative. Culturally appropriate capacity development, increasing absorptive capacity, participatory impact evaluation of governance projects.

Institutional Development Consultant, Civil Service Leadership Development Project – UNDP Kabul: Developing a strategic plan for the Afghanistan Civil Service Institute.

Chief Technical Advisor, Coaches and Advisors Program – UNDP Kabul:  Chief Technical Advisor, Capacity for Afghan Public Service (CAP) project, strengthening the public service in Afghanistan.

Capacity Development Specialist - CIDA:  Assigned to the Strategic Advisory Team, a Canadian military-led initiative to strengthen the government of Afghanistan.  Senior Training and Capacity Development Advisor to the Director of the Training and Development Department of Afghanistan's Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission.

Professor, Part-time - University of Ottawa, School of Management. Teaching Comparative Management in MBA and Undergraduate programs.

Director, Tamas Consultants Inc. - Privately-owned consulting firm (since 1982).  Analysis and training for institution-building and public sector reform, development-military collaboration for capacity development and organizational change in a fragile post-conflict state, fostering a diversity-valuing workplace, race relations, team building and performance evaluation; corporate culture analysis and policy development; work group diagnosis for participatory management and organization development; culturally-appropriate leadership training and institutional design; refugee and immigrant program design & evaluation;  design, administration and evaluation of development and education programs in the north (Alaska and Canada), and in Afghanistan, Africa, the Middle East, India, the Americas and the Caribbean.  Community development and education program research, design and evaluation.

Training and Development Program Manager - Department of Health and Human Resources, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse (1984/87). Design and implementation of the staff training program in the department of Health & Human Resources: management training for the human services; design and operation of accredited field-based/distance education social development training; teaching (community development); assistance with government-wide affirmative action programming; cross-cultural education and other HRD activities.

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Consultant - Upper Region, Ghana (1981/82). Team Leader, Water Utilization Project, Bolgatanga, Ghana. Planning and administration of health, education, social development and maintenance aspects of a 2500-borehole rural water supply project.

Rural Adult Education Program Co-ordinator - Government of Yukon, Whitehorse (1979/81). Community needs assessment, planning, development and operation of adult education programs (formal and non-formal) in rural Yukon - focus on distance education for middle level management, community development, literacy and basic trades.

Social Work Education Program Director - Blue Quills School, St. Paul, Alberta (1978/79). Development and operation of a BSW program for Aborginal students – program planning, staff/faculty recruitment and orientation, teaching (counseling skills and community development), student counseling, administration.

Social Development and Community Administration - Government of Northwest Territories, Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet, and Fort Smith, NWT (1973/78). Community development, social work, community administration. Education leave with Saskatchewan Indian Social Work Education Program, Saskatoon.

Previous Experience - (1963/72) includes: Asbestos mill laboratory supervisor, Clinton Creek, Yukon; Steel sales, Algoma Steel Corp., Montréal; Television production, CKCO TV, Kitchener; Logging, MacMillan Blodel, Port Alberni BC, and others.

Professional Affiliations (Examples)

International Association for Cross Cultural Psychology, Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Organization Development Network, American Management Association International

Publications & Reports (Partial list)

Tamas, A.  Women Leading in Defence – presentation on gender equity for the Canadian Forces, Ottawa, 4 March 2008.

Tamas A. Strategic Plan for the Operationalization of the Afghanistan Civil Service Institute. UNDP Afghanistan, January 2008

Tamas, A. Warriors and Nation Builders: Development and the Military in Afghanistan. Canadian Forces Leadership Institute, Kingston. (In press - ant. 2008)

Tamas, A. Development and the Military in Afghanistan - Working with Communities: CIDA, 2006.

Tamas, A.  Capacity Development in the Office of the Auditor General of Bangladesh:  CIDA, 2005.

Tamas, A. Diversity in the Ranks: Contributions of Visible Minorities to Canada's Military History. Ottawa: Department of National Defence, 2002.

Tamas, A and Ryan, W.sj. Belief and Culture in Development. Ottawa: Canadian International Development Agency, 2001.

Tamas, A. Ethnocentric Organisations: Awareness Training is not Enough. Presentation at the Globea Conference on Tolerance and Human Rights, Prague, 2001.

Tamas, A. and Tamas, P. - Implementing Common Programming in Afghanistan. Islamabad: UNDP/UNOCHA, 1998.

Tamas, A. - The Origins of the Community Fora Programme: Innovative Community Development in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan 1995 - 1998. Islamabad: UNCHS (Habitat), 1998.

Tamas, A., Jensen, M. and Johnson, I. - Yukon Intercultural Relations. Whitehorse: Public Service Commission of Canada, 1997.

Tamas, A. and Tamas, S. - Fostering Equity of Access to Opportunity. Ottawa: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, 1996.

Tamas, A. - Spirituality and Development: Concepts and Categories. Ottawa: CIDA, 1996.

________ - The Manager and the New Public Service. in Canadian Public Administration, Vol.38 No.4 (Winter, 1995).

________ - Systemic Approach to Increasing School Effectiveness in a Changing Community. Ottawa: Ottawa Board of Education, 1992.

________ - Gender Equity and Newcomers – Implications for Service Provider Training Ottawa: Ottawa-Carleton Immigrant Services Organization, 1991.

________ - Evaluation of TFN Training (Tungavik Federation of Nunavut), Ottawa: Atii Training, 1990.

________ - Employment Equity in Small Firms. Ottawa: Employment and Immigration Canada, 1990.

________ - Participatory Evaluation in Indian Schools. Ottawa: DIAND, 1989.

________ - Reception Houses and the Refugee Settlement Process. Ottawa: Catholic Immigration Centre, 1988.

________ - Summary Report of a Symposium on Education for Indian Self-Government. Ottawa: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1988.

________ - The Real Gold: Yukon People (2nd Ed). Whitehorse: Medical Services Branch, Health & Welfare Canada, 1988. (Collaborating author of a cross-cultural orientation manual.)

________ - Success and Suicide: A Discussion of Resistance to Identity Change. In NORTHERN ISSUES: Vol 1  No 1. Whitehorse.,1986.

________ - Wholistic Educational Evaluation and Discussion Paper Nine: Helping Your Community. In Bopp, Judie et al, Adult Education Series. Four Worlds Project: University of Lethbridge, l984.

________ - Psychology of Culture Change and Education for Economic Development. In Barnhardt, Ray, ed. Cross-cultural Issues in Alaskan Education, Vol ll. Fairbanks: Univ. of Alaska, 1983.