Some more information on the CSC project . For the first two months once we've been assigned to our project team , known as ' Brazil 12'  we have spent time getting to know each other .  We're going to be living and working together for four weeks in Recife so it's important that we get to know each other in advance. The team has been put together with IBMers  from Singapore, UK, Canada, USA, Japan, Australia, Germany , Romania and Switzerland .
There's a lot of preparation for the project and we need to cover learning related to
1. Team Development 
2. Roles and Responsibilities - There are seven primary roles and responsibilities associated with the CSC: 1) CSC Leadership Team, 2) Facilitator, 3) Global NGO Partner, 4) Local Community Clients, 5) Country Ambassador, 6) Country Business Advisor, and 7) Program Evaluator.
3. Logistics related to the Brazil portion of the project and getting to know our NGO 
4. Health and Safety in Brazil
5. Cultural Adaptability - One of the motivations for establishing the CSC is the need for IBM’s current and future leaders to understand how differences in cultures affect business. Our company is increasingly globally integrated, changing the way work gets done and the way we engage with clients.
 6. The role of international development in emerging markets 
7. Media and Communications 
8. Understand emerging markets and a bit of history
9. Learning Brazilian Portuguese (not mandatory but useful) 

So I hope that you  have an idea now of  what the project is about 

Welcome to Deirdre's first Blog ever!!
I'm putting this blog in place to record my Corporate Services Corps (CSC) experience as part of and IBM Leader's programme .
For those not familiar with the programme  here's the blurb

The Corporate Service Corps was launched in 2008 to help provide IBMers with high quality leadership development while delivering high quality problem solving for communities and organizations in emerging markets. The program empowers IBM employees as global citizens by sending groups of 10 - 15 individuals from different countries with a range of skills to an emerging market for four week community-based assignments. During the assignment, participants perform community-driven economic development projects working at the intersection of business, technology, and society.

This program increases IBM's understanding and appreciation of growth markets while creating global leaders who are culturally aware and possess advanced teaching skills. The Corporate Service Corps offers a triple benefit: leadership development for the IBMers, leadership training and development for the communities, and greater knowledge and enhanced reputation in the growth markets for IBM.

  
My project is based in Recife in Brazil and I'll be travelling there on 18th May .