3.1 Selection of Surveyors

The letter of agreement between CIDA and CMAC stipulated that surveyors were to be recruited from amongst existing CMAC staff. See Gender Related Issues. This section provides an overview of that recruitment process and its outcomes.

General Principles

• Representatives of CMAC and GeoSpatial participated in all steps of the recruitment process.



• Efforts were made to ensure all CMAC staff had fair and equal access to the recruitment process and all relevant information: project description, job description; selection criteria.



• The process was designed to minimize the potential for selection decisions to be based on considerations other than merit. Selection criteria aimed at enabling objective assessments.

Selection Criteria

Essential requirements

• Adequate level of education
• The equivalent of a Grade 10 education was desirable.
• The equivalent of a Grade 8 education was deemed acceptable.
• Original copies of official certificates indicating the highest grade level achieved were required as proof of education.


• Ability to read and write Khmer fluently and to accurately record information.
• These abilities were demonstrated through an initial written test prior to the first interview and a more complex written test prior to the final selection of trainees. Tests were evaluated for legibility of handwriting and correctness of spelling, accuracy and clarity of the narrative.


• Basic ability to ride a motorcycle safely and correctly.
• Ability was demonstrated by driving tests taken at the training center and surrounding areas.


• No serious disciplinary action while employed with CMAC



• No pre-existing health condition that would interfere with abilities to work in remote areas in difficult conditions.



• Available to begin training in late June at the CMAC Training Center and willing to travel and work in locations across Cambodia as required for extended periods of time.

Desireable requirements

• Knowledge of English



• Demining experience



• Experience using GPS; determining location from maps; using a compass to move from a known location to a desired destination.

Summary of Process

• Demining units are notified about the upcoming recruitment. Job descriptions, selection criteria and application forms developed and provided to all CMAC demining units. Completed applications are returned to demining unit managers.
  
  
• 280 applications are reviewed by a team of 3 GeoSpatial and 2 CMAC representatives. Only those who appear to meet the minimum educational requirements are selected for consideration during the next phase.
  
  
• The CMAC personnel files of people whose applications meet the basic educational qualifications are reviewed as follows:
  • disciplinary reports
  • medical records
  • evaluations by supervisors
  • other relevant training and/or skills (e.g. medic; mechanic; computers...)

Educational status is confirmed against CMAC records. Applicants whose personnel files suggest that they have the necessary discipline, motivation and health to work as surveyors are short-listed.

• 120 short-listed candidates are given a written test prior to being interviewed. These tests are later scored for spelling, accuracy of the notes taken and the legibility of the handwriting
  
  
• Candidates are interviewed for indication of their abilities to think clearly and communicate effectively; self-confidence, body language, over-all bearing and maturity. Three interview evaluators – one from CMAC HQ; one from the relevant CMAC demining unit and one expatriate consultant from GeoSpatial – assess each candidate according to a pre-established set of criteria and scoring system (see Surveyor Selection Annex).
  
  
• All 120 candidates score sufficiently high on the written test and interview to continue and are instructed to deploy to the CMAC Training Center for further evaluation. At the training center, potential trainees are given a medical test, driving test, final written test and interview.
  
  
• 101 highest scoring candidates are chosen to begin training. The 74 highest-scoring graduates are selected to work on the survey; the remaining graduates return to duties within CMAC but remain on reserve should the project require additional or replacement surveyors.

Documentation compiled:

• Interview Evaluations



• Medical Test Results



• Driving Test Results



• Evaluation Summary Form (combined ledger of all tests/evaluation results)



• Written Test Scores



• Master list of successful candidates' names and ID numbers.