SMART Program

Region 8 is one of the most diverse regions within IEEE; hence, female engineers across the Region’s countries face different challenges, and one solution plan cannot suit them all. This program aims at finding tailored solutions for the particular challenges that female engineers face within each Section of Region 8, a plan enabling WIE Affinity Groups to initiate a change that works in their Section.

Objective 

To encourage WiE affinity groups around the Region to work towards the benefits of female engineers in their community through a plan that is tailored to the challenges and difficulties which female engineers face in their Section.

Methodology 

Each affinity group (or group of Affinity Groups within the same Section) are requested to prepare a SMART plan (i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) based on actual data collected from civil authorities or questionnaires.

Guidelines 

• Set up a questionnaire or collect data from authorities to define the challenges faced by female engineers in your country. For example: companies do not tend to hire females in the field, female engineers need more practical training,  there are no programs which support female engineers to get back to work after maternity leaves, girls are not interested in Engineering, etc. Keep in mind that these problems might be faced by both genders.

• Define the challenges which you can work on and set a timely plan to work on each one. For example: creating connections with companies to train a number of IEEE WiE engineers every year, organize a nationwide campaign to educate school girls about engineering, adopt the STAR Program, etc. Note that the plan must be aligned with your needs, for example the communities where girls have high interest in STEM and Engineering fields do not require big campaigns to encourage them to pursue a career in engineering…

• Make a schedule for the whole year clearly targeting all the challenges you have defined in the previous steps. You should always know where you stand on this schedule.

• Make sure that the plan is a team effort so that the handover is smooth when the executive committee of the Affinity Group changes.

• It is recommended that the plans also incorporate the Region’s goals.

• Your ultimate goal should be that when the same questionnaire is conducted again after 3-5 years, the numbers should change for the better…

Please send us an email on [email protected] or write us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn if you have any questions or wish to implement the program in your Section. Let’s work together to change the world; we are Engineers!