People at GIZ: in figures
Reliability and curiosity underpin the way our staff approach their work. Together with commissioning parties and partners, our committed employees use their expertise to make lasting improvements to the lives of people in around 120 countries – even in places where conditions are difficult.
As at 31 December 2019, GIZ had 22,199 staff around the globe (2018: 20,726). This number both confirms growing demand for our services in the field of international cooperation and demonstrates that we are an attractive employer. Altogether our staff numbers increased by 7 per cent.
Most of our workforce – over 80 per cent – is based abroad. In addition to our employees in Germany, seconded staff and national staff, 556 people had positions with GIZ as seconded development workers and 777 people worked as integrated experts and returning experts in 2019.
Jobs and careers
GIZ job portal
You will find an overview of our remuneration policy in the 2018 Integrated Company Report.
Overview: how we work effectively outside Germany
Personnel in the regions
As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)
Number
| Seconded experts | National staff | Development workers1 | Integrated experts2 | Returning experts2 | ||||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 1,021 | 1,095 | 5,911 | 6,541 | 304 | 303 | 84 | 70 | 192 | 185 |
| Asia/Pacific | 393 | 388 | 2,339 | 2,313 | 138 | 125 | 59 | 51 | 169 | 175 |
| Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia | 430 | 392 | 3,114 | 3,158 | 10 | 12 | 100 | 78 | 68 | 65 |
| Latin America | 206 | 188 | 1,219 | 1,204 | 75 | 66 | 57 | 46 | 66 | 66 |
| Mediterranean Region and Middle East | 370 | 415 | 1,576 | 1,856 | 50 | 50 | 17 | 17 | 23 | 24 |
| Industrialised countries (Europe, US) | 42 | 58 | 37 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2,462 | 2,536 | 14,196 | 15,120 | 577 | 556 | 317 | 262 | 518 | 515 |
| 1 110 of the 556 development workers were deployed as Civil Peace Service experts. 2 Integrated experts are placed with employers in cooperation countries by the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), which is run jointly by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency. The local employers pay them a salary at the going rate in the area, to which CIM adds a salary subsidy. Returning experts also receive a salary subsidy from CIM, as well as advisory and other support services. | ||||||||||
Development workers
The German Development Workers Act (EhfG) came into force more than 50 years ago on 18 June 1969. It provides the legal footing for GIZ’s Development Service to assign more than 300 experts as development workers or as Civil Peace Service experts around the globe each year. Working in direct partnership with local people for a limited amount of time, development workers provide support with their professionalism, experience and dedication.
National staff
The vast majority of the workforce outside Germany are staff members with an employment contract under national employment law. They account for 70 per cent of the workforce and perform a wide variety of duties and management roles. Global standards for human resources (HR) work with and for national staff have been modified, improved and revamped in areas such as career paths, HR development, HR planning and digital HR processes to further strengthen the deployment of staff in partner countries.
Integrated experts
Integrated experts are managers and professionals from Germany and other EU countries who put their skills to use in key positions in developing countries and emerging economies. Integrated experts work directly for an employer in their country of assignment on a local employment contract and are fully integrated into local structures – hence the name integrated experts. Once the placement process has been completed, they are paid a salary at the going rate in the area, which GIZ tops up with a salary subsidy from the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM).
What does the role of an integrated expert look like in practice?
© SKEW
Returning experts
Returning experts are managers and young professionals from developing countries and emerging economies who have acquired professional qualifications in Germany. CIM helps them to find a suitable position that fosters sustainable development in their country of origin. It also offers individual advisory services to help plan their return and future career and assists with the job search in their home country.
1110 of the 556 development workers are deployed as Civil Peace Service experts.
2Integrated experts are placed with employers in cooperation countries by the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), which is run jointly by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency. The local employers pay them a salary at the going rate in the area, to which CIM adds a salary subsidy. Returning experts also receive a salary subsidy from CIM, as well as advisory and other support services.
Accompanying partners abroad
Our staff are often not the only people affected by an assignment outside Germany. Regulations on accompanying partners in countries of assignment can be restrictive, especially when it comes to them securing gainful employment. To this end, GIZ will offer family members even better information and support in the future and is exploring additional measures, such as advice on tax and social security and lump sums for training.
Women in the workforce
As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)
Percentage
Women in the workforce
As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)
Percentage
| WORKFORCE AS A WHOLE | |||||||||
| Germany | Abroad | Total1 | National staff | Total2 | |||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 65.2 | 65.5 | 44.4 | 46.9 | 57.3 | 58.8 | – | 43.5 | – | 48.8 |
| MANAGEMENT BOARD | MANAGERIAL POSITIONS1 | ||||||||
| Germany | Abroad | Total | |||||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 | 2019 | ||
| 50.2 | 33.3 | 44.6 | 48.6 | 36.6 | 38.7 | 39.8 | 42.9 | ||
| 1 Not including national staff, including German employment contracts 2 Including national staff, seconded staff, Germany-based staff and project staff | |||||||||
Nationalities of our staff
Breakdown by age (years)
As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)
Percentage
