Chevening Scholarship - Career plan! I have a vision how to implement it in my city.

Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Please outline your immediate plans...
PS: I have +22 words and need to narrow it down!

I the last 20 years I've seen my city grown into a concrete jungle; there are no clear plans and laws regarding how cities should develop. Public spaces and sustainability hasn't been a priority either, so inhabitants don't have a chance to relate to the most sensible and human part of the city.

In order to find solutions, I plan to join the research program at my alma mater (UNET) and create a project directed to the revitalization of public spaces in our city, outlining steps like: Diagnosis, community engagement, design-execution and expansion. This program would approach this issue in two angles: urban design and community participation. I've experienced firsthand that community-oriented participation, is the key when it comes to creating a change.

The first thing to do is to make a diagnosis of the current state of the public spaces and how they respond to the social-environmental context (Function, design, mobility and sustainability). After that, comes a phase where communities engage to participate in the design process. Here, local people have the opportunity to get involve and share their vision on what they would like to see/do in this areas, that way the design can truly reflect the community's identity. After collecting all this information, comes the technical part of the program, the design should attend not only the factors evaluated during the diagnosis, but keep a solution that is citizen-friendly enhancing the character of the context, playing with the landscape-environment to go on board with sustainable proposals. For me personally, is important to involve students in this project, so I think it could be beneficial to allow undergraduate students to join this program, especially those who could address this project as their thesis research.

For the execution, I would like to reach government related institutions that could carry on with the construction side of the project, following the guidelines offered by the research program. This also opens opportunities for locals in each community to find employment and participate in an active kind of way.

Universities usually have a budget for research programs. Although, I think it would be interesting to reach ONGs like Rotary and motivate them to support this project offering financial aid through a fundraising campaign. Another great target is to approach corporations and companies that look forward to lower their taxes by donating or sponsoring non-profit projects. These funds could be use not only for the research program but to the construction/revitalization of these public spaces.

Regarding the timeframe of this project, I believe it could take one year to design the program, summit it to the university research board and assemble the team that would help me lead it. Once the program is settled, I estimate that we could get on board with three different public spaces during the first year of research, taking each of these projects to full design competition.

One of the advantages of this program is that it has the possibility to expand in the future; it would be remarkable to see this program reach bigger sectors of the city, especially those outcast areas (slums) that lack of a defined urban plan.

Dear Lix,

I am happy to assist in reviewing your essay. I will give you some suggestions accordingly with respect to sentence structure. First of all, I will commend the effort you invested in your write-up, however, I don't think it is nice to describe your city in a rather negative context, especially by starting your first paragraph with such negative remark. I suggest you should try and merge the first and second paragraph that the solution you intend to proffer would compensate the effect of the problem you already stated.

#I plan to collaborate with my alma mater, UNET [write the full name], and design a research project aimed at revitalizing public places in [say the city's name] which have deteriorated for the past two decades#

What is 'Public Places' ? Can you used a more common term for it.

Please respond to the above suggestions and/or questions.

Liseth, it is alright to open the essay on the negative note because that is the basis of your career plan. My advice to you is not to change it because if you do, then you will have to revise the content of the whole essay as the premise of your idea or goals no longer exist. Keep it as is in order to prevent extra and unnecessary work on your part.

Regarding the time frame for the plans you have outlined, I don't think that one year will be enough to get everything done. Considering the red tape that often hinders these types of projects, I would project a 5 year project plan instead. There are no rules that dictate a set time for your career plans. Just that you have to set one. The most acceptable time frame for short term plans like yours is 5 years. Nobody needs to know if you finish it earlier.

Now, as you discuss the method by which you will be executing your project ideas, I believe that this would be the best opportunity to create a solid reference as to how your networking skills, specifically using Chevening as the jump off point can benefit your project. It would be interesting for them to know that you already have plans to integrate Chevening into your post study plans. In fact, I believe that it is encouraged since they ask you in a separate essay about how you believe the network you can create through the scholarship can help you and the future scholars upon graduation.

I like how do you have a detailed project plan, but as Holt advised it is a 5 year plan at least, in addition why don't you add other future plans related to the UK interests in your country. Moreover, you didn't explain how do you see yourself in 10 years or more.

@Holt
Mary, Thank you very much for your observations, I really appreciate it. I think you're right about everything you said, so I made some changes towrads the ending of the essay, I hope this version looks better... let me know once again what you think! [..]

Liseth, first tell the reviewer that your plan may take 5 years to complete, more or less. After that, you can launch into the detailed explanation that you have provided in your essay. It will make for a smoother read for the reviewer because he will be able to create his own estimation of the timeline involved with regards to the completion of your project. I would place the referral to the 5 year plan somewhere in the middle of the essay. If I were the one writing this, I would place the comment after the paragraph discussing your plan to join UNET. It makes perfect sense to give the time frame at that point because the succeeding paragraphs already discuss the execution of the plans. It doesn't leave room to properly present the time frame without making it seem out of place in the essay.

@Holt
Dear Mary, I did the changes in the essay and it looks soooo much better. I already finished the whole application so now I have to wait! I want to use this post to THANK YOU cuz without your help my essays wouldnt look so good! I really appreciate every single reply and review that you invested on me. I will be forever gratefull...if I ever succeed in this and carry on with my project, I would at least name a bench in my first plaza's design in your honor (thats if I dont build you a statue... hehhehee) seriously, thank you.

PS: let me now if one day you decide to swimm in the Caribbean waters here in Venezuela!
Best regards from always sunny and chaotic Venezuela!
Muchas Gracias

Liseth