Pros
Note: This is written from the perspective of a program manager who worked overseas in spite of location given as Baltimore, USA. CRS is a major organization in the international development and relief industry so it has many opportunities for work overseas especially in challenging environments. For those who can work in difficult conditions, CRS offers extensive opportunity. The benefits package and conditions for international staff living overseas are good. If you are comfortable working with a Catholic organization, believe in conventional international development and relief work, and want a long-term career in developing countries, CRS is a good option.
Cons
There is a tendancy to take on very large programs that are sometimes beyond the capacity of the organization to implement well. There is sometimes a conflict between CRS policies intended to promote good quality programming and pressures to execute projects that are donor driven (both public and private donors are at fault in this). Thus policies and practices in place are not followed fully in the field. Some environments are high-pressure and the workload is high, thus maintaining a good work-life balance is difficult. CRS frequently has difficulty staffing positions for highly technical work or in difficult environments thus staff who are in place have high work loads. As a large organization, CRS can be slow to innovate.
