A Month in Juba.. time for the field.

Field vs. Juba HQ- which is better? While the work load in either place is about the same, I enjoy moving around, and in Juba, that does not happen. An average day in Juba begins and ends in the compound, and mostly in the office. I begin with making my task list, getting distracted from that task list with other priorities, a meeting here, a training there, often a decent lunch and always apprehension about what will be for dinner. Your sanity definitely begins to wear away, but a co-worker and I have begun a running routine, and we've had a couple of good dance parties, which has definitely helped.

The field, on the other hand, for me, usually entails lots of travel, meetings, interviews with groups and individuals from the villages, and oh yeah, being dead tired by the end of a week. Granted, we usually stay at a particular field site for about a week, and since we have limited time, we usually try to cram in as much as possible and sprint for the whole week. Still, it is satisfying, and you get to see what is really happening behind the numbers of people trained, etc.

Which is better? I'm always one for balance, so I can't say I'd be perfectly content in either place all the time. The field gives you a reality check and brings you close to the people, while Juba allows you to take a step out of the day to day push to meet targets and complete activities. In Juba, I definitely have more access to information about current and upcoming strategies or activities, and I can better see the project as a whole-all three states together.

Still, cabin fever is setting in. Must get out!

I'm sure some of you are wondering what I actually did this month in Juba, so here's a quick overview. First, the elections came and went with little violence, but I don't know if many people would call it free or fair. There were issues with the ballots, people's registration numbers being mixed up with the wrong photos or information, people not getting to vote, and of course some intimidation and violence. As the election results were being tallied, the internet was not a source for straight facts, peace, or calm. I think everyone was a little nervous, prone to overreaction in some cases, and the rumors on the internet were not helping matters. In the end, I don't think there were too many candidates elected that were a shock. Bashir won in the north, Salva Kiir won in the south, but I will say you have to start somewhere. Next step, referendum.. let's hope the people and the world are ready for this one.

During the elections, we brought in all the field staff who weren't voting, and had an all staff meeting. For my part, I took the lead to coordinate and support the facilitators of the event, presented on the perception survey Kevin, Nona (the consultants for that project) and I worked on, and I was happy to contribute to shaping the theme and determining the activities for the third day of the event. Overall, after a few sleepless nights and a lot of preparation, it was a great success. We focused on integrating the program internally and externally. In practice, this means really getting the people working on each component to work with and collaborate with those working in other components. As an integrated team, there can be more joint planning and to the communities, BRIDGE can show a single face. People in the villages do not distinguish between NGOs or programs; they remember the individuals who come to them. If people don't introduce themselves to the community together, it will seem as though the BRIDGE program is 5 different programs, instead of one.

Another major task this past month was to prepare for the quarterly report. Yes yes, reports are usually boring, but reporting on everything that happened in 3 months for such a large program is no small feat. I can explain the process best with an analogy. Just preparing and compiling the numbers for the report is like being in a boxing match with someone who you know you will beat in the end. You're in there, you're doing well, you're confident, and then BAM!- an unforeseen right hook. (The right hook is usually paperwork being turned in extremely late with no notice that it hadn't been turned in yet or that it was coming in.) The right hook does a good job at discombobulating you, and makes you think you should have seen it coming. Some clear examples of right hooks to the jaw/head have been: paperwork being turned in after the last minute- including documents from last year!, and my supervisor's post rotation. She definitely needed to have a break and we were practically forcing her out the door, but the day she left is the day my desk became a lot taller with a bunch of files. I am proud to say though, that I triumphed over these right hooks and have survived without too many bruises. (Although I'm glad this report is only due every three months.) I come away with some clear lessons and ideas for improving the process for the next round, and a sense that I have a least organized a little of the chaos that was there.

In addition to that, I was glad to be in Juba for the opportunity to help shape and define our some programming strategies. Particularly, I helped to articulate strategies for our governance component on introducing/implementing town hall meeting structures, and leading a discussion on one of our grant funds. Each of these activities focuses on tangible ways to bridge the gap between government and community, and hopefully will lead to a greater number of community needs being met. In general, I am completely new to governance activities, but I learned a lot.

Coming up next is a Senior Management meeting, in which I was told there was space for me to participate! The facilitator we have coming in for this is excellent, and I'm know I will learn a thing or two to improve my own management skills. Then, off to a field visit to Northern Bahr el Ghazal. On this trip, I will actually get to conduct spot checks (checking on program progress and implementation at the field level by interviewing groups and people we have trained or worked with in the community) by myself! I won't be alone because the field staff will be with me, but I will be the only M&E person from Juba. Gotta love independent work and being able to take charge.