Week Eight: HO Training
Week eight is in the books. It was certainly a hectic one! The busy-ness of having three-four Project Managers in the field and two on leave was compounded by the shortened week (to celebrate the 4thof course) and two new temporary hires to train. Much of their training has fallen on my shoulders as they will each be taking on the tasks I am currently responsible for. One will support the Latin America project portfolio, and the other will support Myanmar and Jamaica – all of which I have contributed to over the last eight weeks.
Now that we have all the consultants set up for their time in the field, we are beginning the closeout phase for Myanmar, which comes with a long to-do list. As you may recall, PRLP Myanmar has been operating since 2013, so closeout of such a comprehensive project is no small task! The first items I have tackled relate to demobilizing the expat staff in the field. In addition to coordinating flights, I have sent out Request for Quotes (RFQs) to companies that ship house hold effects (via sea) and unaccompanied baggage (via air). The RFQs are necessary not only to hire a company for the job, but also for accurate budget projections. I have learned that closeout can often be an expensive process with unanticipated costs, so it is important to budget accordingly.
For the projects in Mexico, ProVoces and ProJusticia, I continued to work with consultants. With the project manager out of the office, I took lead on reviewing and finalizing travel expense reports; coordinating rate requests for new consultants; and drafting contracts. I also drafted Requests for Approval to USAID for international travel requests; reviewed employment contracts for compliance questions related to Chief of Team Rest and Recuperating travel; and reviewed the project contract and USAID/federal regulations for guidance on leave-payout to local employees.
While some tasks are constants within and across projects, I am learning that more often than not, each task comes with its own nuance or exception. This makes my eight weeks of accumulated knowledge of these nuances or exceptions valuable for training the new hires. Leading the training process has allowed me to recognize all of the context and experience I have accumulated for each project and for Tetra Tech DPK as an organization, even in just a quick eight weeks!
Outside of work, my friend Tori spent the week visiting me in SF. It was so great to spend the 4thand evenings after work with her! On the 4th, we went park-hopping. We walked 11.5 miles from park to park. We explored some that were new to me: Buena Vista Park, Alamo Square and the Painted Ladies, Alta Plaza Park, and Lafayette Park. We also walked along Ocean Beach and ended the day at Grandview Park where we had a birds-eye view of about six different fireworks shows across the city! It was a unique and spectacular viewing experience. After work on Thursday we met Kathryn for a delectable dinner at a well-known, Michelin-rated vegan sushi restaurant in the Mission. Friday after work we walked to the top of Twin Peaks with Jenny for sunset. And before Tori’s departure on Saturday we spent more time in Golden Gate Park. We went up into the observation tower in the De Young museum, admired the rose garden, and strolled through the Japanese Tea garden. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities this summer has brought for me to connect with my west coast people!
