Week 2: Grant Management Nitty-Gritty; Cultural Highlights
Work
My second week at IBJ Cambodia consisted of a deep-dive into the details of grant management. My role this summer, as I mentioned in my first blog post, centers around implementing a UN Democracy Fund grant project that promotes access to justice. The agreement between IBJ and UNDEF, known as the “project document,” contains the requirements of the grant, including deadlines and measurable outcome indicators. One of my first big tasks was to read the project document in detail, and make a timeline of everything the office in Cambodia should accomplish in order to fulfil the grant. While it may seem straightforward, the process was quite complicated!
First, I broke down each grant requirement into the concrete steps necessary to achieve it. For example, I determined that in order to host a lawyer training event with 25 attendees — after which at least 70% of attendees report they have increased their knowledge of criminal defense practice — the staff in the Cambodia office must:
- Set a date and invite lawyers to the training
- Monitor the RSVP list and make confirmation calls to ensure 25 lawyers will attend
- Book a venue for the training and arrange catering
- Prepare and print training materials
- Plan travel for trainers, staff, and attendees
- Conduct the training
- Create, distribute, and review post-event surveys
Drawing on input from the local staff and my prior experience in study abroad program administration, I was able to determine when each step should happen in relation to the requirement deadline, and set target dates for project-related activities extending into 2020. I will use this timeline to send the office weekly agendas.
For the more quantitative requirements, I had to do some math. For example, with a goal of 300 app downloads by the end of the two-year grant period, how many downloads would we need to see at the time of each report? Here's a screenshot of a few of my projections:
Although this work is not strictly related to law, it's an important aspect of any non-profit legal service provider, and I'm glad to have this experience. Other work over the week included budget analysis, outreach to local firms for quotes on an audit (required by the grant), and press-release editing.
Culture
Outside of work, the two highlights of my week were going on an evening food tour of Phnom Penh, and watching a Thai horror-comedy film at the local mall.
The food tour, hosted by The Lost Plate, told the story of Khmer history through cuisine. We started the evening at a restaurant that serves num banh chok, a curry from the 3rd century. The dish consists of fish gravy over rice noodles, topped with fresh greens, and even a few flowers. A classic trio of Cambodian spices (kefir lime, turmeric, and lemongrass) gives num banh chok its mild yet complex flavor. Sophath Restaurant, in the Tonle Bassac neighborhood, is known to have the best num banh chok in town. Even though it is usually a breakfast item, this chef's cooking is in such demand that she can open from 1-6pm, and have a full restaurant the entire time. My taste-buds delighted.
The tour also introduced us to a 12th century red curry, a selection of dishes from the war-torn 18th century, and modern BBQ. We ended up at a donut stand around the corner from my house!
Pee Nak, the Thai horror-comedy film, was an incredible cultural experience. First, the entire theater was packed with Khmer teenagers, and the audience was more engaged than any American film audience I've encountered, laughing even at parts that I didn't understand to be funny (a rare occurrence). Then, the film itself represented a unique perspective on queerness in SE Asia. The main characters were two gay men; while their antics were presented as comedic, the film also showed true acceptance, with a storyline that emphasized the universal need for individuals to be loved and accepted by their parents. In the end, that's even what the ghost required in order to be at peace.
Well, that's all I have for now. More next week!