Big Project

I am working a pretty big project these days with my Afghan colleagues, these being three of the key Gents I'm working with. I find their work processes interesting so I thought you would too.


There are large conference tables in many of the key officials' offices, but they rarely use them prefering instead to gather around a series of couches with coffee tables in front. Problem is that there isn't much room to work on the coffee tables as they are laden with chai (green tea) along with an array of nuts, candies, dried fruit and cookies. Each official has what we call a "chai boy" (sometimes girl) who initially serve and then replenishes throughout the meeting. I'm told this person is usually an acquaintance of the senior official and is paid out of pocket; it's charity. I never eat the snacks (everyone just digs hands in: think TYPHOID) but it's just not polite not to drink the chai. That, and I really like chai. I just remain in denial about how they wash the cups or where they get the water from, hoping they at least boil it.

Right now, I am helping the anti-crime police team build organization charts which is proving a daunting task only because they want to make it more difficult than it has to be. Power point and the mechanics of putting chart to paper is also proving a challenge and requires significant oversight. This is a very important police development effort, designed by me, to define their organization, responsibilities and synchronization of operations, personnel, support, intelligence, training. Don't want to go into detail but let's just say I'm finally using all my training, education, and experience working this one project.

Oh ya, I also wanted you to know I've been moved up to a higher level in the Ministry hierarchy. I am now mentoring the Director of Afghan Anti-Crime Police who overseas many organizations to include Criminal Investigations. And no, there is no more money in it for me but the right level for me to be working at. Still working with a series of international and US advisors within the organization which can also prove daunting. Given all this, the blog entries have had to slow down some, finding I can only do snippets at a time.... but snippettng away.

"Mele Kalikimaka to all and to all a good night"