Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Working as a Volunteer Professional

So how much work does a volunteer actually do?
What is expected for that couple of hundred dollars a month ??
To whom do they report to ???

*** *** ***

As I am now supporting two separate departments, mornings in one afternoons in the other, I seem to be finding my workload increase somewhat.

But more than that, I seem to have to keep telling everybody that they only have me a couple of days a week, that is what happens when you want me to work in two place at the same time, things have to get prioritised, things that are not prioritised, do not get done.

Plus on top of that, I now have to keep multiple people informed about things and report to them all!?!

In fact, I belive that now my (oh so excellent) de facto reporting structure is:

Reporting Line 1
to Vuthy and the CFDO, DoF

Reporting Line 2
to Mong Leng and the PFO, DoF

Reporting Line 3
to Chris/Danith for the FAO/DFiD/FAO/Trust Fund that came up with the cash for year 2

Reporting Line 4
and, of course, let us not forget VSOC and its wonderful staff

With each of the above having their own agendas, timetables, priorities, et cetera…

Even more amusingly I now have to write an 'end of project' report on the work I have been doing, even though I have only been doing this new role for three afternoons - due to some funding cycle nonsense - on top of the original funding cycle nonsense being forgotten by all involved. This a couple of weeks after my ‘halfway’ performance review by VSO.

But these people have to tick off the boxes on their checklists; regardless of reality, bureaucracy must be followed.

All in all, this is pretty much exactly what I said I did not want to happen when my second year funding got all screwed up and I had to agree to doing two jobs at the same time; or more accurately, when I HAD to agree to do two jobs at the same time.

I think that I will do a little revision of my curriculum vitae over the weekend…

***

No comments: