Back to work - oh and off on holiday.

At last I've got started with some consultancy for VSO. I'm enjoying the challenge of working in development again, after a couple of years out. It's tricky sometimes juggling work, children and the commitments I already had. I've had one or two moments when focusing on work has made me forget other things - forgetting to bake bread for lunch, going out to the car to pick Reuben up, only to find that the car wasn't there because it was at Tim's office! However, generally someone has rescued me.
People have been asking what I'm doing, so I thought I'd blog about it. I'm facilitating a group of volunteers and staff from VSO as we reconsider VSO's priorities in Cameroon. We'll be researching the underlying causes of poverty for the most vulnerable women and men. As well as finding out about the analysis of similar organisations, this will include asking some people from amongst the most vulnerable groups, hopefully through 'photo voice' workshops - lending them cameras to record the issues around poverty and using the photos to stimulate discussions.

The group is scattered across the country, so to work together I've set up a wiki. ('a what?' - a set of web pages like Wikipedia which anyone from our group can edit, focusing on our key questions). I think it's a potentially exciting way of collaborating. The worst thing about consultants is that they come in, do some work, present a report and take the learning away with them. I'm hoping that all of the group (which is growing by the day) get something out of going through this process. Also it's easy to share beyond that, so other Country Directors in the region and the Regional Director will also be able to see what we're doing. However, it does make me a bit nervous. Not only have I never facilitated a wiki, I've never even joined in with editing one before and or seen one used for something like this.  It's a bit of a step of faith! Success or failure will be very public.

I advised on loads of reviews of country programmes when I worked for Christian Aid, so the rest of what we're doing is very familiar. That being said, lots of the volunteers here work in organisational development, so there is an element of it that's like doing plumbing for a plumber or teaching teachers.
I've posted stuff on the wiki, sent out emails, so what better timing for a holiday! Hopefully there'll be loads of stuff waiting (but not more than I can handle) when we get back from Morocco.