From Candidate to Career

So now I can't be fired.  Well, at least I won't automatically be cannned due to the 5 year candidacy rule.

New hires to USAID's Foreign Service have up to 5 years to be tenured.  I'm happy to be tenured so the looming threat of meeting that deadline is no longer there.  Bureaucratically, I'm just now listed as from "Career-Conditional" to "Career".

The requirements to be tenured generally are:

1. 36 months with USAID and at least 18 months of that time in an overseas Mission.
2. Medical and Security Clearances valid.
3. Achievement of a foreign language proficiency (mine was in Indonesian).
4. No other issues.
5. Re-certification of Worldwide availability.

So what are the advantages of being tenured?  From what I know, one is that I can now safely switch backstops (career specialty) without worrying about the tenure deadline (tenure evaluation based of performance in job function).  Though, I'm pretty happy doing what I'm doing right now.  And then supposedly it's more difficult to fire me.  I'm sure there are others but haven't yet figured that out yet.

However, I'm not fully a real "Officer" yet.  That doesn't happen until I can get promoted to the next grade and receive a commission.  But it's a significant milestone in my career and looking forward to working toward the next.

If interested in reading the details of USAID's tenuring process, the information is available at:
Tenure Policy and Process: http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1877/414mad.pdf
Precepts for the USAID's Foreign Service Tenure Board: http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1877/414mac.pdf

Re-orienting and Re-exposing to the US (aka Home Leave)

After number of get-togethers, last dinners, and going-away events, I left post this month and headed back to the good Midwest USA.  About half way through this month off of work, I've been indulging in spending time with family and friends, gorging on foods particular to home, and catching up on everything Americana while running a number of errands before leaving for DC for training and then my next assignment.

Home leave is one of nicest perks of the Foreign Service career which is basically 20 work days of paid time-off between assignments to spend time in the US.  Since home leave is time off in-between jobs, it's a nice opportunity to see neglected loved ones in the States without the worry of all the work that may be piling up while you're gone.  It's amazing how much and how many things I've missed from just being away for a year.

The last few months at post were spent diligently working to accomplish work objectives before leaving post, packing and shipping goods for storage and goods for Kabul, as well as apartment-hunting and moving for my wife who will stay behind in Jakarta to work while I transition to my next post.  Immediately after leaving post, the next bidding season began for my follow-on assignment after Afghanistan (we bid and receive assignments about a year before we leave the current and Afghanistan is currently only a one-year tour).  

Coming back too, a stark reminder of the development challenges that still persist in the US with the Ferguson, MO shooting incident making national headlines.  With all the ethnic, religious, and equality issues I'll see in Afghanistan, the US still struggles today in managing similar challenges.

Mt. Sinabung and End of Tour Reflections

On Feb. 1, 2014 the Mt. Sinabung volcano in Indonesia’s North Sumatra Province erupted, displacing approximately 31,400 people.  The US Ambassador to Indonesia declared a humanitarian disaster and USAID responded by providing relief through the procurement and distribution of emergency relief commodities for displaced communities.

This was my first award as a warranted Contracting Officer.  I was able to serve on the team that distributed the supplies to the displaced communities allowing me to be deeply engaged in the work and relationships USAID was building at a personal level.  The trip to the site began with a press ceremony event in conjunction with the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency where we presented the assistance offered by the United States and described the types of help USAID and our partners could provide.  The majority of the affected people came from rural, farming backgrounds and we talked with the children and their parents about how the eruptions have affected them in order to better understand their situations and living conditions.  We toured a nearby evacuation center, a large warehouse-like building, where over one hundred people were living with minimal facilities and only two toilets.  I was startled at the level of disruption and uncertainty the evacuees faced and I’m proud to have been a part of USAID’s effort in supporting those that were displaced during this trying time and then their eventual transition home.

Identifying their homes to Principal Officer Kathryn Crockart from the Medan Office

After the event, we spent a few minutes kicking around a soccer ball which we had brought to give to the children.  For this moment, there was normalcy in the middle of an abnormal situation and this gave me an opportunity to relate to the people with whom we were partnering.  I connected the impact and meaningful difference a small investment can have in the sectors where we work in Indonesia.

As I approach the end of my tour, I reflect on the influence I have had through my work and the connections I have made from the Mt. Sinabung experience and others.  My time in Indonesia has also greatly influenced me, most strongly through the people met, Indonesian and American, inside out outside the Mission, developing my confidence and ability to affect positive change.  Moving on to my next assignment, a conflict environment with very different conditions from Indonesia, I endeavor to continue representing and promoting the interests of our country and look forward to facing and addressing the new challenges to come.

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/11/the-eruptions-of-mount-sinabung/100630/

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/01/the-continued-eruptions-of-mount-sinabung/100660/

Ciliwung River Cleanup

USAID's logo wasn't meant to be there but they already printed the banners.

The Ciliwung River is 97 km (60 miles) long and flows through from the mountains through much of Jakarta.  This river has a reputation for being one of the most polluted in the world and is filled with industrial and agricultural runoff, pollution, and waste.  Many urban poor have unofficial settlements and housing near the banks of the river and use the river for household purposes, bathing, trash disposal, and even drinking.  The pollution of the river is also a contributor to the river's frequent flooding which occurs annually during the rainy season.

Since coming to Indonesia, I've been working with the the Embassy's Green Team on various activities to lessen the negative environmental impact of the US Embassy community but also work with the external community to to improve the environment.  Timed near Earth Day on April 27th, we teamed up with a local NGO and community organizations to organize a river cleanup event to raise awareness and attempt to kick-start the government and community to take action in managing the health of the river and demonstrate the US Government's commitment to environmental stewardship.

The Ambassador speaking at the start of the event.

US Ambassador Blake joined the Green Team in the cleanup adventure as we rafted down several kilometers picking up trash along the banks.  Since many of the people living along the river were doing so unofficially, they had little to no access to public services.  Thus, the river served as their source of water as well their location for waste disposal.  Even as we were rafting by picking up trash from the river, we could see people throwing garbage bags into the water.  The problem is complicated since public services can't be provided to people who shouldn't be living there in the first place so alternative housing would have to be found to even begin moving people.  Definitely a long term effort but I believe we at least put more attention to the issue in the media and received positive press.

Community unites to clear garbage from Ciliwung River (Jakarta Post)
Pemerintah AS Beri Perhatian Serius atas Kondisi Sungai Ciliwung (VOA)

Shanty housing under the train tracks.

That's actually plastic hanging from the trees.

More unofficial housing settlements.

A traditional raft and rope used to cross the river.

Local community observing by a trash heap.