Gotta love jet lag

I'm dealing with the cluelessness of my body as it tries to find it's circadian rhythms well enough, but late afternoon is killer for a few hours. It is hard to compare the impacts of various trips, but my two to Central Asia seem to have been among the most difficult.

Short but sweet today. Just wanted to reflect on a conversation here, that is one I hear in DC, and other places where I've tried to work with S/CRS and also in other organizations.

When an organization, or conglomeration of organizations identifies the need to "do better," why is there such huge resistance to adopting change? I heard a lecture today about how the work I'm contributing to here just wasn't going to be as successful as hoped because it isn't taking into account how things have been done for decades. Being from organizations trying to adopt change, I understand the uncertainty of change, and it seems that there should be a rigorous attempt to understand the methodology that is being introduced. However, after that, why would there be reluctance to move forward? Once I can figure out the answer to this question, I hope to be a much better change agent.

To bring meaningful change, it is important to understand the way things were done in the past, and my organization has sought to do just that. You can't really propose solutions if you don't understand the environment that was causing the problems. Now though, we have to bang our heads into a wall til it crumbles before we can take each step. This may all seem a bit self-righteous, but the tools and approaches we offer are a product of our "clients" since they designed and built them all. All academic and oversight entities that study the US engagement in these areas continually harp on the need for better tools and coordination. So, as they push back, they are pushing back against the years of lessons learned and best practices, and against their leadership that has signed off on our approach and "doctrine". Perhaps one day, agencies will be asking for our help instead of trying to figure out how to hold us back.

Having said that, we do have much more space to operate here than in Georgia, and it seems like a cake-walk compared to some of the work in DC!

Today was spent mostly getting read in a bit more. Several hundred pages of powerpoints and spreadsheets and documents later, I am at the point where I know just enough to be dangerous.

Peace...

Wow...

Ok, I've arrived in Kabul and been here for the better part of 2 days now, even though some of that has been in a sleep-filled stupor.

Why am I here? Good question! The concepts are pretty basic, have the US Government work together well and as a team. But like any large organization, that isn't always the case. I'm here with my office to contribute to the integration of military and civilian efforts. Basically, for lack of an easier term, I'm serving on a team of strategic consultants. The purpose is to help align planning from the provincial to the national levels. Almost as important, is to help the civilian voice be heard in this planning process that is establishing goals. Due to being underresourced, the civilians have to struggle to make their voice heard and the implications on issues of sustainable development, agriculture, and justice are sometimes not considered by the military which wasn't trained to help stabilize and reconstruct countries. I'll be going to some of the provinces to work through this visioning/planning process with them and then returning to Kabul to ensure that everything is synchronized.

Talk about security. Dogs, guards, posts, walls, bunkers, razor wire, compounds adjascent to one another. Odd in this relatively safe environment. Then again, better safe than sorry. I know I will get a bit restless in the Afghan Embassy Compound though. Not sure if it is jetlag or the need to get something accomplished that has had me up late tonight. I'm excited about the work ahead. I know it will be challenging and interesting.

Friday was beautiful here in Kabul. Relatively clear air with views of the surrounding mountains much like some of the cities I remember from Tajikistan. The Embassy must have been very nice back in the day. I have been eyeballing the volleyball court and hope it warms up here soon!
The taxpayers are getting their money's worth out of the ICMAG (Integrated Civ-Mil Action Group) that I'm supporting. The office holds 10 computers and is smaller than my kitchen. Hopefully the AC works well when it gets warm or we'll be suffering.

I visited the PX today and shopped around a bit. Found some fireproof gloves for when I'm out in the provinces and got a few DVDs for $2 each. No TVs here that I know of so they should do for entertainment. Understand a colleague of mine has quite the collection!

I'll hush for now. Going to try to crash soon.

Peace...

Will do my best...

Hope to keep in touch with people and also share some thoughts and experiences this way. We'll see if it works! I'm always jealous of friends who have the initiative to capture their ideas and communicate them through blogging. Time will tell if I can keep it up. Off to confirm my ticket from Dubai to Kabul...

Peace...