The launch of any new development project or program begins with operations and recruiting, recruiting, and recruiting.  As subcontractors to DAI for RAMP UP North, ICMA staff do not have to find office space, guesthouses, order computers, etc.  Our main job is to work with DAI to recruit the most talented local staff.  From Sunday, June 12 to Thursday, June 16, we have conducted nearly 20 interviews with 4 more scheduled for Saturday, June 18. Whew. In total, we are looking to recruit more than 70 local staff in technical and administrative positions.

Van James, ICMA’s senior person in the field, serves as Municipal Governance Advisor.  He has been participating in the interviews and working with the Chief of Party, Shaun McNally, to develop a workplan, organize training and will lead the senior technical team in capacity building. Shaun and Van worked together in Iraq and they have a great working relationship.  Van is an ICMA member and was a city manager for more than 25 years in Texas and Colorado.  We are lucky to have him here.

RAMP UP North will have a central senior leadership team to provide technical expertise to the 9 provincial capitals of the northern region:  Aibak, Faizabad, Kunduz, Maimana, Mazar e Sharif, Pul-e-Khumri, Sar-e-Pul, Sherbeghan and Taloquan. Each municipality will have a team to support them in three important efforts:  build capacity within municipal staff; improve delivery of public services  through the identification and implementation of infrastructure projects; and identify and implement activities that generate revenue for the municipality.  The senior technical advisors will mentor and train the embedded teams, building capacity and strengthening their ability to implement projects and programs with the municipalities. 

Each team is led by a Team Leader, who is supported by a Public Administration Advisor, Public Works Advisor, Engineer, Economic Development Advisor and Public Financial Management Advisor.  This embedded team will be co-located at municipal offices and will work side-by-side with municipal staff to train, mentor and provide on the job training to help them become a financially sustainable municipality that is operating transparently and providing improved public services to citizens. 

We have interviewed some phenomenal candidates – especially for Public Administration Director.  This may be surprising since Afghanistan has been an unstable battleground for nearly 30 years.  What would they know about Public Administration and the business of running a city?  A lot.  One candidate who just finished his Masters in Public Administration quoted Woodrow Wilson and discussed several good ideas about how to improve the administration of municipalities here.  A Revenue Enhancement Director candidate arrived at the interview with a list of ways for increasing revenue, many of which involved creating innovative public private partnerships. 

We have extended 3 offers of employment and plan on extending close to 10 more before the end of next week. We have certainly hit the

 

Shaun McNally, Chief of Party (left), and Van James, Municipal Governance Advisor, reviewing the work plan for RAMP UP North.

ground running here in Mazar e Sharif!