Mission report Mozambique - November 2005 Dr. Ir. Ron McDowall Selected Extract from personal professional journal Project GCP/MOZ/080/JPN Government of Japan Government of Mozambique United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Week 1 - PMUs 2 November 2005 to 28 Nov Mission Objective: Safeguarding training per TOR attached to PSA 0693432 Week One Duty Station Pretoria Preparation, Week Two : PMUs SAF. TAN, MOZ. Week Three: Field managers MOZ and site safeguarding training with actual pesticide packaging, Week Four FMs and Field work. Wall Charts PMU s Week One 2 to 7 Nov 05 DS Pretoria Prepared FAM for use on MOZ project and possible use with TAN and SAF. Prepared training on FAM management systems and detailed training as result of use of FAM. Wrote 6 PPT presentations for weeks 2,3 and 4. Presentations covered all aspects of the Field Applications Manual including Site Inspection, Clearance Plan, Site Preparation Plan and safeguarding. Instructional concept was to lecture then wall chart exercise then application exercises. training room was hot with the airconditioning unit being switched off regularly due to noise. PMUs included two representatives from SA who had problems at the very beginning understanding or accepting the need for safeguarding training, given that they felt SA was a long way from Safeguarding and the money in the project was insufficient for the job of safeguarding as it was being described. In general the FAM concept was readily accepted by the PMUs as a valid way to conduct the field operations of safeguarding and the exercises including the wall charts were in the main conducted
well. Biratu PMU Ethiopia) contributed well and efficiently to the safeguarding process but has to be patient with the MOZ PMUs who believed at times he was going too slow. In retrospect the MOZ PMUs were often distracted with day to day issues of their PMU and were often out of the room at critical times of learning. Birau s style in the latter 2 weeks was to be critical in the Field Managers (FM) Learning efficiency and is endorsed by me. He grew in confidence all through the training and proved himself to be very competent and confident. Week one for the TAN PMU was I believe most useful given that they are in two minds as to use contractors or do some of the safeguarding themselves. Safe to say that their enthusiasm for the FAM will mean they will be able to go either way. The outcome of the week long PMU safeguarding training was a thorough understanding of the management required of this type of project especially that directly related to the safeguarding, the level of management and quality assurance standard needed by the delegates. Each delegate took away the complete FAM system as PDF files TM-A and TM-B along with all powerpoint presentations delivered during the week and a selection of UNEP documents regarding disposal options etc. Week two 14 to 18 th Nov Duty Station Matupo (MOZ) During the week the PMU s were joined by 20 hopeful MOZ Field Managers for training. During this week it was not intended that we train using the detailed FAM and management systems, rather we would concentrate on Site Inspection and Validation with lectures, wall charting various exercises and a 3 hour final exam on the Friday. A site visit was scheduled for Tuesday. We were joined at the training by Eloise Touni from PAN UK who is responsible for ASP project monitoring. While she carried out her work she also participated in the training and indeed lead a couple of exercises especially in the third week. On Tuesday morning we were also joined by the senior technical Officer FAO Dr. Kevin Helps. As this week was to be conducted in Portuguese it was to be run by the MOZ PMUs but in the event the translation of the previous week slides were lost when a lap top failed and the lectures were conducted by myself and Biratu with live translations. The FM training week was officially opened by a MOZ MCEA Feliso Fernando official and was taped for TV. The opening lecture in Portuguese lasted three hours and was delivered by Franck Bouvet the MOZ CTA. This was a very good scene
setter lecture that formally advised the FMs that the week was competitive and at the end after the 3 hour exam they would face selection down to seven FMs to go forward to the third week. The week commenced with lectures on site inspection planning and on the Tuesday we visited the Citron Storage site to perform Site Inspection and validation. All FMs were required to wear PPE and enter the store with face masks etc. Also visited was the proposed Central Collection store at Bouane. This week was a little difficult on the PMUs from SA and TAN as everything was in Portuguese. On Wednesday of the second week the FMs were required to complete a full Site Inspection report using the FAM documents and the FAO site inspection document. The results of the Site Inspection reports was used in the FM selection process. Thursday completed the training with full lectures on safeguarding and PPE practices. The PPE lecture was performed b y Kaleed MOZ PMU and was very competent. On Friday the FMs sat a three hour exam and were lectured on the communication document by ET of PAN. After the 3 hours exam was marked the final selections were made for the seven to go forward into the final week. During the examination time the MOZ PMU, CTA, FAO STO, ET PAN and self visited the Envirowaste hazardous waste landfill with a view of siting a hazardous pesticide landfill cell at some future date. facility is world class with full leachate protection and treatment and above ground cell construction. Outcomes for week included basic FM safeguarding training involving site inspection and verification and PPE training. For the SA and TAN PMU largely non productive. Seven FMs were appointed from the 20 that attended at the beginning of the week. The 3 hour exam showed that the seven were well out in front of the others. Exercises and wall charts and presentations by the FMs strongly indicated that the training was well received and understood. In the main the FMs adapted well to the lecturing style and especially that of Biratu regarding speed. Week Three 21 to 25 Nov This week was entirely for the training of the seven FMs. Monday was devoted to contract and salary negotiations this being conducted by the MOZ PMU. Post these negotiations I formally introduced the FAM management procedures to the FMs. Both Biratur and I repeated the first weeks lectures but with more video and a higher intensity for the site works. Safety was emphasised both personnel and environment. On Wednesday we scenarioed a complete site establishment and clearance covering in great detail the procedures, material required, systems to be put in place and described in performance detail the pack and
go system using salvage drumming. The FMs were required to present to the group on all of these aspects and it was very successful. This exercise took the entire day and while it was successful most were completely exhausted at the end of the day. Thursday morning was devoted to the face Fit process where with the use of a 3M kit the fitting of face masks was performed by the FM group on each other. The exercise was conducted by ET (PAN) and was very successful. The FMs fully understood at the end just what the exercise was in aid of and how they must perform it on their workers. The rest of the time the FMs spent verifying the inventory list. This was a valuable exercise in two regards. firstly it gave the MOZ PMU the opportunity to check the previously prepared inventory list and secondly it brought the FMs up to date with the stocks and chemicals that they would be dealing with once the site works were under way in 2006. This exercise ended the safeguarding training. One FM pulled out during the third week leaving six comparatively competent FMs. In that regard the overall exercise could be said to be successful. Lessons learned 1 The keeping of the SA and TAN PMUs for the second week was not productive given that the training was conducted in Portuguese. 2 While we tried to avoid powerpointing them to death for this type of training the more photos, videos the better. certainly we needed more photos of site establishment and perhaps some of the finer points of setting up floor plastics and especially more on the decontamination facility and procedures. It is intended that for the top up training before the first site is safeguarded that the refresher course will have these additional photos and materials. This is likely to occur in the first quarter of 2006. 3 For the FAM methodology we need more site drawing examples and these will be provided also for the refresher course. 4 Where a safeguarding training course is held within a PMU with other PMUs some arrangements have to be made whereby the host PMU is not taken away from the training room to attend to domestic matters.
Conclusion Most FMs and PMUs fully understand the FAM concept and all main aspects of Safeguarding and in addition substantial knowledge of site establishment, safety and environmental protection requirements. This was confirmed by the 3 hour exam paper sat in exam conditions at the end of the second week and the subsequent exercises in the third week and the proficiency of the FMs in their class presentations. From my perspective the training was worthwhile, effective and I am confidant that the FMs will perform well in the field albeit with some support regarding the paper work that will be required. Without doubt the MOZ FAM needs to be completed and translated into Portuguese. While we did not succeed in actually getting the FMs to pack a site sufficient training was delivered to indicate that had we done this it would have been successful. In the event it was overly ambitious to attempt the site packaging as the materials list was not complete and as the FMs found out in order to pack even one drum a substantial site establishment was required as well as a clearance plan report and a site establishment report and it was not feasible to perform all of that in the time available. In addition to that the central store is not yet established and it is poor practice to pack and then leave the drums in a contaminated environment. Dr. Ir. Ron McDowall