This is an email exchange – a sample to be used for the manual.

It was sent by a project manager in which she was asking finance staff to accompany her to another city and help her in assessing finacial systems for a local partner NGO.

 

She had neither given them time to prepare for a field trip and she had not given them the ToRs of this trip. Interesting conversation and then I sent a final mail.

 

Was it the right answer? Could we improve it?

 

 

V

 

 

Dear all,

I see through the email exchanges below that we all have the same concerns at heart. We are probably finding it difficult to say it all in short e-mails. I would too.
And lengthy emails will take time to write.  

Talking our way through alternatives and exploring solutions together is more effective as a means of communication than opting for lengthy email exchanges.
So, why don't you sit and talk face to face, as Maria is suggesting.

I would also advise teams to prepare and communicate work plans and ToRs to other team members, they require support  from, at least a couple of weeks (preferably a month) in advance.

If this support requires absence from the place of work and habitation, advance requests will give staff the time necessary to be better prepared in terms of organising work and home commitments

Could we try and put this in practice from now on please.

thanks,

Vrinda



__________________
Vrinda Dar
Country Director,
Organization GB Sierra Leone
mobile: +232-76602340
e-mail: vdar@organization.org.uk



 

Maria Yvette Reyes/Freetown/International/Organization 10/08/2008 04:19 PM

To Kpanja Kutubu-Koroma/Freetown/International/Organization@Organization cc Florie De Jager Meezenbroek/Freetown/International/Organization@Organization, Vrinda Dar/Freetown/International/Organization@Organization Subject Re: Partnership discussion meetingLink

Hi Kpanja,

I am just one floor  below and a phone call away, continuing this on email will make this lengthy when in fact we can just talk and clarify expectations you have from  finance at the partnership discussions.

Why don't you come over to my office.

MY


Maria Yvette S. Reyes
Deputy Country Director
Sierra Leone
ORGANIZATION GB

Kpanja Kutubu-Koroma/Freetown/International/Organization wrote on 08/10/2008 15:44:11:

> Dear Maria,
>
>  Thanks for your comments which are totally appropriate.
>
> However, I would like to emphasise here that we are about to  have  
> a partnership discussion. When it comes to an agreement of working
> with the partners, then we can integrate other support staff and or
> stakeholders. As my former mail states,the session would be geared
> towards discussing, both programmatic and non programmatic issues. A
> finer plan for partnership development has been slated for a later date.
>
> This process is to ascertain whether we can work with the partner  
> and so we would for now focus on discussions.
>
> Regards,
> Kpanja
>
>  I
> Kpanja Kutubu-Koroma
> Strengthening Governance Project Manager
> OrganizationGB-SierraLeone,
> 127,Jomo Kenyatta Road,
> Freetowm.
> Tel:+232-22-233-694/701
> Fax:+232-22-232-707
> Mob:+232-76-690-296
> Email:kkutubu-koroma@organization.org.uk
>
> Maria Yvette Reyes/Freetown/International/Organization
> 08/10/2008 16:26
>
> To
>
> Kpanja Kutubu-Koroma/Freetown/International/Organization@Organization
>
> cc
>
> Florie De Jager Meezenbroek/Freetown/International/Organization@Organization,
> Vrinda Dar/Freetown/International/Organization@Organization
>
> Subject
>
> Re: Partnership discussion meeting
>
> Dear Kpanja,
>
> Thank you for  your clarification. Isn't it a shame that I don't
> know that SG is our very own project! I'm used to calling it with
> the proper name than the short one.
>
> I am glad that you are able to clarify this. The finance assessment
> tool that Nicole has developed and has placed in the O drive  needs
> to be modified accordingly. Having evaluated and assessed partner
> organizations in the past  there are  areas that were not covered by
> the tool, also I'd like to modify it with feedback from the finance
> staff here who has done monitoring among current partners. Their
> input provides the necessary contextual reality.
>
> Our current staff has not been trained in assessing partners
> including Gilo and it would not be fair for the organization to be
> assessed if we do a haphazard work.  I strongly believe that
> levelling off and training should be provided first within our own
> team before the go out and assess partners.
>
> I also believe that assessment of organizational structure should be
> integrated and therefore such assessment should include logistics
> and hr systems of an organization which is also an area where both
> Dolcie and I can feed into the final assessment tool.
>
> The next few weeks will be scheduled towards visiting existing
> partners to verify their financial reports and the necessary
> documents. I suggest that we work on the assessment for partners on
> the second or third week of November so that it will give us time
> enough time to modify the tool,set out proper assessment
> objectives/targets and capable  staff to do it.  
>
> I am aware that this may delay processes you have planned  but I
> hope you agree with me that quality  of our work is also important
> as we move toward productive and healthy partnerships with other
> organizations.
>
> Sincerely,
>