Today, at the suggestion of my family, I thought I would tell you a little about the team I am working with here, both on site and back at the COB. I have always tried to shy away from naming names, both corporate and personal, so that both for security reasons and for my own personal safety (i.e. they can’t take offence at any thing I write if they should happen to stumble across my blog) I can avoid compromising anything.
I won’t put up an organisation chart because that would look a little anal, therefore if you have any questions you will have to ask – just try to imagine little lines connecting everyone if that helps.
At the top of the Chart is our Project Manager (PM), an Aussie, roughly my age, with over 5 years experience out here. She has overall responsibility for the project. Under her there are a number of direct reports, the Construction Manager (CM), an expat from “up north” (and also roughly my age) based out of Dubai when he's not in Iraq. He is a Structural Engineer by training with loads of experience working on site. Then there’s me – nominally I am a Quality Control Manager (QCM) for 50% of my time and the other 50% is shared between Construction and Project Management depending on who is away on rotation at the time. This week I are be mostly a CM and a QCM (because the CM is away on leave). Last week I was a Project Manager and a QC Manager. Next week I will be happy not managing anything !
Also under the PM are a stream of Iraqi Engineers and Surveyors, they cover all of the disciplines across the site and generally there are 2 of each covering 2 shifts. The are all managed by a Construction Site Manager who reports directly to the PM. There are Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Structural and Civil Engineers as well as Health & Safety Managers and Quantity Surveyors (I always put QS’s last because I have known so many over the years that should be put last, that it’s become a bit of a habit – it must be said that I haven’t seen them in their natural habitat before and the difference is generally very good, as they no longer have time to interfere with everyone else’s jobs because they’re to busy doing their own. Only time will tell if they can stick to that !).
We have a Planner, who is way more than that, and has masses of construction experience and who has been a great help to me – he likes detail, which is nice because I hate it ! He only has one fault, he’s Welsh, but you can’t have everything ! He lives in Bahrain and has just gone home on leave and I miss his acidic whit, as well as the rumours that he seems to be able to conjure up from nowhere (he lives on the COB and seems to have a finger in everything) – he’s rarely right but again, you can’t have everything and he is entertaining. He’s the one that thinks I’m the peace keeper in the team so clearly he’s mad !
We also have a Health and Safety Manager (who is South African and bunks with me at Camp Zero and is also teh same age as me and a Grandfather 3 times over) and an M&E Manager. The M&E Manager tends to spend more time at the COB for reasons known only to himself, but he’s Irish and quite young, from Dubai and I think he likes his creature comforts. We also have QS who is there to deal with contracts and variations (he’s from Gloucester but we won’t hold that against him for now……). He has to be very IT based with the systems out of Iraq so invariably has to be at the COB. He’s useful to know because he seems to have been around the COB longer than anyone else I have come across and can tell you where to find just about anything.
It is worth saying that I haven’t really found one that I don’t like (there’s a couple I wouldn’t want to get stuck in a lift with but again, that's a story for another medium !)
Above the PM is the usual structure of people who have been promoted to get them out of positions where they can do some real damage, and a further structure based in Dubai who are supposed to support us but generally hold things up and lose paperwork so that we have to do everything twice. The less said about those two elements, the better, although it has to be said that if you can actually find out who makes it all work (as I think I have) then it helps a great deal to grease the wheels.
Today we have been graced with the presence of two of our great and good, one of whom I distrust immensely and the other I quite like but who is rarely in Iraq as he has other countries to look after. So we’re been on our best behaviour so far (they’re staying the night so I will have to be on my best behaviour tomorrow morning as well !)
That’s it really, the system of rotation does not help at all because you could do with some continuity, but if you stayed out here too long then you start to get a little crazy. You also start to think that you know everything which is a pain, and does cause some resentment amongst those of us who are just trying to do our jobs. Why people feel the need to constantly tell you about this time in 2003, or that time in 2006 blah blah blah - it can just turn into one big dick measuring contest if you’re not careful.
Today’s inventory:
3 Cigars – probably. I’m writing this before dinner for reasons you will note when you get to the weather section, so I may have to have another one (I’ve had 2 so far) before bed
0 units and $0 dollars – although I was presented with a bottle of scotch today as a preset from a contactor but as some of you will know scotch and I don’t get on so I’m going to give it away at some point in the near future (when the heat is off and the bosses have gone home)
Food – boring boring boring. I am going to go on a chocolate hunt later to see what I can dig up !
Weather – what a day…….. started overcast and Tolkein like, got very hot and sticky towards mid-day then all hell broke loose – thunder, lightening, massive dust storm, torrential rain and then more wind and rain. The temperature dropped by 20 degrees at least and suddenly became pleasant. I am waiting for it to go as fast as it came but it doesn’t seem to want to !
I won’t put up an organisation chart because that would look a little anal, therefore if you have any questions you will have to ask – just try to imagine little lines connecting everyone if that helps.
At the top of the Chart is our Project Manager (PM), an Aussie, roughly my age, with over 5 years experience out here. She has overall responsibility for the project. Under her there are a number of direct reports, the Construction Manager (CM), an expat from “up north” (and also roughly my age) based out of Dubai when he's not in Iraq. He is a Structural Engineer by training with loads of experience working on site. Then there’s me – nominally I am a Quality Control Manager (QCM) for 50% of my time and the other 50% is shared between Construction and Project Management depending on who is away on rotation at the time. This week I are be mostly a CM and a QCM (because the CM is away on leave). Last week I was a Project Manager and a QC Manager. Next week I will be happy not managing anything !
Also under the PM are a stream of Iraqi Engineers and Surveyors, they cover all of the disciplines across the site and generally there are 2 of each covering 2 shifts. The are all managed by a Construction Site Manager who reports directly to the PM. There are Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Structural and Civil Engineers as well as Health & Safety Managers and Quantity Surveyors (I always put QS’s last because I have known so many over the years that should be put last, that it’s become a bit of a habit – it must be said that I haven’t seen them in their natural habitat before and the difference is generally very good, as they no longer have time to interfere with everyone else’s jobs because they’re to busy doing their own. Only time will tell if they can stick to that !).
We have a Planner, who is way more than that, and has masses of construction experience and who has been a great help to me – he likes detail, which is nice because I hate it ! He only has one fault, he’s Welsh, but you can’t have everything ! He lives in Bahrain and has just gone home on leave and I miss his acidic whit, as well as the rumours that he seems to be able to conjure up from nowhere (he lives on the COB and seems to have a finger in everything) – he’s rarely right but again, you can’t have everything and he is entertaining. He’s the one that thinks I’m the peace keeper in the team so clearly he’s mad !
We also have a Health and Safety Manager (who is South African and bunks with me at Camp Zero and is also teh same age as me and a Grandfather 3 times over) and an M&E Manager. The M&E Manager tends to spend more time at the COB for reasons known only to himself, but he’s Irish and quite young, from Dubai and I think he likes his creature comforts. We also have QS who is there to deal with contracts and variations (he’s from Gloucester but we won’t hold that against him for now……). He has to be very IT based with the systems out of Iraq so invariably has to be at the COB. He’s useful to know because he seems to have been around the COB longer than anyone else I have come across and can tell you where to find just about anything.
It is worth saying that I haven’t really found one that I don’t like (there’s a couple I wouldn’t want to get stuck in a lift with but again, that's a story for another medium !)
Above the PM is the usual structure of people who have been promoted to get them out of positions where they can do some real damage, and a further structure based in Dubai who are supposed to support us but generally hold things up and lose paperwork so that we have to do everything twice. The less said about those two elements, the better, although it has to be said that if you can actually find out who makes it all work (as I think I have) then it helps a great deal to grease the wheels.
Today we have been graced with the presence of two of our great and good, one of whom I distrust immensely and the other I quite like but who is rarely in Iraq as he has other countries to look after. So we’re been on our best behaviour so far (they’re staying the night so I will have to be on my best behaviour tomorrow morning as well !)
That’s it really, the system of rotation does not help at all because you could do with some continuity, but if you stayed out here too long then you start to get a little crazy. You also start to think that you know everything which is a pain, and does cause some resentment amongst those of us who are just trying to do our jobs. Why people feel the need to constantly tell you about this time in 2003, or that time in 2006 blah blah blah - it can just turn into one big dick measuring contest if you’re not careful.
Today’s inventory:
3 Cigars – probably. I’m writing this before dinner for reasons you will note when you get to the weather section, so I may have to have another one (I’ve had 2 so far) before bed
0 units and $0 dollars – although I was presented with a bottle of scotch today as a preset from a contactor but as some of you will know scotch and I don’t get on so I’m going to give it away at some point in the near future (when the heat is off and the bosses have gone home)
Food – boring boring boring. I am going to go on a chocolate hunt later to see what I can dig up !
Weather – what a day…….. started overcast and Tolkein like, got very hot and sticky towards mid-day then all hell broke loose – thunder, lightening, massive dust storm, torrential rain and then more wind and rain. The temperature dropped by 20 degrees at least and suddenly became pleasant. I am waiting for it to go as fast as it came but it doesn’t seem to want to !
Gym – nothing again and I am starting to panic that I might get fat……not very likely I grant you but worth worrying about !
Countdown – Four sleeps till I leave site, one more to leave Iraq and one more to get home from Dubai. I forgot to mention that I’m not playing musical beds tonight because we found an extra room for the management to stay in !
We have had no internet all day so you may have to read two on the same day if it doesn’t sort itself out (apologies for those of you that read this with their cornflakes !).
POST WRITING NOTE:
I have now found out that the Camp Manager (our client) had changed the password to limit who goes onto the internet and is only giving it out to people he can trust (read "friends"). When I found out it took me two minutes to get it from somebody which is why you're reading this. It might just be me (because I've had enough and want to go home) but that seems really childish and I've made a note of it and will "wreeek my rewengee" at some point in the near future - which is clearly not childish at all.........
CM Internet access via password only. VERY very bad move. I was once urged to do this for a boss (for the stragest of reasons, I think they get so stressed, reasoned thinking goes out the window). I advised the BOSS on how emails from users requesting access with thier legitimate reasons would overflow BOSS's inbox within 10mins of implementation but I would be really happy to do this cos A) As network Manager I want all the Internet bandwidth and B) He would be doing my job for me by deciding Yey or Ney (Boggof you spell check freaks) ;-)
ReplyDeleteSomewhat worried about "one of whom I distrust immensely" being so public for your sake, however I do know you instant thought on reading this: even give a shit (NOTE "do I" never even made it into the thought)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThe thought of being isolated without kids, strange friends, strange friends' kids, even stranger customers, etc etc to deal with bliss!
Mark, I'm not bothered about the distrust comment as there are much more likely things to occur than him finding this on the internet - and don't worry about the spelling, I'm the worst speller in the world, and I'm lucky, my brain is never likely to go faster than my fingers !
ReplyDeleteAndy - I am desperate to be able to sit down somewhere without the the sound of a generator, an air-con unit and an extract fan somewhere in teh background......kids would be a pleasant distraction after 6 weeks of that !
Had the guys in work with me for most of this week so I know what constant din & being under a spot light is like, not 24 hours a day but guess neither of us knows how lucky we are. Sure you will enjoy the company of yours when you are home :-)
ReplyDelete