Dress down Friday
on Freetown Blog (Sierra Leone), 30/Oct/2009 23:53, 34 days ago
Actually, 'dress up Friday' would be a more accurate description. A lot of the Ministry staff dress very smartly on every day  of the week, but on Fridays the style steps up a pace and the corridors are colourful with shirts and long dresses, very often with matching head gear. And yes, I did have a genuine Sierra Leonian shirt myself- not made to measure, but a very nice one of  fine cotton, dyed in indigo. I'm not sure if I paid over the odds for it, but I enjoyed doing the deal in the Big Market.Today has been a really good day at work. The President gave assent to the creation of a Health Services Commission last Wednesday, which is something the Ministry of Health has been wanting for a long time. At the moment, everybody who works in publicly funded healthcare facilities (and that includes drivers, porters and cleaners in the remotest rural areas) is classed as Ministry staff, with hiring and firing done at national level. The Commission would separate the HR arrangements for health workers, including regulation and standards, from central civil service arrangements. The President wants the Commission in place by next March, which is a huge task. I can't quite believe how lucky I am to have arrived at a time when my UK background and experience is so relevant. I am also amazed at the calibre and commitment of colleagues I am working with - techincally sharp, politically savvy, but very open to discussion and ideas.I really wanted to get a picture today of our department in Friday dress mode. My boss was very keen on the idea, but then the day took flight and there wasn't a good moment, so that one will have to wait. Instead, this is a gratuitous beach shot of Lumley beach in Freetown, taken from my chair at a beach bar last Sunday afternoon. Think bath-warm sea...