Jirapa, and another Organisational Development Success Story
on Michael Cashman (Ghana), 26/May/2010 22:16, 34 days ago
We make the short trip to Jirapa from Nadowli to meet Cath and Aaron and see the impact of organisational development in Jirapa.Charlotte waits by the bus-stop. Acros the road is the 'spot' (bar) where I talked to the other Nadowli volunteer, our good friend Sandra, about the OD ideas last November.On the tree (in front of the 'Vodafone' branded shop) is a job advert. Males under 35 years of age only!Here's a poster for the NALAP initaitive to boost literacy by starting in pupils' mother tongue before moving to English language.Transport in rural Ghana is interesting. We could easily get on a tro-tro from Nadowli to Jirapa early in the morning when people are going to market. Our meeting is at 12. Trying to arrive for that time is more of a gamble, so we go early. In fact we hitch a lift with a businesman pitching for a contract with the hospital, and arrive by 9.30 am. (In Ghanaian English, he 'picks us'). Considerable curiosity is generated by us getting the laptop out in "Gracelands Spot" while we're waiting for our meeting at the GES (Ghana Education Service).Cath (here with Charlotte) and Aaron have done fantastic work in Jirapa since arriving in Ghana with us in Septmber. Jirapa has the advantage, in Cath and Aaron, of a very dedicated and skilled Management Support Officer (Cath) and Teacher Support Officer (Aaron), both in post since the start of October. It seems a long time since we were all at the TENI workshop in Tamale late September.Now why, you may ask, do I blog the Circuit Supervisors' Handbook, including the Contents pages?Simply this. Documents like this are rare - you would think there would be copies in every GES office, but that's not the case. Putiing it on this blog is the easiest way to make at least this much information available for fellow-volunteers!Organisational Assessment in Jirapa is aother success story, to add to those presented at the OD Forum late March. Jirapa has the most concise report yet - findings, recommendations, action plan and budget request all wrapped up into a single slimline document, which reads very weell. We work on completing another 'OD in practice' story.Cath, John (GES Jirapa Human Resources), and the on-the -wall summary of the Jirapa OD Process.The INSET (in-service training) schedule that Aaron has prepared is impressive.We meet Elise, a US peace Corps volunteer, with three local girls who she is assisting, on the tro-tro back to Nadowli.Food and drink hospitably arranged as ever by Patricia and Laura.