When the Backstop Becomes the Plan

From Doldrums to Hope

The days carry varying degrees of emotional toll, from the palpable to the expectant; the feeling that you may not be pulling your weight gives way to the exhilaration of success, because what was once intractable became resolvable.

We have moved from a week that seemed to present diminishing returns to one that appears to offer appreciating results. While we are not totally out of the doldrums, there is hope on the horizon, and things have been better than expected.

Governance Left Behind

Yet we get embroiled in administrative issues that should have had governance born from contractual obligation, including the clear requirement specifications that would apply to an architectural design, with guidelines for solutions to be crafted on agreed policy.

A backstop activity, meant only to tide us over until automation could take hold, has evolved into the core solution. This is because resources will not be committed first and, evidently, the architectural element is missing altogether.

Shortcuts Over Policy

The project manager, under pressure to deliver, has short-circuited the process, favouring the concept of ease over the policy guidelines that should govern it. The ideas are lifted off a contract statement and put into play, leaving the implementation resting on broad assumptions.

What we hear is that it must be done because the contract demands it; what we do not have is any documentation describing what is actually to be done. The best element of guidance to materialise today came in an email. However, can governance be run from an email, you wonder?

That is why this is being escalated. I am not convinced a proper resolution will be forthcoming before the pressure to act overwhelms the tendency to err on the side of caution; not out of any impossibility to perform, but because of the absence of governance that informs the processes required.

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Incredible India: The rime, the downtime and what may apply

There is more to this place

Sometimes I wonder about being in such a beautiful country and finding oneself preoccupied with other priorities until that one free day that is a Sunday.

The daily narrative tends to be concerned with where I am staying and where I am receiving training, but there is definitely much more to India than what I have experienced or New Delhi at that.

Stickier than plain dust

I did not get too much sleep last night before I had to get up at 7:00AM and after the morning ablutions I made for breakfast. Having been told the milk served at breakfast was whole milk, I picked up a bowl for cornflakes.

Then I saw the bag from which the cornflakes had been poured into a bigger bowl, it did not look like Kelloggs, so I reached for it out of curiosity only to feel greasy grime all over the bag as if it had been kept in some unmentionably dirty place for an indeterminate time. I probably should have bothered more about the content of the bag but after the difficulty in getting the grime off my fingers with about 5 wipes, my appetite for cornflakes had disappeared.

Once again, I had pawpaw and pineapple slices for breakfast and just got out in time to catch the bus to the training centre on seats in the back that were not made for any comfort at all.

Still down for an email frown

The wireless internet connection issue that had not been resolved since 11:30AM the day before was still a problem, the only word I had to mention to the receptionist was “apparently” it summed up the matter.

At about 10:30AM, I asked the reception for her USB mobile internet dongle and had about 30 minutes online to read my email, respond to another and submit a complaint about the wireless internet problem to Koenig Solutions Customer Care and copying in my original contacts.

I basically stressed the importance of having the connection, the fact that the service was to be expected, the need for an immediate resolution and the demand for an alternative solution at no additional cost to myself.

Within 10 minutes of my sending the email, the receptionist popped in to say the wireless internet service had been restored. Since I did not receive a response to my email, I cannot really take credit for the notion that my email might have expedited things, I have no cause to complain if the service is restored.

Keeping up with the train

The training today was fast-paced and interesting, much of the material was familiar and at the same time the misunderstood areas were so succinctly explained for my enlightenment.

I downed 3 cans of Red Bull almost to no avail but was alert enough to catch things and raise questions about unclear topics, time just flew and it was almost 5:00PM by the time we covered the proposed topics for discussion.

Another cock-up

Back at the hotel, though tired, I learnt a trainee colleague was to embark on a long journey overnight to another training centre; the personnel having failed to contact him by email when they could not get him via a telephone call to alert him to the fact that no trainer for his scheduled course was available in New Delhi – an unfortunate lack of initiative and a gross administrative cock-up.

I exerted myself and broke sweat on the cross-trainer gym equipment and the abdominal exercise machine before a shower and dinner which was rice and cutlets of lamb, the chef having excelled himself once again.

For the rest

I did not have the presence of mind to realise the internet connection at the inn was also down but after dinner, I was informed the problem had been resolved – I was introduced to all the inn staff who I warmly greeted with a firm handshake and settled for a cup of sweet milky coffee as it is made in these parts courtesy of the concierge.

The day closes with an early night, a stirring in about 2 hours for my pills and hopes for a restful night in readiness for another day.