The Next Step

I'm staying another year in Vanuatu! For those of you interested in the short version:
I'll be working as a mobile app developer for OGCIO (Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, AKA the office I work for now), and living in the capital, Port Vila.

And for those that want some background, or the long version:
As some of you may know, I've been considering extending my contract in Vanuatu for quite a while now (I first floated the idea to my boss, Keith, in April). Vanuatu's a pretty cool place, and it's a really interesting time to be working in the tech field, as it's a very new and quickly developing industry here. I was also worried about going back to the States and trying to get a programming job when I didn't actually have any experience in the field, and also didn't have the excuse of being just out of college. When I sat down with Keith in April, I laid out some pretty specific stipulations of what I wanted to do if I were to stay. From there, I went back to Ambae and waited, because turns out it's hard to do networking when you're on a different island from the people you want to network with. I waited and waited, hearing occasional (and not very promising) updates from the office. Finally, in October, I got a promising email, forwarded to me by the IT guy in the Peace Corps Office, Rodney:

Rodney,

Thank you for your email and personally I would support our endorsement for Grace’s extension to be attached with a few line agencies that need some software developed for them. I will discuss this with our CIO and we will respond. But technically should not be any issues for us, as we are currently working to roll out the next phase of the e-Government project which is e-Government applications.

Regards,

Mr. Jackson Miake | ICT Program Manager

This seemed like a pretty solid lead, but then...nothing happened. Two more months went by, until Keith came to Ambae to hike Manaro. When he found out I wasn't going in to the capital until next month (which was also my deadline for figuring this out), he booked me a flight and helped to set up a meeting with OGCIO (the government department I currently work for, and the one that wrote the above email).

I flew in Wednesday afternoon, and the meeting was scheduled with John Jack (the guy I currently report to) for Thursday morning at 8:30. 10 minutes after the end of the meeting, I received a call from him, asking if I'd be interested in working for the Ministry of Agriculture. I said "Sure, why not?" and we proceeded making plans to go talk to them. Apparently he'd called them first, and they said not to call anyone else, that they wanted me (feels nice to be wanted!). Then, ten minutes later, I got another call: "Just kidding, we want you working with us." So, about an hour after the meeting began, I had a job. Turns out all the months of being in limbo could have been solved by one trip to Vila and one meeting. Live and learn, eh?

I'll be a Mobile Application Developer, working closely with various members of the team at OGCIO to make a wide variety of mobile apps for a myriad of different departments. I don't have many more specifics right now other than that, probably because they only just hired me, but I'm really excited to be able to use the language and cultural skills I've developed over the past two years, as well as what I learned at Carleton, and better prepare myself for re-entering the job world in the States.

Here's the contract I created (which has been approved by all involved) with some more detailed information, for those interested:

General Information:

Country:	Vanuatu
PCV Position Title:	Mobile Application Developer
Site Name (location):	Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu
# PCRVs Requested:	1
Desired Start Date:	April 2017
Length of Assignment:	12 months

Section 1:

Partner Background: 

Partner Organization Name:	Prime Minister’s Office, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (PMO-OGCIO)
Organization Type:	Government agency
Organization’s Mission and Goals:	OGCIO: 1. Increase productive use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in society; and 2. increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government ministries and agencies via use of ICTs, “e-government,” and “mobile e-government (“m-gov”)
Name and Title of PCRV Counterpart:	John Jack – Business Relations Officer
Other primary stake- holders (if any):

Project Background:

OGCIO is working to roll out the next phase of the e-Government project, which is to create e-Government applications. There is a very real need in Vanuatu for applications specific to the problems and ministries that exist in the country. The PCV will help OGCIO in rolling out this next phase and provide expertise and experience needed to make its implementation a success.

Role of the Volunteer and Duties & Responsibilities: 

The PCV will help administer the development, management and maintenance of the government mobile Applications environment, as well as working with fellow developers to build capacity and strengthen knowledge of counterparts. ·         Develop, maintain and support Mobile Applications ·         Deploy production applications on government-approved devices ·         Administer the documentation of applications ·         Other duties as directed by the CIO and Applications Manager

Volunteer Deliverables (by end of assignment):

·         Applications operational and meet user requirements ·         Applications available on production environments ·         Counterparts demonstrating increased knowledge and understanding of Mobile Application Creation process

Working Conditions:

The primary working condition will be an office environment in the National Capital. Occasional trips may be required to provincial capitals and remote locations and villages in outer islands. Primary counterparts will be fellow staff members at OGCIO, where they will work closely together to develop the applications required. Orientation and training will be provided by OGCIO including provision of existing OGCIO products; OGCIO methods and SOPs; Government procurement and financial procedures; and safety and security guidelines.

Housing & Living Conditions:

PC will ensure that PCV house meets the same safety and security standards as 2-year Peace Corps Volunteer placements. PCV housing must be approved by in-country staff. Housing costs will be met by OGCIO.