So, I was all set to write a few posts about project management, making pancakes and syrup from scratch, and getting caught up in the rain. But, that got derailed by some very disappointing news.
Sometime during the previous night, someone or some group broke into the one of the AMPATH offices and stole a bunch of computer equipment. Included in the theft was approximately 23 desktop PCs and at least one printer. I don't yet have the full inventory, the room was closed off pending investigation by the police.
What is so very sad is that this equipment is used by some very dedicated individuals to contribute to the overall AMPATH mission. Since starting work in Kenya, I have been very impressed with the dedication of the AMPATH staff that I have met. There a very special spirit here. Folks that I have met understand that their work is contributing to make things better for Kenya. It is really amazing how much the team cares; their commitment and dedication are first rate.
Upon learning of the theft, I just felt so bad. In addition, I felt upset and very disappointed towards a portion of humanity. To take like that, it is inexcusable.
At this point, we don't know how it happened, except that it has. We will recover and will learn some valuable lessons in the process. During lunch with a colleague today we immediately started to discuss the steps that must be put into place to prevent a repeat occurrence or worse. I'll spend a chunk of my day tomorrow working on a plan to beef up physical security of our IT assets.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Trying to Watch the Stars in a Blackout
A long time ago on a continent far away, I went camping for the first time in the High Sierra Nevada mountains in California. We camped at this place called Mosquito Flats at an elevation of about 3,050 meters (10,000 feet).* Camping there was just loads of fun in all respects, at night however the view of the sky was just amazing. Being so high up and so far from any source of light pollution, you could see so many stars. I believe it was the first time I saw the Milky Way. I recall being so amazed at the sheer size and brilliance of the galaxy, it was in a word spectacular.
* The name Mosquito Flats is an apt description for this place. There were plenty of mosquitos around and bug repellant is a very good friend.
Eldoret sits at an elevation of about 2,400 meters (~8,000 ft), plus or minus 300 meters. So, I was looking forward to seeing more stars at night and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. I can certainly see more things in the night sky here than back home, but light pollution is a reality here too. It is a problem in more-and-more places all over the world. Modernity comes with a price.
I am not advocating for turning off all the lights and returning to some world of old. My work and life consume vast amounts of power and I do prefer having my computer, iPad, lights, refrigeration. Still, it is nice to see the stars. So, when it comes to a power outage at night, I get a bit excited. Given how high up Eldoret sits, I was actually looking forward to my first power outage. It happened last night, I experienced the first power failure last night. It didn't last long, maybe 30-40 minutes total.
Great!
Except for the one thing that made it impossible to catch a glimpse of the night sky, clouds! It was overcast. I was a bit disappointed.* I guess it could have been worse.**
* I realize that I need to buy some candles and candle holders.*** I ended up folding the laundry and it is not easy to do so with only a flashlight.
** Two things (a two for one):
One of my all time favorites movie lines comes from "Young Frankenstien", when Gene Wilder as the "Young Frankenstein" and Marty Feldman as his assistant "Igor" are digging the monster from the grave.
Frankenstein, "This is a filthy job".
Igor: could be worse.
Frankenstein: How?
Igor: Could be raining. (cue thunder and rain)
Two, experiencing the Northeast blackout of 2003, I can say worse is 90+ degree weather with like 70-80% humidity constitutes "worse".
*** I was at the Nakumatt yesterday shopping and saw the shelf filled with lanterns. I thought they were neat but discounted the need to have one. I am now reconsidering. BTW, Nakumatt is a local version of an all-in-one supermarket. You can get everything from groceries, to hardware, clothing, electronics, kitchen stuff, and motorcycles. It is sort of like a brick-and-mortar Amazon.com.
I am trying to categorize last nights non-event event in baseball terms. A black out, at elevation with cloudy skies. Is that a strike, ball, a 500 foot line drive that just hooks foul? Hit by pitch? Not quite a rain out.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Winter Symposiums in Kenya
My friends routinely want to know how hot it is in Africa. I can't speak for all of Africa, it is a pretty big continent after all. But I will say that it is downright cold here. The high today was reported to be 22º C (72º F), right now it is 15º C (69º F).* I am willing to swear that it never got to 22º today and I am seriously doubtful that we made it to 15º.
* Kenya, like most of the world follows the metric system. I'm trying to adjust and use metric measurements as often as I remember.
It is winter in Eldoret, Kenya, which at first may seem strange. Eldoret is located at about 30' north of the equator and when you live near the equator winter should just not be a factor. That is what I thought before leaving the sweltering summer of New York. However, some things you should know. First off, Eldoret sits at between 2100 and 2700 meters (7000-9000 feet) above sea level and this keeps temperatures generally pretty mild, falling within a narrow range of 22-30º C (75-85º F) during the day. Also, as the sun moves north during the northern summer, the temperatures here go down and the rains come.*
* If you want to visit Kenya, avoid the coming from June to September. Unless you happen to like mud and rain.
I attended an Informatics Symposium today, held at the Naiberi Campsite and Resort, about 30 minutes away from the AMPATH Center in Eldoret.* I and most of those in attendance were freezing the whole morning and a good part of the afternoon. It was cold enough that the staff brought in a bunch of coal fired heaters (I believe they are called Jikos) to try warm everyone up. Unfortunately, the room was too large for the jikos to have much effect.** It was not that much fun sitting there trying to keep warm.
* From what I little I could see of the place, it seems quite nice. The staff took good care of us and provided a very good and filling lunch.
** The jikos did have a positive effect in that they became natural places for us to gather around and talk while warming our hands. It made me think about depression era scenes of folks standing around an open flame trying to keep warm.
This was the first day of a two day symposium organized to explore ways to develop the local human capacity for health care informatics in East Africa. In attendance were people from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. We spent the day covering a number of topics. For me, it was a great opportunity to better understand the challenges ahead and to meet others who are engaged in similar work as me. More on all this later.
* Kenya, like most of the world follows the metric system. I'm trying to adjust and use metric measurements as often as I remember.
It is winter in Eldoret, Kenya, which at first may seem strange. Eldoret is located at about 30' north of the equator and when you live near the equator winter should just not be a factor. That is what I thought before leaving the sweltering summer of New York. However, some things you should know. First off, Eldoret sits at between 2100 and 2700 meters (7000-9000 feet) above sea level and this keeps temperatures generally pretty mild, falling within a narrow range of 22-30º C (75-85º F) during the day. Also, as the sun moves north during the northern summer, the temperatures here go down and the rains come.*
* If you want to visit Kenya, avoid the coming from June to September. Unless you happen to like mud and rain.
I attended an Informatics Symposium today, held at the Naiberi Campsite and Resort, about 30 minutes away from the AMPATH Center in Eldoret.* I and most of those in attendance were freezing the whole morning and a good part of the afternoon. It was cold enough that the staff brought in a bunch of coal fired heaters (I believe they are called Jikos) to try warm everyone up. Unfortunately, the room was too large for the jikos to have much effect.** It was not that much fun sitting there trying to keep warm.
* From what I little I could see of the place, it seems quite nice. The staff took good care of us and provided a very good and filling lunch.
** The jikos did have a positive effect in that they became natural places for us to gather around and talk while warming our hands. It made me think about depression era scenes of folks standing around an open flame trying to keep warm.
This was the first day of a two day symposium organized to explore ways to develop the local human capacity for health care informatics in East Africa. In attendance were people from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. We spent the day covering a number of topics. For me, it was a great opportunity to better understand the challenges ahead and to meet others who are engaged in similar work as me. More on all this later.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Meetings
I've been in a lot of meetings this week. Some have been back-to-back-to-back affairs that have left me pretty exhausted. But I find myself not too put off by them.
As a general rule, I REALLY don't like meetings. Well, let me clarify that, I loathe meetings! I developed this loathing over the years because many of the meetings I have attended have been poorly organized and even more poorly executed. I end up wishing that I had a book to read or my laptop to do some work or maybe a major server disruption to rescue me.*
* When I got my iPhone and later my iPad, I found I could get some work done and while trying not to be so obvious that I was not paying attention.
When I think about it, I really don't loathe meetings in general, I loathe unorganized and poorly planned meetings. Those that are well run and unorganized don't bother me so much. This little epiphany or "what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity"* came about after reading "How to Run a Meeting" by Antony Jay (published back in 1976).
* Never thought I would pull something from Pulp Fiction into a blog piece about meetings. If you don't know the line, watch the movie.
In the article, Jay gives great advice for those planning to or who are now running a meeting or meetings. Hey talks about various reasons for having a meeting in the first place and reasons why some meetings should just go away. There should be an objective for the meeting and things ought to be planned out in advanced.
I don't know if it is just me who hates free-for-all meetings or ones that just go nowhere. But I now know my preferences and will strive to run my meetings in the fashion presented in the article. I have read the article more than once and plan to refresh my memory with it from time-to-time. I hate my time being wasted and I would hate to be guilty of wasting someone else's time.
I will buy a copy of the article and give it to one my colleagues. Not because he is guilty of running poor meetings, rather he is learning to be a manager. I want him to at least be exposed to what I consider to be a "best practice" for running a meeting and let him figure out what works and what doesn't.
Getting back to my meetings in Kenya, as I said, they have not given me cause to complain. The are better organized, more focused and moderated so we keep on point.*
* I can deal with back-to-back-to-back meetings so long as I have time to get some caffeine in the form of a Coke (or two).
As a general rule, I REALLY don't like meetings. Well, let me clarify that, I loathe meetings! I developed this loathing over the years because many of the meetings I have attended have been poorly organized and even more poorly executed. I end up wishing that I had a book to read or my laptop to do some work or maybe a major server disruption to rescue me.*
* When I got my iPhone and later my iPad, I found I could get some work done and while trying not to be so obvious that I was not paying attention.
When I think about it, I really don't loathe meetings in general, I loathe unorganized and poorly planned meetings. Those that are well run and unorganized don't bother me so much. This little epiphany or "what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity"* came about after reading "How to Run a Meeting" by Antony Jay (published back in 1976).
* Never thought I would pull something from Pulp Fiction into a blog piece about meetings. If you don't know the line, watch the movie.
In the article, Jay gives great advice for those planning to or who are now running a meeting or meetings. Hey talks about various reasons for having a meeting in the first place and reasons why some meetings should just go away. There should be an objective for the meeting and things ought to be planned out in advanced.
I don't know if it is just me who hates free-for-all meetings or ones that just go nowhere. But I now know my preferences and will strive to run my meetings in the fashion presented in the article. I have read the article more than once and plan to refresh my memory with it from time-to-time. I hate my time being wasted and I would hate to be guilty of wasting someone else's time.
I will buy a copy of the article and give it to one my colleagues. Not because he is guilty of running poor meetings, rather he is learning to be a manager. I want him to at least be exposed to what I consider to be a "best practice" for running a meeting and let him figure out what works and what doesn't.
Getting back to my meetings in Kenya, as I said, they have not given me cause to complain. The are better organized, more focused and moderated so we keep on point.*
* I can deal with back-to-back-to-back meetings so long as I have time to get some caffeine in the form of a Coke (or two).
Saturday, July 24, 2010
7 IP, 5H, 1ER, 4SO, 1BB. Mets 6, Dodger 1
I am a baseball fan and more specifically a New York Mets fan.* Leaving the New York area meant that I would no longer have the ability to watch Mets games on the TV. I do have Internet access and figured I would give MLB.tv a try, given the time difference I figure that I could catch some of the games in the morning when I woke up or in the evening. Of course I would know the outcome, but just watching the game would be good enough.
* I am a big fan of Nick Hornby's book "Fever Pitch". If you haven't read the book, it is about being a fan the Arsenal football club and how his love has impacted his life. I relate very much to Hornby's connection to the "Gunners" (I'm not as consumed as he is, at least I don't think so**). Hornby's story describes in part how the Arsenal disappoint more than they satisfy, but when they do achieve it is Amazing! I think Mets fans can relate very much to this. Yankee and ManU fans will just never fully understand the thrill of winning it all.
** Does having three Mets jerseys (two authentic and one replica), three Mets baseball caps, a blanket, and a few t-shirts count as consumed? None of the jerseys have names and numbers on them, though I thought about it. And the blanket was bought because it was cold at a Sunday game in 2008. Rationalization, hmmm could be a problem.
** Does having three Mets jerseys (two authentic and one replica), three Mets baseball caps, a blanket, and a few t-shirts count as consumed? None of the jerseys have names and numbers on them, though I thought about it. And the blanket was bought because it was cold at a Sunday game in 2008. Rationalization, hmmm could be a problem.
The New York Mets are currently on West Coast road trip, so their games are start at 10:00 PM EDT (5:00 AM in Eldoret). So it is possible for me to get up and actually watch the game live. I didn't make it up that early today, but I did get up in time to catch the 8th inning. Good enough for me. Any baseball is better than no baseball.
Unfortunately, at the Internet speed at the IU house is not that fast. After about 5 minutes of trying, I simply could not get the video feed to come up. Internet speed is decent, but certain not blistering fast here. I can do work things such as email, web research, browsing. For more intensive things like downloading patch clusters, Linux isos and watching MLB.tv, well Kenya (or the IU compound) is not there. I'm confident they will be someday.
All was not lost, I was able to listen to Howie Rose call the final three outs via the radio feed. Which is plenty good enough for me. As for the title of my post, looks like Johan Santana pitched a gem of a game* and the Mets won 6 to 1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Good way to start a Saturday.
* 7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 4 strike outs, 1 base on balls (7 IP, 5H, 1ER, 4SO, 1BB).
* 7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 4 strike outs, 1 base on balls (7 IP, 5H, 1ER, 4SO, 1BB).
Friday, July 23, 2010
On Mefloquine, Vivid Dreams, and Guitar Amps
Before leaving for Kenya, I started taking Mefloquine to help stave off malaria.* One of the side effects of Mefloquine is the occasional vivid dream. Since being on the malaria medicine, I have found this to be true. Ususally the dreams are filled with excitement and intrigue, my own personal "Michael Bay" feature film. No nightmares or terrors, only action and adventure.
I've hoped for vivid fun dreams, like being in center field (okay playing 2nd base) for the New York Mets, or playing music on stage in front of thousands of fans. But I've not really been able to control these things and properly write, produce and direct the adventure playing out inside my head.
Creature Comforts
I brought one of my electric guitars with me to Kenya. It is a creature comfort and a luxury. I did not however have room for an amp, even a small one. So, I play with a small amp simulator, it works okay, but not as good. I should say that I really love tube guitar amps and that it is too difficult on my ears to play through most solid state amps, even those with amp modeling circuits. Rather than compromise, I opted not to bring anything this time. That and the amp I wanted to bring does not come with a switching power supply to allow it to work in places that use 220V. I really did not relish the idea of packing a voltage transformer to accommodate my desire to add to the noise pollution in Eldoret. Alas the amp will have to wait.*
*My current strategy is to get over to London and pick up what I want** (unless I am lucky enough to find an amp in Nairobi).
** I really want the Bugera V5. A small 5 watt tube amplifier. I really like the tone that this thing produces when connected to my fender stratocaster.
These two seemingly unrelated things came to a "vivid" convergence early this morning. I dreamed about shopping for and buying a new amp. In technicolor and THX sound no less. This is a vivid dream that I can really replay night after night! It is amazing how the mind (under the influence of malaria drugs) can really produce great tone and make me sound as good as the late-great Stevie Ray Vaughan. I think it is time to start shopping for something to plug my guitar into.
* Last time I visited Kenya, I took Malarone, but I was only staying for a few days. The current costs per dose of malarone pushed me to try Mefloquine.
I've hoped for vivid fun dreams, like being in center field (okay playing 2nd base) for the New York Mets, or playing music on stage in front of thousands of fans. But I've not really been able to control these things and properly write, produce and direct the adventure playing out inside my head.
Creature Comforts
I brought one of my electric guitars with me to Kenya. It is a creature comfort and a luxury. I did not however have room for an amp, even a small one. So, I play with a small amp simulator, it works okay, but not as good. I should say that I really love tube guitar amps and that it is too difficult on my ears to play through most solid state amps, even those with amp modeling circuits. Rather than compromise, I opted not to bring anything this time. That and the amp I wanted to bring does not come with a switching power supply to allow it to work in places that use 220V. I really did not relish the idea of packing a voltage transformer to accommodate my desire to add to the noise pollution in Eldoret. Alas the amp will have to wait.*
*My current strategy is to get over to London and pick up what I want** (unless I am lucky enough to find an amp in Nairobi).
** I really want the Bugera V5. A small 5 watt tube amplifier. I really like the tone that this thing produces when connected to my fender stratocaster.
These two seemingly unrelated things came to a "vivid" convergence early this morning. I dreamed about shopping for and buying a new amp. In technicolor and THX sound no less. This is a vivid dream that I can really replay night after night! It is amazing how the mind (under the influence of malaria drugs) can really produce great tone and make me sound as good as the late-great Stevie Ray Vaughan. I think it is time to start shopping for something to plug my guitar into.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Dirty Hands and the Day's Events
Well, I got my hands dirty today. A couple days ago, I did not expect it to happen. Of course, the way I got my hands dirty was not quite what I had in mind. For my first three days at work, I have been taking up a corner of a colleagues desk. Not he most optimal setup, since part of his desk also hosts a printer. They found me some space and a spare desk in an office that was not set up to fully optimize the space. So today along with some help, I re-arranged an office.* And now I have a workspace, a nice chair and even managed to improve the office a bit with some self-stick hooks on a door to hold our coats.
* So it is not racking a server, but it was a nice diversion. And who says racking servers is all that great anyway.
I don't need much, just a place where I can do some work. Speaking of work, I am beginning to understand some things here. The organization structure is more clear to me, the roles that people play with in the structure. I am also beginning to identify some components of what will become the Informatics Services Core (ISC) strategic plan.* Yes, yes, there is still much more work to be done. I need to really get a handle on the myriad of projects underway, queued up in the pipeline and on the drawing board; come up with a change/release management policy and well there is much more.
* I've finally settled on ISC. No more changes, unless I get push back from those above me.
All in all, it was a good day.
* So it is not racking a server, but it was a nice diversion. And who says racking servers is all that great anyway.
I don't need much, just a place where I can do some work. Speaking of work, I am beginning to understand some things here. The organization structure is more clear to me, the roles that people play with in the structure. I am also beginning to identify some components of what will become the Informatics Services Core (ISC) strategic plan.* Yes, yes, there is still much more work to be done. I need to really get a handle on the myriad of projects underway, queued up in the pipeline and on the drawing board; come up with a change/release management policy and well there is much more.
* I've finally settled on ISC. No more changes, unless I get push back from those above me.
All in all, it was a good day.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Traveling with the iPad
I really love my iPad, it is really a great device and has saved my back and shoulders a lot of strain on the trip from the US to Eldoret.
Total travel time from New York to Nairobi was about 18 hours (including layovers). Between sleeping and eating, I was constantly engaged with the iPad. Reading books, watching movies, playing games and listening to music. The reported battery life is 10 hours and I am pretty sure I exceeded that amount of time.
In the past, I would have to lug my books, computer and in the time before mp3s, I would also drag along a set of CDs and a portable player. Not to mention a camera, lenses and who knows what else. On this flight out, I just toted my camera, laptop and iPad and I never touched my laptop.
One regret is that I did not sync up my newspaper apps before getting on the plane.* Would have been cool to catch up on things during the flight.
* Gotta rant** about the current state of magazine subscription prices for the iPad. $4.99 for an issue? How in the world does SI, Wired and other magazines justify that kind of pricing? No paper, no mail costs, no real printing costs. Where is the subscription price? Make the pricing reasonable, give me a 12 month subscription and I will gladly sign on.
** Another rant, though it doesn't really affect me now. Why does MLB.tv have black out restrictions on their games? Is it out of fear of lost local TV ad revenues? Fine, then just air the actual local TV feed (block the away feed) with commercials for those in the local market, now the local station won't lose out on any potential ad revenues. Or is it more complicated than that?
One additional regret, I wish I had purchased the 3G version. Would have been cool to try it out on the Safaricom network (the main local telecom company). Version 2 of the iPad should be out sometime next year, I will upgrade then.
Total travel time from New York to Nairobi was about 18 hours (including layovers). Between sleeping and eating, I was constantly engaged with the iPad. Reading books, watching movies, playing games and listening to music. The reported battery life is 10 hours and I am pretty sure I exceeded that amount of time.
In the past, I would have to lug my books, computer and in the time before mp3s, I would also drag along a set of CDs and a portable player. Not to mention a camera, lenses and who knows what else. On this flight out, I just toted my camera, laptop and iPad and I never touched my laptop.
One regret is that I did not sync up my newspaper apps before getting on the plane.* Would have been cool to catch up on things during the flight.
* Gotta rant** about the current state of magazine subscription prices for the iPad. $4.99 for an issue? How in the world does SI, Wired and other magazines justify that kind of pricing? No paper, no mail costs, no real printing costs. Where is the subscription price? Make the pricing reasonable, give me a 12 month subscription and I will gladly sign on.
** Another rant, though it doesn't really affect me now. Why does MLB.tv have black out restrictions on their games? Is it out of fear of lost local TV ad revenues? Fine, then just air the actual local TV feed (block the away feed) with commercials for those in the local market, now the local station won't lose out on any potential ad revenues. Or is it more complicated than that?
One additional regret, I wish I had purchased the 3G version. Would have been cool to try it out on the Safaricom network (the main local telecom company). Version 2 of the iPad should be out sometime next year, I will upgrade then.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Strategic Planning: Preliminaries
I'm here to help develop the Informatics Services Core (ISC)* for the AMPATH project. I should say from the outset that the guys here are doing a pretty good job. I can sort of see how I will fit in and how to best support their efforts.
This week and probably over the next couple will be my educational period, I am and will be getting exposed to various elements of AMPATH as well as getting a full understanding of scope of the Informatics work. All this information will go into building a strategic plan that will serve as an initial guide for the future of the ISC.
I want the plan to accurately reflect the current state of things and capture the future direction that AMPATH is taking (moving towards primary care delivery). These things are pretty straight-forward. The plan will also make some recommendations and set forth a roadmap for the next two to five years. I understand that things change and so the roadmap should not be seen as set in concrete.
The strategic plan is just the first part and really as I think about it, a small part of what is really going to happen. There are a large number of changes that will be coming soon after this plan is accepted and this is when the real work will begin.*
* When I decided on taking this job, I did so because I thought I would still have the opportunity to get my hands dirty doing some traditional 'techie' work. As I sit here tonight, I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity to do any such 'techie' work. Maybe I'll be able to set up a home network.
We started today just white boarding the work that is being done at the AMPATH center in Eldoret and by the end of the exercise, the white board was pretty crowed. We still need to do something similar for the outlying centers and clinics. Like yesterday, there is a lot of information to take in, organize and make sense of. The team needs to keep teaching me and I need to keep focused and learning.*
* I like writing notes in quad ruled composition books. They're the right size for this sort of thing and the quad rule pages make it easy for the talentless artist in me to sketch out diagrams. Sadly, I never got the chance to get to the university bookstore to pick up a bunch of these books before leaving the US. I need to hunt for them around Eldoret.
I think before too long, I'm going to need to get away for a day or to just to sort everything out and be in a position to take the next steps.
* I am playing with various names for the group. Information Services, Informatics Core, Informatics Services Core. I'll figure this one out before too long and then things will be consistent going forward. It is my second day, so go easy on me.
This week and probably over the next couple will be my educational period, I am and will be getting exposed to various elements of AMPATH as well as getting a full understanding of scope of the Informatics work. All this information will go into building a strategic plan that will serve as an initial guide for the future of the ISC.
I want the plan to accurately reflect the current state of things and capture the future direction that AMPATH is taking (moving towards primary care delivery). These things are pretty straight-forward. The plan will also make some recommendations and set forth a roadmap for the next two to five years. I understand that things change and so the roadmap should not be seen as set in concrete.
The strategic plan is just the first part and really as I think about it, a small part of what is really going to happen. There are a large number of changes that will be coming soon after this plan is accepted and this is when the real work will begin.*
* When I decided on taking this job, I did so because I thought I would still have the opportunity to get my hands dirty doing some traditional 'techie' work. As I sit here tonight, I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity to do any such 'techie' work. Maybe I'll be able to set up a home network.
We started today just white boarding the work that is being done at the AMPATH center in Eldoret and by the end of the exercise, the white board was pretty crowed. We still need to do something similar for the outlying centers and clinics. Like yesterday, there is a lot of information to take in, organize and make sense of. The team needs to keep teaching me and I need to keep focused and learning.*
* I like writing notes in quad ruled composition books. They're the right size for this sort of thing and the quad rule pages make it easy for the talentless artist in me to sketch out diagrams. Sadly, I never got the chance to get to the university bookstore to pick up a bunch of these books before leaving the US. I need to hunt for them around Eldoret.
I think before too long, I'm going to need to get away for a day or to just to sort everything out and be in a position to take the next steps.
Technology Management: Technology and the Law
In 2009 I was awarded an MS degree in Technology Management from Columbia University. The program was really great, though to be honest, I did not take full advantage of all of it. I got out what I put in, which was about 93% out of 100. I am an adult and I made certain choices that I have no problem living with. No complaints, no regrets.
The two year program exposed me to many facets of managing technology (mostly information technology). It is hard to say which course stood out the most, all the subjects find some way to work themselves into my work life.*
* I don't want this to sound like some type of advertisement for the program. It is not, though I will encourage other technologists to look at the Columbia program or others quite like it.
I am not a lawyer, I have had one course that covered aspects of law as it relates to technology managers. That course has given me enough insight to know that there are times when I need to consult a lawyer to help with contracts and other agreements. Because of the course, I think I have enough information so that I can actually communicate with a contract lawyer and understand the gist of the issues. That is the sum total of my expertise and that little bit is very valuable to me.
For those interested in being a technology manager (CIO, CTO, Senior Manager, etc), get familiar with this stuff. It will enter your life whenever you start the process of working with a vendor, particularly as it pertains to custom software development. Make sure you know what you are getting into and really be reasonable about it. It is not just the contract, but also the scope of work that you need to be concerned about.
The two year program exposed me to many facets of managing technology (mostly information technology). It is hard to say which course stood out the most, all the subjects find some way to work themselves into my work life.*
* I don't want this to sound like some type of advertisement for the program. It is not, though I will encourage other technologists to look at the Columbia program or others quite like it.
I am not a lawyer, I have had one course that covered aspects of law as it relates to technology managers. That course has given me enough insight to know that there are times when I need to consult a lawyer to help with contracts and other agreements. Because of the course, I think I have enough information so that I can actually communicate with a contract lawyer and understand the gist of the issues. That is the sum total of my expertise and that little bit is very valuable to me.
For those interested in being a technology manager (CIO, CTO, Senior Manager, etc), get familiar with this stuff. It will enter your life whenever you start the process of working with a vendor, particularly as it pertains to custom software development. Make sure you know what you are getting into and really be reasonable about it. It is not just the contract, but also the scope of work that you need to be concerned about.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 1 in the books
There was a lot covered in day one. Folks were generally happy to have me on board, well they were happy to "finally" have me on board. Plenty of expectations of me and I realize that it will be important to manage the expectations. Managing my own expectations will be tough though.* I can see that there is great promise for what I am going to undertake and a lot of support from my new colleagues.
* I'll get in to more detail about what exactly are my expectations. I will need at least a few days to stop my head from spinning and to get my bearings straight.
Much of the day was spent in conversation. I have ideas, but I really want to hear what the locals* want to do and what are their goals. Along the way I have started to offer some suggestions as to what I think could make a difference. It was a good first day, though there is so much to digest, sort out and distill. I think it will take a few days for me to fully process everything.
* In keeping with the Hawaiian tradition, Kenyan's are locals and I am a Haole (or Muzungu in Swahili). I may one day achieve "kama aina" status in Kenya.
There is of course, not much time. While this is day one of approximately 730, I know time will fly. No pressure though, the first few weeks are crucial. I want to give myself every possible chance to succeed and if I don't get the preliminaries correct, I'll end up wasting a lot of time and effort.
The work day closed with two more meetings and the realization that there is a great deal of promise here. All that is necessary is the same thing that every IT project needs; time, money and a set of deliverables.
* I'll get in to more detail about what exactly are my expectations. I will need at least a few days to stop my head from spinning and to get my bearings straight.
Much of the day was spent in conversation. I have ideas, but I really want to hear what the locals* want to do and what are their goals. Along the way I have started to offer some suggestions as to what I think could make a difference. It was a good first day, though there is so much to digest, sort out and distill. I think it will take a few days for me to fully process everything.
* In keeping with the Hawaiian tradition, Kenyan's are locals and I am a Haole (or Muzungu in Swahili). I may one day achieve "kama aina" status in Kenya.
There is of course, not much time. While this is day one of approximately 730, I know time will fly. No pressure though, the first few weeks are crucial. I want to give myself every possible chance to succeed and if I don't get the preliminaries correct, I'll end up wasting a lot of time and effort.
The work day closed with two more meetings and the realization that there is a great deal of promise here. All that is necessary is the same thing that every IT project needs; time, money and a set of deliverables.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I Am Calling Today "Day 0"
Sunday, July 18, 2010, 9:30 PM (EAT), Eldoret, Kenya:
So today is about over and tomorrow everything begins. Well, that is not entirely accurate.
By profession I am an Information Technology (IT) Manager and I have spent all of my IT career working in the non-profit sector, first in Honolulu, Hawaii and then later in New York working for the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) at Columbia University. Getting to Eldoret, Kenya really started in 2009, a few months after receiving my MS degree in Technology Management from Columbia. Through a lunchtime conversation with the former Chair of the Department, I was told of a potential opportunity in Kenya to help grow the IT group for a major public health project. Intrigued at the possibilities, I set about down the road that brought me here to Eldoret.*
* I should warn you now that I'm taking a cue from Joe Posnanski** and plan to lace my blog with various comments that are at best tangental but more likely off-topic leading to possible confusion for anyone reading this blog. You have been warned.
The point of this first diversion is to let you know that I will explain some of the details of my journey to Africa over time. So I will always have something to write about.
** If you're a sports fan and a fan of good writing, I encourage you to read Joe's Blog.
This conversation occurred sometime around April of 2009 and between then and now, I've made two trips to the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis and one short trip to Kenya in September 2009. In that time, I was introduced to the AMPATH project, got an initial taste of the operations and life in Kenya, and was eventually offered (and accepted) the position of Senior Manager of Global Information Technology* at the Regenstrief Institute, Inc.
* I laughed when I first heard the title. I thought it was a bit over the top, but later learned there is was a reason for the title. I'll explain later, stay tuned.
I was officially offered the position on April 1st, 2010 and officially started working for Regenstrief on June 21st, spending a week in Indianapolis before returning to New Jersey to wrap up everything and move. I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on July 13th and then in Eldoret on July 15th. Since getting here, I have settled into some temporary housing* and have had a chance to rest up. Things get really going tomorrow.
* We have commenced the process of looking for something more permanent and that has already been a fascinating 3 hour adventure.
The title of this post is "I Am Calling Today 'Day 0'" and given the time it has taken to get here, I am not sure when this African adventure started for me personally. Honestly, I could point to an number of different days, and a reasonable argument could be made for any of them. But since this is my life (and my blog post), I'm going to start here.
Tomorrow is officially my "Day 1" and over the next two years, I'll try to explain more in detail how I got here, what I want to accomplish, and how things go on a day-to-day basis. The posts will hopefully occur regularly. In the end, I hope to share my experiences working in different country, in a different culture and with all the constraints and opportunities that come with it.
To close this first post out on day 0, I want to say one thing. I really am looking forward to this opportunity, it will be a chance for me to grow as a professional, as a manager, and really as person. I know there is no way that I will leave this place unchanged.
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