Amaya - ENGL 5383

Frustrations

2010-03-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

In preparation for another class this week, I read some general comments abouts "American culture" in an article. Tops on the list of traits was the fact that "Americans [US citizens] are obsessed with time". "Obsessed". Yes, that was the word used. I thought to myself, "we are NOT 'obsessed'...we just know the value of time!"

At 2pm yesterday I was sitting in a conference room preparing for the board meeting of a large and powerful lanco (landowner company) here in PNG. When I looked at the clock, I noted that although I was present and accounted for, set up and prepared to present my proposal, at a meeting that was scheduled to start at 2pm, I was the only person in the room at that time. [Sigh.] Okay. Perhaps I AM obsessed about time.

Although it did not make the list of generalities about Americans that I had been reading, I also realize that I am way beyond frustrated about my inability to get any commitment to my two grant projects. Everyone I talk to is interested, some even get excited, some use them as a way to introduce me to others, but none 'commit' to anything.

So, I am very frustrated.

And, I honestly don't know what to do next. The meeting 2 weeks ago that I was so excited was FINALLY going to happen, didn't. The Siassi group's director had a family issue to deal with, his wife went into the hospital, and thus the entire meeting was cancelled. Here in the US the meeting would have gone on with the second in line stepping up to take the lead role, but in PNG, the wife's illness was enough to cancel everything.

Unperturbed, (frustrated, but unperturbed) I made a new contact and tried to keep the ball rolling. While eating out at the Chinese equivalent of a KFC here, I was introduced to a man who had just taken over a position similar to head of the school board at a village school. We had just come back from a church service in his village [although the service was conducted completely in Motu, I believe I will NEVER forget the incredible, exotic music service...I was in awe!] When I mentioned my project to him, and the potential to adjust it for his school's needs, he also was excited, exchanged business cards with me, and promised to keep in touch. I am still waiting for him to follow up on my email.

Conclusions

In spite of the fact that I remain frustrated at slow progress and a culture where my offers of help are greeted with excitement, but any organization of individuals committed to following up on the ideas seem to be much more political¹ than I am used to, I believe that BOTH of my projects will be successful in the end. However, I have come to realize that "the end" is something that will arrive long after the semester has come to a close. I continue to plug away at this, and to learn more about PNG cultures (there are a LOT of them) as I go, but have stopped being excited about positive responses and try to focus instead on repeating my attempts to get committed individuals to participate in my efforts.

Footnote¹: It does not seem to be mere hesitation on the part of individuals to proceed whenever interruptions force rescheduling, but rather some kind of sense of political correctness. Politics and organizational hierarchies here seem to be major influencers on decision making. In the case of the director with the sick wife, it did not seem to be fear or inability that kept the others from coming together, but rather a sense of respect for his position that made them decide that waiting another 3-4 weeks would be no imposition. It seems they feel their respect for his position is enough to drive them to wait for his personal situation to improve before moving forward.

Invited to Present

2010-03-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

I have been invited to speak to the organization I'm trying to represent, the Siassi Education Fund, for the 'books' project I am working on. The meeting is scheduled for Sunday afternoon and our goals for the meeting include:

ensuring the group is committed to proceeding with the project
firm committment to handle distribution of any books received
volunteers accept responsibility for follow-up activities (thank-you notes, measures reporting, etc.)
all organizational goals and objectives are documented for [my] use in approaching sponsors

Wish me luck!

Tracking My Packages

2010-03-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

When I left home on February 19, I stopped by the post office on the way to the airport to mail 2 packages. In one box were my TTU textbooks and a handful of others (a couple of novels to give as gifts, some children's books, etc.) and in the other was an old laptop computer. Both boxes were ESSENTIAL to what I am doing in my work and in my education.

Fast-forward 3 weeks and here I sit without my old computer (the one set up to allow me to work remotely for my client ExxonMobil) and without my textbooks. Although I read ahead in all my texts to cover the two weeks I expected it might take for the packages to be delivered, some of the material I read is technical in nature and it is definitely time for a review.

In a side note, I also ordered an item online, a power strip converter, the day that I left. This item arrived here yesterday, courtesy of FedEx.

Of course, everyone asks whether I have tried tracking my package. And of course, I have:

Enroute Departure, February 25, 2010, 1:39 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
International Dispatch, February 25, 2010, 1:39 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
International Dispatch, February 24, 2010, 6:30 pm, FOREIGN CENTERJERSEY CITY NJ 099
Arrival
Arrival
International Dispatch, February 24, 2010, 8:12 am, FOREIGN CENTERJERSEY CITY NJ 099
Acceptance, February 19, 2010, 9:07 am, PORT LAVACA, TX 77979

It seems my package disappeared from New York 2 weeks ago and has not been seen since. This morning I contacted the Postal Service and asked them for help in locating my package. The person I talked to said that I will receive a reply from them, a phone call to my home (where no one will be), in 21 days. Sigh.

Week 8: Preparing Proposals (Required)

2010-03-10T04:56:00.002-08:00

Put up in your blog something you're writing as part of your work and include two questions you want peers/teacher to focus their attention on.

For the first time this semester, I am seriously struggling in this class. I believe I have a handle on my projects, although they are moving MUCH slower than I would have anticipated. [Everything moves slowly in PNG...EVERYTHING.] I also feel like I will be able to put both of my projects into the proper structure with little problem. So, what is it that is making me struggle?

I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY TEXTBOOK HERE, and I'm about out of options.

Over Spring Break my plan is to have my daughter purchase another copy of the textbook, then scan in the readings for weeks 7-14 and email them to me. I can think of no other solution to the problem, but I am DEFINITELY open to suggestions!

I have a meeting scheduled after work tomorrow with my contact for the SEF book project. I'm hoping she will be able to provide me with some much-needed documentation about the group, their mission, and their capabilities with handling books coming into the country. Several of the sources I am pursuing require this information before considering the proposal. As a separate activity, I am also following up the same project scope with an entirely different group (clan, or tribe). Although I could be wrong, it appears that the Southern Highlanders are a bit jealous of my efforts with the Siassi Island people. So, I've offered to pursue the same kind of activity with them. No worries. For me, it's a win-win situation. Still, I welcome any and all comments on this issue and the wisdom of my strategy.

My other project, while still garnering a lot of interest, is floundering a bit. Perhaps because of improper planning on my part, moving forward in this project is currently waiting on feedback from a single [politically powerful] individual. In addition to things moving slowly in PNG, some situations seem to be more complex than I am used to. For example, today I met the second of this leader's three wives. Another of my business partners explained that this personal situation occasionally negatively impacts his business activities. The point of my story here is that even though I studied, asked questions, worked at keeping an open-mind, and tried to minimize my expectations about my activities here, I still was NOT prepared for trying to operate under these conditions.

So, my question to you all should be relatively obvious...what can I do? Any ideas about accessing missing textbooks (I'm pretty sure mine are sitting in a quarantine area here in the country), about pressuring an overwhelmed leader to respond to my requests for an audience with the "right people", and about dealing with a people who see value in the projects I am proposing but are hampered by cultural influences that slow progress down to a crawl, would really be welcome here!

Week 7: Workweek (Required)

2010-02-24T04:41:00.001-08:00

I have meetings scheduled in the next week for both of my projects, and am very excited about them both. I have a breakfast meeting with the head of one of the local landowner groups (LANCOS) scheduled in the morning. This man is in a key position to provide financial funding for my Laptop project, but even more importantly, has a strong vested interest in the prospect of utilizing the project to generate some goodwill among the tribes he represents.

In recent weeks, there have been some unexpected tribal conflicts that are working against business interests in the region. Sadly, the fighting has resulted in loss of life on several sides. Our meeting tomorrow is intended to brainstorm ideas for getting the tribes to work together for the common good of the region and demonstrate how shared efforts will be more productive, and more profitable, in the long run. This idea of establishing a classroom pilot project for distributing laptops and providing technical training for their use is one of the topics to be discussed. Although the project is limited enough in scope so as to affect only a handful of students in the pilot phase, the idea of working together to provide such technical resources to the community is one that will get talked about and, hopefully, contribute to feelings of toleration and coordination. I hope to have news to report at next week’s class meeting about my success (or lack thereof) in pursuing this project with the help of the LANCOS.

I also made contact with my friend Grace about her SEF library book project this evening. I arranged for a handful of children’s books to be shipped in to the country before I left home and am hoping they will arrive on Friday. Grace and I will be meeting after the books arrive so I can hand them off to her, as a sign of my intention to pursue this project vigorously, and we will discuss the scheduled SEF board meeting to make sure that the information I need for the grant applications is all determined and agreed upon by them. Although I have a couple of strong funding candidates for this project, as I moved about town today I tried to make a note of companies in the area that have a history of funding education projects in the areas where they do business. I picked up two new possible funding sources to follow up on between now and our meeting.

Week 6: Introductory Paragraph(s) (Required)

2010-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Note: Words italicized in the paragraphs below come directly from the source documents indicated.

Project: Laptops Grant

The Papua New Guinea Department of Education has an established tradition of consistently seeking to achieve a better future¹ for the people of Papua New Guinea. At Herries Engineering and Technical Services, we are actively seeking to find ways to contribute to this tradition by supporting high quality technical and business education and training programs² in PNG that will increase opportunities for all³. We believe that one of the most effective ways to provide support is by partnering with a training institute to provide inexpensive laptops, free software, access to oil and gas industry experts, and classroom support for these materials and people. Although our plan calls for the mentoring of students by industry experts currently represented in a large part by expatriates, because we are targeting the development of PNG nationals in technical training programs, our proposal mimics our company objective to reduce dependence on expatriate expertise⁴ over time. In pursuit of these common goals, we are seeking to partner with the PNG Department of Education and a technical institute of higher learning within Papua New Guinea in a tri-lateral partnership between government, industry, and academia⁵ as a strategy for sustainable development of human resources⁶ by establishing a pilot program for providing technology equipment, materials, and expertise in a technical training classroom setting.

¹The tagline on the Department of Education’s National Plan for Education 2005 to 2014. (Document link)
²Minor outcome T2, National Plan for Education.
³Minor outcome T1, National Plan for Education.
⁴Minor outcome T3, National Plan for Education.
⁵Remarks made by Minister for Higher Education Research Hon Michael Ogio during the 6th Huon Seminar and 2nd Science and Technology Conference. (Article link)
⁶Ibid

Project: Library Books Grant

Caterpillar is known for its active involvement¹ in the communities where they conduct business and for helping solve local problems by contributing to welfare and prosperity² in those communities. Our organization, the Siassi Education Foundation (SEF), is similarly focused on community involvement and improvements that benefit the youth in our community. We are providing a unique service³ to our community by providing library books to the inhabitants of Siassi Island, Papua New Guinea, that would not otherwise be available to them. The effectiveness of our program will easily be measured by its outcomes⁴, those of promoting literacy, encouraging students to stay in school, and providing access, via literature, to a world of experiences outside of what are currently available to Siassi Islanders. We have located an organization willing to donate 2,000 used library books to the SEF and would like to partner with the Caterpillar Foundation to help provide the shipping charges required to get the books delivered to our organization.

^{1, 2}Caterpillar Foundation webpage (link)
^{3, 4}Grant Information webpage (link)

Week 5: Logical Sequence Posting (Required)

2010-02-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

For the process of helping the Siassi Education Foundation (SEF) seek funding for the distribution of books (via a library system) to students on Siassi Island, one of the foundations that appears to be a good match is the Caterpillar Foundation. Caterpillar is the manufacturer of large equipment for a variety of industrial purposes, but their presence in Papua New Guinea is related to the mining industry. Although mining is not pursued on Siassi Island, the grant foundation states that, "we use our strengths and resources to improve the lives of our neighbors around the world" and further state that "the majority of our efforts are focused where Caterpillar employees work and live", so we believe the SEF would be a viable candidate for funding.

The application provided by the Caterpillar Foundation appears to be detailed and provides guidance for its completion. For working with a newly established foundation like SEF, this could be a great place to start. Also, the information and materials asked for in the Caterpillar Foundation application seem to be along the same lines as that required by a number of other organizations, so going through the exercise of preparing documentation should provide us with documents that will serve other grant-seeking purposes later.

Posted below is a simplified (overview) flowchart for preparing and completing the Caterpillar Foundation application. [Note: Click on the image to see a larger version in your browser window.]

New Project to Pursue

2010-02-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

I was starting to get a little concerned about having "all my eggs in one basket". Our instructions this semester have us following at least two funding exercises. While the one I have outlined up to this point is so very large and complex that it's already taking up a good deal of my time, I really had no idea what I was going to do for a "second" activity. But...I found one!

Part of my preparations for relocating overseas have included efforts at making "friends" before I arrive. I have cultivated several online friendships and have plans to follow up on them, with in-person contact, once I arrive in Port Moresby (POM). Last week, I made friends with Grace Maribu, a woman who works for the city in POM. She had posted a request from her friends on Facebook to help gather up used children's books and make them available near her home on Siassi Island. I did a little preliminary looking around and discovered that there are plenty of organizations that will donate books to a good cause with some requirements and restrictions. So, I wrote Grace and asked if she would mind if I tried to pursue the project for my class. Since we've begun to talk about it, she and I have both become rather excited about the prospect. Here is a copy of her note to me:

Dear Mrs Amaya,

You are a God-send! And I was thinking of just collecting some old books lying around!! :) Thank you so much for your wonderful heart of giving and trying to help people who are basically strangers to you. (OMG!!) Please, do get in touch with me! I will be most happy to discuss this.

Siassi Island has, for the last 25 years, been badly neglected in terms of government service - roads have now been reduced to bush tracks, health services have deteriorated, economy is stagnant because of the lack of good transportation, schools just get by with very high drop-out rate, our only high school hardly puts through students to matriculate at upper secondary high schools (grade 11 & 12)...and the list just goes on!

Proper primary school libraries are unheard of on the island, so, in my case, I just went 'wild' when, upon arrival at the high school in 1984, I discover a building full of books! So many books, and so much beauty in them, so much you can get out of them! Apparently, an American teacher (I'm still trying to locate her on FB and thank her properly), part of your country's volunteer corps, ended up at our high school to teach English and stocked the school's little library with everything from Nancy Drew to Charles Dickens to Times. And I devoured every one of them! I just couldn't find enough time to read! In the library, in class when I was supposed to be doing work, at meal times, even under the sheets with a torch because the school generator had to be switched off at 11pm! LOL!....sorry, I am making this too verbal!

Point I am trying to make is, today, Siassi children are not as privileged as some of us have been. I know the power of literacy because I had benefited from a working system. If I can help restore at least one aspect of that collapsed system, say, perhaps restore one important library on the island, or build some small ones, maybe, just maybe, it will help toward rebuilding and restoration on Siassi.

Please, do get in touch with me.
Best of Regards,
Grace.

Week 4: Mission Statement (Required)

2010-02-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Last week we talked about how a mission statement, in a way, is a thesis statement. A thesis is an opinion presented as a statement that needs evidence to support it. For your blog post, relate a single statement that serves to "manage change" as your primary thesis in your mission statement. What problems might a reader have with it? How will you mitigate those problems?

Our mission is to establish a pilot project in Papua New Guinea to provide potential gas field workers with the technical tools--in the form of inexpensive netbooks, free software, and applicable training--that will help prepare them to become qualified to compete with ex-pat talent for positions opening up in the field in that country over the next few years.

There are several problems that a reader might have with this mission statement.

Problem: The project being proposed is itself complex, on a number of levels. Readers familiar with the situation in PNG, especially those who have seen similar situations develop in the past (in Nigeria, for example) will need a lot less information than those with little knowledge of the problems involved.

Mitigation: If at all possible, the organizations approached for grant funding should be knowledgeable about the LNG industry and about PNG.

Problem: The mission is highly specialized, aimed at taking advantage of a single, albeit large and potentially very lucrative for those involved, project.

Mitigation: Some effort should be expended to demonstrate how the project could potentially benefit other industries and other targeted individuals. For example, the logging industry is large in the country, but largely run by Australian and Asian companies. Demonstrating that the pilot project could be rolled out in this scenario as well might give it a better chance at attracting grant monies.

Problem: Some companies, especially larger US-based companies, may not find the concept of "free software" exciting, or even viable.

Mitigation: We need to ensure that the proposal treats this topic very carefully, pointing to research that indicates the skill set needed to excel in OpenOffice, for example, is very similar to the skill set needed for the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Week 3: Presentation Methods (Required)

2010-01-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

As part of my job duties for the past 7 years, I create, and present, presentations of all kinds. The number one tool I use is PowerPoint. I use it, not because it is the best (it isn't!), not because I have seen a lot of excellent examples (I haven't!), but only because it is the easiest. I have created web-based presentations based on Camtasia captures, largely for the purpose of instructing someone in how to perform a computer based activity. I have also created Flash presentations, but these are by far the most time-consuming efforts. Many of my classroom presentations were created in html rather than PowerPoint, but this can also be a bit of work for me. In my opinion, there is no perfect presentation tool, but...I strongly believe that most of the "failed" presentations I have viewed--those that don't come up to the minimum standards that I expect--are the fault of the presenter, and her failure to understand the audience, the message, and the delivery, and NOT of the tool.

So, I went in search through my notes and links and thought I would provide here a set of EXAMPLES of presentations that, in some way, "touch" me as an audience member (and make me jealous as a would-be presenter!) Enjoy.

The Lessig Method: A wonderful minimalist example of delivering audio content that is supported by PowerPoint, and not the other way around. The clip is long, but only a few slides in and you'll see what I mean. This method has a drawback in that the speaker must be able to carry the presentation with his voice and the content of his speech.
Hans Rosling: Asia's rise: If you've never seen Rosling in action, you're in for a treat. He is a master at presenting statistical data in a way that excites and informs. The first part of the clip is basically an introduction, but if you are patient, you can see how he uses slides to support and enhance his talk.
ShiftHappens: This is the presentation that convinced me to try out the online "SlideShare" tool. I still post SlideShare content on occasion. It's only real drawback is the lack of audio. Watch this show in full screen to be really wowed. Amazing that it can command so much attention with no sound at all.
Meet Henry: This is some top-notch advertising. Takes only a few minutes to watch, and is well worth it. Check it out.
SlideShare Most-Favored: Since the last couple of presentations utilized SlideShare, I thought I'd point you to the page with SlideShare's "Most favored presentations of all time".
Creative Commons Movie (flash): This movie has great content, the message is delivered by combining musical soundtracks, voice-over, and moving graphics elements in a flash presentation designed to hold user attention.

Good Feedback

2010-01-22T08:12:00.001-08:00

We were able to review some first drafts in class on Tuesday night, an activity which was so very helpful. When mine came up for comment, there were quite a lot of comments and suggestions. You might think that would be disheartening, but that is just so not true. As a whole, the class seems really good about avoiding criticism and providing helpful feedback instead. I hope to take another shot at my rough draft tomorrow, adjusting for the helpful comments received from classmates. That's the kind of input that makes our work, the collective work of all of us, better.

Week 2: Needs Statement, First Draft (Required)

2010-01-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

The country of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is poised to participate in a national liquefied natural gas (LNG) development project (PNG-LNG) that could transform the economy of the country and more than double its current gross domestic product. During the project's initial construction phase, although up to 7,500 full time jobs will be created by the venture, less than 20% of these will be filled by local workers¹ and most of those will be positions for unskilled laborers.

The PNG National Education Plan 2005-2014² points out that the lack of computer labs, lack of funds to purchase training materials, and a shortage of teachers have all impeded progress toward technical training goals. The report also notes that hardware and software is out-of-date and sometimes non-existent and that universities have tended to rely on donor assistance for computer purchases in the past, noting that most often, it is without the resources and capacity to actually maintain them.

Herries-ETS, a nationally owned engineering services company located in PNG, has a primary business goal of developing excellent engineering and technical services in the region. A secondary goal, however, involves pursing programs to train PNG nationals to take over some of these positions as they become skilled and qualified to do so. This goal is in recognition of the fact that, while there may not be a large number of persons currently trained to work in jobs in the oil and gas industry, the project is long-term enough to provide future opportunities for students who begin now to prepare. Improving opportunities for filling local positions with national employees increases the economic benefits from industry growth at personal, local, regional, and national levels. At Herries-ETS, we intend to positively impact the situation by actively supporting and participating in training opportunities in technical fields.

Herries-ETS is currently seeking to enter into a three-way partnership with a government entity and a technical university in PNG. Our program includes providing inexpensive laptop computers and free software to technical students along with training in how to use these tools in technical situations common in the industry. By utilizing industry experts in delivering the training, we expect to introduce real-life scenarios and opportunities for students to use in developing workplace skills that make them competitive in the oil and gas job market.

We are seeking funding in the amount of $9,000 kina for the purchase of 20 laptop computers, with wireless mice, protective sleeves, and 8GB memory cards. The amount stated is half of the amount needed; the remaining $9,000 kina will be provided by Herries-ETS. Herries-ETS will also provide one qualified instructor to deliver instruction and guidance in both the technical aspects of the computers, and in technical report writing. Partnership with a technical university in PNG will ensure the training is provided as part of a credit-based program within a technical program already in place.

¹ PNG LNG Economic Impact Study, 2009 <http://www.pnglng.com/media/pdfs/publications/acil_tasman_impact_study_revision_01.pdf>

² Published in 2004. <http://www.pm.gov.pg/images/APPROVED_PNGNEP2005-2014.pdf>

Needs Statement Review (Required)

2010-01-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

When I read the first draft of Jean Martinez's need statement (p. 37), although I would have been hard pressed to describe the exact causes, I still felt the statement was a little lacking. The first thing that jumped out at me were the constant references to CENTRO, making them appear to be the most important topic in the discussion. There were claims made, but not supported, and details about the proposed solution were missing altogether.

The second draft of the statement was more to my liking (p. 39). The context, aspect, and organization were clearly defined up front; the discussion of why CENTRO was the organization to tackle the problem, how the solution was going to be implemented, and exactly what was being requested was explained clearly, but concisely, in the last paragraph. At this point, I actually could not see what was missing from the document.

However, after reading the rest of the material, I could clearly see there were still flaws in the draft statement. The final revision (p. 68) includes the emotional ("appeal to pathos") story of Rosa, then launches into the details starting with some much needed support data, statistics regarding the specific problem and the area where the solution is to be implemented.

Overall, I struggle just a bit with the fact that this needs statement is so long, a bit prosaic, and measured against the documents I am used to presenting, a bit overly detailed. In my current business dealings, the people and organizations I interact with are hard-pressed for time and value concision above almost all else—a kind of "just the facts ma'am" mentality. I can see that part of my challenge in this class will be to overcome my tendencies to present charts and graphs in place of discussions and to state the facts as impersonally as possible. I am beginning to see that the organizations I currently deal with, and their norms and requirements, are not necessarily representative of all granting institutions. I feel I have a lot to learn about appealing to the pathos, about the fact that external organizations need to be convinced of my organization's credibility, using ethos, and to make sure that logos is not the overriding technique used in the attempt at rhetorical persuasion.

Second Guessing

2010-01-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

After making my way through chapters 1 and 2 in the text, I spent much of the day second guessing my choice of projects. It seems there is a real "formula" for the pursuit of grant monies, and my project doesn't exactly fit the mold. In the first place, I am not seeking funding for an established organization, but rather for a new initiative; one that has no charter, goals, or objectives outlined yet.

My problem/solution/proposal scenario involves 3 entities. The one that will be providing half of the grant money is my own organization. Although I have to convince my partners to provide the cash and support me in my efforts, I don't think that will take a whole lot of effort on my part. I am the Chief Operating Officer for the company and a major shareholder.

The second half of the grant money should come from the Papua New Guinea government. Although I don't believe that convincing them to participate in the program will be difficult, culturally there are a lot of barriers to navigate around, and a lot that I still have to learn. And honestly, their political support and buy-in is much more valuable to the project than any financial support.

The third part of the project involves a university sponsor in PNG. I am looking for someone with a program producing engineers or technicians. I am also looking for a small (10-20) pilot group of students who would benefit greatly from having laptops, software, and training for a semester.

Because my problem does not fit the established grant-seeking pattern, my first instinct was to try something else. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that THIS is what I really want to do. So, my next step will be to formulate an argument and present it to my instructor, an argument for letting me pursue this more unusual path of seeking minor funding and major support for a pilot project with the potential for some real growth. I believe that the same skills will be required. I will need to learn as much as I can about the target organizations (the PNG government and a PNG university), I will need to formulate a plan that is workable and provides benefits to all three entities involved in the effort, and I will need to be able to document, present, and persuade in order to make any real progress. Yes...I think I will still give this a shot. Wish me luck!

Week 1: Introduction (Required)

2010-01-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Image: Port Moresby, PNG, Oct-09

Last semester, in my first class as a PhD student, Dr. Zdenek's Foundations of Technical Communication, my seminar paper involved a proposal that I believe I would like to follow up on this semester. That paper was titled, "A study for implementing a program to provide Papua New Guinea nationals with technology tools and training to help them prepare for entry into the PNG LNG job market".

Abstract: The country of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is participating in a natural gas development project that could transform the economy of the country. Only a small percentage of jobs that will be created can be filled by local workers, most being positions for unskilled laborers. In PNG, laptop computers and software suites are largely unavailable to students and others preparing for entry into the technical workforce. The purpose of this paper is to recommend a solution for providing technical tools, in the form of inexpensive netbooks and free software, in an effort to prepare them to compete for positions.

The first of my recommendations involves establishing a "tri-lateral partnership" agreement between government, industry, and academia. This is, in part, in response to comments made by the PNG Minister for Higher Education Research, Science and Technology, Hon Michael Ongio, in his closing remarks at the 6th Huon Seminar and 2nd Science and Technology Conference held in August 2009. In his remarks he said, "Having an abundance of primary resources is no guarantee for wealth, however a well educated and developed human resources contributes to economic development." He furthermore emphasized the need for internal and external partnerships in order to work toward system improvements, "especially the need to build upon tri-lateral partnerships between government, industry and academia"(link).

It is this trilateral partnership proposal that I hope to finalize this semester.

Although it is not possible that my drafting of even a perfect document would result in solving the complex problem of preparing PNG national workers to fill technical positions in the region, I believe that a trilateral partnership agreement would be a start in the right direction. In framing such a solution, the three areas of interest could actually work together to make a real, and hopefully lasting, contribution to the future of workers in Papua New Guinea.

Personal Introduction

2010-01-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

I currently own a small business in Houston [Amaya Consulting] providing database solutions for a business segment of ExxonMobil. I recently entered into a joint venture with a company in Papua New Guinea (PNG) [Herries Engineering and Technical Services] to provide engineering services to players in the booming liquefied natural gas (LNG) business in that country [PNG-LNG]. In order to participate successfully in that industry, I am looking foward to learning how to draft documents that are organized, properly formatted, informative, and most importantly, persuasive. An additional goal this semester is to successfully draft a propsal for a 3-way collaborative effort between my joint venture, a PNG university, and a PNG government entity. The goal of this collaboration is to provide, starting with a small trial, inexpensive computers and software, along with technical training in their use, for higher education students to use in preparing to enter the workforce in the oil and gas business in that region.