The regional management meeting of MENA RST provided UNAIDS country offices, the RST, and cosponsors country focal points an opportunity to develop their 2010-2011 work plans under the global Outcome Framework and finalize their six-month monitoring and evaluation action plans for quality UNGASS reporting. The meeting was followed by a three-day skills building sessions on gender, difficult conversation skills and Human Rights based approach for HIV programming.

 USSA interactions with MENA staff was not only limited to the staff association session that took place in the afternoon of the third day, but USSA also had several one-to-one conversations with staff who wanted to reflect on particular concerns and enquire about certain information.

In its presentation, the staff association clearly and proactively articulated the key concerns of staff in MENA, presenting to staff, the upcoming RST Director, and senior HR management a list of persisting common concerns in 2009. These include the unresolved issues of short term contracts and the implications of retroactive signing of contracts; the understaffing in MENA compounded by the heavy workload; difficulties in implementing the work life balance policy and lack of time to explore training opportunities; as well lack of clear terms of reference and division of tasks and responsibilities.

USSA also referred to some HR-related problems, such as the insufficient training opportunities for staff, which HR management has already taken action to resolve.

In presenting achievements of the staff association in 2008, USSA urged staff to be more responsible and active in the implementation of policies they had earlier called for, including the work life balance and diversity policies and provide feedback and comments on strategies they had earlier requested and that were realized through the engagement of the staff association such as the communication strategy.

Dr Hind Khatib, new Director of MENA RST, emphasized commitment to work with the staff association, diffuse current anxieties related to the new management of RST and willingness to communicate on decisions transparently, timely and in consultation with staff.

An exhausted local straff member Un employé local éreinté

Organizing a Regional Management Meeting is an exhausting task and we would like to pay tribute to the hard work of the Regional Support Team in Dakar. Linking with the hotels to organize the conference, reserving hotel rooms, food, drinks, technical support, a local secretariat, live translation, photographers, drivers, shuttles, evening events and dinners and all the ad hoc day to day requests … This is was a huge effort from the entire RST  during the past 4 days and once all of this is over they deserve a well-earned rest !

Thanks to the entire team !!

L’organisation d’une réunion régionale de management est une tache éreintante et nous devons faire hommage à la montagne de travail fait par l’équipe de support régionale à Dakar. Faire la liaison avec les hotels pour organiser la conférence, réserver les chambres, la nourriture, les boisons, le support technique, un secrétariat local, les traductions en direct, les photographes, chauffeurs, navettes, événements en soirée et toutes les demandes imprévues au jour le jour… C’est un énorme boulot de la part du bureau de Dakar pour que nous nous sentions à la maison pendant ces 4 jours et une fois que tout est fini ils méritent un bon repos bien mérité !

Merci à toute l’équipe !!