Life at MONUC

Below are some questions I’ve been asked about working in the DRC on a United Nations military compound. I’ve tried to explain a bit about how life is here, but will add some more to this list later. Please feel free to ask me about any aspect of life here and I’ll try to answer your questions.

 1.    Are you working within the UN compound?

Yes, there are more than 10 compounds here in Kinshasa, and I work in one called Congo Bat. This compound has mostly administration, operations, and logistics offices.

Basically the procedure is that I am picked up at my hotel each morning by either a GIS staff member who’s heading to the office, or I catch a MONUC transport bus that goes that way. We pass through security checkpoints, park the vehicle and head into the office.

We break for a half hour lunch period somewhere around 1:00, walking up to the MONUC cafeteria where they have discounted pricing for those on the compound (usually around $6.50 for lunch).

After lunch its back to the office, where I continue until one of the guys tells me he’s going to be passing by my hotel. Otherwise, I have to get the transport bus back to the hotel (one leaves every ½ hour up until 7:00pm).

I’m pretty much stuck at the hotel unless one of my colleagues is heading out someplace – the grocery store, a bank, dinner, or if lucky, a pub. UN security here states that UN vehicles must be off the streets by midnight Sunday – Thursday, and 2:00am on Friday and Saturday.

2.    Are you working with UN Staffers?

Yes again. I work with 10 people here in this office, and the field offices have another 6 or 7 people working with GIS. Most of the field offices have military GIS staff, though not everyone. The staff here is a combination of UN staff members as well as volunteers, with the main difference being the amount they are paid each month – volunteers only get a stipend and no actual pay, while staffers get both and the mandatory paid breaks every 8 weeks (more about that below).

3.    Is there any talent there to help you or are you on your own?

While the staff here is quite knowledgeable, they see me as being the “expert” and the one and only reason that I’m here is to show them how to produce VMap Level 2 standard maps (normally used by combat troops). I do ask for their assistance on many issues, but for the most part I’m on my own. They have no expertise onsite in Defense mapping or data extraction from satellite imagery (see below for more).

4.    Are you training UN Staffers as you go?

No! Training will actually come as one of the final pieces of this project. There are Standard Operating Procedures that I am/have to write up on each portion of the mapping project, but actual training will not happen until the 2 pilot areas have been mapped by me, and are okayed by those in charge here.

5.    What is the working situation, do you have an office, is the equipment, computers etc. yours or theirs?

I do have an air conditioned office and use their equipment, most of which is fairly new. I have also brought my personal laptop and use it here as well sometimes, especially the USB Jump Drive. One of the problems with the software here is that they haven’t enough licenses for some of the ArcGIS extensions (i.e., Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst – which are all they have anyhow.) Additionally, the actual extensions that I’ll need to finish the project aren’t here yet, even though it went through the procurement process last year. I have to use a trial version of that software (PLTS for Defense Solutions).

6.    Do you have to leave the compound, assuming that is where you are working, to do work?

The only time that I’ve had to leave the compound was to go to the GIS conference in Entebbe, Uganda. That MONUC base is centrally located and was the easiest access for all field offices to reach.

Field work is actually taken care of by the field offices, with data being transferred back to Kinshasa.

7.    How many days of the week do you work. 

The normal work week here is from about 8:30am until about 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Most staff then comes in on Saturdays for a 2-3 hour period at their leisure.

8.    Are your hours typical of an American company or do they work varying hours?

See above answer.

9.    Are there any customs that are very different than if you were working here?

Yes, they are different. Other than working with an extremely diverse group of people from around the globe, the biggest difference here is that it is REQUIRED that all staff members take a 1 week “vacation” for every 8 weeks of active duty. This causes an extremely rotating schedule, and is one of my (and their) biggest difficulties. Staff members come and go all based upon when they started, and not according to a preset vacation calendar.

In addition, staff here are on limited contracts and must either renew by opting to stay here, rotate to another MONUC mission, or leave the UN completely. Contracts range from just a few months to a year, with the average being 6 months.

Of course language can also be a barrier. While English is the official MONUC language, French is the Congo’s primary language (as are the various African dialects). Still, most people converse in their own primary language first, and then try English second.

10.  Are we making positive progress?

Bit by bit yes. But I could always use additional support and training. In the end though, only the guys in charge here will know for sure if I’m on the correct path or not.

Let’s hope I am…

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