SharePoint Governance Management Plan Roles and Responsibilities Template

3.2.1      Roles. Governance Council: Executive Sponsor

Role:  Provides executive-level sponsorship for the SharePoint environment.  The primary responsibility of the Executive Sponsor is strategic, positioning SharePoint as a critical mechanism for achieving business value and helping to communicate the value of the SharePoint environment to the management levels of the the company.  The Executive Sponsor is also the designated System Owner from a security perspective.

Position:  TBD

Background:  the company invests millions of dollars each year in technology tools, with the intent to provide productivity gains and work enhancement for the user community.  It would be beneficial to have a senior leader sponsor major investments, such as SharePoint, in order to signal that effective use of the tool(s) is important to the enterprise.  Governance of use needs to be taken seriously so that the desired functionality of the tool(s) has a better chance of being realized.

Owner:  Governance Council

Approval Date:  December 31, 2012, by Governance Working Group

Expiration Date:  December 31, 2014

 

Revision History: 

 

Date	Change
December 31, 2012,	Original

 

Related Policies:

 

Policy Number	Policy Change

 

SharePoint Governance Management Plan Policy Template

Here is an example of the policy for using Alerts.  This should give you a format to complete all the policies in the Table of Contents in an earlier blog.

5.1.1 SharePoint Features. Use: Alerts

Policy Statement:  The use of alerts on SharePoint sites is fully enabled provided all applicable governance policy is followed.

Description:  Alerts are messages that inform users when content that they are interested in changes in some way.  An alert message can be delivered in an e-mail message or in a Web Part on a SharePoint site.  Users can choose to receive alerts about a relevant content source, such as a document library or a list.  These alerts help users stay current with the latest version of the content that is important to their work.

Background:  Alerts provide a mechanism for users to be informed of changes to information that is important to them.  When considering subscribing to an alert, a user should consider the number of changes expected (each will generate a notification), and the frequency at which they need to be informed of changes.  Immediate alerts on any changes to an active site or document library can generate a large volume of notifications in the user’s mailbox, but changing the frequency of the notification to a daily or weekly digest of notifications, or reducing the number of items with alerts to only those of importance, can significantly reduce the volume of notifications.

Owner:  Governance Council

Approval Date:  December 31, 2013, by  Governance Working Group

Expiration Date:  December 31, 2015

 

Revision History: 

 

Date	Change
July 31, 2014	Original

 

Related Policies:

 

Policy Number	Policy Change

 

Travelling Ethiopian Airlines

When flying to Djibouti, I always took the least expensive route. I would fly from Atlanta to Washington International Airport to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Djibouti City, Djibouti. It was a long trip and sometimes you would get stops not placed on the ticket itinerary. For example, the plane would stop in Europe to refuel. Nobody could leave the plane and the plane would be on the ground for 3 hours. Add this to the thirty plus hour journey. Add a stop in Dire Dawa on the way to Djibouti City, and it just keeps getting longer and longer. When I left Djibouti for the last time, my flight left Djibouti City late. I was arriving late to the terminal and they almost did not let me check-in. After pleading and calling a supervisor they let me check-in. In the waiting room, I learned the flight was delayed by two hours. It is a 45 minute flight and my connection was 20 minutes. I mentioned to the flight attendant that I would not make my connection in Addis. The attendant said they would hold the flight in Addis. I have learned in Africa that you can’t really trust what people say. My choice was to stay in Djibouti or take my chances in Addis. Now the flight to Washington, DC leaves Saturday and Wednesdays. Missing the flight was not good, since I was scheduled to start training with my new employer, Booz Allen Hamilton on Monday. So, I boarded the plane and when we arrived in Addis, I missed my flight to Washington. I had to rebook the connections. There was a counter to do the rebooking. There were several planes that arrived with the same problem. I get into line. Three hours later, the people at the front of the line were the same people when I arrived. The line keeps growing and growing. Needless to say, many customers were upset and at wits end. The funniest thing is to see a German get really mad. I arrived at 6PM. At 12:30AM, I was told I would be booked on a flight through Heathrow Airport. At 3:00AM I was told the flight had left and I was not booked on it. They said it was overbooked. I don’t really know the real reason. At 6AM, they told me to go to a local hotel. You would think that Ethiopian Airlines deals with this problem time and again. Of course, they deal with it every day and every day it is like it is the first time each time. When I flew on my flight on Monday with a connection in Brussels, I saw the same line up at the counter. They may have had even the same people in the front of the line as yesterday, still waiting and arguing.

When I flew to Brussels, I flew the Boeing Dreamliner’s maiden voyage for Ethiopian Airlines. You could see the pride of Ethiopian Airlines to have the most advanced aircraft. In Brussels, they had a fire truck waiting for arrival and sprayed the plane down with water in celebration of the maiden flight.

In East Africa, khatt is not illegal. It is chewed in many countries, such as Djibouti. In Djibouti, the President’s wife has some sort of monopoly in the khatt trade and they are very wealthy. Very, very wealthy. Khatt has a shelf life of only a couple of days. It must be flown everywhere and Ethiopian Airlines is the carrier that is key to the distribution of Khatt. When Ethiopian Airlines flight arrives, a truck pulls up and they unload the Khatt and a police escort travels to the distribution point. Ethiopian Airlines delivers khatt all over East Africa. With khatt distribution so central to Ethiopian Airlines, it is no wonder they have such terrible customer service. Passengers are definitely not the key business.

I left Djibouti in September 10 and was leaving Djibouti on September 11. That was an anniversary I did not want to fly back to the United States from the Middle East and North Africa. Unfortunately my orientation training began on the Monday. I was flying out to Brussels and would arrive in Washington on Tuesday evening. What was unfortunate is I missed the Ethiopian New Year. In Ethiopia, they celebrate New Years in mid-September. This is important when planning a trip to the region. Unlike the Roman calendar that have the same number of days each month and then pack the last month to make the 365 days. I really regret missing New Years. Also, the Christians in Ethiopia are Ethiopian Orthodox and since ancient times were appointed by the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. They celebrate Christmas when Christians following the Roman Catholic calendar celebrate the Three Kings – January 6^th. I gave my son a choice of celebrating Christmas with the orthodox. The advantage is he gets more toys because we can buy them on sale. He said, “cool Dad!”

Ethiopia has many languages and many ethnic people. The country has established Amharic as the common language of the all the people. They teach Amharic to everyone. Like in Tanzania, Swahili is the official language that everyone speaks in the country. In Ethiopia, Amharic is the language of trade and commerce. I sometimes think what if they used English as the common language. What an advantage they would have had in global commerce. Instead, they have their own alphabet. Think about computers, how hard it is to find an Amharic keyboard. Their alphabet is so much larger than the Roman alphabet. It is too bad that they have put their country at such a disadvantage. Since most people have to learn Amharic in schools, it would be such an advantage to teach English instead. In the region, the Arabic language is exploding. Satellite television is broadcast from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Arabic television is dominating East Africa and with it comes the Arabic language. They do Broadcast Ethiopian Broadcast Service (EBS) and Ethiopian television station run out of Washington, DC. On the Internet, you can watch Ethiopian TV at:

http://www.ethiopian.tv/

It is not the same production standards at Hollywood, but it is interesting. Watch the Sew Le Sew Ethiopian drama. Every Ethiopian must tune in and watch it every Wednesday night. Also, for music listen to Teddy Afro. Reggae is big in Ethiopia and the Rastafarian movement traces incorporates the symbolism of Ethiopia.

Djibouti: The Introduction of Traffic Lights

A country cannot join the ranks of developed countries without traffic lights. Of all the problems faced in Djibouti City, traffic lights would be pretty low on my list of problems. Yet, one day traffic lights emerged in Djibouti. The first place they emerged mysteriously were at traffic circles. Djibouti had a few traffic circles and like Great Britain and Germany, the traffic flowed really well at the circle. Then you place a traffic light at the circle. It sort of defeats the purpose of the circle in the first place. As soon as they introduced the traffic light at the traffic circle, Djibouti joined the ranks of advanced countries with their first traffic jam. The cars immediately backed up at the traffic circle and were backed up for miles. Of course for people who had never seen a traffic light, never mind program of safe driver training were completely confused. Despite the disaster of traffic backed up along the shore for miles, Djibouti continued to put up traffic lights. Each week, more traffic lights emerged.

The reaction of drivers to the traffic light was what you would expect in a country like Djibouti. The taxi cab drivers would just ignore them. After almost getting t-boned a couple of times, I started stopping at green lights to see if a taxi cab driver would run the red light. The bus system in Djibouti was a hundreds of mini-buses travelling down streets with a driver and a conductor collecting cash. These mini-buses were packed with what appeared 25 people in a mini-bus intended for 8 people. People would be hanging off the bus and they would stop abruptly in the middle of the road with no reason. Add the stopping bus and traffic lights and you have even more chaos. The next problem with traffic lights is they require power. In Djibouti, power is notoriously unreliable. So, the decision was made to use solar power. After all, Djibouti has 362 days of sun each year. Yes, in the year and half I was there, it rained less than five times. Eat your heart out Southern California. I am retiring to Djibouti. Anyhow, sunlight is plentiful, but power outages at night are very common. The traffic lights were supplied with solar power during the day, but they would immediately go dark during the daily evening power outage. It was always synchronized with the traffic jam when people were heading home after evening prayers at the mosque. Before the traffic lights, traffic moved well in Djibouti. When traffic lights did not work, it did not return to the pre-traffic light days. They had now been conditioned and the nonsense that happens in developed countries during storms and power outages happened daily in Djibouti.

For drivers that stopped at traffic lights, they would stack up at the traffic light. They would crowd the corner like it was the starting line of a race. They would fill all the left lanes and would be six or seven across. When the light turns green, all the cars race into the intersection trying to grab the two lanes. Of course the oncoming traffic was in a similar situation and soon people would be honking and yelling at each other. For some reason, the concept of lining up two by two and leaving two lanes for oncoming traffic just did not make sense in Djibouti. Add the chewing of the khatt starting at 4PM and you have interesting lessons in driving.

So, the implementation of traffic lights had implications for the police. The police used the opportunity for another shake down for bribes. Of course locals would just drive on when police signaled to pull over, but foreigners would pull over and pay the 5,000 DJF. At the start, nobody paid attention to the lights. So, they assigned a police officer to each stop light. Hmmm, they could have just saved money by putting a policeman there directing traffic in the first place. But, that does not make sense. Since the police cannot chase the offenders of the new traffic light laws, they put a jeep on every corner with the police officer. So, now the price of a traffic light has skyrocketed. Order is being brought to the country. Well, the problem was the jeeps had no gas, so they could not pursue people disregarding the traffic light. As soon as people found out the jeeps had no gas, following traffic light rules were completely optional. Progress. Djibouti was joining the ranks of civilized nations.

Since I brought up the taxi cab, I should revisit my experience with Djiboutian taxis. My first taxi cab ride was to downtown Djibouti. I waved down a taxi and got in the back seat. The taxi did not move. The driver told me to get out and push. Yes, I had to push the car to get it moving and then the driver could get it into gear and take me town. I began to distrust this mode of transportation. After I had finished dinner downtown, I see a taxi cab driver waiting in front of the restaurant. He waved me over saying he was available. The taxi was up on cinder blocks and was not going anywhere, but optimism in Djibouti is a state of mind. The taxi cabs had no air conditioning. It was hard the first couple rides downtown as we passed the place where raw sewage was dumped into the ocean. Yes, it was right next to the popular beach for locals. No, I would not recommend swimming there. Like taxi cab drivers elsewhere, they are notorious for dishonesty. For me to go downtown the first time was 5,000 DJF or $30. I soon learned that the rate for Americans was 2,000 DJF. Locals would be charged 500 DJF. There was no way you would ever get the local rate. It was always best to have a taxi driver you had done business with before. A stranger as a taxi driver always increased your risk of a bad experience. Just realize when you get in a cab, that showers were optional and some people take showers only once a week. Roll down the window and don’t breathe through your nose. Last, don’t get into arguments with a taxi cab driver. They are the closest thing there is to organized crime in Djibouti and there are always a few customers that are taken and dropped off in Somalia.

View from Djibouti – Update 2

Africa is an incredible continent. One of the first lessons I learned in Africa was that the people do not identify themselves as Africans. They are Ethiopians, Nigerians, or Kenyans. It is sort of like in North America. Canadians and Mexicans would not like to be called Americans and Americans definitely do not include Mexicans and Canadians. Nationality may be poor identifier of people in Africa. Most people identify closer with their tribe, hence in Djibouti people are Afar, Issa or Somali. Ethiopians have a strong sense of nationalism, but still have strong bonds to their tribe, Oromo, Amharra, Afar and others. In addition to the national and tribal component, there a broad range of religious identities and political thought and organizations. One of the constant vulnerabilities of a group of desperate people is the ability of charismatic leaders to rally people for some offense or affront. It is not surprising that so many people have outstanding warrants for their arrest issued from the Hague’s International Criminal Court for offenses such as child soldiers, crimes against humanity and system rape and human trafficking. People like Kony find followers. The ignoring of warrants for arrest of people in leadership positions like the President of Sudan or political leaders in Kenya are not easy to understand. They operate openly and unhindered. Where people are desperate, they are often attracted to people who promise great things. Another problem with leadership in poor countries is expensive cars and houses help build a following. People feel if they are part of his circle or political party, they will receive some of the largesse. I am always surprised to hear of a President with such huge wealth. They are usually the richest person in the country. The worst part, they never seem to retire. They hang on to the Presidency changing term limits at will.

A very sensitive topic in Africa and Djibouti in particular is corruption. We all agree that any corruption is bad, but we all disagree about how much corruption is taking place. The thing that bothered me the most about corruption was the abuse on vulnerable people. The authorities will target women and especially women who are young, foreigners and often without legal status. They will randomly raid where they live and arrest many. This usually coincides with the end of the month when police need extra money to pay rent or other bills. The arrests are followed by bribe payments and the people with insufficient money are deported. It is amazing how some people have money put aside for such payments and others need to borrow to make payments. The borrowing of money can lead to very disastrous consequences and a bad situation deteriorating further rapidly. Money borrowed from bad people makes an exponentially worse situation. As a foreigner, we were very privileged. It was recommended to keep 5,000 Djiboutian Francs (or about $30) in your pocket just in case. This was usually sufficient to deal with most shake downs. Most locals realize that the police are pretty powerless. I was flagged down by a police officer for not stopping at a traffic light. I stopped. My colleague said I should just keep driving. How could the police officer pursue me, he does not have a car. I had pretty good relations with the police. In Menelik Square police would congregate and I often give out bottled water, especially on hot days. They were appreciative. It provided a good place to start negotiations and any dealings with police involved negotiations.

In the United States, we have an advanced economy. We have large corporations and many people have what we call a “job.” People go to their place of employment, work there for eight hours per day and then go home and spend time with the family. We have a single employer for a period of time and we get benefits, such as health care and a 401K plan. In Djibouti, there are very few regular jobs. The few regular jobs are the military and police. Many people have taken jobs as vendors selling either door to door or little temporary stalls. There are no national statistics, but I heard that employment was around 10% or less. That is employment, not unemployment. The few people who have jobs are responsible for supporting the extended family or tribe. If you make money, you send money home to mother or father to support your them and your brothers and sisters. There is no social security and no retirement. If you are injured at work, there is no workmen’s compensation scheme and handicapped or mentally disturbed people have no disability, social services or support. The social services infrastructure exists only with International donor organizations and their services cannot provide on the necessary scale. We see in the social discontent and protests that happen with 25% unemployment. The people in Djibouti have an incredible tolerance for enduring the economic hardships. I am amazed to see the women carry up the water to their fourth floor apartment in the summer heat. They do this each day. I performed the ritual one morning and was exhausted for three days.

The women in Djibouti are amazing and they endure many hardships. The society is very hierarchical and the men are at the top for the family and demand obedience of their wives. In Muslim culture, the phrase “I divorce you!” three times is an official divorce. The wife must return to her family and she will depend on her family’s generosity to provide for her. And, she is truly dependent on their generosity. It is terrible to see the cruelty and consequences of women and their children when they are thrown out. A practice that is common in Djibouti is female circumcision or in our western culture it is referred to as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The practice is so common and accepted. I had to be very careful that my values did not prevent me from building the trusting relationships with people. I felt that friends could talk openly about many subjects to me, things that in that culture were never spoken of. The women carried a great burden. They would work, take care of the family, cook and clean. They would serve their husbands. Many men did little other than drink tea and chew khat most of the day. The household income would go to satisfying the husband’s addiction to khat. The drug is very common and almost all males chew the drug. Since the plumbing in most places do not work, women go out and get barrels of water and carry it to the home. None of the apartment building have elevators. Ground floors are a premium. Showers in Djibouti is taking a ladle of water out of a bucket and pouring it over yourself. Soap up and then rinse yourself off by ladling the water out again. There are no hot water tanks, although the heat outside keeps the water temperature reasonable. During the summer, do not shower in the afternoon or early evening because the water will be too hot and during the winter, cold showers in the morning or warm in the later afternoon.

In our villas we had all the modern conveniences. The villas were air conditioned. The company had hired a local American to handle the property. He said that homes in Djibouti do not come with hot water tanks. He wanted to the company to pay $2,000 to install hot water tanks in each villa. There were 30 villas the company was renting. The company refused to pay and the employees were taking showers according to the schedule mentioned earlier. The month I arrived (six months after the contractors moved into the villas) hot water tanks were discovered in above the ceiling of the maid’s quarters. Soon everyone had showers with controlled temperatures. As for the American hired to manage the property, he failed to pay any utilities for six months and disappeared. It was about $500K he pocketed. It was funny because the company was so worried about getting ripped off from a local. We were still wondering what the guy was doing in the ceiling above the maid’s quarters. A mystery that will never be solved.

This weekend, I sent some money to a friend in Djibouti. I sent it by MoneyGram and it was relatively affordable for me – $10 and they give an awful exchange rate. These services proliferate in Djibouti and Ethiopia. People are constantly sending money to family members and the $10 bite out of a $25 and $50 sent home is a large sum taken out of their purchasing power. In general, banks are not trusted. Unlike the United States, there is no Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) protecting depositors in case banks fail. Deposits in bank accounts are not viewed as safe and reliable. Most people’s struggles are day to day and there is no saving for retirement. Capital accumulation is restricted to the already wealthy and the business is dependent on relationships and “who you know.” Health insurance is rare and most services are provided as a fee for service. When walking down the street of Djibouti, you see many people with amputated limbs and in wheel chairs. The pharmacists were free to provide medicines without a doctor’s prescriptions.

A short discussion of the cost of living seems in order. First, a local gets a different price than a foreigner and an American gets a different price than others. For example, a taxi from the US Embassy to downtown Djibouti is 500 DJF for a local. For an American, it is 1,500 or 2,000 DJF ($9-12 US dollars) and they even ask for more. The local people have a per capita income of $1 or $2 per day. The annual income is about $500 or $600. The locals live under different cost constraints. A refrigerator at Wal-mart here costs $150 while in Djibouti, the same refrigerator costs $400 to $500. At Wal-mart we can buy lots of consumer goods at a third the price. Everything in Djibouti that is a consumer good is imported and has a very high tax placed on it at the port. A new truck that is $16K in the United States is $35K and a year old in Djibouti. In Djibouti, there is a French grocery chain called Casino. The prices are at least double or more than what you pay in grocery stores in America. For example, ice cream for $4 in United States is 2,000 DJF or $12 in Casino. Alternatively, you can skip buying at the Casino grocery store and buy some goods locally. Remember that meat probably is not refrigerated, there are no Federal inspections for food safety and general hygienic conditions are extremely poor. I avoided locally sourced meat and food for the most part. The one exception is Coca-Cola can be drunk safely everywhere!

View from Djibouti – Update

From the beginning of summer in 2011 to the fall of 2012, I worked in Djibouti at Camp Lemonier (CLDJ). Americans would refer to it as Camp Lemonade. It was a fantastic experience. The original post talked about the austere living conditions on Camp Lemonier. Before I arrived in Djibouti, many contractors were no longer provided accommodations on base. Living for an initial period in tents and then moving into containerized living units (CLUs) were replaced with life in a villa. We were located kitty corner from the new US Embassy. The US Embassy is a large imposing structure. I would walk around it at night for exercise as it was well lit. I would walk home from base to the villas. Soon my walks would take me from the villas to Menelik Square in the center of Djibouti City or Heron by the Kempinski Hotel. I would walk during different times and I felt much closer to the local population. I could hear the sounds and smell the stench. Yes, Djibouti is a developing country and there are problems with raw sewage, untreated dumped into the ocean. My first walk back from the base, a taxi driver followed me till I was almost home. He could not believe I would walk. In a month, I was a regular and no longer a shock value.

The Kempinski Hotel is a giant and luxurious hotel built by an Emir in one of the oil rich countries in the Persian Gulf. He has spent a lot of money, but the quality of service from local nationals sometimes falls short of the five star expectations. It is Djibouti after all. It is an expensive hotel and they offer monthly rentals for contractors. They have a really nice pool that had a bar built in to the pool. I never swam in the pool. After watching people drink for hours and not get out of the pool to use the bathroom, I decided to pass. On the first Thursday of the month, they have a “New Moon” beach party. It is a lot of fun with foam, or showers setup along the beach and people dancing till the sun rises, just like Ibiza, Spain or a David Guetta video. The other thing to know about the Kempinski Hotel is this is where the boat leaves for Moucha Island. It is an Island in the middle of the Gulf of Tadjoura. On the way, you will pass dolphins and find one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. They offer beautiful huts to rent and stay over night. There is nothing to do except relax and soak in the beautiful scene. In October through February, the whale sharks migrate to off the coast of Djibouti. They provide regular trips to swim with the whale sharks. These are the largest fish in the world. They eat mostly plankton, so people are not in the whale shark’s food chain. Swimming with them is nothing short of breathless.

Djibouti has a natural harbor. Since Ethiopia is land-locked and Eritrea and Ethiopia have had long-term hostilities, Djibouti is the single entry for all imports and exports by sea to and from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a country with 85 million people. It economy is starting to grow at rates approaching 10% per year. I remember Ethiopia from famines in the 1980s. I learned that these famines were man-made disasters, failed policies of a ruthless socialist ideology. For the past twenty years, Ethiopia has changed direction under the leadership of Meles Zanawi. He died this past summer. Anyhow, Djibouti is majority Muslim country with Afar, Issa, Somalis and Djiboutians. In a Muslim country, you get accustomed to dueling minarets at 5AM every morning. You might prefer the buzz of jets in a Camp Lemonier CLU. During Ramadan, you must be respectful of local traditions. These points are not to be argued. You must jut accept their beliefs in their system. Almost every Djiboutian male chews khat. Khat is imported by plane from Ethiopia. It is escorted by the police to distribution points where it goes out to counters out on the streets. The counters are everywhere and the counters are staffed by local women. The khat trade is controlled is by the Djiboutian President’s wife. Khat is a narcotic that they chew and get a “buzz.” Early evening driving can be quite dangerous.

When I went to Djibouti, Somali pirates were all in the news. When I asked my son if I should go to Afghanistan and help the US fight the Taliban or go to Djibouti in search of Pirates, my son said searching for pirates is “too cool!” I arrived in Djibouti and looked over the Gulf of Aden. I saw so many ships in the Gulf and realized that the flow of goods was enormous. There were few alternative routes for the freighters and the alternatives were extremely expensive. The news articles I read had failed provide any context. After talking with locals, I learned that the Somali pirates were mostly fishermen and when depleted fishing stocks off the coasts of Europe were depleted, the fishing fleets from Europe were migrated off the coasts farther afar, like Somalia. Local fishermen came home with empty nets and soon a group of local fishermen took their guns and captured a European fishing vessel. A ransom was paid for the crew, and Somalia’s fishermen had taken up the profitable crime of piracy. News spread fast and the ransoms were astronomical amounts of money for people living on one or two dollars per day. Soon, bankers were providing loans to buy bigger and better boats and equipment. They could travel farther and ransom payments kept increasing. Soon, large houses, Range Rovers and all night parties were the norm in Kismayo. I was told early this year that the party was over. The beach side mansions were in foreclosure and pirates were on the run from creditors. Revelers attending all-night parties returned to their old and impoverished lifestyle. The party is over.

An assignment in Djibouti provides the opportunity to travel and see another part of the world. Many of my colleagues took weekend excursions with the new airline Fly Dubai and spent a weekend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is a modern city that emerged from the dessert and exploded in the past 20 years. The world’s largest sky scraper is located there and it has Atlantis Hotel and Al Burj Hotel, the finest luxury hotel in the world. Ethiopia is a beautiful country to travel. It is a 45 minute flight to Addis Ababa, the capital and even less to Dire Dawa. Ethiopia is the spiritual roots of the Rastafarian movement. They play a lot of reggae music and the local pop music icon is Teddy Afro. Teddy Afro is an instant conversation starter for any Ethiopian friends. In Ethiopia, there is a water fall and castle called Gondor, there are castles and monasteries such as Lalibela and Axum. Heading south, Uganda and Tanzania provide opportunities to go on safari in the Serengeti and summit Mt. Kilmanjaro. Heading farther north, you can take a cruise from the upper Nile and travel down to Cairo, Egypt passing the tombs of Pharaohs. The Seychelles and Mauritius Islands are extremely beautiful and South Africa. There are no shortages of destinations to visit.

I will warn you that the summers are very hot. The temperatures can reach 140 degree F in the hottest times of the summer, but will be well over 120 degrees every day for three or four months. The temperature will drop to 105 or 110 degrees at night. I found the heat oppressive during the summer. I worked in a server room all day where temperatures were controlled and then in the villas the temperatures were kept comfortable. I could not stay in the houses of local I had become friends of for longer than a couple of hours. I missed my weekly trips to French Beach on Saturdays during the summer, it was too hot. It rained 5 times in the year I was there. You don’t wish for rain, as the open water trenches carry raw sewage out to the ocean. The stench and the bugs can be awful. But, winters are warm with days in mid-eighties and nights a low of seventy-five degrees. The ocean temperature is just awesome and most days I was the only person on the beach. I did not find a problem with malaria, but there are periodic outbreaks of malaria and other diseases. I recommend getting all shots, including the rabies vaccine. I loved seeing a mongoose, but realize they carry rabies and are to be appreciated from a distance. The dogs are wild and pack. My friends were scared of them and would not outside our compound. I love dogs, but again, I appreciate wild dogs from a distance.

Djibouti was a wonderful place and I would go back in a heartbeat.

 

Please stay tuned as I would like to talk about the following subjects in my next blog of Djibouti:

• Corruption
• Unemployment
• Income Distribution
• More nearby locations to travel
• More things to do in Djibouti

Strategy and Operations section

Strategy and Operations

The picture below maps all the areas in SharePoint the Governance Council needs to be addressed to have a full scale governance plan.

 

Table of Content for Governance Management Plan

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SHAREPOINT GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK 7
1.1. Audience 7
1.2. Guiding Principles 8
1.3. Business Goals 10
1.4. Technical Approach 11
2. STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS 16
2.1 Council. Charter and Scope 17
2.2.1 Council. Authority. Strategy 20
2.2.1.1 Council. Authority: Roadmap 20
2.2.1.1.3 Council. Authority: SharePoint Initiation 22
2.2.1.1.4 Council. Authority: Technical Evaluation 23
2.2.1.1.5 Council. Authority: Business Case 24
2.2.1.2 Council. Authority: Roles and Responsibilities 25
2.2.1.3 Council. Authority: Acceptable Use 26
2.2.2 Council. Authority. Operations 27
2.2.2.1 Council. Authority: Application Definition 27
2.2.2.2 Council. Authority: Communicating Service Changes 29
2.2.2.3 Council. Authority: New Releases 30
2.2.2.4 Council. Authority: Training 32
2.2.2.5 Council. Authority: Service Level Agreements 34
2.2.2.6 Council. Authority: Metrics 35
2.2.2.7 Council. Authority: Compliance 37
2.3.1 Council. Composition: Council Membership 38
2.3.2 Council. Composition: Committees 40
2.4.1 Council. Process: Meetings 41
2.4.2 Council. Process: Voting 42
2.4.3.1 Council. Process: Policy Creation 44
2.4.3.2 Council. Process: Amending Policy 45
2.4.3.3 Council. Process: Policy Sunset 46
2.4.4 Council. Process: Communication Outreach 47
2.4.5 Council. Process: Violations 49
2.4.6 Council. Process: Suggestion/Idea submission 51
2.5 Council. Governance Report Card 52
3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 54
3.1.1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES SUMMARY TABLES 56
1.26 Strategy, Planning and Management (typical) 56
1.26.1 Table 1: Strategy, Planning and Management Roles and Responsibilities 56
1.27 Operations, Support and Development Roles (typical) 58
1.27.1 Table 2: Operations, Support and Development Roles and Responsibilities 59
1.28 Roles. Governance Council: Executive Sponsor 61
3.1.1.2 Roles. Governance Council: Site Owner 63
3.1.1.3 Roles. Governance Council: MISO 64
3.1.1.4 Roles. Governance Council: Enterprise Architect 65
3.1.1.5 Roles. Governance Council: Information Architect 66
3.1.2.1 Roles. Governance Council: Support Management 67
3.1.2.2 Roles. Governance Council: User Experience Owner 68
3.1.2.3 Roles. Governance Council: Training 69
3.1.2.4 Roles. Governance Council: Change Management 70
3.1.3.1 Roles. Contributors: Human Resources 72
3.1.3.2 Roles. Contributors: Legal 73
3.1.3.3 Roles. Contributors: Communications 74
3.1.3.4 Roles. Contributors: SharePoint Component Representative 75
3.1.3.5 Roles. Contributors: Business Stakeholder 76
3.2 Roles: Post Implementation Manager 77
3.3 Roles: SharePoint 79
3.3.1 Roles. SharePoint: Farm Administrator 80
3.3.2 Roles. SharePoint: Security Administrator 82
3.3.3 Roles. SharePoint: Search Administrator 83
3.3.4 Roles. SharePoint: Site Collection Administrator 84
3.3.5 Roles. SharePoint: Owner 87
3.3.6 Roles. SharePoint: Member 89
3.3.7 Roles. SharePoint: Visitor (Reader) 90
3.3.8 Roles. SharePoint: Tier 2 Support 91
3.3.9.1 Roles. Supporting: System Administrator 92
3.3.9.2 Roles. Supporting: Backup Administrator 94
3.3.9.3 Roles. Supporting: SQL Administrator 95
3.3.9.4 Roles. Supporting: Active Directory Administrator 96
3.3.9.5 Roles. Supporting: LAN Administrator 97
3.3.9.6 Roles. Supporting: Tier 1 Support Team 98
3.3.9.7 Roles. Supporting: Information System Security Officer 99
3.3.10.1 Roles. Development: Development Lead 100
3.3.10.2 Roles. Development: Product Management 102
3.3.10.3 Roles. Development: Project Management 103
3.3.10.4 Roles. Development: Architecture 104
3.3.10.5 Roles. Development: Test Lead 105
3.3.10.6 Roles. Development: User Experience Lead 106
5. SHAREPOINT FEATURES 107
5.1.1 SharePoint Features. Use: Alerts 108
5.1.2 SharePoint Features. Use: Blogs 109
5.1.3 SharePoint Features. Use: Business Connectivity Services 110
5.1.4 SharePoint Features. Use: Calendars 111
5.1.5 SharePoint Features. Use: Discussions 112
5.1.6.1 SharePoint Features. Use: Access Publishing 113
5.1.6.2 SharePoint Features. Use: Digital Asset Publishing 114
5.1.6.3 SharePoint Features. Use: Excel Publishing 115
5.1.6.4 SharePoint Features. Use: InfoPath Form Publishing 116
5.1.6.5 SharePoint Features. Use: Office Web Apps Publishing 117
5.1.6.6 SharePoint Features. Use: PowerPoint Publishing 118
5.1.6.7 SharePoint Features. Use: Web Content Publishing 119
5.1.7 SharePoint Features. Use: RSS Feeds 120
5.1.8 SharePoint Features. Use: Surveys 121
5.1.9 SharePoint Features. Use: Wikis 122
5.1.10 SharePoint Features. Use: Workflows 123
5.2 SharePoint Features. Customization: General Principles 124
5.2.1 SharePoint Features. Customization: SharePoint Designer 125
5.2.2 SharePoint Features. Customization: Third Party Applications 126
5.2.3 SharePoint Features. Customization: Programmatic Access to SharePoint 127
5.2.4 SharePoint Features. Customization: Application Development 128
5.2.4.1 SharePoint Features. Customization: MISO Development 129
5.2.4.2 SharePoint Features. Customization: Business Unit Development 130
5.2.4.3 SharePoint Features. Customization: Development Environment 131
6. SHAREPOINT USAGE 132
6.1.1 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: File Upload Size 133
6.1.2 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: File Types 134
6.1.3 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: Storage Quotas 137
6.1.4 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: Resource Policy 138
6.1.5 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: Language Support 140
6.1.6 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: Upgrade Process 141
6.1.7 SharePoint Usage. Operational Management: Patch Changes 142
6.2.1 SharePoint Usage. Site Structure Policy: Organization 144
6.2.2 SharePoint Usage. Site Structure Policy: Navigation 146
6.2.3 SharePoint Usage. Site Structure Policy: Accessibility 147
6.2.4 SharePoint Usage. Site Structure Policy: Branding 148
6.2.5 SharePoint Usage. Site Structure Policy: Controls 149
6.3.1.1 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Site Creation 151
6.3.1.2 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Site Decommissioning 153
6.3.1.3 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Site Classification 155
6.3.1.4 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: List Management 157
6.3.2 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Document Retention 158
6.3.3 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Content Expiration 159
6.3.4 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Records Management 160
6.3.5 SharePoint Usage. Lifecycle Management: Change Management 161
6.4.1 SharePoint Usage. Information Management: Taxonomy 162
6.4.2 SharePoint Usage. Information Management: Versioning 163
6.4.3 SharePoint Usage. Information Management: Metadata 164
6.4.4 SharePoint Usage. Information Management: Content Types 165
6.5.1 SharePoint Usage. Information Assurance: Permissions Management 166
6.5.2 SharePoint Usage. Information Assurance: Authentication 167
6.5.3 SharePoint Usage. Information Assurance: PII and Title Data 168
7. GLOSSARY 169
8. APPENDIX A: ENTERPRISE SHAREPOINT GOVERNANCE PLAN APPROVAL 187
9. APPENDIX B: CDC SHAREPOINT RULES OF BEHAVIOR 188

Overseas Career Advice

I read an article recently on ClearnaceJobs about overseas opportunities.  The article was very formulaic and I consider very low on substance.  The person who wrote the article in all likelihood had little experience with careers overseas.  I figure I would write a blog post featuring some of the experience and lessons I have gained from the experience.

What is the strategic outlook for careers overseas?

I have to confess that I am not optimistic about the future of jobs overseas.  A lot of contractors went overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan.  The game abruptly ended in Iraq with the failure to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Maliki and the Iraqi government.  The Iraqis leaders wanted us to stay behind closed doors, but in public, they wanted to have sovereignty that the US government would and should not provide.  Can you imagine a US citizen facing an Iraqi court?  The scenario is playing out again in Afghanistan.  At this time, I think the US military’s timeline for making force structure decisions is past.  Each month, it becomes more and more certain that everyone is coming home.  Add to the giant reduction of all military forces in Europe means there are less contractors needed.  The competition will be intense for those that remain.  I anticipate more haircuts.  I hate to say this, because I enjoyed working in the Middle East, Europe and Africa.  I am tired of pay cuts and try to avoid situations where market pressures put downward pressures on income.

The long hours working overseas

When working in Iraq, the schedule was 7 days per week working 12 hour days.  In Africa, I worked 6 days per week and 10 or 12 hour days.  The gross pay is substantially higher than working stateside, but when you work it out hourly, you will find it is 15% to 20% less than stateside.  If you work in Atlanta in IT, you may make gross of $100K or $50 per hour.  Overseas, your hourly rate will be $41 or $42, but your gross will be $130K.  As I get older, I find the 60 hours a week take a toll.  You can’t keep it up year after year for several years.  The work overseas is one year contracts, and subsequent years could include pay cuts depending on re-competes.

The first $90K of income is tax free!

This was a lesson learned from my first deployment.  I worked in Iraq and the contract I worked on had a change of leadership.  We had a Chief-of-Party that had a disagreement with the team.  All five team members were dismissed or sent home.  I was 60 days short of the 330 day requirement to get the tax benefit.  To make things worse, I was so confident that I was a hard worker and good employee, I did not withhold the taxes.  When I was put another contract by the company in Hawaii, I lost the tax benefit and had to pay the US government the taxes owed.  Picture this, I am making less money, the job situation had turned disastrous and I had to pay $15K to government.  Try to get $15K together quickly!  I now always do the full withholding and get taxes back at the end of the year instead of take the risk.  You don’t know what will happen with your job.  The company may go bankrupt, the company may change leadership, there may be legal problems in the country completely unrelated to your job performance and you may return to the US early.  If you are only 60 days short, you may want to take a 2 month vacation, but you have to weigh that you will have no income for those 60 days.  It get really complicated quickly.  I have talked to several employers that go beyond mentioning it as a perk and including it in salary negotiations.  I have also heard of people pro-rating the benefit if they do not make the 330 days.  I am not a tax professional, but I am confident you do not pass the “physical presence” rule until you reach 330 days.  The pro-rating for partial years is for calculating thee benefit after you have completed the requirement for the benefit.  I have had interviewers give me another interpretation and I am sure you can find a tax preparer willing to file it that way for you, but it is wrong and if you are audited, you will be in trouble.  There is a saying, “Don’t mess with the IRS!”

Vacations

An important consideration in your overseas job is vacation.  You will be transiting in and out of the area and logistics can get complicated quickly.  Flying to and from Africa can take 2 days, but might extend to 3 or 4 days with missed connections.  There may be waiting for visas, flight cancellations, space available requirements when flying military air.  When flying to Iraq, the Kuwait government required contractors to get a visa and wait a couple of days.  I am convinced this was a shake down and involved getting additional money.  When flying to Africa, connections almost always are missed.  There are weather issues or plane maintenance.  If you get 2 weeks vacation mid-year through your tour, you will lose 4 days in the air if everything goes well and 5 or 6 days if something goes wrong.  I complained on my contract that vacation should start wheels on the ground in CONUS and not wheels up in Africa.  My complaints were to no avail.  Another important lesson is that you are a taker….  you take what you are given.  You are not going to be able to change the contract.  Another consideration for vacation is whether they pay for your flight back to the United States for mid-year vacation.  The contract I was on did not, it was out of my own pocket.  On unaccompanied tours, it is best to take vacations in the region.  There is so much to see.  If you are in Europe, you probably will not receive reimbursement for flights back to the United for vacation.

Health Care

I have a really good health care plan by my employer.  I have taken health care coverage by my employer for granted and working overseas has definitely changed the equation.  I worked in Europe and had absolutely no complaints.  We received some healthcare through the military and some care was provided on the German economy.  My first company overseas was a small company and there insurance premiums were 3x my previous employer.  In fact, I think the company got a kickback from the insurance company and was an additional source of revenue for the company.  The company hired mostly retired veterans with Tri-care, so healthcare insurance was not a big selling point.  I enrolled in COBRA from my previous employer and when that ended, I bought my own insurance.  It was costly.  With overseas contracting, your company may lose the contract and you will have to buy your own insurance between jobs.  You must factor this in your considerations.  While no job is secure, I would say that being a long-term employee with a large company in the United States has much more stability than contracting overseas.  When I worked in Africa, there was no healthcare system.  The command on the base did not treat contractors.  I did not get sick all year, and was very fortunate.  The company had made arrangements that if someone was sick, they could be flown out quickly.  One person while I was there had a pretty bad infection and the management made arrangements to have him flown out.  I think the healthcare coverage was pretty good, but I never took advantage of it.  On vacation, you do not want to spend your time visiting doctors, dentists and eye doctors.  After a couple of years of neglect, I had a lot of dental work to do over three years with my next employer.  Just realize that some countries don’t have much of a healthcare system.  One last gotcha.  Keep your vaccinations and shots up to date.  While you have coverage, get all the shots you may need and x-rays.  Time between contracts, you may have out-of-pocket expense and a company may deny reimbursement of some costs.  On one contract, I was out $3500 in expenses.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has great list of recommendations for each country.  I paid for the vaccinations and would do it all over again.  Vaccinations are one of the most effective health protection measures you can take.

Global Mobility Office

Large companies will have a Global Mobility Office to help with overseas assignments.  In most cases, they are completely useless.  They staffed by recent college graduates from the family of Executives or their buddies and they have never worked overseas for extended periods of time.  They fly in for week in nice locations in Germany and Italy.  They stay in nice hotels and they come in at 11AM to talk about corporate HR policies and leave no later than 2PM.  They can be found partying at the disco till early hours in the morning having a great time.  Listening them talk about conditions working in Afghanistan is painful.  I have sat on conference calls for hours where the same topics are discussed ad infinitum.  They rarely solve problems and they are rarely experts.  They usually “bill the contract” and are a profit center.  The responsibility of the GMO is to protect the interests of the company.  They have no regard for your well-being.  I am sorry I have little kind to say from my experience.

Everything Costs More

Remember, wherever you go, it costs more.  When you work in Africa, most people live on less than a dollar a day.  When you go to the grocery store, everything is double the price than back in Atlanta.  Remember, the locals buy in local markets and the foods are produced according to local customs.  There is no FDA inspections, no pesticides, and the fertilizer is different.  You can buy locally produced food or stick to the grocery store with everything brought in from Europe.  The cost is much more.  Expect wherever you go, it will cost more.

Relocation Expenses (Moving)

Relocation and moving expenses can quickly become large sums of money.  If you are flying to an assignment overseas, and they provide transportation and housing, you might be out just a couple thousand dollars.  If you move your household goods and a vehicle, it can be $16K to $22K.  This is a major commitment.  If you leave the contract, you will have to pay back your employer for the moving expenses.  If the company lets go of you, you may be off the hook.  I find this one of the many perverse incentives of working overseas and there are many.  The moving expenses do not cover insurance coverage for the vehicle.  The vehicle is usually backed with household goods in a container.  I always bought insurance, even on my own dime.  I just picture the container falling off the boat.  Another unexpected and uncovered cost is if your container is pulled out for customs inspection.  There will be cost and it will not be covered in the moving expense.  They will charge for storage of the container and re-booking on the next ship.  I think the person who experienced this issue was out $4K.

You may get an allowance of a $2000 to buy a washing machine and other small appliances.  Overseas, there is different power.  In Germany, it was 220V.  Your appliances from America will not work there.  There are rigid restrictions on what you can buy and you should take advantage of the full amount.  Any money that is not spent, is pocketed by the company.  There were some strange restrictions on what you could buy and items obviously useful were excluded.

When the contract ends, you will be given a choice to return to the United States under your agreement with the company you started with.  If you join the new contractor, you will be asked to sign a new obligation starting all over again.  The commitments are about 3 years.

When not moving household goods, I will send trunks of stuff for weeks before my departure.  It takes about 3-4 weeks for a trunk to get there through the US post office.  If you are working as a contractor for DoD, it will have an APO address.  This will be at your own expense, but you can deduct it from your taxes.  I send about a dozen trunks and then travel very light.  Travelling with all your stuff becomes very inconvenient and problematic.

Interviewing

If you decide that you want to pursue an opportunity for working overseas, the first step is to make sure you have a US passport and it is not about to expire.  I have interviewed many candidates that don’t have a US passport and this is an indication of seriousness and preparedness.  An international assignment is not an on-the-job (OTJ) training opportunity.  You should already be skilled in the job you are applying for.  Understand time differences.  When scheduling interviews, agree on time zone and do a simple calculation.  For Europe and Africa, schedule your interview in the morning (their evening).  Do not assume with time zones.  I like to schedule my interviews on weekends.  Since they are working Saturday, this is usually a good time.  Always ask the contract’s end date.  Everyone will claim they will win the re-compete, but be aware of the risk.  If you don’t have a job, a job with risk is better than no job.  Working overseas, I have not found much emphasis on career path.  Pay particular attention to your situation.  The consequence of a poor job decision may involve thousands, yes thousands of dollars of expenses.  Companies will come after you for flights and moving expenses if you don’t complete your side of the contract.  These contracts are very much written in their favor and not yours.  Some of the conditions in the contract are imposed by the US government and cannot be changed.  The US State Department has tables for cost of living allowances (COLA), and they determine if a country is dangerous which determines some allowances, like danger and hazard pay.  There are also requirements for Life Insurance required under the Defense Based Act (DBA).  The large companies will self-insure and the smaller companies will have to buy it from a reputable insurance company.  These will likely be more complicated than a domestic assignment.

Most Overseas Contractors are Divorced

If you get an assignment in Germany, you can bring your family with you.  It is a great experience and can’t be beaten.  You can spend two or three years racing across Europe seeing Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Venice, Rome to name just a few cities to visit.  Multiple unaccompanied tours is going to put a stress and the family and in most cases will lead to divorce.  Be aware of the consequences and the toll it takes on your family.

Final thoughts

If an overseas assignment sounds complicated, it is because it is complicated.  This is not something to think through before you decide to go overseas.  When negotiating, the company will stick to the contract.  A different interpretation for one person from another quickly leads to chaos.  I will find out if I am treated differently from another contractor and I will be in the Program Office advocating for myself and so will every other contractor.  A lot of the contract will be terms that are non-negotiable.  No matter how crazy the reasoning behind a decision, it was made because something happened.  In the end, you want to do business with people you can shake hands with and be confident everyone sticks to the spirit of the deal.  It is impossible to think through all the scenarios and write in the contract every contingency.  In the case of working overseas, the risk is assumed by the contractor and not the company.

Security in an overseas assignment

I have had several assignments overseas in the Middle East and Africa.  Security and safety and are very important considerations for your personal safety and the project team.  There are very few organizations that give the security enough considerations.  During my first deployment to Iraq, my convoy left the International Zone (IZ) and went up the main street to the Ministry of Justice and in front of the Iranian Embassy, an Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) was set off and hit the last vehicle in my convoy.  I was in the second last vehicle of the convoy and was the target.  A few seconds late detonating the device and I was missed.  The attack killed six of my Personal Security Detail (PSD).  It was a moment that changed my life and I still remember the moment in high definition and with incredible detail.  Subsequent attacks to my convoy never resulted in death or are burned as clearly in my memory as that incident.  I write this blog in reaction to the bombing of a restaurant attended on more than one occasion in Djibouti City, Djibouti Africa.  On May 24th 2014, an targeted attack killed three people in the center of the city.

Training

I was fortunate enough to attend the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) training in Washington, DC.  The training was outstanding.  The DSS showed us how to fire weapons, and explained in detail the making and detonation of explosives.  They introduced us to the thought processes of an attack and the planning that goes into an attack. Every year while working for the Department of Defense, I always listened attentively to the training they provided on threats and terrorism.  In addition, I would do an exercise to validate that my procedures and ensure the behaviors were internalized.  I would attend briefings by the Regional Security Officer (RSO) to learn of current intelligence and made myself an expert on the regional situation and threats.  I began to study the standard operating procedures (SOP) of my security teams and paid close attention to Operational Security (OPSEC) in my behaviors and planning.  I would take security recommendations seriously.  the State Department has excellent resources and learning adequate protections for buildings where you may work and live.  The security steps are extensive and detailed and including recommendations of layers of security, the height of walls sufficient for protection and the additional barb wire, lights and cameras to secure the building, and security personnel.  The resources are incredible and easily available.  In addition to research and understanding issues, you must train and make them part of your behaviors.  You walk around a new building and you observe their security posture, where security cameras are placed, the behaviors of people, security resources and exits.  In most cases, security personnel are very interested in listening to your recommendations.  When I walk through a mall, I always look around for the security posture and always find shortcomings.  Practice is the only way to maintain the skill and keep them sharp.  Take every training class seriously and pay attention.  Exercises practice behaviors and are as important.  Training is critical and may save lives.

A Security of Safety Plan

When I worked with PSDs, I learned that they planned and trained for multiple contingencies.  Professionals are the ones that can handle not just the initial incident, but are still capable after second and third issues that emerge, like secondary attacks and blocked roads.  A choke point may have a single escape route.  These are always places where you pay special attention to possible risks.  A meeting place can have several alternative routes.   These present options and are good in a security plan.  Flexibility may save your life.  If everyone is heading to airport, you may want to go to the seaport instead.

A security plan starts by assessing the risks.  These risks are not limited to terrorism, but the same behaviors are effective in handling the more common and generic emergencies of weather, flight cancellations, or personal shortcomings like missing a flight because the alarm didn’t go off.  In fact, terrorism is least likely and the most common is weather.  After determining the risks, you can develop a plan of action.  You will find that the plans for one contingency can be reused for another.

Develop procedures.  The time of most risk for people is when they arrive at a new destination the first time.  I plan the meeting of colleagues to be repeatable process so each time it can be improved and after two or three times, it works really well.  I ensure that there is regular communication directly with the person.  I hate intermediaries, like HR.  How often does HR say a person is arriving on Monday and they do not have your contact information and you do not have theirs.  The flight is cancelled or worse, re-routed.  If it is a weekend, the HR person is not in the office and it is impossible to get current and accurate information.  My first deployment to Iraq, I was not met at the airport.  The HR department or someone else did not send my travel itinerary.  At the time, Al Qaeda in Iraq offered $250K for an American.  A handsome sum of money for a taxi cab driver who made $2000 or less a year.  All he had to do was take a wrong turn and deliver me to the insurgents.  So, make sure you have direct contact with people you are meeting or are meeting you.  Make sure the itinerary is known and you provide updates.  When transiting, send e-mails that you have arrived and let people know what the next steps of your itinerary.  Make sure you have pictures of people you are meeting and they have pictures of you.  LinkedIn and Facebook are great resources.  Always have alternate plans in case someone is not there to pick you up.  Know if there are taxis, buses, trains or rent-a-cars.  Realize that you are tired and not always sharp with your wits.  Travel with addresses to destinations and know landmarks by the address.  “123 Some street in town” may get blank stares from taxi cab drivers.  After long trips, do not rent-a car in a new city.  You do not know where you are going, you do not know the driving habits, and you are tired.  This is a high probability of an accident and the start of a disaster getting a lot worse.  The more travel becomes a set of routines, the safer and less risk you will encounter.  The routines are reversed for meeting colleagues and a sharp plan here will help you develop plans when you travel.

Before leaving for an assignment overseas, I go to Google Earth and make plans.  I know where to go if an incident happens and how to get there.  When I arrive, I take the time to review the plans and update them based on the new experience and on-the-ground observations.   I also pay close attention to arrival and departures of friends, colleagues and staff and tracked travel arrangements.  When I talk with friends travelling, I make recommendations for their security and safety.

One last tip, do not try to meet your colleagues at the door where people exit customs.  I prefer to meet in a restaurant where I can sit comfortably and when he arrives, he can sit and take a minute to relax, have a drink and some food.  If you must meet in front of the arrivals door, have a sign clearly marking who you are waiting for.  A Power Point slide in large clear font and contrast is easy to read for the new arrival and easy to prepare.  The lined paper with a narrow blue ink name on it that nobody can read is not worth the effort.  Take the time to prepare and give the new person a sense that they are working for a professional organization that know what they are doing.

Security Behaviors

From my experience, here are just a few security behaviors that I have adopted.  First, I keep my US passport secure.  I make a two copies of my US passport and I travel with a copy of my passport and not the original.  If I am asked for my passport for a hotel or something, I give them a copy and keep the original secure.  I have a copy secured and encrypted and stored on the Internet.  If someone says they must have my original passport, I explain that this is property of the US government and I am strictly forbidden to surrender it.  Most people will think I am eccentric and will accommodate.  When I arrive at a hotel, I look at their fire exit plan.  This is the same plan that would be executed in multiple scenarios.  Look for alternates to the front entrance.  Most attacks come through the front door.  Know where the US embassy is located and how to get there and alternate routes.  Think about places to meet in case of an incident.  Think about methods of communication.  When arriving at the airport, have a picture of the person picking you up.  Have an alternate plan in case the person does not pick you up.  On several occasions, people have failed to pick me up.  This is despite multiple communications providing updates.  Sometimes, they are handling multiple arrivals, they may have a family emergency or they may be incompetent.  Stay at western hotels.  They are expensive, but they usually have done a security assessment and appraisal and have a security plan developed by professionals.  Use taxis from the hotel. Overseas, hotels may put some effort in ensuring the taxis are somewhat reputable.  You will probably not look like a local.  You should try and blend in, but realize the limits.  Everyone in Africa knows I am not from there.  On the other hand, don’t make yourself stand out.  You do damage to you and fellow Americans by being rude and obnoxious.  Learn a few words in the local language, like hello, goodbye, and thank-you.  Know a few things about the place you are visiting.  If it is safe, walk around and get to know your surroundings.  Be polite and friendly.  Treat the local people with respect and warmth.  Analyze and understand your environment and aware of changes.  Make a plan.  Hopefully, you will never have to execute the plan.  When a plan is executed, but fails, be quick to adopt a new plan.