Think Creative - Issue 4

Creative Life a mission-driven community 30 | Think Creative | Fall 2018 Field Operations supports Creative’s full portfolio of 27 projects with brick- and-mortar offices across 26 countries, so there are plenty of opportunities to travel and meet my impressive colleagues around the globe. That is what makes the job so interesting – the people. I was immediately attracted to this position when I learned that my supervisor, and her supervisor, had both previously held field- based leadership positions at Creative. Maintaining a field-focused perspective is imperative to the success of our teamand the projects we support. The teammaintains open lines of commu- nication and support throughout the full project life cycle, but we aremore involved at the beginning and end of a project. My work includes the invigorating (and potentially stressful!) early days of program start-up. Most of us know elements of the start-up process: finalizing in-country registration, meeting with oth- er partners, identifying and leasing office space, procuring equipment, and helping to onboard new field staff. I am also at the often bittersweet conclusion of project closeout: drafting closeout plans, ensuring final payments and disposing of assets while reflecting on the achievements made in those handful of years. Of course, advanced planning and close collaboration with the project team and other divisions is critical to success at start-up and closeout. Equally important for me is a customer service-oriented approach to problem solv- ing. As a central service employee, I remain conscious that our “client” is the program and successful collaboration is the key to finding creative, sustainable solutions. This mindset was imparted tome by a previous supervisor when I made the transition fromprograms to Field Ops. It is something I try to remindmyself of daily. While our teamcan be proud of the excel- lent work we do across often challenging environments — and I certainly am—there is always room for improvement. Field Op- erations’ core goal is to increase efficiency throughout the project whilemaintaining compliance. That can be a tough balance to strike, but we aim to constantly improve our tools and processes to tailor an ap- proach that works for each program. But I love what I do, and 2018 has been a particularly exciting year for me, from start-ups in Ethiopia and Guatemala to closeouts in Tunisia, Afghanistan and Tanzania. I am always looking forward to the next challenge, the next trip, and the next opportunity to help a project get on its feet or wind down after changing lives and leaving a legacy behind. n Will McPhail Field Operations Manager Maintaining a field-focused perspective is imperative to the success of our team and the projects we support.” “ Photos submitted by Will McPhail Field Ops colleagues Will and Megan McCune take a coffee break at Creative HQ. The Tanzania GREAT team welcomes Will as he supports project closeout. Will continues his world travels with a stop at the Great Wall of China. walk this way A day in the life of a Creative team member