Bill Price

Ian Wilding at the British Council booked my Emirates flights to Dubai, and I booked a chauffeur and a window seat for the night flight on 30th November.
The e-ticket for the UNHAS flight to Kabul and any terms of reference were still awaited.

Wednesday 30th November
The TOR and the e-ticket arrived in time, and the chauffeur picked me up as usual. Check-in and security were painfully slow, but I was soon relaxing in the Exec Lounge.
The flight was an hour and forty-five minutes late taking off, but the pleasure of Business Class, not to mention the champagne, kept me smiling. “Hello Mr. Price, my name’s Nicola, and I’ll be looking after you on this flight” is a nice change compared with BA Business Class!
After my G&T, the chicken starter with side salad was fine, but the main course was superb. Prawn Marsala with basmati rice and Indian style spiced vegetables were worth three Michelin stars - so if it can be done by Emirates at 39,000 feet, BA are insulting us. And garlic bread as well! How long since I had garlic bread?
Anyway, great film, The Island, with Ewan McGregor and Scarlet Johannsen.
Then tried to sleep.

Thursday 1st December
We landed at 8am,90 minutes late, but by the time we were bussed to the terminal, gone through security and found a seat, it was half past, and I only had to wait till 10am to transfer to Terminal 2.
The Emirates Business Lounge wouldn’t let me in despite silver status, as I was not continuing on an Emirates flight.
Marjorie txt me to say Cox & Kings now offer holidays in Bangladesh! Emirates now fly there as well, so perhaps it’s not as bad as in 1995.
The transfer to Terminal 2 was better than before, even issuing the boarding ticket in Terminal 1. The guy checked my luggage tags, so fingers crossed that I got the cases the same day, not Sunday like last time!
The flight was an hour late taking off, due to “the aircraft arriving late on the inbound flight”. Bussed to the plane, I got a nice window seat in the sixth row, and had the normal box of amusing sandwiches and a cup of coffee. After flying over the Gulf and the Iranian mountains and desert, we flew over the mountains of Afghanistan, which were already topped with snow.
Upon landing, I was met by the guy from the British Embassy whose job it was to whisk me through VIP. That means he dealt with my passport, immigration and luggage, while I waited in the armoured Toyota 4×4. Zarif gave me the latest version of the security notices, which include having to travel everywhere by armoured vehicle, so no beat-up Toyota Corrolas this trip! Luckily, both suitcases eventually appeared, and I was whisked straight off to the guesthouse. As it was winter, the offices finished at 4pm, so Clive and Anthony were there to greet me. First thing - a tinnie of Fosters, then unpack, and off to L’Atmosphere for a pseudo French meal - very good though - at least the Beaujolais Villages was French!

Friday 2nd December
After breakfast the three of us met up for a talk through the current state of play, (and not just England being thrashed by Pakistan in the third Test) and plans for the next two days. Then we went to the ISAF market, where I got loaded up with DVDs, and bought an Afghan bag, similar to Indian ones, for Marjorie. Asked the driver to get me something for the sore throat, and he came back with Strepsils - brilliant! After lunch, I waited to see if anyone was going on the Hash, but it was not to be. Instead I had a kip to get over the sore throat and imminent head cold. No internet all day, so we watched the rugby sevens from Dubai while having dinner.

Saturday 3rd December
The computer set-up at the office is a LAN, so when the internet is down we can’t even print documents. Today it was all down. I went over to the IAB to meet and greet the Commissioners and staff, who were confused over whether to follow their tradition and sit chatting, or do some work. I told them I was just there to say hello, and would arrange some meetings for the next day. I asked Zarif to do that, then Clive, Anthony and I worked at the Guesthouse, where you can get more done in half an hour than in half a day at the office. In the evening we watched Bolton thrash Arsenal over dinner!

Sunday 4th December
I led a meeting with Mr. Mosawi and his Economic team about progress with using the new procedures on recruitment actions in their area. I found that there is a freeze on recruitment, which was imposed 2 months ago! Nevertheless, this didn’t stop people carrying on recruiting, just that no appointments can be made!

Monday 5th December
The next day I carried on with pestering the Commissioners to get started on the new procedures. In the morning I met Dr Rahimi and his team - and listened to all their problems, then after lunch met with Mr Alawi to listen to him.

Tuesday 6th December
More meetings were led today, to try and push at least some progress. Problems with individual managers and whole ministries reverberated in my ears, but I borrowed Baldrick’s skill at Cunning Plans to beat the odds.

Wednesday 7th December
Today the powers that be (i.e. the World Bank) asked me to help improve the selection procedure for returning Afghans who could make a big contribution to the civil service. It sounded good fun, so I signed up.

Thursday 8th December
Clive Parry, our Component Leader, flew out today (albeit 90 minutes late, nearly missed his connection a t Dubai - he didn’t, but his luggage did. I tried to sort out problems with Finance and Communications vacancies. Asked Zarif to get me an advance on my per diems - a couple of thousand dollars in my pocket now is better than waiting for my invoice to be paid in February - and doesn’t go through the books.

Friday 9th December
The weekly day off, so we went to the ISAF market, flashed our passports and in. I got lots of DVDs for $2 each, and got 6 pashminas for Marjorie at $5 each. I hoped she would like them, otherwise it’s 30 bucks down the drain. Relax after lunch, and tried to shake off the cold.

Saturday 10th December
I sent the driver out to post my postcards and tangerines, and get some more Strepsils for the throat. All the senior commissioners were at a meeting in the Governors Office in Pagwan Province, so no progress was possible. I got an email from Clive about his trip home. Watched Liverpool beat Middlesborough live on a South African channel.

Sunday 11th December
We invited Zarif, Sayer & Jamshid to our Guesthouse Xmas do on Tuesday evening. Had a Meeting with Mr. Rahimi, putting his proposed Appointments Procedure on hold. Then I held further meetings with two of the senior commissioners pushing more action. In the afternoon, I led a shortlisting meeting for some vacancies inn the Ministry of Finance, and me a very impressive returnee who was trying to make a difference - very impressive guy. It became obvious they needed a step-by-step procedure, so that was my programme sorted for the next day. The Board Secretary came in to say that two teams could not be available for the Appointment Network meetings on 20th or21st. I asked him to tell them that I would tell the World Bank they were not interested, and I would get the next flight out. After dinner, which included roast goat and really thick custard (separate courses!), I watched the South African channel again to see Man Utd draw with Everton.

Monday 12th December
Asked the driver to get me some more Strepsils! Surprise surprise, all the teams have agreed to hold meetings. Mr Siddiky of the LEP programme told me everything was back under review with the World Bank now he had more information.
Had lots more meetings with the Appointments Board people – especially Mr Rafiqi and Dr Rahimi.
Anthony and I called on the Appeals Board Secretary, and I offered to give a presentation to the Appeals Board staff on progress to date.
Later we had interesting conversations with Jalpa Patel of the World Bank and Christy of ADB about our professional proposals being better than stuff copied off the Internet.

Tuesday 13th December
Lots more meetings at the Appointments Board with Messrs Aziz, Paikan, Alawi and Rafiqi, making sure there was some progress.

Wednesday 14th December
This morning I attended a meeting with the LEP staff and the World Bank, to see what further had to be done.
After lunch, Anthony and I were driven to a gents barbers down town, for our annual haircuts. I had my beard shorn as well, which Anthony sensibly declined. Instead of being charged 50 Afghanis, we were charged 250 each, being ferengi (foreigners)
The road was closed on the way back because of a demonstration about the continual traffic jams, so I was half-an-hour late for my review meeting with Mr. Mosawi. Got a lot done though, so that was fine.

Thursday 15th December
Today I worked on the Job Descriptions for senior experts at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, producing criteria, questions ands written tests to show to Mr Rafiqi. Then I checked new procedural documents with Mr. Mosawi. He’s got good insight.
Today was Jamshid’s last day, so I gave him a bag of Morrison’s mixed toffees – that made him happy!
Finally Anthony and I had a planning meeting with Mr Rahimi, Jalpa of the World Bank, Dr. Quan and Seyar

Friday 16th December
Day off today, so Anthony and I qent back to the ISAF market – I got some silver/ lapis lazuli jewellery, and Anthony got loads of Turkmen jewellery and some pashminas.
After lunch the power cable at the Guesthouse burned out, but that got it fixed by drilling the old cable out, buying a new on eon a Friday and getting hold of an electrician to fix it. You wouldn’t get that sort of action anywhere in the Civil Service.
Later we heard that there had been a suicide car-bomb near Parliament, but only a few locals were hurt, thank goodness.

Saturday 17th December
Today I attended a short-listing meeting with the LEP staff, two Appointments Commissioners and a representative from the Ministry of Water and Power. It was quite evident that the LEP staff need to be more proactive in setting the agenda for interviews by agreeing selection criteria and minimum performance standards with the Ministries – otherwise interviewers will choose their own criteria, and that can’t be right. I sent the LEP staff a load of papers explaining Criteria Based Asssssment.
Zaif and I called on the new Head of Communications, who surprisingly couldn’t speak English, and when I asked for his email address, found that computers were a closed book – oh dear. When I investigated the appointment, we confirmed our suspicions that the Job Description and selection criteria had not been properly identified.
More meetings then with Mr. Paikan to see how a list of activities were progressing, and Mr. Rafiqi to go some some work I had done for him.

Sunday 18th December
Today I gave the presentation to the Appeals Board, which went well if overlong. Then Anthony and I met Marina Walter of the UNDP to discuss Training projects and resources.

Monday 19th December
Today the roads were closed and we were on lock down. President Karzai had declared a National Holiday for the opening of the first parliament in over 30 years - Dick Cheney in attendance. The new MPs were sworn in by the President in front of the former King who is now dubbed “father of the nation”.

Tuesday 20th December
Two mini Appointments Forums – at the Economic Team meeting, the participants only wanted to talk about other things. At the Justice Team meeting, things were more focused, but unfortunately focused on “what if’s”, rather than core issues.
I gave both Teams bags of toffees to reward their efforts.

Wednesday 21st December
Two mini Appointments Forums for Natural Resources and Social Teams.
Again, I gave both Teams bags of toffees to reward their efforts.

Thursday 22nd December
Early breakfast, Rasoul picked us up to take us to the airport in the armoured car, VIP service and the UNHAS to Dubai.
After transfer from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, I got my gin at the Duty Free and relaxed in the Business Lounge before the Manchester flight. In Business Class I enjoyed champagne, food and videos, before arriving at Manchester Airport and being chauffeured home