"District level training under the subject of Planning is planned for district authorities (heads of districts’ line departments) from seven Hirat districts, which have not been given trainings by LG trainers."
Here is a quote from a (non-winning) grant application our team evaluated today:
“Before the closing phase of the project, XXX will pay its keen consideration on project start up and implementation.”
Our photos from Chongqing are here.
This sign was quite typical of the English we saw in China:
"Toiletries and towels when you shop so as not to fall and slip"
"in order to acquaint the newly recruited staff members specially development coordinators, in the performing their due responsibility in provincial offices in convenient manner, A 6 days Local Governance Orientation Workshop in Kabul conducted by ARD Kabul in which newly recruited Capacity Building and Technical Advisors participated. The stated orientation workshop started on 16th of August and finished on 21st of August. The Workshop had the following topics. Different topics were taught in the workshop which was very essential for preceding their task."
I wonder what the topics were?
"After discussing the challenges and obstacles of sector monitoring it was agreed that the monitoring team should be re-established and instructed to monitor the development projects of the sector and prepare the monitoring report as soon as possible." - anonymous Community Development Specialist in Province X, Afghanistan
I'm starting a series of posts (mostly rants - here is the first) about the English language (which I will never master) which I call The Queen's English. I would like to share this snippet from a long submission I have to edit:
[SWOT means "Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats". DC means "Development Coordinator".]
"The DC facilitated the social protection sector consultation meeting, the objective of the meeting was analyzing the SWOT and to set the Goals and objectives of the sector for the next five years. After the SWOT analysis, the techniques for setting the goal and objective were explained for the participants and the participants had a group discussion on setting goals and objectives for the next five years. As a result the goal for the social protection sector identified by the participants. And was an acceptable achievement to the participants.
The DC facilitated the agriculture and rural development sector consultation meeting, the objective was analyzing the SWOT of the sector and setting up Goals and objectives of the sector for the next five years. The SWOT analysis carried out and for the each component of the analysis. After the SWOT analysis the techniques for setting the goal and objective explained for the participants and participants have been divided in to two groups and they discussed on goals for the next five years. As a result the goal for the agriculture and rural development sector was identified by the participants and agreed."
Yikes. Dealing with stuff like this is what I seem to have to do most of the time, while I'd rather be DOING stuff... (like setting goals and objectives).
Twice a month I have to gather and edit contributions to my organization's 'bi-weekly report'. [I would rather not talk right now about the proper frequency of a 'bi-weekly' report.]
I often have to interpret and distill input like this:
"The Development Coordinator facilitated the NGO coordination meeting held on 5th May 2008, the international, national and local NGOs including [....] and line government entities attended the meeting. The issues of coordination among government and NGO organizations and their activities has been discussed in the meeting and decided to improve the level of coordination among government and NGOs organizations based in [....Province]."
I don't know whether to despair about the writing or the apparent lack of achievement at the meeting - but either way I change the text to something like this:
May 5: The Development Coordinator facilitated the NGO coordination meeting at which NGO and governments’ plans for 2008 were reviewed.
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