Roads Manager

Well, I've been employed for over 4 months, and nearly been here for 4 months, I haven't blogged much about the roads or the job yet so here it is. Sorry, it's going to be a bit long I think.

The Job is going well, for a given value of Well. Since arriving I was thrown in at the deep end a little. Or a lot. We've almost merged the 2 teams back into one at one depot; this time next week we may have actually started the move. I've already moved office (again) since the photos, but as my new office looks almost identical I won't bother to update them.

We've lost a few staff to Basil Read (the Airport) but have managed to recruit a few, not as many as we wanted, but enough to keep us trundling along. Those staff we have all seem pretty willing to be flexible to do what needs doing and to work together. It's taking them some time to get used to the idea, and until everyone's based together communication is going to be a little odd. Most people seem to be going through a period of Hi's and Low's, but that is rather inevitable with quite big changes happening quite fast, and quite big changes happening very very slowly at the same time.

I've ordered my Sweeper, and a truck to carry and spray the bitumen. We've got a JCB, Dumper, 2x Transits and a Tractor/Flail out to Tender and are firming up the specification for another roller. The sweeper has a 6 month lead time, and the bitumen truck a 4 month lead time. I'm hoping everything else is slightly more 'off the shelf'. Otherwise I could be waiting till next year for some of it.

My time is split 50:50 between trying to sort out surfacing and work and keeping the Politics and Policy running. The Policy is actually further behind than the work, to the point that I don't think people really realise it exists (or needs to exist). We don't have a lot of necessary legislation or policies which a self respecting Highway Authority need. The Highway Authority (which is actually the committee rather than me) are, I feel, too involved with detail to see the bigger picture; however to give them credit they do pick up on things when they're pointed out and I think are going to be glad to move away from detail into principles and policy setting.

At the moment I'm dealing with a major planning application - in as much as I have to make sure we send in comments from the Roads Section. This is the first major planning application since the Airport - and I don't really know if that has actually gone through planning yet. It is clear that the design team for this development do not understand St Helena's roads or traffic (to be fair I think you have to spend more than a week here to do so); they have stated that internationally recognised assumptions don't work so they aren't using them; but without having anything else to base their ideas on they have made other assumptions which are equally as invalid - only they probably haven't even realised it!

I'm also in the process of setting up a website and waiting to get a new piece of GIS software installed. Once we have GIS (basically an electronic map you can draw on) the process of mapping all our assets can start, this is the very beginning of Asset Management and working out what we've actually got to do.

Alongside all of this is the nagging thought that we don't have a surfacing material. Surface dressing is ok for now, but doesn't meet the required standards by itself. On top of this the chip spreading is still being done by hand as the machine doesn't like the chippings - although there is new quarry equipment being setup so this may change... We're currently thinking about running trials with Slurry Seal/MicroAsphalt and Cold Asphalt (like Hot Asphalt, but Cold).

We've just gone through the Annual Appraisal process (many of you will understand where I'm coming from here) we agreed that one of my targets for this coming year would be to sort out the Policies and Processes, but when trying to make it SMART it fell apart. We tried to define which ones I'd do by when, but to be honest we didn't know. In the end I think my target is basically to find out how bad it is by the Spring, but not to actually do anything about it. It's frustrating when a system, which is good in principle, becomes too restrictive to actually allow things to happen properly. I know my target is 'to sort things out'. It doesn't need to be any more than that. I know what it means, my Boss knows what it means, it's just HR and 'Management' that don't.

When DFID were here in January they did a review of all the Infrastructure projects. The report which came back a couple of weeks ago basically says that the Roads project is off track and needs a kick up the proverbial. I'm now in the process of writing a comprehensive review of the Roads Section and Project Delivery. I'm at about 45 pages and only half way through I reckon. Again, this is annoying because I know what needs doing and spending a couple of weeks writing it all down and justifying it is not really a good use of my time. However I do realise that someone somewhere is throwing a few £million into this, so they want some confidence it's being used wisely. Also, it has actually helped me to rationalise some decisions and work on priorities. I now realised quite how much I need that Sweeper, and the Tractor with Flail!

I'm very conscious that there is a Change Management process happening and I'm so far down the curve I've lost everyone behind me who are now beginning to wonder what's going on. Those of you from Devon will probably understand what I mean, even if no-one else does. There is a lot of frustration, because actually, for all my work, we're still basically fixing things the same way we did 10 years ago. I have a few more things to sort, then I need to retrace myself and start the change process again.

All in all, it's quite Hectic. By a Friday afternoon by Brain is Fried (actually by about 1:30 most days my Brain is fried, sometimes I get a second wind about 3:30, sometimes I don't). I go swimming after work a couple of times a week, because (when there are few kids) the pool is quiet underwater and I can relax and forget about work (concentrating on not breathing until my head is above water keeps my brain busy).

I still love my Job, and thank all those of you who have helped me get where I am today - not naming names, but if you think I'm thinking of you then I bet you I am (unless I've never met you, or heard of you or anything, then you're just being delusional, I suggest you see a Doctor).