Being a newly appointed programme manager in the development sector feels oddly similar to being a student who has recently started college and moved into a hostel. Suddenly, you’re expected to juggle quite a lot, with limited resources, while being surrounded by unpredictable people.
1. Promises
College life: We need a sponsor for the new sports event that’s happening next week—visibility promised.
Programme manager: We need a funder to cover this programme deficit before we wrap it up next week—life-changing impact promised.
2. Photos
College life: Trip to the factory. Learn about the manufacturing process and click selfies for Instagram.
Programme manager: Field visit to intervention areas. Click ‘impact’ and ‘action’ photos for the annual report.
3. Budgets
College life: Fancy stationery, new t-shirt, coffee, movie date—and only INR 2,500 pocket money. Challenge accepted!
Programme manager: Salaries, travel, logistics—and funds only available for the ‘programme’. Challenge accepted!
4. Teammates
College life: Why am I doing everything in the group project, from research to writing to making a PPT? Where is my group?
Programme manager: Why am I making the narrative report, completing the financial report, and writing impact stories too? Where is my team?
5. IOUs
College life: Brother, it’s the end of the month. Can you give me INR 500 udhaar?
Programme manager: Sir, please release INR 5 lakh more for the pilot phase.
6. Parents’ visit = Funder audit
College life: Mom and Dad are coming to the hostel. Clean the room. Everything should be perfect. Maybe we will get to go out to a nice restaurant for lunch.
Programme manager: The funder is coming to the field. Clean up everyone’s narrative. Everything should be perfect. Maybe we will get to go out to a nice restaurant for lunch.
7. The future
College life: Time to convince the recruiter that my GPA is a little low, but my co-curricular activities are on point.
Programme manager: Time to convince the CEO that I deserve a promotion despite the hurdles the programme faced.
