Reflection on My First Day Back at Work – Lessons in Project Risk and Management

By Ivory waki / Solvoice
Today marked my return to work after the festive season and the beginning of 2026. I did not expect the day to bring such an eye-opening experience — one that made me smile, reflect, and learn. I was confronted by five frustrated workers from the appointed contractor for the JCPU Administration Building project. One of the workers had just been released from temporary detention at the police station after the contractor reported them. You can imagine the emotional state of someone who had just come out of detention — stressed, confused, and upset. I took time to talk with them and quickly noticed several failures in the current project management that contributed to this situation. I believe these setbacks are rooted in the early stages of the project, particularly in the following areas: 1. Procurement system of the project 2. Planning phase, including costing and scheduling 3. Lack of written agreements between the main contractor and subcontractors 4. Incompetence and poor leadershi...
Post a Comment

Reflection

By Ivory waki / Solvoice
These past three weeks at ACOM, stepping in as the new Project Manager for the John Coleridge Patteson University (JCPU), have honestly felt like a bit of a witch hunt. Everything is new, everyone is watching, and the project itself is bigger than anything I’ve managed before. It has been challenging, but also eye-opening.

As overwhelming as it looked at first, spending time going through the documents helped me understand the project’s true shape. Today I managed to finish Draft 1 of my Annual Work Plan, which will guide me as I prepare a more detailed Annual Implementation Plan for 2026.

 

To make sense of everything, I have broken the JCPU work into four main clusters:
 
3. Sustainability & Business Development


Agribusiness & farm implementation


Business portfolio implementation
 
4. Organisational / Corporate Systems, M&E & Reporting


Procurement reform


Project management tools


Core responsibilities under my PM role:


Strategic leadership


Governance & legal compliance


Planning & delivery


Donor and stakeholder engagement


Procurement & compliance


Reporting & accountability


Institutional establishment

When I look at all of this, I won’t lie — it’s a lot. But it also gives me clarity. It shows me the direction this project needs to take and the role I must grow into.

Creating the 2026 Implementation Plan will be another big task, but I’m actually looking forward to it. Each step I take makes the whole project feel more real, more structured, and more possible.

One day, I’ll look back at these early weeks and smile — because this is where the foundation was laid.

If you like reading this, Also read An Unexpected Ending that touched my heart.

https://solvoice.blogspot.com/2025/11/an-unexpected-ending-that-touched-my.html?m=1

💬Let me know what you think in the comment section below.👇

Hectic day at work

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Clash Between Tradition and Mordern Life: A reality for women in Malaita.

By Ivory waki / Solvoice
Image
When Culture and Modern Life Collide: The Women of Malaita In Malaita Province , women continue to walk a fine line between modern expectations and traditional customs . While modern life brings education, independence, and the freedom to choose, culture still defines how a woman should behave, speak, and live. This ongoing clash leaves many women caught in between — struggling to find balance and a sense of identity in a fast-changing world. The Traditional Role of Women Traditionally, Malaitan women have been the heart of the home. They cook, care for children, and support their husbands in gardens and communities. A good woman is expected to be humble, respectful, and quiet. In many areas, men make the major decisions, and women’s opinions are often left unheard. These customs have shaped communities for generations and remain strong today. The Arrival of Modern Influence Modernism has slowly entered Malaita through education, religion, and technology. Young women are now attend...
Read more

A Night of Pure Island Joy

By Ivory waki / Solvoice
Image
It was such a moment for me to see my baby sister glowing, bright like the early morning sunrise. My heart slowed with tears of joy as I turned on my phone and watched the photos and videos she sent from their island night at Onepusu Theological College. As her older sister, I have walked through moments of hardship in my earlier years, doing my best to support her financially so she could reach her true destiny. And now, I believe she has — and will be — graduating next week with a Diploma in Theology from Onepusu Theological College, a South Sea Evangelical Church (SSEC) institution located in West Areare, in the western part of Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. Baby sister in Yellow dress She told me, “Ivory, last night was the most enjoyable night ever.” The Year 3 students ( That's Us) hosted the event as our final gathering with the staff, families, and students before graduating and leaving the school. It is a tradition here — a night to sit together, laugh, celebrate, and ...
Read more