Field Visits

USAID's real work took place outside the capital city. The greatest needs and opportunities for development assistance were in the more remote, more disease-affected, more unstable areas. USAID folks would speak of visiting “the field” when going to see projects in these areas. Sometimes a visit to the field meant a simple drive or short commercial flight. Other times USAID’s teams rode military helicopters, boarded a State Department plane, or did their best to find a seaworthy boat. It was important to get there, in order to see whether programming was happening as expected and to hear from beneficiaries and implementers how projects were going. Field visits helped us stay connected to the real-world results that flowed from all the memos and meetings and emails that it takes to make anything happen in government. Those opportunities USAID staff had to get out from behind the desk and get their shoes muddy were the occasions that made all the bureaucracy worth it. Learn more and get in touch at http://www.itwasneverajob.com/