5 tips for working in Myanmar

Last year, a Malteser International staff member removed a Buddhist flag from the agency’s office building in Sittwe, Rakhine State’s capital city. Malteser claimed the act was done to show the group’s neutrality in the ethnic conflict dividing the state on Myanmar’s western coast. The Buddhists who comprise the majority of the population in Rakhine State, however, saw it as a sign of disrespect, resulting in a surge of violence against international aid workers in Sittwe. “It takes very little to spark violence in a conflict-affected area,” Cesar Umali Jr., a consultant who was part of the World Bank’s national community-driven development project in Myanmar, the first project by the International Development Association in the country in 25 years, said in an interview with Devex. “The problem is, if you’re too careful, then you can’t do anything.” Working as a staff member or consultant for an aid agency in Myanmar, which many still consider development’s new frontier, is unsurprisingly still unfamiliar ground for many development professionals. While Umali is no longer part of the World Bank project and is now involved as a project operations and monitoring and evaluation adviser with the Partnership for Transparency Fund, he shared his experience in working in Myanmar at a talk he delivered at the University of the Philippines last month. Below, we share what we learned during our conversation with him. Confirm data before making a decision Accurate data is an important factor in any project, but with Myanmar’s limited statistical systems, accessing reliable numbers to map out a development plan can be a challenge. According to the 2015 World Development Indicators, Myanmar’s score for overall statistical capacity in 2014 (46.7) is lower than its score in 2004 (60) — a drop attributed to a decline in the assessment of its source data (from a score of 50 in 2004 to 20 in 2014) as well as the periodicity and timeliness of official figures (from a score of 80 in 2004 to 70 in 2014). But there are also nonstatistical constraints to getting good data. In a conflict-affected setting, for instance, population figures can exclude stateless people. Last year, the United Nations expressed disapproval against the Myanmar government when the latter did not include minority Muslim Rohingya in its state census, the country’s first in 30 years. “Cross-check your data before making decisions so you don’t decide on weak evidence,” Umali said. Be flexible in conflict-affected areas A strict protocol for traveling to conflict-affected areas — a need for securing travel authorization, prior approval for any change in the itinerary, formal communication of cancellation of travel plans, and a 5 p.m. travel curfew in border towns, to give a few examples — is meant to protect the safety of aid workers and locals alike in these settings. Still, even in these circumstances, flexibility amid changes in approach or schedule is needed. The planning process for a project in a conflict-affected setting should include the historical, social, economic, cultural and political context of the conflict. There’s also the issue of how to motivate stakeholders to pursue — and more importantly, maintain — peace. Every stakeholder needs to have a long-term stake or incentive in the resolution of a conflict, according to Umali. Many former rebels, for example, find it hard to reintegrate into their own communities and live life normally after a conflict. Their neighbors, on the other hand, may also have different degrees of willingness to accept these former rebels back into their communities. These are some of the concerns that aid groups have to consider in projects in conflict-affected areas. Umali recommended not only working with but also sticking closely to locals in conflict-affected areas, where even the most minor mishap could ensue in violence. Involve the community The World Bank project’s goal is to enable poor rural communities to access basic infrastructure and services using block grants. As the project name itself denotes, the initiative requires the involvement of communities themselves in picking, designing and implementing the infrastructure projects according to their needs. For instance, while schools may be present in a certain township, children may still find it difficult to attend classes because traveling from their homes to the school entails crossing unsafe bridges. Conducting repairs on existing structures and building new ones to increase these communities’ access to basic services is the main objective of the project, according to Umali. “Even when I was there, the potential impact was no longer limited to the townships covered by the project,” Umali said. “[U Ohn Myint,] the minister of the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development, became a strong supporter of community-driven development … and was already talking to one of the vice presidents for it to be institutionalized quickly.” Mind the (language) gap Community-driven development can be hindered simply by an inability to properly communicate with the most important stakeholders: the Burmese themselves. Knowledge of Burmese, a tonal language, is still out of reach for many aid workers and consultants working in Myanmar. But conversing in English does always not solve the problem. In their recently published book, Introducing Global Englishes, linguists Nicola Galloway and Heath Rose note that while the Burmese-only policy was reassessed in the 1980s and English is taught from kindergarten, English proficiency in Myanmar remains low because of, among other factors, the departure of qualified English teachers after the closure of schools and universities in 1988, poor teaching resources, and a whole generation of Burmese who had not studied English. English education is also mostly restricted to a small group of elites and specific areas, such as communicating with aid agencies. “We should give more attention to engaging good translators — that is, paying them well and respecting them,” Umali said, adding that they may include Burmese who have studied and worked abroad. “They’re not simply accessories in a project; they’re core staff performing a crucial function.” Look for firms with experience in Myanmar In looking for work opportunities, one can’t go wrong with consulting firms and international nongovernmental organizations that have already established themselves in Myanmar, according to Umali. The same applies to firms and organizations that do not yet have the experience in the country. Umali also encouraged seeking out emerging local consulting firms and NGOs. “These are being organized and led by very intelligent and dedicated Myanmar people, some of whom studied abroad,” he said. It’s also helpful to keep in mind that international agencies and country ministries are still getting to know one another, and these ministries are also learning how to work with consultants, according to Umali. Meanwhile, succinct reports discussed in person are preferred over lengthy reports. But more than these tips, perhaps Umali’s most essential takeaway is a reminder that Myanmar, despite the rush of aid to the once-closed country that started in 2011, is still a country in transition. “The government is still looking for answers, but it is also looking for questions. It’s a very early stage,” Umali said. “Aid groups must jointly define problems and needs with the government and other stakeholders. This is normal in project development, but more so in Myanmar.” Check out more insights and analysis for global development leaders like you, and sign up as an Executive Member to receive the information you need for your organization to thrive.