Globaldev careers: The transport manager

BARCELONA — With the need to move lifesaving supplies, often amid very difficult circumstances and under time pressure, managing transport logistics for humanitarian and development operations is a complex business. Isabell Maina is a regional transport manager at the International Committee of the Red Cross and oversees the organization’s second-largest logistics hub in Nairobi. From there, her team supports ICRC delegations in the region, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. This year, the Nairobi hub has also delivered medical supplies to 46 other countries, including Venezuela and Armenia. It has been a particularly challenging year, Maina said. But having worked with the organization for two decades, she is no stranger to the “uncertainty and rapid changes that characterize humanitarian operations.” Maina talked to Devex about the importance of innovative thinking and teamwork in delivering goods in the most challenging circumstances. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. What is the job of a transport manager? Simply put, it is to ensure that the goods are delivered from point A to B. When a customer — for example, Juba, South Sudan — has a need for items, it sends the requests to Nairobi, and then the goods are packed and ready for dispatch. My job is to ensure that these goods [are delivered] to the various customer delegations in the most efficient, timely, and cost-effective manner. It includes sourcing for carriers, determining which mode of transport to use, organizing and making sure that border clearances at that destination and also from [the place of] origin are in place. We work collaboratively with the delegations that we serve to ensure that they have everything in place to be able to have a seamless operation. “Emotional intelligence helps one to navigate through the diverse workforce.” --— Isabell Maina, regional transport manager, International Committee of the Red Cross What does your day-to-day look like? I start off with looking at the plans and … resources that we have to ensure that we can meet the priorities for the day. Now we have the tools — an ERP [enterprise resource planning] system — the orders come in [and] are processed through our system. When the goods are ready, we ensure that the documentation is in place, that the carriers have been informed, and that the customer is ready to receive the goods. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work as per the plan, [and] there are normally changes, so we have to keep adapting. My team is mainly logistics experts, [and] my role includes all modes of transport — by air, sea, roads. It involves having discussions with the commercial companies, agreements with transport companies, the sea freight company, shipping lines, and airlines. We subcontract … [and] we also have a fleet of trucks which give us flexibility to be able to go quickly, especially when there are security issues. What are some of the challenges you face in this role, and what lessons have you learned to help you overcome these? Especially this year, the job has been most challenging because the transport sector has been adversely affected. It’s been the year that we have had the most delays or disruptions because of the travel restrictions and the border restrictions. We might have [had] plans to deliver the goods by road … but the drivers are required [to carry COVID-19] certificates, or maybe the other country has closed the border ... [or cargo] reached the transit points, but there was no way to take it to the final destination, and then you have to start looking for the other options. … So it's been quite hectic. What really keeps me going and helps us overcome these challenges is the tight collaboration that we have between colleagues in ICRC and also through collaboration with our partners and the network that we have established and built over the years. What skills have you found to be most valuable to progress in this career? For me as a leader, teamwork and listening. I wasn't so good at listening [initially]. … So maybe when there was a challenge, I would find myself wanting to run [ahead] and sometimes leave my team behind. But when I learned the power of listening, it has really enhanced the teamwork and improved performance. Another important aspect [of being a leader] is emotional intelligence. The ICRC workforce is very diverse with different cultures, and because I've also had opportunities to work [outside] of Nairobi for short missions, I've realized emotional intelligence helps one to navigate through the diverse workforce. “Those looking at the transport industry need to look [at it] from the whole supply chain perspective.” --— What are the best and the worst parts of the job? The worst part is when we are unable to deliver, and unfortunately this year it has happened a couple of times due to the factors beyond our control. … So there’s not much we can do. It makes you feel you've not accomplished anything. One of the best moments, though, is when we learn from a situation and are able to use those lessons to improve the next situation. [A recent highlight was when] we received PPE [personal protective equipment] from China which was to be taken to Yemen. We were able to organize and process transportation for the goods quickly so they arrived from China, and within a day we were able to put [them] on another aircraft to deliver to Yemen. Such [successes] really require a lot of teamwork and a lot of coordination with government authorities, with the ship, the airlines, and handling companies. How have you seen your role change as the sector has evolved? With the technology [such as next-generation cellular network] 5G and artificial intelligence, the role is changing rather quickly. Today, there is already blockchain [being used] to give visibility on the goods … and enable us to maximize the capacity of the vessel and obtain better prices. So technology is a huge game changer, and adapting to technology has big benefits that the industry can take [advantage of]. Unfortunately, there is not so much penetration and use of technology [yet] — but slowly, slowly it's happening. Already in Tanzania and Rwanda, [they] have tried the use of drones to deliver small quantities of medical supplies to clinics from a central location. It's something that will have a very positive effect on the transportation industry. ... It could reduce the cost and also reduce the lead time, especially on vaccines and small items. What advice do you have for people interested in working in transport management in the humanitarian or development sector? Those looking at the transport industry need to look [at it] from the whole supply chain perspective — meaning warehousing, logistics, communication, purchasing — because if you are delivering goods, you have to understand the whole [process] from A to Z. So people [interested in this role] need to enhance their knowledge with a broad spectrum of supply chain management instead of just the transport part of it. [They also] need to look at regulatory compliance, because there are more and more requirements in delivering goods. And sometimes you have to deliver across borders, so you need to understand what are the requirements at the country of origin to export those goods, and what are the requirements to be able to import the goods where you are taking them. If one understands both the tax implications and the local regulations, it can really help in bringing down the total landing cost of the goods. There’s also the issue of sustainability. This is something that we constantly need to be on the lookout for, because the transport industry contributes in a big way to pollution. So [we need to be] looking at ways to engage companies that are using sustainable means. We are doing that in Nairobi and trying to use rail transport instead of roads as much as we can, [as well as] planting trees [to help offset emissions].