A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LOCAL GOVERNANCE CONSULTANT

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LOCAL GOVERNANCE CONSULTANT

Xenia Kisselincheva

 “We work to achieve more accountability from officials and more citizens’participation”

When I arrived at Marilynn Davis’s office, I was told that she got caught in a traffic congestion and that she would be late for our meeting. I was invited to sit at her desk and I could contemplate at leisure details round the room, while looking through the Local Government Initiative leaflet. I glimpsed several photos at her desk of a few cute three to five year olds, all smiles and monkeyshines. It turned out they were “the babies” of Marilynn’s babies, i.e. her grown-up two sons and a daughter. When she was back home for Christmas, she divided her time between the three of them - between Chicago and Indianapolis.

Marilynn grew up in a small town, 80 kilometers south of Chicago, bearing the poetic Indian name of Kenkakey, which means “beautiful flowing waters”. She was raised as a devout Methodist, but she gave freedom to her children to choose their religion-so both her sons are Catholic, while her daughter is Protestant.  As soon as she raised her children and she had a bit more time on her hands, Ms Davis became involved with the League of Women Voters. This gave her an impetus to go back to university and she did an advanced degree in public administration. Ever since, that is over 20 years, she has been working   in local government management of cities and counties in different states. Alongside with this she has been running her own consultancy business. Before coming to Bulgaria, she took various assignments in other post communist countries like Bosnia, Romania and Hungary. Though it was at times quite tough and risky, Marilynn finds the experience so valuable both in a professional and an existential way, after her pervasive interaction with a variety of European cultures.

“Where was your latest assignment, before you came to Bulgaria?”

“It was in Eastern Hungary, where I was resident advisor for over three years. There I worked with the municipalities of 70 cities, we did a few projects, similar to those in Bulgaria, like budget revision and economic development planning.”

“Could you tell me more of your participation in the Local Government Initiative Project you are working on now?”

“The LGI project is a program, funded by the US agency for International Development. In order to achieve its major objectives, we have been working with various local government organizations like the National Association for Municipalities, the Foundation for Local Government, the Trakia Association, the Regional Association of the Black sea etc. We also look for the support of NGO’s, involved in local government reform. What is most needed is technical support and expertise. The portion of the project I work for is focused on building the municipalities’ capacity to manage their staff in the services area. We have a broad range of training programs for staff and municipal elective officials. This winter, for instance, we ran a series of workshops for such officials, we discussed leadership, ethics, communication skills. Apart from this we’ve been working on budget management, cost accounting, cost assessment of various services and their effective deliverance.”

“Disposal of waste and litter is a serious problem of modern fast growing cities like Sofia. Do you envisage anything in this respect?”

“Yes, we are currently working on a new methodology of disposal of waste - more specifically, the household and industrial waste that has to go out to the land fields. It is not only a matter of municipal control, but also of cost assessment, e.g. of disposal trucks, of land field management. We are working mainly with municipalities outside of Sofia, like Vidin, Svishtov, Borovo, Varshetz etc. At present, they are testing our method, adapting it to specific local conditions. Concerning this pilot project, we are also interacting with the Ministry of Environment, so that they are watching it as well. It involves the development of a training program and a consultancy base to take the method around the country.

“Do you encounter any bureaucratic resistance, any local “Catch 22” fabrications?”

“Not very much so far. The officials at the municipalities are truly enthusiastic about upgrading their skills and improving their services. The setting up of customer services centers around the country are instrumental in helping citizens to go through the bureaucratic jumble. How to get the permits they need, to understand the tax structure better. But I personally experienced some bureaucratic difficulties when I was trying to have my Bulgarian passport.”

“How do you adapt to this environment? What are the things you particularly miss away from home?”

“Like most expats, I miss the foods I grew up with like un-sugared cereals and the sweeter corn, but generally I can eat quite well here. Traveling around the country, I enjoy the benefit of tasting the local wines, which I find so varied and of superb quality. Culture is rich and exciting in Sofia. I love to go to the Opera, the ballet, the new Symphony Orchestra is a delight to listen to, I like Italian food, so I like to go to Bellinda’s, next to the military club. When I don’t work over the weekend, I love to do a bit of writing. I have three books in process. One of them is poetry, another one is a love story and the third one is a compilation of my impressions from Central and Eastern Europe, which I have been sharing over the years with my relatives and friends. Most Americans haven’t got a clue of what this part of the world is like. Living in a country is a very different thing from just visiting it. To become part of the city, of the culture, to perceive it as normal, not weird.

“How would you describe the Bulgarians to your family and friends back home?”

“As very open and gregarious people. They seem to enjoy their newly gained freedom of speech. Unlike Central Europeans who tend to be more reserved. I find them enthusiastic, though not always efficient. As far as the quality of the services they render, it can vary a lot from one place to the next. From up to scratch service to being sloppy and rude. This is to be expected from a country in transition, you can’t expect things to happen overnight...”

“I saw your name among those who sponsored the latest production of the Sofia Players who usually perform at the La Strada Theater.”

“Yes, I have supported financially all their productions. Also, at home I was a member on the Board of Directors of the Orlando Symphony Orchestra. I love the arts and I try to do my little bit to support them. And I love to get the feel of the history and culture of the country, where I happen to work and live. So I discovered Lyuba Tours and I often join them when I don’t do writing at the weekend.”

“That sounds cute. Could you tell more about it?”

“There is no end to the places and events she can take you to. That’s how I could go to some of the wine festivals, to the horse and donkey festival, to the Rila monastery, we got inside the medieval Hreljo tower, normally inaccessible to visitors. I won’t forget the view from the top-the towering snow-capped slopes, roof tops and yard and enveloped in this white silence you can hear the more distinctly the rumble of the monastery water fountains. Also I watched the eclipse at Kamen briag on the Black sea coast. In mid February, there is the Trifon Zarezan festival, where we will prune the vines and will decide the competition of the best home-made wine. I am looking forward to the Rose valley festival in June where we will do rose picking at sunrise and then take our baskets to the oil refinery.”

Marilynn reminds me of this much cherished age-old tradition, performed out there in the rose plantations, framed by mountain ranges. The young women would put their brightest scarves and would delicately bend over the opening rose petals.  While performing this sacred rite, they would sing songs, as old as the rose fields and as ever-young as the rising sun...”      

Sofia Western News monthly, 1999