IN THE SPOTLIGHT – JACQUELINE GREENE: A Planner and Problem Solver

Jacqueline Greene is the Service Delivery Manager of the Benefits and Entitlements Section. She had an interview with Elysee Niyigena on her life, work and her take on the role of women in peacekeeping.

In your own words, how would you describe Jacqueline Greene?

When I look at things, whether it’s something I want on a personal level or something on a professional level, I really take a moment to figure out what’s the end goal that I’m trying to achieve. And then I back it up and think about what the steps are to get there. I look at life the same way, it’s like having a map of a place you’re trying to go. And if you don’t have a map or don’t know where you’re trying to go, you can waste a lot of time getting nowhere. So, Jackie’s a planner, Jackie is a problem solver.

What is your typical day as a Service Delivery Manager at the RSCE?

Honestly, I don’t have a typical day. Service Delivery Manager means I’m jumping in to support wherever my team needs help, and I have Onboarding and Separations, International and National Benefits, Entitlements, Payroll, as well as Uniform Personnel. So, I can have a problem or one of my team members could have a challenge coming from any of those angles. When I look at my day, it’s trying to address issues.

For me, trying to figure out a collaborative approach to something is critical, because I’m trying to figure out how do we not only solve this problem but keep the problem from happening again. Sometimes we need to look at not just solving X, but making sure X doesn’t repeat, or training our staff, or helping my managers think of things in a different manner.

How would you describe the Benefits and Entitlements as a section that deals with staff entitlements?

The way I see it, if it deals with your money, it deals with us. In a nutshell, we are the service lines that you work with to join, to receive your pay, to get your entitlements and benefits, and then when you separate. We work with you from the beginning to the end. We are the people who make sure your information is in Umoja accurately so that you get the pay and entitlements you’re due. Without us, you don’t get paid, you don’t have insurance, you are signed-up with the Pension Fund, it is all us.

How do you ensure that the people you serve get the service they need, on time?

The reality is it’s a big team and everybody must work together. We work with our clients to get information that we need to proceed, we ensure Umoja is updated, and that benefits, entitlements, and pay are processed. When I say together, I mean the client missions, the staff members, the uniformed personnel as well as RSCE because we all have a role to play. If you think about dependents, we can’t add your dependents if you don’t give us the right information, if you don’t put that information in Employee Self-Service on a timely manner, we can’t do anything. If the mission doesn’t verify the documents before they are submitted, we can’t do anything. We all must work together to achieve the goals of effectively and efficiently making sure people are in the system, their dependents are there, they are being paid in a timely manner. But it’s a collective, it requires all of us working together.

When you are not at work, what activities do you like to involve yourself in to keep your mind off the job?

I am very much into pampering myself, walking around in Entebbe, and seeing all the different animals. I find it fascinating. Travel is critical for me; I love seeing the world. One of the main reasons I joined the UN was to see other cultures and experience other places. I also, love jazz and action movies as well as talking to my family and friends and having a good reason to laugh. Things of that nature.

Why Uganda?

When I was looking for my next opportunity, I really took a moment to figure out where could I contribute, what would be a stretch assignment, but not too far out of my realm of possibilities. I think it’s important to be in a position where I can grow, but not one where I’m overly stressed, and I really can’t handle it. I’m a firm believer to thine own self be true. You got to know who you are and what works for you. You got to know what your skill set is, and you got to manage and be realistic about that. So, when I was looking at the opportunity, I was looking at what did the job description say? What were the details? What were probably some of the problems that I would encounter? Could I contribute, could I grow, but also could I do it without being overwhelmed because quality of life is important to me.

Before Joining RSCE

Before I joined the UN, I spent approximately 15 years or more as a consultant. I was with one of the world’s largest human resources consulting firms at the time. I’ve had the pleasure of setting up centers of excellence or doing system implementations that are HR focused. So, I had a lot of experience in project managing and planning, which ends up being part of why I believe in planning. Then I joined the UN. I started out in the Health and Life insurance section in New York. I had the chance to go to ONUCI in Cote d’Ivoire as an HR officer. I’ve worked in recruitment within the UN, I’ve worked for UNFCCC, the climate change body out of Germany and UNRWA in Jordan that provides support for the Palestine refugees. I’ve had a nice opportunity to move around and see what the UN’s made of. I think each U.N. entity has its own flavor.

Some things are the UN and it’s the UN, no matter where you go. But other things are different such as the atmosphere, the personality of an entity. A lot of that is dictated based on whoever’s running the show, the senior management. Different entities definitely have a different flavor depending on who is in senior management.

Women in Peacekeeping

I’ve enjoyed my time moving throughout the UN. I think peacekeeping in and of itself can be challenging because you’re normally away from your family and sometimes you’re in a less than ideal situation. I think for places that are experiencing conflict or have had conflict, it can sort of change the dynamics in the country. As a woman, you have to be cautious and understand where you’re going, you have to figure out how are you going to navigate the environment you’re going into. One of my main things is staying in touch with my family, making sure I’m connected with my family and my friends back home. I have a few friends that I talk to basically every day. So, for me, that ends up being critical, and that’s part of being able to enjoy where I am for what it offers, but not losing touch with what I really value, and those who love me and who I love. That has been critical, but I have to be honest, I think these matter for males and females alike. I think sometimes people go and they get caught up in whatever the atmosphere is in that mission or in that area, and it’s great to enjoy it but you also got to understand that you’re a visitor in someone else’s country.

Advice to Women who want to Join Peacekeeping

Be realistic about what it is they want. I think sometimes people hear an idea about something and it sounds good, but they aren’t honest with themselves about whether or not that is an environment that they can deal with, is that a situation that they would like to learn from?

When I was in ONUCI, it was right as they were gearing up for their next election. So, I was realistic. I’m in a new city. They’re gearing up for their next election. Hopefully it will be peaceful, which it was. But you know, when you’re gearing up for it, you don’t know how things are going to go. So, when I went home before that next election, I took my laptop and anything that I might have had a concern about leaving, home. I simply bought myself an iPad and I used that. And it’s not that I felt it was overly dangerous, but you have to be able to plan and be realistic about a situation. And I do sometimes feel we are not always ready to accept a situation for what it is, versus frustrating ourselves with what we would like it to be. I do think change is important, but I also think a certain amount of realism is needed as well, and that’s for everybody. I think that would be my advice. Be practical about where you are and what you’re doing, your environment and what you want. For example, if you say you are interested in a promotion, are you have to be honest with yourself, are you really going to do that extra work that it takes for that promotion? Are you really going to try to learn and be engaged?

Advice to RSCE Staff especially Women

Figure out how you are looking to grow. Are you looking to be in Management, or to spread your wings and be in different areas and get very good at a variety of things, are you looking to be an expert in one line and hoping to grow that way? Are you trying to increase your skill set so that you can apply for NO jobs or eventually maybe FS jobs, P jobs? You really need to think about what is your plan, what are you trying to do? I would also tell them that the UN offers a lot of learning opportunities and people really do need to take more of an interest and put more emphasis on understanding how the organization is changing and what areas do you need to be trying to figure out. Even for myself, I am coming to the end of my career, the courses, and webinars they have been having on AI, I am taking them. AI is coming whether we like it or not, so I am taking these courses to try and understand more about AI and specifically what the UN is doing with AI.

I would assume anybody coming up would be doing that as a minimum. For example, when DOS sent out their plan for the next 5 years, everybody should have been studying that because we are all part of DOS. What does that plan say, how might it impact you? What are you doing and what are you planning for the future. I think men and women, regardless of the level have to think about having a plan for the future. I am not sure if someone is just doing the job with an “if nobody asks me then, oh well attitude” will excel. I do not know if that is a good way to go for longevity.

What is your most memorable thing in Entebbe?

I went to the Chimpanzee Island, and I love animals. Also, all the different animals that are around when I am walking. When I walk from my house to here, I go past cows, goats, these little monkeylike things, and a cran or two. There is a Vulture that hangs out on the pole going towards my home that I like to watch. I love the animals and the nature and the greenery. I just find it fascinating. It reminds you that we are all in this together.

If you were stranded on Lake Victoria, what would be on your mind about Entebbe?

If I was on a boat in the middle of Lake Victoria, I think it would be a beautiful sight. The islands, the city and the area, Kampala, Entebbe…I think it is a beautiful, very serene, and calming place.