FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I charge $40 an hour with a free introductory conversation to get to know you and your needs. We'll be working together so being comfortable with each other is important. After assessing the complexity of your project will be able to estimate how much time it will be required to complete it. And of course in the writing business we go back and forth. I'll send you a draft and you'll comment and send it back for possible revision.,
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Initially I want my customer to be comfortable sharing information with me. The better I know a client and the more information I have, the better the results. Initially we get acquainted and my client receives my undivided attention. I ask questions, listen, absorb, reflect, and subsequently provide suggestions. But first I must understand my customer's needs. Hence much communication is key. For example, I want to know where you are now and where you want to go. And how I can help you get there.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a Masters in International Development from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree in Political Science/Public Administration from American University in Washington, DC. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal for three and a half years and subsequently lived and worked in Tanzania for 24 years. I was a contractor with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for three years and an independent consultant/advisor for 21 years. As a consultant I carried out research, solved problems, and wrote numerous reports for international agencies and the foreign ministries of Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, and more. The skills I developed in Tanzania are commensurate with my clients' needs here in the USA. All my assignments began with getting to know my client.. Then I'd read a lot, ask many questions, and then develop a proposal and scope of work. Some assignments lasted for months. They began with an introductory conversation Then I went into the field which may have included interviewing up to a hundred respondents and traveling thousands of miles. These projects ended with a well written report, concise executive summary, clear recommendations, and an oral presentation. Client like the UN, World Bank, US State Department, and European Union -- all clients of mine -- then made international development decisions in Tanzania sometimes worth millions of dollars. A feasibility study on the efficacy of introducing improved dairy cows to Tanzanian farmers in 1984 evolved into Tanzania's largest dairy cooperative with 5,000 farmers! Google Tanga Fresh.