MRS. ALIMATOU SAADIYA DIOP, HR AND ADMIN OFFICER
How would you introduce yourself in a few lines?
My name is Alimatou Saadiya Diop, Mrs. Barry. I work as HR & Admin Officer at IFPRI’s regional office in Dakar.
I was born, raised and have always lived in Dakar, capital of Senegal. I am calm and rather shy with people I have just met, but very outgoing and teasing with my colleagues and friends 😊!
What is your background and how long have you been working for IFPRI?
I hold a Master II degree in Marketing, Sales Techniques and Applied Sociology issued by the Institut Supérieur de Management (ISM) of Dakar in 2010. I had my first professional experience within the school, as Program Coordinator for Licensing Programs. I then joined the major telecommunications provider in Senegal, SONATEL, where I worked for 3 and a half years in the Customer Relations Department between 2008 and 2011. I worked with a team of 8 people; we were responsible for retaining customers who wanted to cancel their subscriptions. Assisting clients in finding solutions more adapted to their profile or informing clients about possible solutions that could help them avoid the cancellation, were part of my duties. On August 1st, 2011 I joined IFPRI WCAO.
So, I’ve been working at IFPRI Dakar for 8 years!
Can you describe your daily responsibilities?
Between 2011 and 2014 I worked mainly as a Program Assistant for the AGRODEP (African Growth and Development Policy) Modeling Consortium. I was in charge of organizing and coordinating all the activities (seminars, meetings, trainings, search for new members) of the Consortium under the supervision of the Coordinator of the network at the time, Mr. Ismael Fofana. AGRODEP’s activities are organized all over Africa.
Today my job consists essentially in coordinating and arranging for special events organized by the office (tasks include issuing air tickets, visa applications, airport transfers, lunches, meetings, conferences and other training sessions, as required). This position also includes booking rooms, organizing meeting supplies, briefing on presentation requirements, setting up teleconferences, catering, and taking/recording and/or transcribing meeting minutes, as required.
As part of my duties I am also responsible for establishing budgets for each event, monitoring and providing logistical support to visitors, including office-hotel transportation reservations.
I continue to assist the AGRODEP consortium in organizing some of the events that take place each year. But since 2014, my main daily logistical and administrative tasks are now focused on the Africa Division with its various projects. And in collaboration with the Office’s Administrative and Financial Manager, I also help staff on all HR aspects (employment contracts, health insurance, leave, internship, recruitment, assignment...).
You work with a core team based in Dakar and with other team members based in IFPRI offices across Africa, how do you organize yourself?
Indeed, the administrative team of the Dakar office works in close collaboration with other colleagues based at the head office or in the country offices. Timely coordination and information sharing are the keys to the success of our organization. Researchers and visitors who travel very often to the other offices ask for our logistical assistance at any time. The organization of different events involving many researchers based all around the world requires that we work as a team, regardless of where our office is based. The tools and new information technologies help us enormously and allow us all to be at the same level of information. The success in all our interactions depends on our ability to share information, work as a team, coordinate logistical actions and follow up on actions until completion. Working in a team, sharing information and reaching out to others when necessary are sure bets when carrying out activities in an Institution like IFPRI.
What are the main qualities that an HR & Admin Officer should have?
A colleague based in Washington once told me that an administrative manager must be a “miracle worker”, be ready to work miracles, to take on all the challenges that arise at any time. I would say that the main quality for this job is to be an organized person, able to identify priorities, emergencies and any unexpected tasks that require a quick response. You must be able to manage multiple activities, all of which are urgent, because in this context, requests come from virtually every office staff. It is important to learn how to work under pressure in a cosmopolitan environment. A high organizational capacity and a good knowledge of the IT tools are very important and allow to face the daily challenges!
What is the major challenge you face in your daily work?
Working in a multicultural environment, interacting every day with people from different backgrounds, and in a language (English language) that I don’t master perfectly, being myself French-speaking and having always lived in a French-speaking country. Over the years, I have acquired the ability to express myself clearly in English. However, it remains a challenge that I am happy to take up every day because it is a drive for perfection, improvement and adaptation.
What do you like most about your job?
I would say that it is the fact of working with other people outside the organization. I am talking about our partners such as suppliers, hotels, airlines, catering professionals, etc. with whom I exchange daily. Our address book expands as a result and it is always a good thing to have contacts everywhere in case of emergency and need; it allows us to solve a lot of difficult situations that can arise when we least expect them! In administration, our field of action is very broadened over the years because we interact with different professional environments.
What do you enjoy most?
At the end of my working days at IFPRI, I enjoy my personal time, taking care of my house, doing the housework, shopping etc. since I live alone with my husband. I also like to spend time with my family and every Friday night I like to babysit and take care of my nephew who is a few months old and whom I cherish dearly and with whom I share the same birthday...
Your last word…
As someone said: “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Let’s be a strong team!
