Leading a STM Medical Team

Mid Pre-Trip Tasks

Logistics, Part II

When people think of the role of the administrative leader of a trip, they think logistics - probably without even knowing it. In fact, some of the first questions asked by prospective team members (or by family and friends upon your return) will relate to logistics: "What did you eat?" "Where did you sleep?" "Were there showers and a toilet?" So don't underestimate the importance of this area of planning! It touches on the comfort, health, safety, and security of each member of the team and will affect each person's impression of short-term missions long into the future. See the previous page, Logistics, Part I, for a general discussion of Logistics and see Logistics, Part III for some additional information.

Partnering with an organization like Medical Missions International (MMI) solves 99.9% of the logistics puzzle (virtually everything in-country - all you are responsible for is to arrange and buy the airfare). By having well-established connections in key countries around the world, MMI has become expert at providing the complete package of logistical support necessary for a team's short-term mission experience.

For the team that is not partnering with a group like MMI, the leader needs to use this middle portion of the pre-trip time to continue the dialogue with the national host about each item of logistics (see below). You should think about each night of lodging, each meal, means of transportation and each transit from one place to another, as well as activities for each morning, afternoon, and evening. The calendar, the budget, and the logistics all need to work together in covering the ministry activities, the safety and security of the team, and the financial issues. Confirm in writing with the host which items they are arranging and which ones they want you to arrange. Special consideration must be given to the retreat time - place, activities, etc. - because this often is not arranged by the national host.

In preparing for the team meetings and thinking about how to tell the team about the accommodations and food, think about the principle "under-sell and over-deliver." For example, if the host tells you there will be showers, consider telling the team, "We hope to be able to shower every few days." People generally prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.

This part of planning - all these detailed arrangements - can occasionally be frustrating due to the inherent difficulties of long-distance communication, possible issues with language, the fact that you are unfamiliar with the place you are headed, and cultural differences, all of which can affect your ability to have as much control as you would like (and we are used to). In many cultures there is a reluctance to say "no," (especially to a westerner) which can lead to the host agreeing to things that he/she cannot actually carry out. It's a cultural thing that we need to build into our thinking as we communicate with the host. They want more than anything to please you and the team, so they may agree to provide things that are not even possible. We Americans would just say "no," but in many cultures you just won't hear that. So checking and double-checking is wise. When available, phone conversations or Skype are far better than email. Asking the questions, "What do you recommend?" followed by "Why?" often can get to the heart of the matter.

Click in this list to jump to the desired outline section:

Lodging

Food

Translators

Ground Transportation

Security

Day of Rest Activities

Logistics