Here’s how I do it : 1.Planning: Begin by setting clear priorities for field and office tasks. Create a weekly and daily schedule that allocates dedicated time for both. 2.Delegate: Identify tasks that can be handled by others, both in the field and in the office. Delegating helps you avoid overload and focus on high-priority tasks. 3.Decentralise: Empower team members in both settings to make certain decisions independently. This reduces dependency on you for every small task, allowing you to focus on higher-level management and planning. 4.Controlling: Regularly monitor progress and evaluate task completion. Use tools like checklists or project management software to keep track of delegated tasks and ensure accountability.

Recently, I was on a site visit for a hydropower project in East Africa. The visit involved a lot of ground travel, especially when visiting different project sites in the eastern and western parts of the country. At the same time, I was facing tight project deadlines for other assignments. The key to managing this situation is to always have a backup person in the office for your other projects, whom you can contact through international roaming if necessary. Most of the office tasks I completed during my ground travel were offline, but whenever I had internet access, I connected my laptop and uploaded my progress accordingly.

Being someone who works with consultants, Environmental Assessment Practitioners and managing the EIA process including all permitting requirements, it requires extensive travelling attending site inspections. What works for me is to priotise projects based on milestones, and that determines the time i spend consolidating reports and also report review in the office. Sometimes depending on the urgency of the task, I find myself with a laptop on site and juggle a bit of both site and office work.

In my experience, maximum productivity is achieved as a consequence of a well planned work week: determine which activity is more time consuming and which one is more urgent, if possible, split your day into morning office or urgent work and do as much fieldwork in the afternoon as possible (or vice-versa); if this arrangement is not possible, try planning all fieldwork at the begining of the week, maybe two full days, which opens up the rest of your week to deal with urgent tasks and planning next week´s fieldwork.

Trying to Work Together on Team Work , & making priority schedule for the main issue based on their position and level of Importance .

This is always tough, but sometimes just requires some extra planning: -Make sure phone is fully charged before fieldwork. You can manage your e-mail while in the field. Make notes in your phone to keep track of your office tasks and make priority lists so you can rock and roll when you sit down to do office work. -Take lots of pictures in the field and also take pictures of field notes as backup. -Make connections in the field. People would often let me use their office trailer or connect to their WiFi to get some office work done while in the field. -Speak up before you get overwhelmed. If you truly have too much going on, see if someone can trade a field day with you, or if someone in the office can help out. Good luck!

Garantir a máxima produtividade enquanto equilibramos o trabalho de campo e as tarefas de escritório envolve organização e priorização eficazes. Planejo meu tempo cuidadosamente, alocando blocos específicos para cada tipo de atividade, e utilizo ferramentas digitais para otimizar o fluxo de trabalho. Delego tarefas sempre que possível, confiando na competência da minha equipe para manter o progresso. Ao manter uma comunicação clara e um foco constante nos objetivos do projeto, asseguro que nenhuma área seja negligenciada e que a eficiência seja mantida em todas as frentes.

Prioritize and manage time: Divide up time for each project and manage your time to avoid distractions. Set boundaries: Set boundaries inside and outside of the office to manage time and have time for personal life. Take breaks: Take intentional breaks to refuel and be more productive. Identify distractions: Learn to say no to distractions and manage stress. Connect goals: Connect goals across multiple teams and reward teams based on their input.

I often schedule field tasks like supervising and assistance for mornings, and emails/ reports for afternoons. I Also use tools to track deadlines, basically Microsoft Calendar & Notion, and I check emails only at set times.