What's in a Per diem?

Simply, a ‘per diem’ fund, as I understand it, is  to cover the cost for travel, food, and in some cases accommodation.  More to the point, it is to compensate out of pocket expenses that participants have incurred when they have attended a workshop, training, etc.   

Recently, the partners have requested a much higher per diem,  an extra x amount of $ per day,  for  the participants to attend a workshop, which is not consistent with the principles of VSO. They have claimed that 'VSO continue to provide insufficient ‘per deem’  fund  for the participants and, that they are not in line with other NGO’s per diem policy – even with other small NGO organizations. ' This of course has created an unsettling situation for us because, as mentioned in the previous post, we have now put the literacy workshop on hold … 

It is a well-known fact here in Cambodia, that teachers’ earn a meager salary to say the least – that teachers don’t earn enough to make ends meet.  As a result, they will often have a second job to supplement their present income.   Sadly, they will spend little time to none, preparing lessons, marking, etc.    In class, some teachers will request their students to pay them approximately 500 riels per day (12 cents) for teaching them, that in some cases, parents cannot afford the bribery, and as a result, will keep they children at home.  What’s more, some teachers, will write a line or two on the board for students to copy, and will go home for the rest of the morning to attend to their second job. 

Workshop at the Ministry

This leads me to question if some teachers attend workshops, because they are genuinely interested in their professional development or to make money?  It’s hard to say …

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education announced that more $ will be spent on education, raising teachers’ salaries, in providing more resources, cultivating teachers’ professional development and more.  Teachers are still waiting for the change, and students, the innocent by standers, are caught in the middle of this political affair.

So what’s in a per diem you may ask, here in Cambodia?

Follow-up workshop at the village

Everyone across Cambodia knows what a workshop is.  In fact, the word ‘workshop’ has become a ‘household’ word amongst NGO organizations and anyone else who care to give a workshop to train teachers and the community alike in every sector – such as Health, Governance, and Livelihood.  Inevitably, you may think that everyone’s well trained and ready to implement their newly acquired skill?

Per diems can very well  be an incentive indeed for participants to attend a workshop either to seek professional development or to earn a few extra dollars for their families.   

The per diem fund may compensate a second income – so it seems ….  For instance, the partners have recently suggested that VSO pay teachers the rate of $49.00 a day regardless of distance participants’ travel from.  So a teacher who earn between $100.00 - $150.00 (depending on the salary grid they fall under), may receive as much as, for a 3 day workshop - $147.0, as they would do for a month’s salary.  In other words they may receive double their original income.   

Workshop for directors

Perhaps one needs to ask if workshops will continue to be popular  and flourish  as they are today,  if the per deem was no longer available to the people?  If teachers were required to attend workshops regardless of the per deem – that a per diem would no longer be a second income to sustain their family, would teachers be motivated to attend a workshop for their own professional growth?   It is hard to say …  this is definitely a ‘hot’ issue that is often discussed amongst colleagues and NGO organizations …. 

More later …