Anna Chernyshova | Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP, Georgia.

Welcome to the United Nations Career Journey podcast, where we interview colleagues working for the United Nations all around the world. Our conversations explored their fascinating career paths, what career satisfaction means to them, and how they keep learning and developing on the job. My name is Tatsiana Khomchyk, and today our conversation is with Anna Chernyshova from UNDP Georgia.

Anna has achieved remarkable success throughout her career at the UN, having served in several distinguished roles with the UNDP across various regions, including Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Fiji, and Georgia. Anna, could you please share with us how you began your career and what led you to join the UNDP?

Thank you. I started my career with the UN back in September 2002, which is exactly 21 years ago. Before UNDP, I worked for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as a program manager. However, our mission was closed, and I was looking for a job. At that time, there was no social media or online job advertisements, so all job advertisements were published in local newspapers. A different reality from now. I think I still keep somewhere in the newspaper ad for UNDP’s job as program finance and support manager. At first, I was a bit skeptical about applying as the job profile was hinting more at finance rather than at the program in which I was interested in.

But I still decided to give it a try. Thanks to my work at OSC, where I was managing human rights, local elections, and democratization projects, I already made myself known to the international community, and my name was recognizable. After a written test and interview, I got a job offer, and I had my first meeting with Neil Buhne, who was a UNDP resident representative in Belarus at that time. I will never forget how he came to my room with a small book of the UN Charter and asked me to put my right hand on it. It was a symbolic gesture, but it meant a lot to me. It was my oath of office to the UN. Neil is now retired from the UN, but he will always stay in my heart as my first and one of the best bosses in the UN. A visionary and a very empathetic person. A role model to many of us.

My initial plan was to stay in the UN for a maximum of three years. And here you go, 21 years of an amazing journey. I had no regrets about ever joining UNDP as it shaped me into who I am now and enriched me with wonderful endeavors and experiences from all over the world.

I’m also proud of the results we achieved in many countries. Together with my teams at one of our staff retreats in Georgia, I told colleagues that UNDP is the Mercedes of the development world and that we should all be proud of working here.

You have experience as a Programme Manager in Kyrgyzstan. Can you describe some of the challenges and accomplishments you faced during that time?

Sure. After nine wonderful years with UNDP and Belarus, Kyrgyzstan was my first international assignment, which I was very excited to take. I recall my first days in the office there in March 2011, meeting my colleagues and my supervisor at that time, Pradeep Sharma, who was Deputy Resident Representative. My first impressions of the country and of the people were incredibly positive. Kyrgyzstan is a very beautiful country with stunning mountains, hospitable and warm people, and very delicious food. Professionally, what struck me in Kyrgyzstan was that people were discussing issues only and democratically. For example, the civil society organizations had no issue challenging the government representatives and ad meetings and making their own suggestions.

For me at that time, it was unthinkable to imagine that someone could challenge the government minister, but in Kyrgyzstan it was fully acceptable. Another positive aspect was openness of Kyrgyzstan and its people to changes and innovations. My job there was very challenging as I was managing three grants of the Global Fund to fight HIV, and malaria. With annual financial delivery of over $10 million. I had to set up a new team from scratch, which eventually grew to 35 people. We had to introduce a lot of changes in the health system to improve access to testing, treatment, and care for people living with HIV, tuberculosis and for disadvantaged groups.

A complete reform of TB guidelines and treatment was needed to address the growing incidence rate of tuberculosis, especially the most dangerous form, drug-resistant tuberculosis. One of the notable achievements was declaring Kyrgyzstan a malaria-free country. After many years of joint efforts by the government and UNDP within the Global Funds grant. Access to HIV testing has always been problematic for such vulnerable groups as men having sex with men, sex workers, people injecting drugs, and others. Thanks to our work, saliva-based testing was piloted for these groups, based on community NGOs for the first time. At that time in 2012, it was quite a breakthrough initiative as most of the testing was done. At the health facilities only. I heard recently that the government made it part of their routine testing for HIV. It was really heartening to hear that what we introduced back then was institutionalized and that people in need received necessary testing at the community level. Along with the successes, there were many challenges.

It was difficult to find qualified staff and retain them as the workload was immense. The local capacities on the ground were also quite limited. The volume of funding was significant, and we had to put checks and balances in place to prevent corruption. Timely delivery and distribution of medical supplies and drugs was almost a mission impossible. Nonetheless, Kyrgyzstan was a very good crash course for me in managing complex programs and dealing with risks and challenges, and it shaped me into a resilient manager.

Moving on to your work in Asia and the Pacific, I would like to ask you about your experience managing a Regional Multi-Country South Asia HIV Programme. What were some of the most valuable insights you gained from overseeing such extensive programs?

After Kyrgyzstan, I moved to Bangkok, where I managed a program focusing on seven countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The program objective was extremely challenging and unique to prevent HIV infection among men having sex with men and transgender people. It was a huge diversity school for me in all respects, ranging from learning about different cultures in that region to getting to respect different gender identities and sexual orientations.

Each country has a different challenge. In some countries, same-sex relations were still criminalized, and programs among these groups were limited. Other countries were more accepting of transgender people but completely rejected same-sex relations, nonetheless. The key to success was, of course, working through local community organizations and governments, supporting them in advocacy and decriminalization activities, and giving them space for dialogue on this topic, which was an achievement by itself. One of the program’s main achievements was enshrining in the Constitution of Nepal the right to gender identity and sexual orientation. Our partner organization at that time, Blue Diamond Society, is the one credited for this huge success working in Thailand alone. Being alongside Thai people was also an enriching experience. I had a highly competent team in Bangkok, working with whom was a true blessing. I’ve always admired the land of smiles, softness, and humbleness with which Thai people surrounded me.

Thank you so much, Anna. Your role in the UNDP Pacific office in Fiji seems to have had a significant impact. Can you tell us more about the malaria program for Vanuatu and other initiatives you led there?

Moving from a megapolis such as Bangkok to a small coastal town, Suva, the capital of Fiji, was a huge change for me. No more skyrises, no more traffic jams, no more huge shopping malls. But what I got instead was the ability to breathe clean air, to walk to the office in flip-flops, and to enjoy one of the most unique regions on earth. I immediately fell in love with the Fijians and other Pacific islanders and their warms. They would always greet you with a smile and bula, a traditional Fijian greeting. With my team of ten people, we managed two regional projects covering eleven countries in the Pacific. When I lived there and posted some of my pictures on Facebook, my friends would say, Anna, thanks to you, we discovered so many new countries.

Thousands of kilometers separated countries within my portfolio. In some countries, like Kiribas, the country is spread across the equator for hundreds if not thousands of kilometers. Some countries, such as Samoa, were in different day zones. For example, you leave Fiji on Saturday and arrive in Samoa on Sunday, even if it’s just a few hours’ flight. It was quite difficult for me to embrace how you can leave on one day and arrive on another day just a few hours later.

Programmatically, we faced many challenges, from huge distances to a lack of capacities on the ground to huge logistical challenges in delivering and distributing medicines and other health products. But we never lost optimism, and by carefully planning and distributing tasks in the team, we managed to deliver some good results. For example, in Vanuatu, after many years of hard work by the National Malaria Program, which defeated and UNDP, one of the islands was declared malaria-free. One of the other achievements was improving access to HIV testing and treatment for the most vulnerable group, something which hasn’t been done in the Pacific in the past.

Strong partnerships with local governments and community organizations for whom United Nations volunteers and UNAs were key to success. I will always cherish my memories of working in the Pacific and consider that part of my career as a special stroke of luck due to its uniqueness.

Thank you so much, Anna, for sharing that. You’re currently serving as a Deputy Resident Representative at the UNGP in Georgia. How does this role different from your previous experiences, and what project and goals are you currently working on?

Moving to Georgia from the Pacific region was a huge change for me in all respects, but Georgia was not a new country as I worked here on a brief detail assignment in 2008. And we also share a common past. I love and respect Georgian culture, food, music, nature, and, above all, its people.

My role here is very different from my previous roles as I joined as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative. UNDP Here is a very important development partner for the government, and civil society has been working on the ground since 1994. So next year, we will mark 30 years of UNDP in Georgia. Programmatically, we implement nearly a full spectrum of UNDP projects one can think of on conflict prevention and recovery, human rights, gender equality, governance reform, local development, environment and climate change, waste management, economic development, vocational education, training, access to markets and many, many others. Georgia has European aspirations and UNDP here enjoys funding from many different donors. The European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, and Norway are our main donors in this country. Our team in Georgia is over 180 people implementing over 30 projects. I really admire our program and its diversity. I also enjoy the high professionalism and competence of the Georgian people.

I try to champion a more eco-friendly lifestyle here. We started the office Eco Club, where we discuss and implement greening ideas. We introduced meatless and caloriesless days, completely replacing our carpools with more eco-friendly vehicles. One of my favorite projects in Georgia deals with preserving biodiversity and creating protected landscapes.

I have one more year left in Georgia, and I hope there will be many. More amazing projects, we can implement together with the team.

Very interesting. Anna, looking back on your extensive career at the UN, what advice would you give to individuals aspiring to work in international development and the UN system?

Indeed, looking back at my career, there’s a lot I can tell newcomers, but first and foremost, always be open-minded, especially when it comes to different cultures. Of all the countries I’ve worked in, one of the most challenging was adjusting to the local context and the local culture. We cannot come with our mindset and tell others what to do. You have to blend in with the culture. You have to respect it. So always be open-minded and willing to adjust your own ideas and your own culture to where you work. And, of course, be respectful of the local culture.

The second advice I would give is probably very simple, but it always works. And I also observe how it works as a manager. Work hard, go the extra mile, and show your best because the management will always see how you are trying to do your best, working hard, and delivering results. And this will never be left unnoticed.

One more aspect that always worked for me is closely linked to the previous one is giving more than taking. Some people come to the UN with the aspirations that they will be traveling a lot, that they will see the world, and that they will do this and that. Eventually, everything boils down to hard work, intense focus, time pressure, and deadlines. So, for those who think they will join the UN or other international organizations and have a nice life traveling everywhere, I will tell you that it comes with a lot of blood and sweat. There will be nice moments, but a lot of work is also involved.

Finally, I think that to succeed in the UN and any other international organization, you need to build alliances and partnerships because it’s easier together, especially with so many development challenges in the world now. So many risks that we are facing in different countries. You need to have friends and alliances among the partners, with the government, with civil society. Then, together, it will be much easier to deliver the results that you want to achieve.

Thank you so much, Anna, for this advice, and thank you so much for joining us and sharing your career journey. We wish you continued success and all your endeavors at the UNDP in Georgia and beyond. It was a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Tatsiana. The pleasure was mine.