United Nations Development Programme (<\/a>UNDP) in the work for people to be able to return to their homes. When UNMAS had cleared a hospital, a school, or a bridge, it was for UNDP to get there and rebuild it. This meant that Lodhammar had to be sure that they could clear the area on time, but also that it was safe enough for other teams to go there and continue the re-building work.<\/p>\n\u201cWe cannot clear a place and then someone gets there experiencing an explosion. Then we have destroyed our trust, so it includes a huge psychological pressure\u201d, says Lodhammar.<\/p>\n
The biggest challenge for Lodhammar now is to convince the world that the work needs to continue even if ISIS has been defeated two years ago. Lodhammar and his team need to prove that Iraq still is in need of support to rebuild the region and the country.<\/p>\n
\nSwedish management\u00a0<\/strong>style<\/strong><\/p>\nIn his role as Senior Programme Manager for UNMAS in Iraq, Lodhammar has had positive results given his leadership style, which he describes, are based on openness and always being available to his staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are 36 different nationalities working for me, and everyone sees management and leadership in different ways. I believe that the \u201cSwedish\u201d way of leading contributed to the success we have had in Iraq. I always tried to make myself available, to be out in the field with my co-workers, while I also talked to ministers and ambassadors as well. I think it helped to have open and straightforward communication with my employees\u201d, Lodhammar says.<\/p>\n
Another factor that contributed to the great success of UNMAS in Iraq was that they dared to try new things and change the focus. It was something that impacted the work of the whole organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe stopped focusing only on the number of mines cleared, and shifted the focus to look at what actually happens afterwards and focused on the outcome in re-built safety. When we, e.g., cleared three terrorist bombs at a water source, we saw that half a million people got access to clean water. We cleared a bridge and removed five bombs, and it turned out after the clearance that there are 6,000 cars and 500 trucks passing there every day. That is what actually counts from a people and societal perspective\u201d, Lodhammar states.<\/p>\n
For people who return to their homes after the clearance, UNMAS provides risk education to create awareness. In Iraq, Lodhammar saw the potential to try new things. The majority of Iraqis have a smartphone, which led UNMAS to start using social media, and they started making films with great quality for people who return, one for younger people as teenagers and one for children. They also started using radio and TV more than before, which proved to be successful.<\/p>\n