On completion of a 3 year input as a Danida Adviser to Bhutan Soil Survey followed a course funded by Danida to continue professional career development (CPD) on database use, construction etc and hands-on use and application of GIS (ArcGIS 8.3).

Within the "database" part of the studies undertook the transfer of data from Bhusod, the Bhutanese Soil Databank compiled in MS Access, into the FAO-CSIC Multilingual Soil Profile Database (SDBm Plus). This involved extraction of data via MS Queries, cleaning the data via look-up tables and use of various computer tools (UNIX "uniq" and "sort" etc) plus developing and documenting the routines followed.  A 90 page MS Word document (SDBm Export.doc) compiled detailing the procedures.

GIS studies mainly comprised self-study following the NSRI tutorial on ArcGIS version 8, with assistance and guidance as and when required.  Materials worked upon were field surveys which had not been fully mapped by December 2003 by the Bhutan Soil Survey  (BSS).  Again routines followed were documented and the NSRI on-line tutorial manual was edited and upgraded in the process.

During the above processes outputs, routines, suggestions etc were continually passed back to staff at BSS.

A twelve month appointment awarded in July 2004 as a “Visiting Fellow” assigned to the NSRI at Silsoe Campus, Cranfield University, Cranfield University.  Activities included being a reviewer and data-input to the WOSSAC database – a global archive for existing soil surveys - and advising and assisting staff of the college in the content of a proposed in-service course for trainee Bhutanese soil surveyors.