Settling in at DAFS

As a former member of DAFS’ management team, this put me in a privileged position and helped me gain access to a field that would otherwise be difficult to enter or navigate upon entry. I was granted full access to all the agency’s units and

departments, internal documents, tools, meetings, and anything to which my key

actant (i.e. measures) was connected. Perhaps my entry into the network could be considered a re-connection, as my ties with the agency were never fully dissolved given my continued interest in the sector. As a researcher, this is both good and bad. Good, because the issue of access was quickly addressed; bad, because keeping an open mind to the actants’ accounts and wherever the ‘network-tracing’ (Latour, 1996) might take me was not going to be easy. Aware of the possible effects of my

connection to the agency on my network-tracing, I proceeded with caution by

maintaining a reflexive approach (Hibbert, et al., 2014; Alvesson, et al., 2008) to my research decisions and actions and allowing the circulating entity to display its movements through actors’ accounts. I critically questioned the assumptions of those observed and my own, as well as remained cognizant of the influence that my

62 Upon my arrival at DAFS (which I referred to as my ‘Prep Day’), like all

visitors, I went through security, reported to the Front Desk, and asked for my contact person (from hereon, Vicky). Vicky met me at the reception area and brought me to her office in Administration. I immediately thanked her for coordinating the

administration requirements associated with my visit. During our brief chat, it was quite obvious that she was well informed of my previous role in the agency. When we were ready to leave to go to my assigned office and for a quick tour of the campus, I asked Vicky if I could pop my head into the Director’s office to let him know of my presence as a matter of courtesy and thank him for his full support. As he was in a meeting, I decided to meet with him the next day. Before leaving the area, an administrative assistant handed me a security badge with my photograph on it; the same one used at the time I was employed by the agency. This security badge gave me full access to almost all of the departments and units between the two campus buildings. Vicky then showed me to my office in the Legal department. The office, formerly occupied by one of the attorneys, was well furnished and equipped with a computer, two monitors, printer, and VoIP telephone system. The latter came in handy for getting in touch with any member of staff across the organization. On the wall of the office was a huge printout of DAFS’ organizational chart, which was eventually replaced with an updated version. Vicky then gave me a quick tour of the campus. She pointed out the general areas of the different units and departments of the organization. The familiar faces I met along the way greeted and welcomed me. Many gave me a hug, expressed excitement about my visit and how they missed my presence. Others conveyed their support and offered their assistance, if and when needed. I also noticed several new faces throughout the campus.

The first hour and a half of my visit reminded me of the territory I was about to enter, my role as a researcher, and my previous role as a practitioner. As an insider, I became even more aware of the need to maintain a balance between my knowledge and expertise in the area of study and good research practice. Although the former gave me that unique position and advanced knowledge on the site/sector, I allowed my network-tracing to expose the elements entangled in (and critique) that taken-for- granted knowledge. But for me to conduct the tracing, I immersed myself in their world and interacted comfortably with those who could show me the path as they told their story. Aware of the limits of how much I could trace within a given period of

63 time, I took advantage of the knowledge informed by my connections as a starting point, while recognizing that the story unfolds only after I let the actors provide an account of their ordering of the world (Latour, 2005).

The next day, I made a courtesy call to the head of the agency to express my appreciation for his support. As I knocked and stood at the door to get his attention, he immediately got up from his seat and greeted me with a big smile and a hug. We exchanged pleasantries. I sat down at the visitor’s chair and expressed my profound appreciation for his support. As we chatted, the phone rang. The Assistant Director, who was attending a child support conference out of state, was immediately put on speakerphone and informed of my presence. I greeted and thanked her for her support. During our conversation, the Director conveyed the State’s concern regarding my access to the case management system, which is the database containing clients’ personal information. He reassured the State that I had no intention of citing specific cases nor making references to specific clients, and that I had signed all the required confidentiality agreements. He then told me to carry on with my observation as planned, knowing fully well the purpose of my study. Shortly before leaving the Director’s office, one of the managers came in. As soon as he saw me, he said, “Well, hello!” and gave me a hug. After a quick exchange, I excused myself to let them get on with their business.

This brief account on my arrival at DAFS is important as it offers insight into my privileged position, the agency culture, and DAFS’ support for my visit, which explain how I managed to follow the actors (Latour, 2005) at a reasonable pace within a limited period. The next section describes how I followed and engaged with the actors.