Writing about Your Organization

1. Writing about YourOrganization Dr. Harish Vashistha Faculty (International), PPD Email : harish.vashistha@akdn-afg.orgMobile : 0798 401 833

2. Genesis • What is the background? • How organization was formed? • Context of that time • Background of founders

3. Societal Vision A Vision is an organization's view of how it would like the world to be, its hope for “reality to be” as opposed the “reality that is”.The vision dreams of an ideal state which may not be attained within the organization's life time. It presupposes change and interventions, and acts like a driving force to guide the organization in social action.

4. The vision has to be: Clear, concise, easily understandable.  Memorable. Exciting and inspiring.Challenging.Excellence centered.Stable, but flexible.Implementable and tangible.

5. Organizational Mission The mission statement of the organisation is that which describes its purpose or reason for existence. The mission describes generally how the organisation will contribute to achieving itssocietal vision.The Mission statements tend to incorporate four elements :1. Client orientation.2. Employee focus.3. Organisational competencies.4. Standards of excellence.

6. Importance of Organisational Mission i. Role clarity functions :The role clarity function is important as a way to provide focus for all organisations.ii. Motivation function :The mission statement motivates the staff, board, volunteers and donors and thus helps to carry forward the ideology of the organisation.iii. Evaluation function :The mission statement helps the organisation to evaluate whether its functions are in congruence with the mission statement.

7. By nature tends to be more of a personalised phenomenon since it relates to a hypothetical dream-like long term goal. It is abstract. Relates to societal reality. Generally, energises the individual. It is diffecult to change or revisit vision. Indicates what we propose to do today in order to reach our vision. It is more concrete and relates directly to our present practice. Relates to organisational reality. Provides energy for collective efforts. Mission can be periodically assessed and rearticulated. Comparison Between Vision and Mission VisionMission

8. Example Vision: A totally self-reliant and autonomous village community.Mission: Works to promote organisation of rural poor to help them solve their own problems and to get their due from the society.As for example “Every child has a happy childhood” could be a vision shared by two organizations but their missions could be different:“Provision of quality education service for dropout children in rural areas of Bamyan province.”“Provision of high quality health care and educational services to every child in Central Highlands of Afghanistan

9. Examples Vision: A new society with equal partnership of men and women.Mission: Combating the total social system of oppression and exploitation based on caste, class, ethnicity, culture, religion and gender in a comprehensive manner by grass-root level organising and empowering women.Vision: A world where children should be enabled to achieve greater control over their lives.Mission: Works to achieve lasting benefits for children within the communities in which they live by influencing policy and practice based on its experience and study in different parts of the world to make a reality of children’ s right.

10. Organizational Strategy A strategy is a set of concepts that guide an organisation’s use of its resources to pursue its mission. Organisational strategy answers several questions to address and achieve organisation’s mission:mWhat is the nature of the development problems the organisation seeks to solve ?m What is the method of intervention ?m With whom (client), where (geographical area or location) and with what relations the organisation works to achieve its mission ?m What resources it requires to accomplish the mission ?

11. Development Problem Method of Intervention Strategy With What Resources With Whom Where and What Relations

12. The strategies of a grassroots activist organisation concerned with the rights of women might include:mOrganising Women and the community - building women’s organisations, community groups, fora and other forms of regular programmes. mCampaign -Organising compaign on a varity of issues aiming at institutional reforms.mProviding Service - Providing service related to women health, education, legal advice, and income generation activities.

13. Continue……….. The strategies of a support organisation concerned with building a strong voluntary sector might include:uFinancial Support - providing financial grants to the VDOs for research, training, communication and insititution building.uCapacity Building -building capacity of the VDOs through a variety of methods.uPolicy Advocacy - influencing policies from the vantage point of enabling participation and empowerment of marginalised people.Knowledge Building - building new knowledge to bring social change involving partnership with marginalised people.

14. Continue………... The strategies of an international voluntary development organisation who is active in about forty countries and are concerned with child’s right might include: uBuilding Partnership - Working partnership with local development organisations who have the advantage of being close to the ground realities. uEnabling Access to Basic Services - Enabling access to basic services related to health and education to children, their families and community. uCapacity Building - Developing skills and knowledge in people for their empowerment and sustainability of development. uBuilding and Sharing Knowledge - To develop appropriate responses to particular situations the organisation will encourage work that evolves from the field based research.

15. Environmental Analysis StrengthWeakness Strenghts are internal to the organisation and are abilities that give an advantage over competitors, i.e. the things that the organisation is good at and does better than competitors. Weaknesses are also internal to the organisation and are situations, problems or obstacles that the organisation has and its competitors do not. Threats Opportunity Threats can be defined as problems or potential problems that may result from the interaction between specific organisation weakness and present or future negative environmental variables and sector wise threats. Opportunity is a benefit that may result from the interaction between specific organisational strenghts and present or future positive environmental variables and sector wise opportunities.

16. Who are Stakeholders and Why Stakeholder Analysis Stakeholders are people, groups, or institutions which are likely to be affected by the outcome of organisational mission (either positively or negatively), or those which can affect the outcome of the organisational mission (again either positively or negatively).

17. What are the Steps of Stakeholder Analysis Step 1: Identify key stakeholdersStep 2: Assess stakeholder interests in the achievement of organisational mission and the potential impact of organisational mission in these interests.Step 3: Assess stakeholder influence and importance to achieve organisational mission.Step 4: Outline a Stakeholder participation strategy.

18. What is needed External Situations (Opportunities & Threats) Mission THE FIT What one intends to do Forces inside the organisation (Strenghts & weaknesses) What one is capable of doing

19. Past Record/history • Major project implemented • Major achievements in recent past • Partnership • Appreciation (if any), • Any other information

20. Organizational system and structure • Structure and decision making system • HRD policy and practices • Communication system • Financial system • M&E system • Reporting • Resources (Human, material and financial)