North West Association of Development Organisations

1. North West Association of Development Organisations Participatory Strategic Planning Session 26-28 March 2008 Presbyterian Youth Centre, Bamenda

2. Agenda

3. Introductions • Name • Organisation • One wish you have for the future of the North West Province

4. Overview The Technology of Participation (ToP)

5. Participatory Strategic Planning

6. Workshop Method Flow Context Brainstorm Organise Name Reflect

7. Draft Mission Statement NWADO is a network of development organisations coming together to build capacities, share information and experiences, mobilise resources and advocate on behalf of the civil society of the North West Province.

8. Vision Workshop

9. Focus Question In the next 5 years, how can NWADO most efficiently and effectively: • build capacities, • support sharing of information & experiences, • advocate, and • mobilise resources on behalf of its members?

10. Process • Brainstorm: • Individual brainstorming: each person lists concrete elements of the vision that you can see completed within the next 5 years. Select your 3-4 clearest ideas. • Meet in small groups: share ideas & write each on cards (3-8 words). • Collect cards as whole group.

11. Process, continued • Organise: • Form pairs based on similar accomplishments. • Discern the focus of each group • Name: • Name the accomplishment we will see in 5 years for each cluster (3-5 words) • Reflect

12. Vision • A vision tells the world who the organisation is • A vision channels our values into the work environment • A vision statement is an expression of optimism and hope • Each of us carries within us a piece of the puzzle, all are needed to create our shared vision.

13. Focus Question In the next 5 years, how can NWADO most efficiently and effectively: • build capacities, • support sharing of information & experiences, • advocate, and • mobilise resources on behalf of its members?

14. Imagine It is 2013. A documentary film is being made about NWADO and the civil society in the North West. You are hosting the documentation team. You take them around to meet the actors: • What stories are being told? • What events are happening/have happened/will happen? • Who is involved? • How is NWADO organised? • What does the office look like? • Who/how many staff are there? What are they doing?

15. Contradictions Workshop

16. The Knot exercise

17. Knot exercise reflection • What were our instructions? • What did we do? • How did you feel all tangled up? • How did your experience shift as time went on? • How is this related to participation? • Where would you like to use this exercise?

18. What is blocking us from moving towards our vision?

19. Contradictions Process • Brainstorm: • Individual: list 8-10 obstacles that block us from our vision. At least one block for each vision column. Focus on blocks that are in our sphere of influence. • Small Groups: Share ideas and create cards for each (3-8 words). Remember to write BIG. • Collect cards as group.

20. Process, continued • Organise: • Create clusters based on common root causes. • Discern the contradiction arena • Name: • Discuss clusters for clarity & insights • Name each cluster (3-5 words, adj., adj., noun) • Reflect

21. Contradictions • Blocks or barriers that prevent us from realising our vision • Not a “lack of” but something in the way • Not abstract or theoretical but something real in society – a prevailing attitude, common behavior, national or global trend • Not always easily recognised or obvious

22. What are the issues and obstacles that block our progress toward our shared vision?

23. Strategic Directions Workshop

24. Intro: Strategic Thinking • “Down Board” thinking: they say a champion chess player can think 7 moves down the board • Catalytic actions: what will catalyse other actions?

25. What creative and innovative 2-3 year actions will overcome these blocks and move us toward our vision?

26. Strategic Directions Process • Brainstorm: • Individual: actions that will overcome blocks, at least 1 action per obstacle. Select your key actions. • Small Groups: Share & write on cards. Include both radical actions and more conservative actions. • Collect as group.

27. Process, continued • Organise: • Form pairs based on actions with similar intents • Identify activity of each cluster • Name: • Discern strategic direction: locate clusters that together form a common direction • Name the strategic direction (3-5 words, “ing”) • Reflect

28. Strategic Directions • Broad directions for action that will overcome the obstacles and move us toward our vision. • A program or a course of action. • What will make the difference? What will have an impact? • Not just a good idea unrelated to blocks or vision.

29. What creative and innovative 2-3 year actions will overcome these blocks and move us toward our vision?

30. Dramatization • Three groups, one for each strategic direction (self select) • Create a dramatic presentation about your strategic direction. • Drama, poem, story, song, commercial • 12 minutes to prepare, 5 minutes to present • Presentations after lunch

31. Implementation Workshop

32. What do we intend to do over the next 12 months?

33. Implementation Process • One year milestones: • Teams (by strategic direction): brainstorm events or projects to implement Strategic Direction (next 12 mos.) • Select 8 key, distinct milestones: Put these on cards, place 2 in each quarter. • Reports: One person from each team report on their milestones. • Reflect

34. Process, continued • 90 day implementation steps • Teams: review Quarter 1 milestones: • How will we do this? • Who will do it? • When? Where? • What will it cost? Source of funding? • Complete 90 day implementation plan for each Quarter 1 milestone. • Report: one person from each team report • Reflect

35. Implementation • Set of actions that will initiate NWADO’s movement from where we are now to where we want to be. • Action, who, where, when, how • Specific, measurable, time-limited • Our commitment

36. What do we intend to do over the next 12 months?