We were invited by a program of an international development agency to facilitate an internal meeting of their regional teams. This was in preparation of a larger organisation wide change process where the expectation was of the program to be more proactive, visible and exercising greater ownership of outcomes, together with retaining spirit of partnership.
In the run up dialogue with the organization, Vriddhi helped to define the scope of engagement to prepare but not pre empt the organization wide process. Thus looking at this process as one that helps in synthesis/reflective sense making to consolidate lessons, identify successes and clarify own purpose.
At the end of the workshop there will be:
a) A high level of articulation of some options for the purpose of the program over the 5 years. It will be based on the experiences and aspirations of the team and factoring in expectations of external statekholders;
b) guiding principles for the three main approaches/pillars of program being explored organizationally.
c) action plan by the site and central teams on further work that needs to be done in the coming year to build experience and evidence for finalizing the purpose. While we an action plan would be made at the end of this worksop, finalization of purpose would be done as part of the overall organization strategy development.
The workshop was held over three days, where the participants worked with each other, dialogued with other teams that had cross cutting linkages, understood that the organization defined as success. Broadly it covered:
1. Understanding the landscape: Making a profile of the community, understanding needs and aspirations, articulating what are assumptions being made about the community.
2. Understanding the operating landscape: mapping the institutions that are today impacting the community, seeing the place for own program at a conscious and unconscious level
3. Looking internally at values that drive individuals, the team and the organization.
4. Developing a common understanding, based on experiential activity, what co-create, facilitate and lead meant
5. Developing purpose statement and action plans.
The team articulated for themselves some purpose statements outlines, which could be worked on during the organizational change process. It also identified areas in which more work/discussion was needed including state level priorities.
The process of the workshop encouraged working with own experience, building on own and others’ insights, articulating and testing assumptions, listening to and offering areas for exploration for own self. For this, we drew heavily on our experience and work of system psychodynamics as followed in group relations. This enables consultants to hold the task of the workshop, bringing phenomenon at play at both conscious and unconscious level to attention in the group, enabling them to learn from their experience in the here and now.
Name of the organization has not been shared in line with the terms of our contract pertaining to confidentiality.
