Thoughts on CRS Start-up Workshop

Thoughts on CRS' Agency Start-up Workshop

ECB Phase II start-up at CRS HQ was exciting because of the very close alignment with organizational strategy and ongoing activities.  As a matter of fact, the group walked through an exercise to visually map the relationships and overlaps between ECB cross-cutting themes and strategic pillars for the agency.  This was very important for CRS.

The facilitator was super excellent!  She was organized, a good communicator, formal yet fluid, not pressing the group to produce an ‘output’.  She really wanted participants to understand the process and so walked them through logical steps.  There were also scheduled checkpoints to assess progress.  Having hardcopy handouts was very, very helpful so that participants could see the strategy and make notes as ideas came to mind.  Flipcharts were used throughout as reference points at various stages during the meeting.

There was sustained presence and input by non-emergency folks from other departments in CRS (e.g., HR, Program Quality and Support).  The ‘outside’ perspective they provided additional scope for agency-wide impact of proposed activities.  This was also an opportunity to learn about non-ECB/non-emergency tools and mechanisms available to support emergency capacity building.

Key lesson – select a strong facilitator who can connect the dots and who is keen on learning while doing.

 

Stuart

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Thoughts on CARE's Start-Up Workshop

 

For CARE, the start-up workshop followed a few days of meetings for members of the emergency working group.  This was both an opportunity and risk - an opportunity to directly link ECB to annual and strategic plans, but a risk as fatigue was beginning to set in.  What helped was an energetic facilitator who asked a lot of questions to clarify a lot of assumptions and assertions.  We really enjoyed the informal, non-judgmental, yet structured approach to facilitation.  Best of all, he kept us well within schedule.

 

There was solid contribution of the advisors, and visible presence and participation of senior management (e.g., VP for Program Quality and VP for Global Operations).  They shared their thoughts on how ECB will contribute, recommendations of additional things to consider, and their concerns as well.  Overall, their support was welcomed. 

 

A concern I had was that ECB could become overwhelming, and particularly so where staff were busy with their 'regular' jobs.  Having full-time ownership of ECB management within CARE will help tremendously as follow up to discussions and plans developed in the workshop will be key.  However, valuable quick wins were identified (and in many ways already funded) - so ECB was set for blast off!!

 

Key lesson:  invite comment and critique from senior management.

 

Stuart

 

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Thouhts on Mercy Corps' Start-Up Workshop

 

To put it simply, MC's start-up workshop was fun!  It was a small core group (of about 8 or 9 individuals), but an energetic and entrepreneurial group.  We accomplished a lot and identified real tangibles that are actually doable within time and resource constraints.  Nonetheless, the vision after 5 years delivers for MC key results that are anticipated to have a big impact both on and for the organization.  Most importantly, the activities reflected the identity and culture of the organization - I could see smiles on the participants' faces as they talked about what really stood out for them.  A few MC staff popped in and out of the meetings  - but they were engaged at just the right times to add rich substance to the discussions - a real plus!!

 

We now have a new commitment for ECB - to have squishy toys at every meeting, workshop, learning event, and conference call!!  Sounds mushy, but they were a tangible contribution in lightening the atmosphere.  Could they become the next generation of ECB tools to help build individual and organizational dexterity?  We shall see!

 

Key lesson:  keep ECB real by explicitly linking it to ongoing and planned organizational activities.

 

 

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Thoughts on WV's Start-Up Workshop

 

 

 

World Vision has just completed its agency start-up workshop.  The agenda was packed but it was encouraging to see, feel, and hear high energy levels throughout the two days of discussions.  Having balanced representation from HQ, regional staff, and country consortia contributed to this energy as many regional and field participants were together in the same room for the very first time, which meant they were eager to ‘compare notes’ and learn from each other.  Another energy boost came from the facilitator – WV’s ECB Manager – who was able to create linkages in terms of the relevance of ECB.   The workshop was designed around a series of conversations – very little PowerPoint – which also kept energy levels up.  Timing really is everything.  The WV APIP is being designed at just the time when annual plans and WV’s 2010-1015 emergency strategy is being developed.

What was also interesting was how lessons from ECB phase I were shared.  Rather than present the usual list of achievements, four individuals – someone from HQ, regional, field, and an advisor – were asked to share how ECB phase I impacted them both professionally and personally.  For the visioning exercise, the question focused on what success would look like for accountability, staff capacity, and DRR, rather than emphasizing success for WV or ECB.  This approach helped ground expectations for program quality.  Then, in reviewing the outputs and tools from phase I, it was energizing to hear discussions about how key papers and research reports from phase I could be converted into tools during phase II.  This was amazing because it meant that the compilation of knowledge and ideas from phase I would not sit on a shelf to collect dust, but could be reviewed and re-designed into something practical. 

The key lesson:  keep energy levels up!

Stuart

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