ToP™ Projects 1 : Toronto Drug Strategy
Drug use and abuse was viewed differently by advocates of prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement which was stalling the development of a cohesive strategy. The City of Toronto Drug Strategy Initiatives, involving hundreds and including users themselves generated an innovative strategy that was unanimously approved by Toronto City Council. This was a citywide public consultation ICA Associates Inc. did in 2006 to help determine the strategies used by the City of Toronto to reduce the use of legal and illegal drugs throughout the city. It involved large neighbourhood groups as well as drug users, service providers and many stakeholders. The final report was approved unanimously by City Council.
Bill Staples, Canada, 2007
ToP™ Projects 2 : Banking Planning
Participatory Strategic Planning with the Executive Team, including the President, of the Finance and Banking System of a US Bank dealing iwth Banking Mortgages and Online Banking. There was follow-up planning with the next level down with three business units to determine the business plans, bottom lines and actions plans for the divisions below them, and to ensure that the goals and priorities of the larger division were met. The meetings included finance officers, legal experts and treasurers who would determine whether a goal or an action plan could be done or not depending of various legal or other reasons. The whole project took three years. The whole bank was eventually acquired by a larger international bank.
Eunice Shankland, USA.
ToP™ Projects 3 : Government consultation
A large public consultation was held for a government department in Australia. This was an important session that lead to the reinvigorating of the whole department.
Kevin Balm, Australia
ToP™ Projects 4 : Endangered Species Act Legislation
The Ontario Endangered Species Act was developed using participatory processes that allowed passionate stakeholders, including animal rights activists and trappers who are normally advocates for their point to view, to craft government policy. They learned respectful communication and trust through the process paving the way for cooperation on other contentious issues. An scientific advisory group needed to recommend legislation to the government on how to work with the habitat of endangered species. There were many opposing views to take into consideration. Task force examined a large number of variables and values and then made the recommendations. John Miller, Canada, 2008
ToP™ Projects 5 : Media Arts Coalition
Back in November, I had a great experience working with a media arts coalition where I had previously done several planning retreats. There had been a change in the board and the previous managing director had moved to be executive director of one of the member organizations. The new managing director, had just come on. At the end of the retreat, she was cleaning up and I was pulling down flip charts and I asked her if she had a good time. She paused and gave a short answer, like yes, or something . . . In the morning I got an email in which she said, I was confused about how to do this job, but after the retreat, I am clear. Jim Wiegel, USA, 2008
ToP™ Projects 6 : Citizenship and Immigration
To smooth the transfer of immigrant settlement services from the federal government to the province of Ontario, a large consultation involving immigrants, service providers and government offices determined 35 different major programs that would serve immigrant needs. Approximately 200,000 immigrants come to Canada each year, about 100,000 to Ontario. A government department needed a public consultatio involving hundreds of immigrants and service providers to determine the services that are most needed by newcomers. The consultation involved many focus groups, interviews and online surveys to determine the most important mix of services. The results of the consultation were turned into requests for proposal that went out to many services providers to allow them to access funding to help out thousands of newcomers. Bill Staples, Canada, 1998
ToP™ Projects 7 : Prime Minister / Aboriginal Roundtable
ICA provided the facilitation for the dialogue between the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the gathering of First Nation’s Chiefs across Canada. Potential controversy that makes news headlines was replaced with respectful dialogue that does not. Initiate a leadership dialogue on how the federal government and Aboriginal peoples can work together on policies and initiatives that create transformative change and measurable improvements in the quality of life for Aboriginal people in Canada. Encourage leadership commitment to the ongoing dialogue and concrete actions needed to move forward together on identified priorities. Participants of the Roundtable included the Prime Minister, members of Cabinet and Parliament with portfolios including Aboriginal issues, and Aboriginal leaders from across the country. The process was designed to include both formal speeches and forums to share ideas and create new relationships. ICA formed a facilitation team along with Aboriginal facilitators. Participatory processes in discussion groups in the morning provided organizational delegations (e.g. First Nation, Metis, Inuit, NWAC, CAP, Other Institutions) and selected federal leadership an opportunity to identify suggestions, actions and commitments for transforming current relationships. Discussion groups in the afternoon generated commitment to changes in specific policy areas (housing, education, economic development, health and results measurement) to create results to positively impact on the quality of life for Aboriginal peoples in Canada and to examine strategies for achieving these changes. Jo Nelson, Canada 2004
ToP™ Projects 8 : Bioethics Research Conference
A bioethic research conference was designed and facilitated as a launch conference for the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute. Part of the process of Canada-wide consultation that shaped the CCBI’s vision, mission and activities. Conference of 80 people including bioethicists, Bishops, medical doctors, philosophers. Canada 2001
ToP™ Projects 9 : Adivsory Group on Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Facilitated this workshop for the government with doctors and medical researchers across Canada which was designed to outline key health system issues related to the growing use of complementary and alternative practices and therapies, and to develop recommendations. Canada 2000
ToP™ Projects 10 : Etiology of Anemia
Workshop for a government crown corporation for health research scientists around the world which developed a framework for understanding the etiology of anemia throughout the life cycle of humans, and appropriate responses. Canada 1998
ToP™ Projects 11 : Large Scale Food Fortification
Major consultation and health conference for Asian Development Bank in Manila for 85 research scientists, senior government officials and large company owners to accelerate rolling out food fortification strategies on a large scale in Philippines, Fiji, Thailand, Indonesia, China and India. Canada 2000
ToP™ Projects 12 : Cancer Advocacy Strategy Conference
Public strategy conference for cancer advocacy groups, patients and pharmaceuticals which developed the vision and focus for this health organization for the Cancer Advocacy Coalition. Canada 1999
ToP™ Projects 13 : Geospatial Technology Conference
Large conference for the agriculture department of the government on geospatial technology and how the government intends to make geospatial technology more publicly relevant. Involved geographic mapping technology and the websites and search engines and metadata capable of making the technology useful to public and private sector. Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 14 : Groundwater Health Study
A series of focus groups with residents defined the aims of research to be conducted by an important public health study made necessary by a deadly bacterial outbreak in groundwater. The health study was able to craft research aims that accurately and directly reflected the consensus of the community. John Miller Canada 2001
ToP™ Projects 15 : Marine Authority Conservation Area
A public consultation for the national parks and recreation department was needed to get input toward the formation of a marine conservation area in one of the Great Lakes, which included industry, tourism, logging, mining and fishing interests. Bill Staples, Canada 2001
ToP™ Projects 16 : Innovation in Agriculture Conference
This was a large coalition conference for the University of Guelph on the topic of Innovation in Agriculture with many stakeholders from Ontario and other parts of Canada, with special emphasis on bioengineering and biotechnology. The conference explored various types of agriculture innovation and what roles need to be taken by different sectors of society. Bill Staples, Canada 2001
ToP™ Projects 17 : Greenhouse Gas Policy Setting
A meeting of 30 diverse members of a working group on greenhouse gas emissions. Federal government supports numerous initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increases in the efficiency and effectiveness of electric power generation from renewable sources, and from more efficient transmission and distribution. This was planning at the objective level to fund and monitors research and development projects undertaken by others in these fields of renewable electric energy. John Miller Canada 2005
ToP™ Projects 18 : Earth Summit Five Year Followup Conference
This was a large stakeholder conference in Canada evaluating results of UNCED for the national pollution program. Participants included private sector, NGOs, and both levels of government. The theme was to moving towards sustainable consumption and Production: Building a Community of Concern and Commitment. One interesting innovation in the background process was Vision, Underlying Obstacles, Pathways, Footprints. Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 19 : Recyled Organics
The facilitaton resulted in a composting industry association which has been quite successful in furthering the industry. Richard Maguire, Australia from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 20 : Rajasthan Mill Transformation
Banswara Textiles where ToP facilitation is underpinning the transformation at their mill in Rajasthan. From Yaroslav Prytula, Ukraine. From ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 21 : Model Community post-Katrina
Holy Cross Neighborhood Association - local residents determined to become a model community following Katrina. Jean Watts, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 22 : Foster Youth to Independence
The PASSAGE Coalition for the successful transistion of foster youth to independence is finishing its second year of planning and implementation ( convened by Casey Family Programs, youth-driven, 45 and growing charter member agencies. John Oyler, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 23 : Building Materials Salvage Project
Old City Building Centre -a deconstruction & building materials salvage project of the Mid-City Neighborhood Assn - I worked with them at initial step of exploring a WorkForce Development Collaborative, and later on, to realize common ground with private-public partnerships in opening a warehouse for (a) youth training in green technology & (b) saving & sellling salvaged building materials to help residents rebuild in post-disaster New Orleans. Erness Wright - Irvin, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 24 : Union of Journalists
Zimbabwe Union of Jornalists in drawing up a Strategic Plan and assisting their associate members to do the same. Zimbabwe, Barbara Banda, Malawi from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 25 : Integrating Disabled Peoples
With groups of disabled peoples and their families and organizations, their happiness and integration. With ICA Chile. Joaquina Rodriguez Ruz from Guatemala, in Chile. from ToPSurvey (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 26 : Software Team
A software enterprise behemoth, more closer working relationship as a team. Chung, Tsung-mao (Shawn Chung), Taiwan from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 27 : United Way Priorities
United Way Capital Region using ToP methods for Community Input into prorities. Heidi Kolbe, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 28 : Occupational Endorsement Course
Program partners at Northwest College, who wanted to collaborate on designing an occupational endorsement course. Dawn Salesky, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 29 : Congregational Partnership
Central/St Mathew Partnership. Two congregations, black and white, deciding to become a covenanted partnership after Katrina. Jean Watts, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 30 : Integrating Facilitation and Consulting
The APM Group in Bangkok where ToP facilitation processes are being integrated with their consulting and training programs. From Yaroslav Prytula, Ukraine, from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 31 : Theatre Company Transition
A small theatre company makes a transition from all-volunteer staff to paid managing director. Susan Blackman, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 32 : Call-a-Teen Youth Resources
Call-a-Teen Youth Resources is pioneering Project-based Learning in its charter high school, using ToP methods in its workforce development programs and has its board and staff deeply involved in the implementation process of a comprehensive strategic planning process. John Oyler, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 33 : After School Tutoring
START the Adventure in Reading (STAIR)- an after-school tutoring program that expanded its Board focus to help make literacy a top community priority in the changing charter & recovery school landscape in post-disaster New Orleans. Has jump started a huge collaborative group focused on this goal. Erness Wright - Irvin, USA by ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 34 : Senior Curriculum Design
Community Ambassador Program for Seniors - A partnership between City of Fremont Human Services Department and 7 ethnic and faith communities. ToP has been used to develop curricula, program design and evaluation. Raymond Grimm, USA from ToPSurvey.
ToP™ Projects 35 : World Relief Facilitation
CRWRC Christian Reformed World Relief has trained numerous people around the US and uses ToP in community development. from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 36 : Environment Africa Management Retreats
Environment Africa in facilitating management retreats to share and learn from activities being implemented. Barbara Banda, Malawi from ToPSurvey.
ToP™ Projects 37 : Monitoring and Evaluation
Participatory monitoring and evaluation of community projects in Serbia and Republic of Georgia. Again, these are based on ToP principles but are not ToP branded. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 38 : Financial Autonomy
A 30 year old African training institute that followed the strategic planning process and achieved financial autonomy. Survey.
ToP™ Projects 39 : Indigenous Youth Group.
Indigenous Groups in the West Side of Guatemala: These youth gave ideas, then, the youths were so proud to be at front, reflecting on their Action plans, using ORID and planning. Joaquina Rodriguez Ruz, Guatemala from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 40 : Boulevard Improvement
Fairly new community group in Denver is engaging a wide range of neighborhood groups, business and the city in improving one of the main Boulevards in Denver. The City is intrigued by the process we are using and the model. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 41 : Private Sector Strategic Plan
Ozanam Industries, enhancing the lives of people with disabilities, enabled teamwork across the organisation with first strategic plan. Richard Maguire, Australia from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 42 : Youth Agency
South Bay Community Services - a youth agency in Chula Vista, CA. They were one of the first groups to start with our CYD teams and have since evolved into a group that actively involves youth and the participatory methods in their work. Erika Johnson has been the leader with the full support of her boss Mauricio Torre. His participaton and support was crucial. Aja Howell, USA from ToPSurvey.
ToP™ Projects 43 : Grant Review
First 5 Placer uses the Foc. Conversation for grant review & in every aspect of their work. Heidi Kolbe, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 44 : Prioritizing College Courses
The villages of Savoonga, Shishmaref and Teller Alaska, that helped the college determine what courses were important in their village. Dawn Salesky, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 45 : Healthy New Orleans
Healthy New Orleans - a partnership of 80 orgainzations related to physical, mental, and economic health. Jean Watts, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 46 : Retired Teachers Association
State wide retired teacher associations - use tools in their local areas to develop membership. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 47 : Internal Facilitators
Sophia, Corning - We have both facilitated processes within the organization and trained internal facilitators that have continued using the processes. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 48 : Acupuncture Association Planning
Academy of Medical Acupuncture has used ToP 3 times (each about 10 years apart). The first planning was to establish the association, then to deal with incredible growth and recently to deal with the need for transition to new leadership. Each time the organization was prepared to meet their challenges and willing to gather the insights and perspectives of their whole membership. Marilyn Oyler, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 49 : Enviroschool Formal Deep Reflection
Enviroschools facilitators all learn that reflection is a very valuable part of learning, and they experience deep reflection using the focused conversation when we train them (even though they don't know that this is the method we are using). This gives them a commitment to facilitating deeper reflection when they work in the 500 schools that are part of this NZ programme. Helen Ritchie, New Zealand from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 50 : Internal Group Collaboration
The GMR group of companies in India where ToP methods are slowly but steadily being established as the tool for group collaboration, discussion, problem solving and decision making. Kevin Balm, Australia from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 51 : Independent Team Members
Las Virgenes VAPA Task Force: independence of team members who are highly valued by their district, enjoy thinking creatively in a participatory setting. when I set up a solid process they ran with it. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 52 : Diaspora Group Members Initiatives - UK
A small diaspora organisation has adopted ToP and its principles to make it more representative of its members and to play a more facilitative role in enabling and supporting members to take their own initiatives forward.
Networking Organization
AFFORD, the African Foundation For Development, is a UK based diaspora organization that works with other diaspora organizations in the UK, linking them to development efforts in Africa. In 2002 they found themselves trying to focus among many conflicting priorities, uncertain about which possibilities to follow in their development of coalitions and partnerships in the UK. The subsequent strategic planning event facilitated by ICA:UK and attended by the entire board, staff and stakeholders was pivotal in that it enabled the participants to see how a participatory approach works, demonstrated how all ideas could be included and be drawn upon to produce a coherent product both agreed and owned by the participants. The AFFORD staff recognized that the particular processes used in this event were the practices they wanted to use in their day to day work and in their day to day relationship building. One board member said “If not for that planning process, I believe I might have given up volunteering for AFFORD some time ago. I gave up all the other organisations I used to serve because their processes were not sufficiently participatory and inclusive for me.†The event has also had a bearing on who they are attracting as an organization, who they work with, and it has changed the relationship they have with their partners. AFFORD is more confident in its promotion of participation, training African facilitators to manage workshops at conferences - 60 young Africans were trained for the annual African Diaspora and Development Days. They have been taught to listen, not to fear disagreement and to build consensus. It has also changed the criteria by which they choose their partners: If they don’t see any commitment toward participation, they won’t engage with them. Onyekachi Wambu, Information Officer said, “ICA techniques and ideas have had, I would say, a big impact on AFFORD. From my own perspective it has shaped the way I approach meetings and seek to build consensus for actions.†- UK.
Jonathan Dudding, UK, 2010 (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 53 : Community Development Workshops
Working with World Vision Bosnia and Herzegovina and using ToP methods for facilitation of community development workshops. Slavica Bradvic Hanusic, Bosnia from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 54 : Excellence Orientation
Cooperativa Coban, Realized the importance of participation and how it helps to become an organization excellence oriented. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 55 : Imbedding ToP in City Departments.
The City of Scottsdale has a core of 12+ ToP-trained facilitators whose task is to deliver Participatory Strategic Planninng with every department of the city and assist with ongoing monitoring and implementation. John Oyler, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 56 : Community Resilience after Katrina
Holy Cross Neighborhood Assn in New Orleans, LA lower 9th Ward - integrating ToP methods into re-vitalizing a U.S. community post-disaster using inclusive participation in community revisioning with urban planners; celebrating of minor successes in every association meeting & eventual collaboration with national entities (HGTV; Clinton-Bush Fund; Global Green; Brad Pitt; etc.) to rebuild community resiliency & affordable homes post-disaster in an historic neighborhood. Erness Wright - Irvin, USA from ToPSurvey (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 57 : City Government Promotes Inclusion
City of Fremont's Human Services Department. ToP methodology has been utilized to develop strategic plans for many of its divisions. It been used successfully to expand our partnerships to include multiple ethnic and faith groups in delivering needed services to people who had previously been significantly underserved in our community. Raymond Grimm, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 58 : Handicapped Youth
PELP programme, Chile. Programme for Training Participative Leaders. Leadership training for mixed groups of handicapped and non handicapped youth. Nigel Blackburn, Chile from ToPSurvey (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 59 : Vietnam Agency
Agency in Vietnam, Highly energised by the participative approach of workshop method and talked about to another consultant. Cynthia Lau, Singapore from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 60 : School Leadership Strategic Plan
Culver City High School, we developed a mission statement, strategic plan and action plans. Then the school leadership stepped up and included the entire faculty in the implementation of the action plans. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 61 : Wastewater Master Plan
Valencia Integrated Water & Wastewater Master Plan; part of a CDM-led team to conduct a county-wide master plan. Tim Karpoff, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 62 : Department of Corrections Orgnanizational Strategy.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; sent 4 people through all our ToP Courses. Facilitated organizational strategy. Topsurv
ToP™ Projects 63 : Child Care Worker Conference
Conference for 60 child care workers to help build a coalition between several child care organizations in a large region. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 64 : Aboriginal Health Organization
National health organization representing First Nations peoples needed a strategic planning for the next 5 years. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 65 : Smoking Bylaw Public Meeting
A Smoking Bylaw was being proposed in a medium sized city and the City Clerk wanted a public forum to give feedback on the bylaw. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 66 : Agency Model Building on Child Behavioural Problem
Create a collaborative model between 6 different agencies on working with 6-18 years olds with behavioural problems who are falling out of the care system during their school years. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 67 : Health Case Managers Retreat
The case managers of a Community Care Access Centre needed to reate policy on how to decide which behaviourally challenged children get served and which do not. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 68 : Consultant Curriculum Design
A Crown Corporation wanted to train good consultants in several African and Asian countries on how to promote the use of micronutrients to various national governments. The job was to work with a team of experienced consultants to develop a 10 day training curriculum. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 69 : Nurse Manager Retreat
The Director of Nursing of a large public health department was retiring and wanted to end with a retreat with all the nurse managers to help them celebrate all their accomplishments and set some guidelines on working in the future. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 70 : Labour Study Recommendations
District Health Council had a committee studying the labour needs in this large region for almost a year. Decided to use a facilitated event to study all the documents and write up the actual recommendations to the government. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 71 : Crown Corporation Transformation
Crown corporation had gone through fast expansion in a short time and had shifted to becoming a large NGO. Needed systems and internal agreements on how to operate as in international organization. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 72 : Arts Council Retreat
Provincial Arts Board held a three day retreat to figure out how it would prioritize its programs and operations for the next several years. Many artists attended the retreat. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 73 : Agriculture Innovation Conference
University of Guelph – Innovation in Agriculture Consultation 2002 Designed and facilitated large coalition conference on Innovation in Agriculture with many stakeholders from Ontario and other parts of Canada, with special emphasis on bioengineering. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 74 : Literacy Council Strat Plan
A Literacy Council needed a strategic plan created by its board to give staff and volunteers direction for the next several years. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 75 : Social Planning Coalition Strat Plan
A social planning coalition in a far north city created a board level strategic and action plan to guide its work for the next five years. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 76 : Government Agriculture Planning
This was strategic planning at the deputy minister level but the contact and writing and process were two levels down. They asked for a strategic plan that would point out long term directions for the ministry especially since part of the ministry was dealing with agriculture and the other part with agribusiness, both of which have competing interests. In addition border restrictions between Canada and US were recently put into effect as a result of a case of mad cow. Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 77 : Agriculture Water Strategy
Designed and facilitated internal workshop to create a Canada-wide government water strategy as necessitated by the Kyoto Accord. The department of agriculture took a lead in this water strategy
ToP™ Projects 78 : Government agriculture scenarios
The Executive Committee of a provincial agriculture department needed a long range participatory strategic plan created by its directors and deputy minister sparked by scenario planning based on 25 year in the future ‘what ifs’. Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 79 : Geospatial Technology Conference
Geospatial technology is important to Canadian agriculture, mining, water, forestry among many more. This conference helped develop the framework and protocols for the sharing of information to the public for many years to come. Agriculture Canada – Geospatial Technology Conference 2003 Designed and facilitated large conference on geospatial technology and how Agriculture Canada intends to make it more publicly relevant. - Bill Staples, Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 80 : Childcare strategies
Stakeholders consultation with childcare workers in a large city, to determine collaborative priorities between child care agencies. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 81 : International Food Experts
International NGO wanted to promote special techniques for food fortification with Vitaming A, iron, folic acid. Brought experts from around the world to examine efficacy of approaches. Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 82 : Experts Curriculum Design
Designed a 10 day course for international NGO to train government officials and consultants how to technically advise governments in implementation of food fortification programmes. Consultants around the world work with various governments and ministries to promote the addition of important micronutrients like iron and vitamin A in large scale food production. A ten day training program was created to allow new consultants to confidently approach new governments with the knowledge and skill to get commitment. - Bill Staples, Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 83 : Hospital Strat Plan
Board and senior staff strategic planning retreat for a Regional Hospital that has a largely rural population. Canada 2004
ToP™ Projects 84 : Difficult-to-Serve Consultation
Designed and facilitated large multi-stakeholder workshop on the difficult to serve. Agencies have great difficulty giving service or treatment to some people who have behavioural disorders, or who do not fit within the agencies specific mandate. Canada 2004
ToP™ Projects 85 : Information Technology Consultation
Over several years worked with several government branches who all use special land based information technology, eg. mines, agriculture, natural resources etc. to do strategic planning with them. Worked with each branch, then with the whole division, then with one branch at t later date to update its plans. Canada 2004
ToP™ Projects 86 : Ontario Clean Water Agency Culture Change
85 managers and directors of a provincially mandated water agency needed to create priorities and decide on what could be let go of in a new environment of intense public scrutiny on waste and drinking water policy. This lead to annual work with the water agency, in which all managers became used to the participative technologies. This has been driven down to the front line level of 600 employees, primarily engineers and technical staff. Canada 2009
ToP™ Projects 87 : Health Inspectors Strat Plan
Designed and facilitated participatory board level strategic planning for a canada wide association of health inspectors. Work continued with the board of certification of the association. There is intense public scutiny of how health inspectors do their jobs because of recent pandemics and disease outbreaks. Canada 2004
ToP™ Projects 88 : End-of-Life strategy consultation
Designed and facilitated multi-stakeholder consultation workshops on End-of-Life Strategy. These are needed to assist agencies to care for people who are in health care situations and are close to dying, all of which takes special care. Canada 2005
ToP™ Projects 89 : Health Department Strat Plan
Design and facilitation of board and staff long range strategic planning for a public health department involving 265 staff and a large board in a large city. Canada 2005
ToP™ Projects 90 : Interfaith Social Justice group
Strategic planning for a national interfaith social change group with projects around the world and several denominations with different agendas. Canada 2005
ToP™ Projects 91 : Social Service Agency Values
City Community Social Services agency needed its 66 staff to agree on a set of values and behaviours that it would promote in its everyday work. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 92 : Health Centre New Location
Staff of a large multicultural health centre were faced with deciding how to proceed with moving to several new locations with a larger mandate than before. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 93 : First Nations Regional Health
Twenty First Nations within a very large geographic area wanted to build a cohesive health plan to focus and support the efforts of the health departments of the individual First Nations. Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 94 : Environmental Education
Large bilingual think tank on environmental sustainability by a group of national educators who need to suggest curriculum across the country. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 95 : Focused Messaging Think Tank
Board of the provincial community support association needed to create a set of cohesive messages to its membership of hundreds of community support groups, after the provinces totally restructured the health system. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 96 : Farmers Markets Health Concerns
Conference of public health agencies on how to respond to new legistation on the health inspectionf of farmers markets. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 97 : Allocations and Capacity Building
The capacity building division of a large urban united needed to create interal policies that would allow it capacity buidling and its allocation to work without hindering each other. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 98 : Health integration
A local health integration network needed large scale public input on its policies and directions after the network was given a powerful new mandate by the provincial government. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 99 : Energy Saving Buildings
Strategic planning for an urban environmental group that suggests building codes and demonstrates energy-saving building construction techniques for home and commercial buildings. Canada 2006
ToP™ Projects 100 : Consumer Focus Groups.
Series of consumer gocus groups on topics ranging from the costs of using Automatic Teller Machines, especially those who cannot afford the fees for using such machines, to consumer input into construction standards for large commercial enterprises. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 101 : Diversity Policies
A provincially mandated steering committee on childrens and youth services wanted a strategic plan that would promote a new ‘gold standard’ regarding all types of diversity, especially ethnic, sexual, and cultural diversity in hiring, education, policy creation and board membership. Canada 2007 (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 102 : Airport Planning
An airport authority was shifting its culture from a building phase into a management phase and needed all managers to help create the necessary shift in culture to do it. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 103 : Merged Community Care
Long range visioning for a community care access centre that had been merged from the staff and boards of three other ccac’s. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 104 : Hospital Strategic Plan
Long range strategic planning for the board of a large regional hospital serving a city a a large rural area. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 105 : Peer Support Groups
Facilitated several series of Peer Support Circles for the executive directors of various non-profit agencies. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 106 : Nursing Association Strategic Plan
Long range strategic planning for a national nursing association that had implemented most of the strategies from its last participatory strategy planning session several years back. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 107 : Cottages Association Strategic Plan
Board level strategic planning was conducted every four years, three times in total, for this cottagers assocation, showing the difference over time of the content using the same strategic planning process. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 108 : Wind Power Technical Advisory Group
Federal level technical advisory group to the government needed to focus its research efforts on the topic of Wind Power Technology. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 109 : Community Care Access Centre Planning
Long range strategic and action planning for a very large community care access centre in an urban area. The group organizes home care for seniors and handicapped people and creates partnerships to handle that home care. Canada 2007
ToP™ Projects 110 : Nurse Managers sytems
The Nurse Managers of a regional health department had expanded very quickly and were stressed out by the pressures on them created by the short term systems that they had created. A retreat was held to get to the root problems of the stessors. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 111 : Cancer Research
A coalition of cancer agencies were being funded by government and needed to focus their research efforts so that their scientific research on the occupational and environment causes of cancer could get the most bang for the buck. A two day planning session was held to determine those long range foci. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 112 : New government branch
A new branch within a provincial department of agriculture had been carved out of the staff from other branches. The new branch needed focus and systems put in place to ensure they could meet their mandate. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 113 : Health Department strat planning
Long range strategic planning for the management and board of a rural public health department that serves a huge rural area, and that many of the staff are near retirement age. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 114 : Employee Engagement Strategy
A huge survey to provincial employees had indicated the need for an employee engagement strategy. Some employees formed a committee to comment on the efficacy of the strategies and to create some of their own. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 115 : Health Recruitment Summit
A large rural area was having difficulty recruiting doctors and other health professionals to the area. A series of summits was held involving various health groups to determine ways to work together to attract new health professionals. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 116 : Replacing Manufacturing Jobs
A large half day conference was held to create a set of strategies to deal with the downturn in the economy due to the loss of manufacturing jobs in a tri-city area. A think tank methodogy was used to get good results. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 117 : Public Health Trends
A large Health deparment, part urban and part rural, needed a new strategic plan. Many of the staff had been fully trained in ToP methods, so a classic ToP planning method was used. A trend analysis was put at the beginning to ensure that the product focused on the external needs of the population. Canada 2008
ToP™ Projects 118 : Machine Tool Company
PROFITABILITY A machine tool company of 1300 people was not quite making its targets year after year. The Managing Director wanted a way to focus efforts, especially on quality, customer responsiveness, development of special purpose machine tools and teamwork. The M.D. was a bright local manager of a wholly owned German company who was head and shoulders in capability above everyone else in the company. In several participatory planning and implementation programs including leadership training and mentoring with the top team of 20, the M.D. learned to facilitate instead of direct, to empower task forces instead of try to do things himself and to encourage instead of be critical. Others were able to take on more responsibility, to delegate many of their own tasks which also helped their subordinates take more responsibility. Five years later the company won the first Baldridge Award given in their country. They realized that the ICA programs had created the "human infrastructure for Total Quality Management". When the company was sold two years following, that country operation was the most profitable of the 16 country operations and is still the Flagship Company, even more successful than the German “Mother Companyâ€. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 119 : Market Research Firm
COOPERATION A market research company merged recently from two organizations with strong corporate cultures. ICA was asked to help the senior management create a plan to complete the transition and forge a positive working environment. Over two years working first with the LENS process with the directors followed by executive retreats and departmental breakthrough sessions the organization has emerged as a cohesive unit. The leadership team has been able to move into a much more supportive relationship, ending the seemingly inevitable "we-they" situations which prevailed before, bringing results and relationship building into balance, helping eliminate wasted energy formerly dissipated in internal competition. The company made its bottom lines without a hitch during the transition of Managing Directors. Currently the organization is realigning departments and leadership in such a way as to build a more cooperative relationship between traditionally competing departments. ICA is in an ongoing mentoring and process design relationship with the M.D. and the departments. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 120 : High Tech Expansion
PARTICIPATORY DECISION MAKING The brilliant President of a high-tech, start-up company had come to the point at which he could no longer effectively manage as he had previously. Very bright engineers had their own ideas and resented his seeming domination. The President was reluctant to trust the judgment to others, a situation aggravated by the need for confidentiality because some products have a short advantage before competitors copy. In the planning program, members of the management and scientific group became increasingly open to each others' ideas, were more willing to share their own thoughts and feelings without making demands or offering ultimatums. Currently the group is adapting the planning process to making R&D decisions. ICA will continue with the leadership team, holding follow-up review exercises, teaching participation skills and mentoring individuals as needed for increased responsibility. The company, which has been doubling its revenue annually, has great product potential limited only by its human capacities. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 121 : Multicultural Team Synergy
MULTI_CULTURAL TEAM SYNERGY The formation of a new business unit in a multi-national company merging 2 projects with different styles and cultures. Accomplished through: 1) Individual dialogue sessions and facilitation of programs to clarify reasons for the merger without acrimony. Personal sharing and providing open space for expressing concerns facilitated healing and moving ahead. This was an opportunity for the new M.D. from outside the company to clarify his assignment from head office which enabled understanding of the need for an "outsider" style. We later facilitated a program including expat sales & marketing people and the local support team who were able to respect each other's contribution in a new way. We were able to go beyond the expats doing all the talking and local people keeping their head down; everyone contributed. ICA Taiwan (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 122 : Factory Management
BREAKING THROUGH FIRST ON TECHNICAL, THEN HUMAN ISSUES A chemical company was hampered by unreasonable union rules, which prevented managers, and supervisors even from effectively communicating with operators. Sabotage of the production line was a common occurrence. The factory had never worked at its rated capacity. Working conditions were bad, but no one was willing to do anything about them. A new Factory Manager took over, asking ICA to work with him over a period of time. The first planning program included representatives from top to bottom and was able to get good participation even from operators from the factory floor. Supervisors who were actually blocking progress divided themselves into two groups, one including those who wanted to improve the situation and one group, the members of which were exposed as blocking factors. The latter group subsequently transferred out as they saw they could no longer maintain their power by holding back progress. The factory is now very close to full capacity with control over operating parameters and in turning to more focused human development is finding that young supervisors are excited to take on more responsibility. Senior supervisors are now facilitating programs with increasing skill. Mentoring with the two top managers is resulting in a new openness in the #2 person, a change necessary if he is to go farther in the company. Cooperating in this small plant which is part of a larger complex is an embarrassment to a very powerful union leader who sees this cooperation as a threat to his power base, but he has not been able to hold back the cooperation necessary for the future viability of the plant. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 123 : Wellknown Advertising Firm
CONFLICT AND DILEMMA RESOLUTION A well-known and successful advertising group has many strong people with strong ideas and traditional tensions between creative and accounts departments. ICA created an "Assumptions Process" with them to help get to the assumptions and deep beliefs which keeps conflict in being. Participants from the group's five member companies worked through several current conflict situations leading to a way to more clearly see the other side of polarizing issues. Participants reported being more able to see the point of view of others, some where even able to reframe situations in such a way that shifting assumptions added to the resolution of the conflict or dilemma. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 124 : Cable TV Company
ASSUMING LEADERSHIP OF A NEW COMPANY A cable TV company was involved in a merger. The new President was not yet effective because so many of the previous employees had primary loyalty to the previous General manager who was still there. In doing a planning program for a group including one third of the employees, the new President shared his concern. ICA was able to shift the way the implementation process was conducted to help put the new President in charge of the company. In a conversation with him a month later, the President said he wanted to know the companies ICA did its LENS process with and he would buy shares in those companies. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 125 : Fast growing computer company
BREAKTHROUGH CREATIVITY PROGRAMS A fast-growing first rank computer company which was growing 100% per year in Asia asked CA to facilitate breakthrough programs with them and their distributors. Managing Directors and Marketing Chiefs for Asia/Pacific and important Distributors were able to pool their creativity in order to make major gains. The programs led to strategic alliances while preparing distributors for much greater growth and diversity of market penetration. They also paved the way for building more interactive systems, which helped relieve pressures between departments in a rapidly changing business situation. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 126 : Closing a company Respectfully
DIFFICULT ACTIONS WITH PROFOUND RESPECT A two-partner Joint Venture required to close down, the question addressed was how to do it with profound respect. ICA facilitated and mentored 2 senior expats and the HR manager 1) Ongoing, transparent communication, telling people everything (several times), 2) Making adequate time for employees to grieve, 3) Helping people (mostly engineers) find other jobs in the vicinity, 4) Enabled the HR manager to remain centered avoiding becoming a target. ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 127 : Staff Away Day
Staff Away Day with George House Trust . George House Trust (GHT) is the HIV voluntary organisation for the North West of England. It supports people living with and affected by HIV, and campaigns for the best quality of life for all people with HIV. ICA:UK was approached in July 2007 to design and facilitate a staff Away Day later that month. GHT had undergone substantial change in the last couple of years - including significant expansion of the staff team and it’s service delivery, turnover of some senior staff, and subsequent restructuring of management posts. A need had been felt for an externally facilitated process to allow staff to unpack and reflect together on this recent past, at what was felt to be a turning point before looking ahead by means of a fresh strategic planning process later in the year.
ICA UK
ToP™ Projects 128 : Mission and Values for Salvation Army
Developing a Mission & Values statement with the Salvation Army’s School for In-Service Training and Development.The School for In-Service Training and Development of the Salvation Army wanted to develop their own Mission Statement, against the background of a major shift in emphasis in training giving greater autonomy to the divisions (regions). The staff of the department (about 25 people) gathered and, after the context had been set, brainstormed answers to three main questions: • Why do we exist? • Who do we serve? • What is the need we are addressing? The answers were then taken away by a small group who refined the key points down to a succinct Mission Statement. They were also able, by reviewing the answers further, to draw out a Statement of Values for the Department. Both of these were presented back and endorsed by the whole group at their next meeting three months later.
ICA UK
ToP™ Projects 129 : Participatory Strategic Planning in Ponders End, North London
ICA:UK was contracted by Going for Green and the Ponders End Development Forum to facilitate a two day Community Action Planning Event as part of the wider Ponders End Sustainable Communities Project. The aim of this project was to empower and enable the residents and communities of Ponders End to address their local economic, social and environmental concerns, and improve their quality of life. The event was held at Enfield College in October 2001. It was attended by a total of 22 participants including residents, representatives of local groups and businesses, service providers and Enfield Council officers. One ICA:UK facilitator was assisted by three trained facilitators from among the local community.
ICA UK 2001
ToP™ Projects 130 : Metropolitan Borough Council health involvement network - UK
Getting Ready for Wigan LINK with Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council . Every Local Authority in the country was tasked by the Department of Health with contracting an organisation to “hostâ€, or administer and support, a new Local Involvement Network or “LINK†from April 1st 2008. These are to provide a new mechanism for public and patient involvement in health and social care services within the boundaries of the local authority, and to replace the pre-existing Public & Patient Involvement Forums which each dealt only with the health services of a particular NHS trust. Wigan Council was keen to consult with the various relevant stakeholders to establish how they would like the Wigan LINK to be tailored to local needs and aspirations, and what that would mean for the terms of reference for the contract with the host organisation; and in the process to build capacity for effective consultation and involvement in health and social care in the borough, and build commitment and enthusiasm to make the new structure work for Wigan.
ToP™ Projects 131 : Manchester Compact - UK
The Manchester Compact was launched in September 2003, but it was felt that more could be done to raise awareness and understanding of it and promote its use. A summary booklet was being prepared, intended to help to raise awareness and refer readers to the Compact itself. However, experience of discussing the Compact with local voluntary groups and Council officers directly had suggested that a more effective means might be to work with VCS infrastructure workers and other intermediaries to support and encourage them to raise awareness and promote the use
of the Compact through their work. The Compact Task Group, including representatives of Manchester City Council and the voluntary and community sector in the city, proposed the development of a tailored half- day facilitated workshop for council officers and VCS staff, based around the use of scenarios, to be repeated around the city. As a result, ICA:UK was approached by Manchester City Council in August 2006 to design and facilitate a series of such workshops. We had previously worked with the council on a number of facilitated processes, including Participatory Strategic Planning events with the Voluntary Sector Policy and Grants Team and with the Area Co-ordination team. UK
ToP™ Projects 132 : Sight Savers International
Developing a Culture of Participation and Promoting Partnership with Sight Savers International . ICA:UK started working with Sight Savers International (SSI) in 1999, and over the first twelve months, provided facilitation services for SSI and two of its partners in Belize and Pakistan. These events introduced a new, more participatory way of working to SSI and had sufficient impact that ICA:UK was asked to facilitate a series of events in the SSI West African region from 2002-2003, and the SSI partner in Belize invited ICA:UK back in 2004 to facilitate their new 5-year plan.
During the period 2002-2005, ICA:UK: • facilitated Country Reviews in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and The Gambia; • developed a Facilitators Manual as a guide for future reviews; and • held two ten-day training courses (in 2003 and 2005) for 49 members of staff from SSI and its partners in Facilitation Methods and Skills
ICA UK
ToP™ Projects 133 : District Health Centre - Impact
The Request by the Organization
A new hospital board and senior management staff wanted to assure themselves and the community that big changes mandated in the hospital would not affect the same care and compassionate service that had been available in the past. The strategic plan was explicitly about a transformation from being a hospital into becoming a district health centre with added emphasis on prevention, wellness and public education. The stakeholders knew very well from experience how to run a hospital and wanted a strategic plan that would put them on the right course for long term future as a district health centre. They were open to whatever would emerge from the plan.
The Situation and Factors at Play
This small town hospital was undergoing two major changes at once. The first change was the shift of the hospital from being a Roman Catholic-run organization to becoming a public institution. This was happening because the Roman Catholic religious order that had opened the hospital and served the population over many decades was stepping back after having trained local professionals to take over the administration of the hospital and care of the patients. The second shift was from being a hospital which mainly helps sick and injured people, to becoming a regional health centre with a much larger mandate including wellness, education and even prevention.
For many decades the population, which had great trust in the religious order, was able to leave hospital staffing and administration to people whom they knew to be guided by care and compassion. With the shift to becoming a public institution a new set of values, especially financial ones, were added to mix.
Hospitals attract loyalty and commitment from the surrounding population because of the intensity of the experience that people have with them. Hospitals have to shift the services they offer as the community changes with age, with growth or decrease in population and from technological changes. Hospitals are generally slow to make changes because of the expensive infrastructure needed, the training and new staff, and the difficulty and expense of attracting staff. Canadian hospitals, due to the nature of their public funding, have even more hurdles because of additional layers of bureaucratic and occasionally political management.
The Planning
The strategic planning process included 31 people; 12 board members of the hospital, 11 management staff, and 8 people representing partnering organizations. The board members were a very good representation of the small rural area, so there was no need to hold public sessions beyond the thirty involved in strategic planning process itself. The management team had done some data gathering in advance and had given the board members briefing notes about current programs, services and government mandates, so that the whole group could launch straight into the participatory process. The planning process itself was held during a three day session including Friday night, all day Saturday and again on Sunday morning, and included an historical scan, a visioning session, contradictional analysis, a strategies workshop with phasing of strategies, and an action planning workshop. The draft of the documentation was sent to the client within three weeks. The staff took the results and did further implementation planning.
Results and impact
The plan was created eight years ago and there have been three different CEO’s since that time. Fortunately the current Chief Executive Officer was present at the planning session (the new Chief Nursing Officer at that time) and was able to reflect on the results of the plan eight years later. According to him about 70% of the long range practical vision has been realized.
A seamless care model for seniors was a large part of the vision and has been largely implemented with expanded community support services, with apartments for assisted living, and many supports for people living in their own homes. Future requirements for senior services is constantly monitored and projected. The transit system for seniors is planned to expand to allow greater accessibility. The Health Centre offers acute care services, long-term care services and community support services, along with preventative and health promotion programs. A missing part of the puzzle is a retirement home which would complete the seamless model, as it would provide a medium-care alternative to the long term care home.
Higher, stable levels of trained, satisfied staff was a very large part of the vision. As a result of the plan many different things were tried to stabilize the part-time, professional health care staff. Eventually the decision was taken to make all the part time nursing positions into full time positions which included both registered nurses and registered practical nurses. This made a big difference in stability, but there are still some RPN shortages.
The District Health Centre partnered with a nearby college of applied arts and technology. This resulted in seven individuals choosing to study in a health care profession via videoconference and actually staying in the area, rather than moving out. It also resulted in students from outlying communities coming to the District Health Centre for both theoretical education and laboratory experience.
It took a long time for the vision of satisfied staff to be realized. Four years after the strategic plan was created, a staff survey still showed a satisfaction level lower than 50%. This was largely a result of constantly changing CEOs. Many improvements were introduced in the following three years and a similar survey showed staff satisfaction increasing to well over 80%.
State of the art equipment was envisioned. A fair amount of investment occurred that led to changing and upgrading the diagnostic imaging suite, along with tele-diagnostic system, which permits patients to remain, rather than having to travel long distances for diagnostics.
Learning
Hospitals are open to scrutiny by the public and by government stakeholders. Since health care is almost always expanding, long term strategic planning of a hospital must take into account community needs, government mandates, professional and union requirements, and new modes of service. This means that the stakeholders in a hospital strategic plan need to include health professionals, unionized staff, administration and management, other health delivery partner organizations, and segments of the population that most use the hospital. In the hospital setting innovation in strategies is not nearly as important as clarity and steadiness. Measurable accomplishment will tend to stress process rather than content to ensure that as many stakeholders as possible are on board during every step of implementation.
Bill Staples, Canada, August 1, 2010
ToP™ Projects 134 : International NGO - Impact study
The Request by the Organization
An international non-government organization was anticipating a period of expansion and needed a long range plan. The executive knew that they needed something long range because they intended to expanding staff in the near future, and needed specific long range goals on which to focus, but did not have any specific ideas in mind. The staff were mainly scientists and said they had little familiarity with any form of long range or organizational planning.
The Situation and Factors at Play
This INGO started in Canada in the late 1990s with modest beginnings, a small staff within a related government department, some international grants and a passion to increase the health of populations around the world. The staff were primarily scientists who were all experts in their own individual fields of endeavour. The government was preparing to spin this group of staff out on their own and to cut direct government ties. To act on its mandate to become autonomous from the government, the entire staff embarked on a participatory strategic planning process that would launch the organization and its new mission, affect its registration as a corporation and its potential funding, create its public face to the world and make plans for multi-lateral relationships with organization in many other nations.
The Planning
The participatory strategic planning occurred over 3 months with the ToP practitioner leading the 14 staff and leadership over five days of sessions, and the staff doing additional datagathering between sessions. The facilitated sessions included an historical scan, a societal trend analysis, a frameworking session on potential partners, vision, contradictions and strategies workshops, and action planning to the strategic objective level. Over the next four years the ToP practitioner worked with the executive and senior management on another 25 days of curriculum building, international conferences, operational planning and several think tanks all of which were related to actual implementation of the strategic plans.
Results and Impact
One of the strategies was to promote advocacy and social marketing seminars. Within four years international training programs had been held in Europe and the Middle East with trainees from twenty nations who were then able to promote and launch government funded programs in each of those nations with compelling scientific evidence from around the world.
Another objective was to conduct continental needs assessments on three continents. These assessments were all completed and the partnering organizations and governments that participated in the assessments became allies in the INGO’s efforts.
The major objective of holding partnership open forums was accomplished through several forums, one the biggest being held in southeast asia. Government ministers, officials and industry owners from several nations attended for five days, and the President of the host country attended. The partnership forum resulted in goals and objectives being established for each of seven nations.
Hundreds of scientific papers have being written and shared across nations to accelerate the health benefits in each nation. Media campaigns were targeted in 30 nations to people who had the authority to change health policy. During the slow and steady growth of this INGO now with offices on three continents positive health impact have been documented for 250 million people in 65 countries.
Learning
When working with a civil society group or with charitable organizations, participants and stakeholders are generally driven by a high ethical standard and are very interested in creative strategies. They are willing to work across functions and teams and outside of their normal areas of work and interest in order to create plans that maximize impact. Participants have little problem “telling is like it is†so the analysis of root problems and contradictions tends to be very revealing.
Bill Staples, Canada, August 2010
ToP™ Projects 135 : Government IT Department - Impact Study
The Request of the Organization
The director of a branch of a government department wanted a strategic plan created by his managers. The branch was mandated to roll out new information technology across the entire department and potentially several other government departments and the director wanted the managers to figure out how this would get done and to lead their respective front line staff in all aspects of the rollout.
The Situation and Factors at Play
In the late 1990s new technology and increased capacity of the internet were leading government departments to envision new e-services in which people could access government information directly rather than having to visit branches and make requests. Up until that time, most government departments purchased their own computers and bought their own programs, and were generally incompatible with each other. Some departments, however, had similar needs and were beginning to form clusters also know as departments with a matrix reporting structure. For instance social services has similar technology needs to education, and agriculture has similar technological needs as environment. Resources. This particular branch was within a large department that had similar technological needs as three other large departments. The plan created by this branch would have repercussions on all four departments.
The Planning Event
The director and his seven managers allotted two full days to create a strategic plan for the branch. The managers had already done considerable research on the needs of the branch, their department and the three other departments. The planning event included a trend analysis for the past several years, a session to envision their best case technological requirements, an analysis of the blockages they were experiencing in their work, the development of a set of strategies that would set the direction for all the staff, and a timeline of milestones for the next two years, along with key topics to be covered on agenda for the monthly meetings for the next year. They also created a framework of the complete set of stakeholders that would be affected by their plan.
Results and Impact
The branch director and managers were able to immediately report back to their Assistant Deputy Minister that they had a comprehensive plan of action that would create a set of deliverables that the other branches in the department could depend upon. The Assistant Deputy Minister shared this with the ADMs of the three other departments. One by one, the information technology branches of each of the other three departments requested a similar strategic planning retreat. Within four months all the information technology branches in that cluster of departments had their plans in place. The Chief Information Officer (Deputy Minister Level) of all four departments then requested a similar retreat for the 65 managers of all the departments at once to ensure that the plans all had synergy between them.
Within three years the new technology, information architecture, information management, and knowledge management were in place, and the legacy data for the four departments had been consolidated. Help desks were up and running for government staff and for external users, and voice over internet protocol was being used to allow staff across the province to access the system, and create update new systems.
Learnings
The strategic plan that was created by the 65 managers across the four departments had efficiencies beyond the four separate plans created by each department. While many of the milestones and planned accomplishments of the smaller plans were also included in the larger plan, the larger plan was able to remove some redundancies and duplication of effort that would have occurred in the four smaller plans. Therefore, creating the larger plan together from the beginning would have reduced the need for the four smaller ones. On the other hand, the creation of the four smaller plans first, allowed all staff to condition themselves to the behavioural changes necessary for such a large project. Participatory strategic planning is very effective in matrix organizations where there is a great need for communication across the reporting systems as well as up and down.
Bill Staples, Canada, August 2010
ToP™ Projects 136 : Large Asian Bank - Impact study
The Request of the Organization
The CEO of a major national bank wanted to involve his management staff across the country in innovative and creative thinking regarding the operations of the bank. Specifically he wanted to ensure that major board decisions had the benefits of the thinking of managers who were the direct link to front line operations.
The Situation and Factors at play
In the 1990s a Malaysian/Singapore bank hired a new CEO to run a cluster of eighteen branches in Malaysia. That CEO had experienced ToP earlier in a job with another organization and it had impressed him helping him to renew his interest and passion in his occupation as an economist. After becoming the CEO of this national bank, he brought in LENS International to facilitate a number of ToP planning sessions in order to involve a wide spectrum of people in developing strategies for the bank.
The Planning
Over a seven year period 12 participatory strategic planning sessions were facilitated both with branch managers and with different departments such as trade finance and new business marketing. The CEO opened each session to talk about why the participatory planning was important. A secretariat documented each session, and after reading through the documentation, the CEO gave a closing speech to affirm the participants' work, to let them know what he thought was exciting in their document, and to let them know what the Board was thinking in terms of bank strategies. The ToP work also involved training team leaders who assisted with the planning sessions.
Results and Impact
Interviews with the client were held over a period of years. The CEO indicated that whatever changes the bank was planning to undertake, it became much easier to make the changes because people had already come to the table to come up with ideas similar to those the board was contemplating. Over time the style of the main branch shifted from primarily a top down to a collaborative, participatory approach and culture.
Learning
One of the important values in this planning was that it had been blessed by the higher levels and therefore was taken quite seriously throughout the organization.
Ann Epps, Malaysia, 2010
ToP™ Projects 137 : Regional Economic Development - Impact Study
The Request by the Organization
The Economic Development Commission of a small city and its surrounding rural area wanted regional planning that was long term, fair, with lots of opportunity for input from various stakeholders. The planning had to be highly participatory with neutral facilitators and consultants to engage a large part of the general public to create the economic development plan. The Economic Development Commission wanted teams of citizens in action by the end of the planning cycle. They did not want a plan on the shelf.
The Situation and Factors at Play
Three small towns were mandated to amalgamate into one city with a large rural catchment area in order to reduce administrative costs and to rationalize the large patchworks of regulations that can affect business and day-to-day living. The entire area depended heavily upon a resource- based economy, but most knew that this could not be sustainable over the very long-term. City councillors and business leaders had formed an advisory group to create an economic development plan to provide a solid foundation for everyone in the region. This advisory group had very little luck in creating a plan that everyone would back. After almost a year on their own without getting very far in their planning, they decided on the ToP approach.
The Planning
This planning process involved demonstration sessions with the original advisory committee of politicians and business leaders. After that three dozen open focus groups and input sessions from the general public were held within the entire catchment area promoted by the local media. Since the sessions were open and public no one knew how many would show up for any particular session, therefore the process had to be robust enough to work for handful of people or a hundred people, whoever showed up. These sessions were held in local community halls, golf clubs and hotels. Two months after all of the public sessions were completed, the advisory group held two sessions to vet the emerging vision, obstacles and strategies, and plan a large plenary in a local college gymnasium to which everyone was invited. This plenary, open to all, was to view the emerging consensus plans, comment on them, and launch implementation teams. The Premier opened this last big session and remarked that it was a “good example of democracy in action.†There were additional opportunities for people to participate through email, fax and surveys. In total about 540 people attended the various sessions.
Impact and Results
By the end of the plan eight new strategy teams were in place. Strategies to promote regional attractions was the largest set of strategies. The schedule of town celebrations among all the towns and villages were revamped to help touristm so that there were no conflicting schedules between towns. A new Downtown Business Network was created with a full-time marketing and event coordinator to replace the three previous competing business associations. The business district became the provinces first historic district under the Historic Sites Protection act. New coordinated websites with a wider variety of tourism information were created. Tourist income had increased to $35M per year within five years after the plan was complete. A one-source business team has been created to encourage local investment. They help coordinate business associations, create local investment pools, seek out entrepreneurial efforts, and help micro-business startups.
Learning
If large public consultation strategic planning is held too soon before an election, politicians will tend to stake out their favourite topics and use opportunities to be very public about it. This can create public conflict over high profile choices. This can be easily seen in “tough on crime†posturing played by politicians that have very little to do with good public policy. Large municipal planning exercises are often not held immediately after an election because people expect political leaders to make decisions, not start a planning process. A good planning process can be held midterm because people are ready to listen to each other, and electioneering has not yet started.
Bill Staples, Canada, August 2010
ToP™ Projects 138 : National Board of a Profession - Impact Study
The Request by the Organization
The national board of a health profession made up of twelve people from several different provinces wanted to hold a two and a half day retreat to come up with a plan that would be cohesive across the country and that would allow a potential membership of many thousands of people to “row in the same direction.†They wanted to revisit the organization’s mission because the external global problems and pressures on the members of the profession were never anticipated by the old mission. They were aware that the structure of the organization was not up to the task and that structural adjustments would be needed, even though they did have an administration company that handled membership dues and some communication. They were all aware of their small financial reserves. None of these people had any particular solutions in mind, but just knew that urgent decisions and actions were needed.
The Situation and Factors at Play
The profession needed to create an important plan for the next four years. The organization had a membership of 1,600 from a potential of 36,000 members, but it was an unincorporated association, under the umbrella of another organization. A series of problems on a global scale and of a life-threatening nature, was taking its toll on the general population and the media was quick to publicize anything that was linked to those problems. The profession had members who were on the front line dealing with some of the issues and therefore was under constant scrutiny by the media. Media seized on unflattering facts and shortfalls of any body that was related to the issues. The profession was being constantly negatively portrayed in media in spite of being on the front line trying to work in the midst of the chaos.
In this actual case, the profession was under siege by events in society, professional credibility was shaken, and some among the membership were depressed. The board of directors had all been members for many years, and wanted to get the profession back in good stead in society. They wanted the membership to grow and the association to give quality service to all its members. The problems that were created by the global issue became a rallying point for the board and they decided to seize the moment and make sure that the profession moved ahead in spite of the difficulties and by the media. They decided to strategize deeply and signal that common action was needed by all members, not just a few leaders.
The Planning
The two and a half day ToP Participatory Strategic Planning session was preceded by five telephone interviews with separate board members. The event process included an historical scan, mission discussions, vision, contradictions and strategy workshops, organizational structure discussion, two year action planning and team assignments. After the event a first draft of documentation of the planning was sent to the board members within two weeks.
Impact and Results
The organization was registered as a corporation. A new board and committee structure was created that spread the workload and responsibility across the country and the membership. The administration of the organization was shifted from the third party management firm to a full time Administrator. Before the strategic plan, the annual budget was about $10,000. Five years later the organization handled about $500,000 in various project grants and initiatives. The new structure has enabled the organization to handle about twenty major projects over the years.
A series of Annual Conferences with high attendance has increased membership, membership interaction and the public profile of the organization. The profession has extended its influence into several other partnering bodies and professional groups through joint task forces, joint research and subsequent collaboration. Executive Directors and high level experts from other professions regularly collaborate and work with the organization. It is now a credible voice for the profession and is sought for advice, for partnerships and to develop funding proposals. Several seminal pieces of work have been undertaken with funding from various government bodies.
Standards of practice of the profession which existed before the strategic plan have now been extensively used to shape curriculum, create toolkits, write research papers and books to support the standards. A set of competencies with a process to certify professionals has been refined, implemented and partially evaluated.
So many of the strategies were accomplished within three years that another round of strategic planning was undertaken earlier than expected. The practical components of the vision of the second strategic plan were not very different from the first one but envisioned a desire to effect society rather than just organize the profession. The strategies and action plans of the new strategic plan exhibited greater confidence that the original plan. An expectation of success was built into the more recent plan.
Learning
When a new structure is being created it is better to form the organizational structure after strategies have been developed, rather than before. This is because some strategies may be large and important and may give rise to specific structural forms. Structural change is developed according to the plan that is being implemented and not vice versa.
A mission changes according to changes in the environment and as the organization evolves; etc.
Bill Staples, Canada, August 2010
ToP™ Projects 139 : Nepali Community
Devda community was not a very old village. Only twenty years earlier people migrated from the mountains of Nepal south to the forest and created the village. The village had no services of any kind, no infrastructure, no real organization of any kind, and NGOs did not operate in the village. There were, altogether about 50,000 people, and one specific site near the edge of the village had around 6,000 people. Most of the people had very little awareness of themselves as an actual community, with very little awareness of any leadership within the entire group. About 40 people decided to be part of a participatory strategic plan including some of the key people within the village. The planning session was a major awareness-building event, including environmental, social, cultural and personal awareness. For the first few months after the plan there was not much implementation, but soon after that heavy implementation of the strategies began. They launched a community market every Monday morning, which had an immediate positive impact during which people began to bring and to sell their products including chickens and goats. A one kilometer road was built from the outer sector of the village to the market, with beautification including lots of directional signs. Next they installed 4 acres of drip irrigation to increase the crop potential of about 200 families. Cultural development occurred as people explored their inner capacity with social artistry.
Tatwa Timsina, Nepal, 2010
ToP™ Projects 140 : Menningitis Vaccine Project
Menningitis Vaccine Project of PATH, an international NGO; used as an example in the Change Handbook by Peggy Holman. Kerry O'Reilly, USA from ToPSurvey
ToP™ Projects 141 : Childrens Rehabilitation in Chile
Several large rehabilitation centres for children and youth have used ToP extensively for planning, training, building curriculum and for leadership development. This has been ongoing since the 1980s and has made a major impact on rehab services across Chile.
Bill Staples for Ana Maria Arrutia.
ToP™ Projects 142 : Conflict between a Shipping Line and its Employees
In 2008 some senior, long term employees were having problems with a Chilean shipping line and were causing internal problems, but they also had seniority within the union and the management could not fire them. Many other shipping companies in Chile were striking publicly, so the management of this company was very afraid of what might occur. ToP was used with a group of 20 employees and one manager over a two day session. She lead a ToP strategic plan and when they got to the contradictions stage the root causes came out and the employees were very pleased. As a result during the strategies stage only small changes were needed to deal with what seemed earlier to be very big issues. They built an action plan for some changes in the environment of the office, and also for some salary increases in the future. A strike was averted.
Isabel de la Maza, Chile
ToP™ Projects 143 : Physical Relocation of a Company
The management of a shipping company decided to move its total operations inland from the coast of Chile in 2008. This would have major implications for all the staf who might have to relocate, or be changed. It would also cause the shipping company to find an alternative way to get its client’s products to the coast. An action plan was done with managers to plan the change. They figured out the tasks for the next year to move the head office, its operations and all its tracks inland from the coast.
Isabel de la Maza
ToP™ Projects 144 : Set up of Organization for Youngsters with physical disabilities
The Director of a small Chilean rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities was also a ToP practitioner. A media personality lead a campaign to raise money and ten new rehabilitation centres were built across the country. Everyone felt strange with the scale of this huge new operation, so the director engaged all the staff and children in creating a lot of internal projects to match the major changes needed. By using ToP everyone was able to participate and take ownership of the changes. Projects included art work shops for kids, music workshops for kids, scouts and many other things. Seeing the size of the Director’s work the board hired a manager to assist the director with the financial and organizational side of things. The manager didn’t like the all the participatory workshops and closed them all. However they continued underground because they were so participatory. The board decided to fire the new manager and continue all the workshops and one of them, the art workshop, became very famous across all Chile.
Isabel de la Maza (antiD)
ToP™ Projects 145 : Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) promotes economic development in over four hundred counties stretching from New York to Mississippi. They have used the Technology of Participation and external facilitators to build regional plans for energy development, multi-modal transportation hubs, and the ARC Strategic Plan 2005-2010. Each of these consensus-based plans included a region-wide core team of 15-25 state representatives along with hundreds of local citizens, government officials, and private sector participants. Data was gathered in sub-regional field forums and analyzed in assembly gatherings to identify major themes and select priority localities and projects for state and federal funding. An important side benefit is the capacity building of core team members in ToP facilitation skills. ICA USA
ToP™ Projects 146 : RARE International Conservation
RARE, an international conservation organization, trains local leaders to use social marketing and participatory planning methods (Technology of Participation, ToP®) to engage communities in biodiversity conservation through a program called Pride. To date, RARE has worked in 52 countries, and trained 158 local leaders in the developing world, whose campaigns have influenced more than 6.8 million people living in over 2,400 remote communities. With the new curriculum, the Pride program has been awarded a Masters in Communication by the University of Texas, El Paso, Texas. For more information, please visit www.rareconservation.org. ICA USA
ToP™ Projects 147 : Cedar Rapid, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa is rebuilding its neighborhoods following the devastating flood of 2008 during which a major portion of the city was destroyed and thousands of families were displaced. The municipal government coordinated a 5-month “Neighborhood Planning Process†in early 2009 whereby residents identified key elements for recovering the vibrant character, connectivity, and diversity of their communities. They established priorities for land use changes, infrastructure improvements, and participatory procedures for local governance. Hundreds of residents accomplished this through a series of eight major planning events that incorporated ToP methods. A core group of 70 local civic facilitators, trained in ToP methods, were instrumental for ensuring the creative contributions of everyone in attendance at large events, often involving over 300 people. ICA USA.
ToP™ Projects 148 : UN Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger. To assist its staff in this effort and to increase its effectiveness in working with stakeholders worldwide, FAO offers facilitation training in participatory and collaborative methods. The Technology of Participation (ToP)® set of methodologies is among the foundational methods utilized. - ICA USA
ToP™ Projects 149 : Rural Water, Animals & Training in Uquira, Peru -
Canete Prefecture is located in the Coastal region, approximately 200 km south of the capital, Lima. Near-drought conditions in the past few years made life in this poverty-stricken area harder, since the people use river water from the Andes for agriculture. Beginning in 1992, ICA has conducted a health, sanitation, and agriculture development project in Canete. In 1996, the irrigation system was upgraded to cover a wider area by installing and extending new water pipes in Uquila village. A Japanese wind-power specialist was sent to repair the existing windmills for pumping up underground water and to install new ones. Also, in an effort to secure water, various programmes were carried out in other villages including a mini-dam construction in Uayanti, drinking water pipe extension in Alcadeno, and leadership training and reforestation to reclaim the desert in some other villages. In 1997, we will expand the water project to a wider area, add an environmental and reforestation program, and teach animal raising to increase child and family nutrition. We are providing materials and expert trainers to make this program a big success.
ToP™ Projects 150 : Peru Construction of Windmill Systems
Villagers, and people who came to report from the Japanese radio station FM CoCoLo, in Yesera village where the windmill projects were carried out. 2. Yesera Village where the project was carried out is located in the Asis valley. Spring water from an underground 'river' is coming out around the green area. Elsewhere is rough land with only earth and rocks where there is no water. 3. The valley with a windmill installed. It is difficult to secure water for agriculture and drinking in this dry place where the water supply is inadequate. The windmill which uses the natural energy is effective. In order to enable the long term agricultural plan, the villagers will need to do the maintenance. In the ICA's project of 1996, the tower height was increased to catch sufficient wind. This time, overhaul was conducted to the old windmill which was not functioning because of the breakage of parts. At the same time, the methods of repairing were taught to the villagers. In the process of making plans, an exchange of the ideas was done with the university group in Lima who specialize in supporting rural development. The vertical axis sail-wing windmill which was installed by the ICA project last year, was destroyed because of the phenomenon of El Nino. All the parts of the windmill including the tower, gear and sail had fallen into the well by the flood of rocks and mud. Most of the parts were past retrieval except one. Even the rotor was built newly even though the rotor was taken out from the well by the villagers. The well in the east side of the village is big and has a large quantity of water. For this reason, two windmills were planned for installation. For the demonstrative reason, two different types of windmills: the vertical axis sail-wing windmill and the muitiblade windmill are to be installed. Taking the budget and efficiency into consideration, the rotor for the new multiblade windmill was ordered from the University in Lima, and the tower was constructed by the ICA staff. Installation of the Power Generating Windmill in el Arca de Noe Village. Although electricity goes through nearby Arca village, the electricty does not come into this village. In this project, one windmill system was purchased from a manufacture in Lima and installed for the purpose of electricity generation as well as to be a demonstration model.
ToP™ Projects 151 : Income Generation through Guinea Pig Farming - Peru
As a continuous project since the last year, ICA Japan participated in the project PROCUY, which aims to enhance agricultural activities especially around guinea pig production at eight communities in the Fortaleza Valley, Bolognesi and Recuay provinces, Ancash department.
ToP™ Projects 152 : Establishing Village Cacao Processing Business - Cano Nego, Venezuela,
1. Residents in Cano Negro are mainly Mestiso, black people, and Indios. Poverty is a big problem in the villages; this project was carried out to improve the production of cacao, their only income source, and start a community owned cacao business for self-support. "Lively, better community for the next generation" was the Cano Negro women's dream. 11. ICA:Venezuela staff visited various organizations to get their cooperation. They got CESAP as a financial and accounting advisor, AVEPANE as a researching partner, and EIRey, a big Venezuelan chocolate company, as their business management advisor. 12. They got a contract with the Asociacion de Productores de Cacao for purchasing Cano Cacao products. They also got advice in agricultural techniques from Fondo National del Cacao. 24. The new building has an administration office. They keep agricultural tools such as rakes, shovels, and machetes, weigh balances, and fertilizers as well as cacao. 26. Completed cacao facility made of cement blocks which is 20 long, 5 meters wide, and 6 meters high. 27. Thanks to the processing facility, there will be no more contaminated cacao. n29. Village people celebrating completion of the facilities. People got much hope and confidence through this project. 30. Making a stable cacao business also means a lot in terms of giving jobs to young people. 31. Cano Negro has started to move toward bright future where everybody is smiling.website
ToP™ Projects 153 : Construction of Drip Irrigation System and Well - ICA Mexico and Japan
Already 25% of Mexico's people live in cities which are unable to provide adequate jobs and living conditions for the influx of people. Farmers in the Nayarit area can grow only one crop a year, and are in danger of being driven off of their land due to rising living costs in this area. It rains for only 4 months a year, and is unpredictable, only following hurricanes. People are fearful of extensive irrigation with conventional high water consumption techniques because the community depends on wells for their drinking water. This year, the two experts we are sending will introduce very low water usage drip irrigation systems. The following year, we hope to introduce natural crop raising technologies to recover the soil destroyed by excessive use of chemical fertilizers which have destroyed the microbiological health of the land, causing the plants to be plagued by diseases, and chemical pollution of the ground water. We hope they can realize a viable future living on their native land, and preventing an exodus to seek jobs in larger cities, abandoning their land to environmental destruction or selling it to outsiders seeking profit at cost of the suffering of these farmers' familieswebsite
ToP™ Projects 154 : Construction of Pre-Primary School, El Chorno, Guatemala - ICA Guatemala and Japan
An insufficient educational system is one of the factors that prevent social and economical development in Guatemala. The illiteracy rate reaches 75% in areas where many native people live, and many children drop out of school after three or four years. ICA has renovated a pre-school building in one of those areas, El Chorro. El Chorro is a remote village located 52 km away from Guatemala City. The pre-school building in the village had leaks in the roof, and land slid down against the building when it rained. We fixed these problems and painted the walls, built a fence around the playground, and constructed a toilet. Further, certified teachers are going to be sent from the government next year. The number of children are expected to double in the near future.website
ToP™ Projects 155 : Rural Preschool Construction in Monte Grande, Gautemala - ICA Japan
Monte Grande village, with a population of 750, is approximately 50 km from Guatemala City. The average family income per month is US$250. Education level is low, and many children do not even complete primary education. Since 1978, a programme to prevent student dropout has been carried out in this village by ICA . In 1996, ICA constructed a new pre-school building to accommodate all the pupils including 25 new ones. The completed building is being managed by the Monte Grande village as public property. Apart from the above programme, training for preschool teachers and human development training for parents were implemented in 24 villages of the region. It is hoped that this series of programmes sensitizes the villagers• awareness to the need for education.
ToP™ Projects 156 : Women's Center Renovation and Outreach Programs
Conacaste village, with a population of 750, is approximately 50 km from Guatemala City. It is located in a dry region of Guatemala, and its development is even slower that other local areas. Key to the success of this area is the education of rural women, providing outreach to those who cannot travel to programs normally offered in distant cities. Consequently the village training center is being renovated and expanded, and furnished with appropriate training materials and equipment. This center serves citizens of 25 surrounding villages, and also invites participants from Central America. Taught at this center is literacy, health and sanitation, organic farming, reforestation, and the training of teachers. Villagers use the center for making community plans and for exchange programs. Women will be trained to assist in educating their children, and to prepare for taking leadership roles in their family and community.website
ToP™ Projects 157 : Capacity Building of Woman for Empowerment and Preschool in Changu Narayan, Nepal - ICA Japan
The population of Changu Narayan is 5,297 people. The average monthly income is about NRs. 400 - 1000 per month (about 600 - 1500 YEN). Most people make their income by farming and making bricks. 84% of Changu Narayan population is uneducated. Male is earning 86% of their total income and women is earning 16% by weiving during their house duty. There are 3 schools in Changu Narayan, but they are lack of teachers and teaching materials. Even the existing teachers' teaching level is low due to the lack of trainings. Other than farming and brick making, they also earn their living as porters. The price is NRs.300 for carring 50kg for 2km. This is too difficult for the elders and it damages their health. Some people make local wine and sell at NRs. 20 per 1 litter. The learning center was built in 2001supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan. At the moment, trainings are held for the women and the youth groups. But there is shortage of facility such as desks and chairs, and teaching materials for children. Moreover, there is a serious drinking water problem in Changu Narayan and the neighbouring villiages. The project was done to solve the above issues. Mr. Binod from a construction company had had many experiences with construction projects funded by over seas. He motivated the community to dig the ground for pipes, and was very cooperative to answer the villager's questions. The digging for the 2nd trench started on the July 17th. An average of 10 to 20 people participated in the work and a total about 500 people participated in the whole process. From teenagers to 60s dag trenchs. 80% of the participants were men, but 90% of stone and brick carrying were done by women. Water is very important for every body. To avoid unnecessary fights between villagers, we held meetings with all the staff. They were Changu Narayan water user committee, the Learning Center staff, ICA Japan, ICA Nepal, the Engineers and the construction company, and they made a contract. There were 2, 3 water sources around the Intank. If the community wants to extend the water pipe, they will be able to construct it using funds collected from the community. There are a total of 20 taps, and these taps will bring water to the Changu Narayan and Charlling villages. The time for fetching water has been reduced by more than 1 hour, and they now have access to more clean water. Women in the community started to plant trees around the Learning Center. They were taking good care of the Community Center. So far, 1200 people from all around Nepal have visited to participate in the training held in the learning center. The Learning center has facility as a guest house and a small cafe. From July 21st to 25th, we held 5 days training for T.O.T (Training of Trainers) at the ICA Nepal office. The trainers were 6 staff from ICA Nepal, and 13 people from Bhaktapur district participated. Ms. Maya, a teacher for knitting lives in Changu Narayan and holds knitting training 2 days a week for the Changu Narayan women's group. Mmicro credit training held once in every 2 weeks. Every person is being encouraged to creat a savings account with a minimum deposit of Rs. 5 (about 7.5 yen). Present number of members are 164. Training on organic farming methods using vegetables and livestock droppings, as well as training on chilly peppers were held. During the 3 days of training, the participants stayed in the learning center. Not only women, but also adult men, elder women and youth participated in the leadership training. After five years of training, community women are now able to participate in the meetings and trainings, and they can also give opinions and ideas with men. When we delivered the teaching materials, 110 students in Tauthali primary school arrived. A commemorative pencil was passed out to each students. Afterwards Nepal dance was presented by the students. The message was that "We appreciate Japan's support. We will take care of the materials. You are welcome to Nagarkoto any time."website
ToP™ Projects 158 : Facility Improvement Plan of Vocational School in Lagos
The local partner of this project is Millennium Village Center. This center is used as a vocational training school for the Nigerian youths and was built in 2002 by the NGO Organisation Research of World Peace. When the school opened in Autumn 2002, it had only 2 classrooms: a teaching classroom (330 square meters) and a practical training classroom (276 square meters).At the moment the average class time for a student is only 10 hours a week. Ideally this should be about 4 hours a day or 20 hours a week. This is possible by increasing the number of classrooms. The plan is to build a teaching classroom big enough that each of the 120 students can have their own study desks.
ToP™ Projects 340 : City of Cedar Rapids
From December 2008 to May 2009 ToP Network worked with the City of Cedar Rapids in a neighborhood planning process. The focus was to involve citizens in determining redevelopment priorities, and to initiate local action for their communities in three geographical areas. More than seventy residents were trained in ToP facilitations methods and these residents then led city-wide meetings centered around redevelopment issues. The American Planning Association selected the City of Cedar Rapids to receive the 2011National Planning Excellence award for Best Practices in Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Planning. - ToP Network
https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 159 : The Research of 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake in Sri Lanka
With the new reconstruction of the school, the new location will be inland, at least 100m away from the beach which is set as buffer zone of the tsunami. Since this plot of land is bigger, there are plans to build a junior high school too. Interviwing Sambodhi Home for the disabled. When the tsunami entered the home, half of the inhabitants (40 people) were drowned. The survived inhabitants were not able to run or swim away as a result of their disabilities and had to hold on to the pillars until they were rescued. On 10th March, we held a workshop with 25 participants. The participants seemed strong at first, but started breaking down one by one as they started introducing themselves. When they were recalling the tsunami incident, many of the participants had a shaky voice. " My Post Tsunami Recovery", "The Community Rebuilding Plan", "Support Needs" were themes in the workshop.
ToP™ Projects 160 : A Pilot Project for Environment Protection and Rural Development, Cochamarca district, Peru - ICA Japan
This Cochamarca project, Peru, plan was initiated with ICA Peru's expertise, professional skills and knowledge as well as the villagers' consensus for change. The duration of this project will be 3 years. During the first year, the project will be put into practice in Cochamarca. In the 2nd year, the project will be expanded to include Cochamarca's neighboring village, Colcapumpa, and in the 3rd year, San Juan village. This project will emphasize the conservation of the environment and on improving the farming techniques of the villagers.
ToP™ Projects 161 : Womens life improvement in Chiapas, Mexico - Japan
Aim of the project is to Develop women's skills for promoting reliance and organization through wide-ranging trainings such as leadership, literate education, life skill, and occupation training. During women are taking trainings, we provide early childhood education for their children so that people in the Slum are able to improve quality of their life comprehensively. Terms of project was from from April 2005 to Marrh 2008 Cooperating organizations were Social Development Bureau and Education Bureau of the Chiapas State Government are cooperate as counterpart organizations. Local NGOs working in the project site area also participate in this Project. 6 model communities in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez(TGZ) and San Cristobal de Las Casas(SCC) in the Chiapas state in Mexico.
ToP™ Projects 163 : Income Generation through Guinea Pig Farming in Peru
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/05PeruMPTE.html
ToP™ Projects 164 : Plant trees, construct toilets and for cultural exchange in Viet Nam
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/05VietnamNTTTourE.html
ToP™ Projects 165 : Technology Transfer of the Propagation of Tropical Fruits and its Application for Agroforestry in Philippines
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/05PhilJAICAFE.html
ToP™ Projects 166 : Technology Transfer of the Propagation of Tropical Fruits and its Application for Agroforestry in Philippines
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/05PhilJAICAFE.html
ToP™ Projects 167 : Agroforestry in Maharashtra, India
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/04IndiaAgroforestryE.html
ToP™ Projects 168 : Kitui Integrated Rural Development in Kenya
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/03KituiE.html
ToP™ Projects 169 : Alternative Agriculture for Self-Sufficient Appropriate Technology in Nepal
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/02Viet-NepalExchngeE.html
ToP™ Projects 170 : Environmental Education for Biodiversity Conservation in The Philippines
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/02PhilenviroKNCFE.html
ToP™ Projects 171 : Renovation of Child Education Environment in Poverty Striken Areas - Vietnam
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/02VietEduMOFAE.html.html
ToP™ Projects 172 : Victims' investigation and material supplies for Tyhpoon
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 173 : Agricultural development project for reduce poverty in Pune prefecture / 2nd yea
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 174 : Residential natural environmental protection traning and afforestation project(in a preperation)
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 175 : Investigation of establishment of support technique traning insitution - Kenya
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 176 : Enviromental education and income-save for suitable for minor ethnic in north-wesst vitnam
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 177 : Environmental improvment of lakes, marshes and water and improvment of environmental awerness for resident in Vietnam
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 178 : Organic Agriculture - Kenya
Projects of capacity and building basis organic agriculture and establishment project of reservoir of initial stage for resident of Kajiado District Isinya area.
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 179 : Ag training and afforestation - Kenya
Residential agricultural training and afforestation guidance of Arid area
ICA Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtourj/08KenyaJAICAFJ.html
ToP™ Projects 180 : Elementary school chicken rearing in Kenya
Chicken cabin for establishment of elementary school classes and youth rearing
ICA Japan
ToP™ Projects 181 : Agricultural Training Exchange ～Zambia - Kenya
ICA Zambia conducts various rural development projects such as sustainable agriculture development and income generation. Two agriculturist were sent as trainees to Kenya to learn integrated rural development approaches so that they can implement projects more effectively. - ICA Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/00ZamKenyaExchE.html
ToP™ Projects 182 : Zambia Sustainable Agriculture Village Educator
This is an important community engagement and leadership development project in several communities of Zambia, funded by ICA Japan. Farmers are trained in growing open pollinated variety of maize and sorghum, practice of crop rotation utilizing legumes, agroforesty and building improved storage sheds. Many people doubted the possibility of people working in groups and making it. Buseko club has made a shift this year from producing 12 bags x 90 kg to 150 bags x 90 kg from 3 ha land. A cattle credit scheme was introduced to assist farmers increase hectarage and overall yields. 12 % mortality rate has been maintained due to a sound routine annual health program.
ToP™ Projects 341 : Special Quest - Birth-Five
SpecialQuest Birth-Five was a grant-based program funded by the Office of Head Start to work with 10 states to develop cross-systems professional development for inclusion of young children who have disabilities. The 10 previous years of work, funded jointly by the Office of Head Start and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, focused on supporting teams from Early Head Start/Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs and their community partners to include infants and toddlers with disabilities. This project, whose metaphor was synchronized swimming, was dedicated to help the geographically dispersed team work together. ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 342 : Special Quest - Birth-Five (longer) USA
SpecialQuest Birth-Five is a grant-based program funded by the Office of Head Start to work with 10 states to develop cross-systems professional development for inclusion of young children who have disabilities. The 10 previous years of work, funded jointly by the Office of Head Start and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, focused on supporting teams from Early Head Start/Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs and their community partners to include infants and toddlers with disabilities. Susan served as the director of curriculum and training for five years and currently serves as curriculum and community of practice coordinator. ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 186 : Youth Vocational Training (Welding, Carpentry, and Poultry)- Zambia
Life in rural areas is unstable in Zambia because of problems such as outdated agricultural techniques, high inflation rates, and increasingly frequent droughts. Sustainable agriculture training to stabilize rural life has been conducted by ICA since 1991. This training enables village people to earn income through low-cost agriculture, and more people today are interested in agricultural activities. Acquiring techniques for manufacturing farming tools suitable for small-scale farmers is also necessary to realize sustainable agriculture.
In 1996, a youth vocational training center was established in Kapini village, in central Zambia. Courses in welding, carpentry and poultry rearing enable students and farmers to use self-designed and made tools rather than purchase expensive ones. This training increases the standard of living in rural areas and changes the attitude of youth towards village life and prevents them from moving to big cities in search of a better life.
ToP™ Projects 187 : Egypt/India Agricultural Exchange - Egypt
96% of the land in Egypt is desert, and consequently desert agriculture attracts people's attention given the population explosion in the last 20 years. The Beni Suef district is located 130 kms south of Cairo. It has little farming land because of rocky areas and the advancing desert. In each community in Beni Suef, there is a Community Development Association, and ICA Egypt has been training these associations for many years. Now the farmers in these CDA's are requesting assistance in developing small scale cattle raising. We are establishing a loan system to make it possible for these farmers to purchase and care for young cows, and training in their care. In addition, we are teaching loan system operations and financial management for the farmers. To learn new technologies in cross-breeding and milk production, four farmers traveled to India to learn from small scale farmers there what they have done to become successful cattle farmers. - ICA Egypt, India, Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/97EgyptExchE.html
ToP™ Projects 188 : Appropriate Technology for Desert Farm Irrigation - Egypt
96% of the land in Egypt is desert, and consequently, desert agriculture attracts people's attention given the population explosion in the last 20 years. Bayad El Arab, is a disadvantaged district of Beni Suef province, located 130 kms south of Cairo. It has little farming land because of rocky areas and the advancing desert. ICA:EGYPT has implemented projects here in desert agriculture since 1976. Yet the farm was not profitable enough to meet the high expense to run an irrigation system. In 1995, ICA:Japan sent Japanese experts to build a more efficient irrigation system and to improve the nursery. Technologies such as the water hammer pump and compost making were introduced, green houses were constructed and renovated, and soil tests were conducted in 1996. The farm has since been improved to be a better equipped demonstration facility, and has become self-supportive. - ICA Egypt, Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/96BayadE.html
ToP™ Projects 189 : Desert Reclamation Project - Egypt
To increase the productivity of food in Egypt, where population is rapidly expanding, ICA has conducted projects in desert agriculture since 1987. Yet the farm had not made enough profit to meet the high expenses to run an irrigation system. ICA sent experts to the farm to build a more efficient irrigation system and cut down expenses. The experts also introduced a new kind of compost technique using EM (Effective Micro-organisms) as an effective technology in desert agriculture. - ICA Egypt, Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/95EgyptE.html
ToP™ Projects 190 : Kenya Integrated Rural Development Program - Kenya
KIRDP combined the expertise of a large funding agency with the transformational technique of ICA Japan and Kenya. In three short years, the Kitui region of Kenya working on KIRDP witnessed significant signs of improvement in quality of life, and even more significantly, ways of thinking, cooperating, and developing. ICA Kenya, Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/03KituiJICAE.html
Views from the Participants
ICA Kitui's Patrick Munyao (program manager), Clare Momyani (facilitator), and Nzilani Mutuku (facilitator) share their views on KIRDP, as told to ICA Japan.
What is your overall view of the project?
The villagers received a great deal of training and were able to train in areas to progress agriculture and water accountability, and to maintain the system. This has been a very effective project.
What changes did you see take place over the three years?
The quality of the crops changed and there is much less wasted land. There used to be little concern about the river water because of such little rain, but now the borehole water methods have generated lots of support.
An example of someone who really changed is a villager named Alex. He lives with his wife, mother, and two children. He would walk to town each day to find work, and maybe make 25-100KS (50-150 yen). Alex was selected for the KIRDP program during a survey to start growing vegetables. At first he grew them just for his family. Soon his fields grew very green and fertile and he had enough extra to sell. These days he farms fulltime and customers come to his house to buy vegetables. He makes about 200KS a day.
We have also seen women join the self help groups, part of a microfinance project within KIRDP, and start to purchase quantities of goods and sell them at a small profit within their villages. Many of these women now earn more than their husband who were so skeptical.
ToP™ Projects 191 : Improving Food Security and Income Generation in Rural Areas - Kenya
In Siaya, agricultural productivity is low because of poor soil and a hot and dry climate. There are no major stable businesses in the district, either. ICA conducted a health care project in the area in 1994 and found it necessary to increase their family income in order to improve their nutrition condition. This year we organized agricultural and business management training seminars for 15 groups of 450 women. They learned techniques in organic agriculture and sales. PeopleÕs attitude toward farming has changed, and the productivity has increased through the project. The farmers plan to increase their income even more by multiple management - farming and small-animal raising, for example - in the future. - ICA Kenya, Japan
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/95KenyaE.html
ToP™ Projects 192 : Cote d'Ivoire AIDS Prevention, Health Care Education, and Agricultural Training for Youth
ICA Japan, http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/02BroboAIDS%20MPT_TUCE.html
ToP™ Projects 193 : AIDS Prevention & Reproductive Health Education for Children in Brobo, Cote D'Ivoire
ICA Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/01BroboAIDSE.html
ToP™ Projects 194 : Youth Vocational Training in Brobo, Cote D'Ivoire
Youth Vocational Training for the income generation and social independence of Youngsters in Brobo, Bouake Prefecture, Cote dIvoire
ICA Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/99BroboYouthE.html
ToP™ Projects 195 : Brobo Demonstration Farm - Cote D'Ivoire
9. Before Renovation: The fence of the experimental farm is simply made of wooden and concretepillars and barbwire. The wooden pillars which were originally set in 1990 have fallen, but more than half the barbwire was left . The main causes of pillar destruction were rotting of wooden pillars and destruction by humans and animals.
10. On this renovation, all the wooden pillars were replaced and the number of concrete pillars was increased to 1/3 of the total number of pillars. The barbwire was stretched tight again. The renovation of the fence of the experimental farm will enable us to grow crops efficiently without their being damaged by humans or animals. - ICA Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/97BrobodemoE.html
ToP™ Projects 196 : Youth Training Center Construction in Brobo
Brobo is a town in the Brobo sub-prefecture with about 4,000 residents. The population there has been increasing rapidly because of the high birth rate and the influx of refugees from strife-ridden neighbouring countries. Unemployment is a serious problem, and the youth go to cities searching for a job, or stay idle in their village.
In 1995, vocational training courses in carpentry, weaving, sewing and hairdressing for 35 trainees were established and this training center was renovated during the school break in 1996. We are continuing to support this program providing training materials, instructors' salaries and Japanese technical support of the program. We are also expanding the facilities so that we can train at least 100 students each year. - ICA Japanhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/97BroboConstE.html
ToP™ Projects 197 : Rural Water, Animals & Training in Canete, Peru
Canete Prefecture is located in the Coastal region, approximately 200 km south of the capital, Lima. Near-drought conditions in the past few years made life in this poverty-stricken area harder, since the people use river water from the Andes for agriculture. Beginning in 1992, ICA has conducted a health, sanitation, and agriculture development project in Canete. In 1996, the irrigation system was upgraded to cover a wider area by installing and extending new water pipes in Uquila village. A Japanese wind-power specialist was sent to repair the existing windmills for pumping up underground water and to install new ones. Also, in an effort to secure water, various programmes were carried out in other villages including a mini-dam construction in Uayanti, drinking water pipe extension in Alcadeno, and leadership training and reforestation to reclaim the desert in some other villages.http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/97PeruE.html
ToP™ Projects 198 : Vocational Training for Young Girls in Columbia
Sibate village is an hour's drive from Bogota. A growing inflow to the metropolitan area of young people seeking jobs is now emerging as a serious problem. In this village, 128 girls between the ages of 6 and 14 who were street children due to child abuse, are living in a community facility with 11 nuns who provide the girls with basic education. They are forced to leave when they complete primary school education due to the lack of funds. Unless they also receive job skill training, it is extremely difficult for these girls to make a living when they leave.
This project is giving the girls wide-ranging vocational skills, from ceramics to weaving and dressmaking, so that they can be self-supporting. We are providing sewing, pottery and wool spinning materials, and vocational instructors. The girls are now making efforts to become independent by utilizing their newly acquired skills.http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/97ColYouthE.html
ToP™ Projects 199 : Promoting Self-reliance of Low-Caste Women in Rural Nepal
We are promoting kitchen gardening, for food self-sufficiency and improving nutrient condition of villagers, in 5 village development committees of Parbat District Nepal. Staff visiting villagers kitchen garden, advising how to grow vegetables utilizing sustainable agriculture techniques. We wish to continue supporting leadership development and followup programs, so that kitchen gardens which are in touch with nature and sustain villagers life, will spread throughout the area.http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/00NepalAgTechE.html
ToP™ Projects 200 : Reforestation and Environment Education with Highland Indigenous People in The Philippines
People do care about their own community, and eager to participate in the project. Sponsored by: National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization Implemented by: The Institute of Cultural Affairs: Japan LUCRE General Tinio Salasa Community November 2001~ August 2002
OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Mt. Mapidya, located in Nueva Ecija on Luzon Island in the Philippines, is badly denuded, mainly because of illegal logging. Deforestation will soon destroy the remaining virgin forests on Mt. Mapidya, if it continues. Survival of Highland Indigenous People (HIP) is also threatened by the depletion of forest resources and disasters such as floods.
Since 1997, ICA has been working in the Mapidya area with HIP and local partners on awareness raising, food security, and alternative income sources for the local people which are essential to conserve the environment properly. Our activities include biodiversity research, tree planting, literacy and environment education, and agroforestry. These activities attracted people living in the Mapidya mountain range, and a community was established in the Salasa area in 2000, and in Silewin area in 2001. HIP made a small but very valuable step toward sustainable resource use and the development of lively communities. Slowly but surely, trees are growing, and people are becoming more conscious of their environment.
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/01PhilReforestJIFPROE.html
ToP™ Projects 201 : Agroforestry for the Protection of Sanctuary Forest and Income Generation
1. Tiger grass seedlings, sporadically seen in all the barangays of Santa Fe Municipality, have a good impact on the environment by preventing soil erosion and by improving the fertility of the soil. Tiger grass is used for soft broom making which is one of the main industries that augment peoples income in Santa Fe, Philippines.http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/00PhilAgroForestryE.html
ToP™ Projects 202 : Afforestation in Philippines
Afforestation and Environment Education With Highland Indigenous Peoples for Conservation of the Virgin Forest in Nueva Ecija in The Philippineshttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/99PhilHIPforestE.html
ToP™ Projects 203 : Pinatubo Resettlement People's Agricultural Training and Conference
Following the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, victims who lost their farms and homes in the fallout lost their means of earning an income. This project attempted to increase their income through spraying flower inducers and fertilizing their mango trees in Nacolcol, and by directing swine-rearing in Tarlac and Pampamga. The same year, 90 representatives from approximately 30 villages (Barangay), gathered and discussed their problems, and planned information exchange and network creation for regional development. This enables independent Barangays to work together effectively, for recovering from the damage and to develop the regionhttp://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/96PinaE.html
ToP™ Projects 204 : Agroforestry and Environmental Education in Mulshi Area, India
Women are always first in any work! They are waiting to begin the digging work of a sumpwell of the lift irrigation scheme. In the village meeting, it was decided that at least one from each family member needs to participate. More women came because men are in Mumbai doing jobs to support their family.http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/00PuneJecE.html
ToP™ Projects 205 : India Afforestation and Reservoir Pond Construction in India
Local wisdom - stone bunds built in small streams for water conservation and prevention of soil erosion. Over a few years, top soil is carried by water and collected between the bunds. When it is filled, farmers cultivate the land again.
3．Water storage tanks in Malegaon Kd. village. ICA India facilitated the process and villagers implemented the Drinking water supply scheme in 1990. Now, the villagers themselves take responsibility of repairs and maintenance of the system.
4．A local grocery store started by a village woman with initial support from ICA India. About 35 families participated in these small scale business programs, such as tailoring, poultry, goat raising, small grocery shops etc., and are generating income.
5．Students of tribal residential school in Malegaon cluster. Currently 150 children are studying here. ICA has supported schools in Malegaon cluster in many ways to improve the quality of education, such as teachers’training, provision of teaching and sport materials, school rooms, hostel facility during monsoon, tree plantation and school beautification etc.
6．Mr. Shankar Supe, a village leader. After going through many ICA leadership programs, in the past 10 years, he has journeyed from an ordinary villager to a well respected Maval Panchayat Samittee Chairman.
Reservoir pond for afforestation nursery at EEC
7．Environmental Education Center (EEC). In 1997, this center was constructed by ICA to meet the needs of not only villagers but people of all sectors, for education, awareness programs, training and networking activities concerning environment. Now it has become a resource and demonstration center for environmental activities.
8．Design of reservoir pond for afforestation nursery at EEC. The size is approximately - length: 30 feet , width : 50 feet and depth 10 feet each. Since the surrounding area of EEC is hilly and does not have enough ground water, the major objective is water conservation - to develop the small stream running at the boundary of EEC and harvest rainwater.
http://www.icajapan.org/virtualtoure/99PuneGFE.html
ToP™ Projects 206 : Villa El Salvador Industrial Park - Peru
The 288 hectare Industrial Park had all of its infrastructure installed and yet stood vacant for years due to political conflict. Meanwhile, there were hundreds of small industries operating in nearby family homes. The challenge was to form the people into industrial guilds and demonstrate the viability of the Industrial Park with a model factory.
In order to implement this project, the United Nations contracted the services of the ICA, securing the following results:
RESULTS
Execution of the project entitled “Pilot Plan for the Implementation of the Industrial Zone of Villa el Salvadorâ€
The formation of six industrial guilds which each made their strategic plans, and to this day maintain their separate areas in the Industrial Park
Construction and operation of a small demonstration factory making fresh cheese
This work was the catalyst to transform the situation to eliminate the conflicts and allow the development of the Industrial Park to move forward, with the assistance of UNIDO of the United Nations
Today the Industrial Park of Villa el Salvador houses over 1,000 industries which provide employment to over 20,000 people - Peru
ToP™ Projects 207 : New Model for Emergency Assistance in Chincha - Peru
On 15 August 2007, the city of Chincha was hit with a 7.9 earthquake which destroyed the majority of the residences, leaving about 25,000 families homeless.
ICA-Peru was invited to employ emergency funds from Japan to help the families in the construction of temporary houses.
THE IMPACT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PROMOTERS:
60 geographic sectors were created with 50-60 homeless families in each sector
Each of these 60 sectors were led by 2 volunteer leaders called Promoters
The 120 Promoters received community leadership training in the ICA Formation Center in Azpitia where they were resident for one week
Upon returning to Chincha, these Promoters taught the people how to build quality temporary homes
The Promoters organized the community into teams of 5 families each to cooperatively build their homes together
The family teams built 3,450 quality temporary houses very quickly
The funding agency, Japan Platform, said, “The construction was the most economical and effective of all the methods used in Chinchaâ€
ToP™ Projects 208 : Program for Integral Development in the river valleys of Cañete, Asia, Oyón and Fortaleza
Training and Demonstration Program for Integral Development in the river valleys of Cañete, Asia, Oyón (Dept.of Lima) and Fortaleza (Dept. of Huaraz)This integrated community development program utilized local organizations and Productive Networks to design and implement participatory projects in 40 communities of these four river valleys in the Departments of Lima and Ancash.
ECONOMIC RESULTS:
Increase in the productivity of the agricultural sector
Families adopted technology to improve the production and management of guinea pigs, rabbits and black-belly sheep
Improved family incomes from use of rotation of guinea pig breeding stock in Cañete Valley
Model farms created in areas accessible for many other families to duplicate
Families of Asia and Fortaleza valleys sharing their technologies on their own initiative
Improvement in production of avocados, grapes and other fruits through the use of grafting techniques in the Fortaleza and Cañete valleys
Facilitating basic nutrition and commercialization services
Families improving the nutrition of children through the implementation of family gardens for growing vegetables and herbs
Trained Health Promoters promoting health campaigns and operating mobile clinics to extend their services beyond the project areas
Families transforming their surplus production for cash sales through the organization of promotion of local and regional fairs and competitions
ToP™ Projects 209 : Local Agricultural Leadership - Peru
The family guinea pig projects were visited by institutions, producers, university students, NGOs, etc. to learn about the experiences of these family businesses. Many of these successful farms are now used by the ICA staff to share their successful methods of production with people from all over Peru who study in the ICA Formation Center in Azpitia.
Facilitating organized participation and consensus
40 communities were involved with ample local leadership
Families were committed to participate in their own development through Community Forums
Organization and promotion of the Association of Producers of Small Animals (ACAM) in the Lunahuana area
Collaboration of local authorities, community leaders, adults and youth in many projects to improve the irrigation infrastructure
Facilitating the interchange of learnings and experiences
Expansion of the productive capacity of local producers through the active interchange of learnings between local farms
Families adopting the production methods they observed in numerous visits to universities, institutes and other demonstration farms
The organizing and execution of 3 regional interchange events plus a national convention of the production chain of small animals with over 400 participants in Lunahuana with the support of ICA-Perú
ToP™ Projects 210 : Business Incubator - Peru
Business Incubator: Designed to diversify the economic base of rural districts and involve youth in the development of their communities and region. This successful model will be ready to replicate widely after it becomes self-sufficient in three years.
ICA-Perú has created a preliminary plan to assist in locating funding for this important demonstration project.
Objectives:
Form a team of 30 trained entrepreneurs in a typical rural district of the Sierra.
Create appropriate alternatives to attract youth to settle permanently in their rural community in the Sierra.
Provide a more diverse selection of products and services in the rural Sierra to make life more attractive and satisfying for residents of all ages.
Be fully self-sufficient after three years to be sustained with its own income.
Serve as a demonstration ready for replication in other rural Districts.
ToP™ Projects 211 : Empowered Mothers - Peru
Empowered Mother: This project is designed to empower single mothers to be fully included in the dynamics of society, and to be respected leaders in their community. Trained single mothers will organize and lead groups of 10 women to become success models for their communities, like being a successful entrepreneur while being a good mother.
ICA-Perú has created a preliminary plan to assist in locating funding for this important demonstration project.
Objectives:
Demonstrate the viability of full empowerment of single mothers
Train 120 single mothers to be Promoters, in order to transform the lives of 2,000 single mothers to a new lifestyle of independence and role models
Change the life pattern of these 2000 women so their children and the next generation in the community have new images of being a successful woman
Serve as a model for replication throughout the communities and neighborhoods of Peru
ToP™ Projects 212 : Azpitia Demonstration Community for Peru
Azpitia Project --The Human Development
Project in Azpitia was the first ICA project of
self-development in Peru.
National Prize -- Azpitia gained national
recognition in 1984 by winning the “Bronze
Shovel†award as the most accomplished
community in Peru.
Many Advances -- Real accomplishments are visible today in agricultural technology,
effective organization, appropriate tourism and a strong local economy.
Self-Development -- This model community of self-development was built entirely by the people of Azpitia without outside financial aid.
Replicable Method -- The method of development used was the formation of committed leaders who then facilitated the formation of the working economic and social associations which built the community.
ToP™ Projects 213 : Productive Networks - Peru
Community Production, facilitating new small business initiatives and more services for the community
Capital & Commerce, strengthening and expanding the local commercial economy to provide more services to the community
Productive Agriculture, utilizing sustainable methods to increase crop yields and transform them for value added
Profitable Livestock, utilizing appropriate technology to increase production and transform outputs for added value
Environment and Infrastructure, creating a healthy attractive community and satisfactory homes
Profitable Tourism, promoting authentic local products and services to attract and impact tourists.
In our Community Leaders Formation Program we present over 100 viable businesses within the Productive Networks to provide goods and services for local and regional markets, with the objective of substantially increasing family incomes.
In order to implement the self-development of the community, the 30 new leaders are associated with the six Networks to assure their success when they return from the Formation Program in Azpitia.
ToP™ Projects 214 : Community Leader Formation - Avanza Peru
AVANZA PERU (Peru Advances!)
AP is an intensive program where 30 participants are resident for 21 days. As part of their formation as leaders, they are trained intensively in the following themes:
Confidence in personal effectiveness
Strategies of integral development
Motivation of a strong work ethic
Expansion of the family and local economy
Productive team work
Sustainable agricultural practices
Transformation of local production for added value
Leadership methods for obtaining a community consensus
Recovery and valuing of the cultural roots of the community
ToP™ Projects 215 : 100 Valley Project - Peru
The 100 VALLEYS Project is designed to facilitate the self-development of all the communities of the valleys of Peru.
Today we have hundreds of organizations working with the rural communities in the valleys of the Coast and Sierra creating an urgent necessity to integrate the resources of these many entities to secure greater results.
There is a great opportunity now to create agreement between organizations in order to deliver superior services to the communities at no additional cost.
The principal actions of the 100 VALLEYS Project are:
Facilitate the collaboration of the agencies that are serving the rural communities in order to permit the self-development approach to development
Initiate demonstration projects that highlight best practices of sustainable production
Implement self-development Demonstration Communities in the Sierra Regions, followed by others in the climate zones of each valley
Initiate Voluntary Leaders Associations in each climate zone to guide the process of self-development for the long term
Promote long-term large scale development projects that are beyond the vision of the government
The role of ICA-Perú as the coordinator of this Project is to:
Facilitate the coordination of the collaborating agencies
Guide the demonstrations to assure that they are replicable
Share effective methods to support self-development and avoid dependency
Promote practices that assure a substantial participation of the local people in all of the communities of the valleys
Monitor and document the coverage and consistency of the services delivered
Constantly facilitate a new consensus when new challenges arise.
ToP™ Projects 216 : Small Business and Credit Management - Tanzania
One of the outstanding outcomes was an increased confidence of Maasai women in various arenas including income. Most of these businesses are profitable. 85% of Maasai Women in the groups organized through ICA Tanzania are now running small businesses. When ICA Tanzania began working in Monduli, very few Maasai Women were in business-groups. ICA’s presence, training and follow-up activities, have revitalized Maasai women to engage in income-generating activities, instead of depending on milk whose production is on the decrease due to drought and overgrazing. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 217 : HIV/AIDS Prevention Community Mobilization Initiative - Tanzania
Maasai traditional sex practices, young boys from the Maasai community moving to towns to seek paying jobs due decrease of cattle as well as the changing socio-economic conditions, exposes to the community to being infected with HIV/AIDS. The communities in the rural areas need to be told the truth about this deadly disease.
This activity aimed at mobilizing the community members to become responsive on HIV/AIDS problem. HIV/AIDS community counsellors were trained, village plans were formulated which are being implemented. Counsellors are active in their villages counselling and taking care of the sick on a voluntary basis. Also the use of protective gear to reduce infection among people caring for PLWAS has increased.- Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 218 : Functional Literacy in Monduli - Tanzania
The level of illiteracy in Monduli is very high. Based on the national literacy test and evaluation reports literacy rate in Monduli is around 34% of the population and for the Maasai community it is much less. Among the 5 Maasai women groups ICA Tanzania was working with, for example, only one or two individuals in each group could read or write.
Under this activity 60 functional teachers were trained from the community members and 11 (320 people) functional classes were ran for a period of 18 months. People who attended the functional classes can make informed decisions about participating fully in the general elections and voting for a candidate of their choice since they can read the names, something they could not do before and also can keep records of business transactions, read important documents including HIV/AIDS brochures. Before the programme intervention they could only communicate orally. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 219 : Health Risks from Indoor Air Pollution - Monduli District, Tanzania
It is estimated that the indoor air pollution (IAP) resulting from the use of biomass, inefficient stoves and poorly designed kitchens, to which women and children are particularly exposed, causes over two million deaths annually in developing countries .
Exposure to smoke form burning biomass fuels is linked by a strong and growing body of evidence to the incidence of a wide range of diseases including acute respirator, infections in children, chronic obstructive lung disease in adults, cancer, cataracts, blindness, low birth weight and TB. IAP is also strongly related to poverty, as poor people rely on biomass fuel and lack access to clean cooking and heating technologies. It is also linked to mother and child health as women and children are most exposed to indoor smoke, particularly in confined living spaces.
150 demonstration houses with indoor air pollution interventions have been built in Monduli districts, success of this project is observed in the requests of women to join the programme and the testimony of people living in hoses with interventions. Scientifically, the monitoring of reduction of smoke in Maasai done between ICA Tanzania, Intermediate Technology Development Group – East Africa and the University of Nairobi noted a tremendous reduction in indoor air pollution in Maasai traditional houses, though not at the World Health Organization standard. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 220 : Legal Literacy in Monduli District, Tanzania
Related to the low level of education, there is also a low level of legal literacy. in Monduli district. After the trade liberalization policy, there has been a move to increase agricultural activities and lessen pasture areas. Of late there has been an increase of squeezing pastoralists into areas that are non-viable for pastoral land use. Though customary land rights of pastoralist grazing land are still widely recognized, but they give no protection against claims of agriculturists. Therefore, the situation of land tenure in Monduli is one of the conflicts between the original Maasai population and what they see as, “intruders†on their land. Besides unawareness about their land rights, most of the people in Monduli do not know about their legal rights as stated in the constitution, the laws of Tanzania, or regional and international instruments that Tanzania is party to.
For women, development and human rights are closely linked. Development has to be placed squarely within the human rights framework if it is to be sustainable, equitable and democratic. A more holistic human rights approach to development will avoid the pitfalls of past development projects that have come to naught in many instances.
The activity has been an eye opener to most of the people even ward and village leaders on legal right s education. The ICA Tanzania legal aid clinic is providing legal services to community members, particularly women and children in fighting for their property rights after the death of the husband/children. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 221 : Financial capital and business skills - Monduli, Tanzania
The traditional way of accumulating wealth amongst the pastoralist community is through building up their herds of cattle. With the recent droughts, and a growing recognition for the need to diversify their income generating activities, this traditional form of saving is seen as inadequate.
Members of the women groups whom ICA Tanzania is targeting have no access to credit facilities from financial institutions as they lack the necessary collateral to stake in commercial banks.
At the moment some of the groups have been registered as SACCOS and one of them is targeting to become a village bank. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 222 : Youth As Facilitative Leaders - Tanzania
This programme aims at creating awareness of youth as facilitative leaders. Youth should become agents of development change instead of being targets of those changes. In this programme youths are trained in participatory leadership and planning skills. Also, they are lead into identifying their responsibility in combating the current number one youth enemy, i.e. HIV/AIDS which is related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Clubs are formed to ensure that, the gained knowledge is distributed to others and is sustained. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 223 : Participatory Development in Handeni District - Tanzania
ICA Tanzania supported by Misereor of Germany introduced this three year programme in Handeni District in October, 1999. The emphasis of this programme was on training local leaders on planning and leadership, share experiences, solve problems, and to discuss alternatives for the future.
Under this programme, 80 groups, district/ward/village leaders were trained in participatory development approaches and various exchange forums were organized. - Tanzania
ToP™ Projects 224 : Youth as Facilitative Leaders - South Africa
2002 Initial training on HIV/AIDS, Facilitation, Communication & Gender issues with groups of 30 young people from 6 different schools around Johannesburg
(Kagiso, Alexandra & Eldorado Park)
Celebration event for representatives of all participating schools
Intensive training of 20 representatives (total) from all schools in Facilitation methods and skills
2003 - Ongoing development of core group of 20 young people as YFL membersIntensive training with Street Children at Twilight Shelter, Johannesburg
2004 - Appointment of 1st young person as YFL Programme co-ordinator
Intensive Gender training of core group through ‘Men As Partners’ network
2005- Participation by Programme Co-ordinator in Africa Unite, Youth Conference organised by UNICEF in Ethiopia
Collaboration with UNICEF (SA) on various youth-related events
Selection of 2nd young person as YFL Programme co-ordinator
2006 -Development of new training programme with 10 groups (in-and-out of school) in Johannesburg and North West
Throughout the programme’s life, there has been ongoing training, meetings and support for core members of the group. The training has included the following: Participatory Facilitation Skills and Methods; Assertive Communication skills; Gender; Understanding & Tackling Racism & Sexism; Youth-Adult Partnerships; Co-Counselling
The YFL programme has successfully been fulfilling its’ vision of encouraging social change, through the young people who have been part of the programme, who can be seen as social change agents. A few examples of their many activities are as follow
Community work in orphanages, care centres, other schools and youth centres
Facilitation of youth issues discussions on community radio
Co-Facilitation of training programmes with Itereleng:ICA at other schools, in rural areas and with street-children in Johannesburg
Development of support groups to prevent suicide (depression issues) and other
Organisation of a street campaign to lobby for children's rights
Peer education activities within schools around issues of gender, HIV/AIDS, children’s rights, substance abuse, self-awareness & anti-oppression etc. The activities have included training, carnivals, motivational talks, school assemblies, drama, creation of materials & distribution of information
Over 1000 young people have been trained & educated on the various issues detailed above
Young people have discussed how they have been able to effectively use new skills in difficult situations they have faced at home, school and in their communities
One group were “ministers†at their school and have been involved in a range of initiatives, such as visits to parliaments, meetings with MEC’s and ministers etc.
The other significant success of the programme has been that YFL members have not only developed a wide range of skills and shared these with others, but have also grown into an effective team, who are able to work collectively and individually. As advocates for youth issues, YFL members have excelled in many different settings, such as in their schools, with other organisations and in various workshops, presentations and conferences. In short, they represent South African youth with pride, intelligence and dignity.- South Africa
ToP™ Projects 225 : Orphans/Vulnerable Children - South Africa
A network of trained community-based care givers provide a wide variety of services and support to these homes. There are currently 300 children receiving daily food packs from Itereleng: Institute of Cultural Affairs. As this programme expands its reach, household by household, it enables the community to develop a network of aware and capable households that provide proper nurturing to orphaned and vulnerable children. Identification and organization of households in crisis - Vulnerable families affected by HIV/AIDS are identified and registered as part of a 300-household where the homes are in walking distance from each other. The specific needs of these families are investigated and services are tailored to meet those requirements. Provision of support – Ten trained community care workers work in a cluster, each delivering life-supporting services to 15 families on a daily basis. These services include monitoring and assistance to orphaned and vulnerable children, HIV education to all family members, psycho-social and emotional support and counseling, assistance in accessing orphan grants, assistance for unemployed adults to engage in income generation projects, as well as the provision of daily food parcels. Families are monitored on a regular basis to support their progress towards living independently. South Africa
ToP™ Projects 226 : HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness - Kenya
During 2006, ICA Kenya successfully implemented an integrated HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness program in Muthetheni, funded by American Jewish World Service. A project impact study found that ICA Kenya’s Voluntarily Counseling and Testing and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns led to change of risk behaviors and reduction in new infection rates, from 14% to between 5.9% and 6.1%, as well as a decrease in deaths from 10 to 3 per month within the program implementation period. - Kenya
ToP™ Projects 227 : Sustainable Agriculture - Kenya
ICA Kenya operates a grassroots partnership program in Isinya, within the Kajiado District. The three-year program, initiated in 2006, is now operational in 12 villages and equips the local Maasai people with skills and knowledge regarding sustainable agriculture. The program is funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and implemented cooperatively with ICA Japan. - Kenya
ToP™ Projects 228 : Demonstration Farms - Isinya, Kenya
At ICA Kenya’s Isinya Programme Office in the Kajiado District, a grassroots partnership programme focused on sustainable agriculture and food security is underway. Highlights of recent accomplishments include:
Two water ponds have been completed and will be used to irrigate two demonstration farms used for training local farmers in the area. - Kenya
ToP™ Projects 229 : Solar Power - Cote D'Ivoire
Environmental conservation and awareness projects in the Toumodi region during 2006 resulted in five villages now lit with solar power, as well as two solar water heaters operating in the Toumodi hospital.
ToP™ Projects 230 : Vegetable Cultivation - Cote D"Ivoire
A group of 35 women from the region of Bahaikro learned methods for sustainable vegetable cultivation through ICA Côte d’Ivoire’s sustainable agriculture programs during 2006. In addition, young farmers from the Brobo region learned techniques for cashew nut planting. - Cote D'Ivoire
ToP™ Projects 231 : HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness - Cote D'Ivoire
ICA Cote d'Ivoire works with 70 families in the Brobo region to organize themselves in order to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, targeting young girls and teaching them about the dangers of risky behavior. ICA Côte d’Ivoire also coordinated an awareness campaign in 2006 about the availability and reduced cost of anti-retro viral drugs, as well as Voluntary Counseling and Testing facilities. - Cote D'Ivoire
ToP™ Projects 232 : Facilitating Agricultural Reform and Marketing in Soghd oblast - Tajikistan
Gender equality and justice are an integral part of the project. It is not an individual direction but it is the subject that comprises the whole project.
Accordingly the working plan is arranged and conducted by focus groups in 5 targeted districts: Kanibadam, Asht, Mastcha, Zafarabad, Spitamen.
Focus groups carry out the purpose of improving the DF members participation into the management process in the research fields and the introduction of these actions into Dehkan farms. PO – EHIO “Farhang va Tarakkiyot†in this project is responsible for providing focus groups in the following districts: Zafarabad, Spitamen (2007) and Dj. Rasulov. The focus groups discuss the following key items:
Certificate on right of land tenure
Certificate availability for share
Debts to investors and other organizations, bodies
Management issues
Transparency – reporting
Salary issues
Debts of investors in DF
Land share re-registration
Fertilizers, machinery
Access to resources
Gender
Participation
Membership in DF
Relation/correlation of DF members, hired personnel
Legal rights
Trainers/facilitators of PO – EHIO “Farhang va Tarakkiyot†are conducting training sessions in targeted districts of (Zafarabad, Dj. Rasulov and Spitamen) on the topics of:
“Bookkeeping and registration for the financial operations of a dehkan farmâ€, “Financial analysis of DFâ€, “Budgeting and cash flow calculation in DFâ€, and the “DF business planâ€. After such training, trained DF members work as accountants in their dehkan farms.
Using the strategy, “Leading Dehkan farm†and “united farms†(neighbouring farms), relative to the research field; regular information for DF members and employees is provided both for men and women. It also collects regular information for timely response to all project components. Other topics and issues are discussed to develop practical steps for their introduction.
Focus groups are used as a tool for each of the 5 project components. At the same time they complete a function relative to mobilization and the informing of members, (women and men).
Special attention is paid to gender equality while carrying out these measures, not only within the project framework, but in the everyday activity of DF and the organizations partners.
ToP™ Projects 233 : Water Resources Management - Tajikistan
Key Project goals: capacity improvement, for increasing fertility of irrigated lands and increasing the rural population’s income in Fergana valley, through improvement of land and water management; and improvement of security and regulation of Kairakkum dam and pool for providing security and efficiency of water management on pool level.
The main goals of PO EHIO “Farhang va Tarakkiyout†within the project framework:
Carrying out informational campaign in targeted districts;
Preliminary survey of existing practice of crops growing;
Preparation, and selection of the number and types of demonstration plots in Kanibadam and B. Gafurov districts;
Introducing new agricultural technologies for increasing yield on demo plots;
Developing and conducting the training for farmers in two targeted districts of the Project;
Creation of 2 information–consulting centres in the targeted districts, based on the 2 pre–created examples, to keep the Project Association of Water users, in the two targeted districts, up-to-date.
The project is regularly monitored by the World Bank Mission, PMU and FVWRMP (Project Management Unit “Fergana Valley Water Resources Management Project»), presenting Republic of Tajikistan (RT) Government.
Donors: International Association of Development (IDA) of World Bank. - Tajikistan
ToP™ Projects 234 : Civil Society Sustainability - Tajikistan
Project goals and tasks: To provide loyal Civil Society Organizations with the right organizational tools for development purposes, with:
Self – assessment structure;
Certification structure;
Capacity building possibilities.
At the Round Table the Senior Adviser of RT President Mr.Koshonov Subkhon makes a speech. The Round Table was lead by Safarova Marina - PO “EHIO†director. Project of “Civil society†Program donor, Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan with financial support of DFID. September 2009, Dushanbe.
Visit to Pakistanian Centre for Philanthropy (PCP) initiated and organized by PO “EHIO†within the framework of the Program “Civil societyâ€, Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan with financial support of DFID. The second from left side is PO “EHIO†director - Marina Safarova. October 2009, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Within this project framework, two public certifications were conducted on a voluntary basis, and about 80 civil society organizations, from throughout the Republic, were certified . Certification commission members are from several individual groups of society – the President’s Board, Parliamentary deputies, the Ministries of Justice and Education, also representatives of public organizations, international organizations, and mass media. At the present time a third public certification is planned. For certified CSOs, training in capacity building is conducted, for example, on the theme, “Organizational development – approach to capacity buildingâ€. Training themes are often suggested by certified CSOs themselves at the Round tables, based on certification results, or while preparing regional meetings. PO “EHIO – Farhang va Tarakkiyot†received its certification by carrying out the first public certification in RT.
Also within this project framework the organization has provided material for the newspaper, “Business and policy.†where we share space with other partners of the program, “Civil Society†on the “Dialogue†page. On this same page articles regarding development issues were published, along with success stories of CSOs and other material from books, magazines, and scientific literature, devoted to Civil Society development in RT.
The Project is still continuing at this time.
Project donors: Aga Khan Foundation, Tajikistan/DFID
ToP™ Projects 235 : Livelihood Recovery - Tajikstan
Project goal: stimulation of the economy to strengthen security and to ensure that the population of the Zafarabad district has the ability to withstand the effects of bad weather, such as that experienced during the winter of 2007-2008.
Within this Project framework PO “EHIO – Farhang va Tarakkiyot†has supported 500 of the most vulnerable households, in the Zafarabad district, with lump-sum humanitarian aid in the amount of 500 Tajik somoni per household. For this purpose PO “EHIO – Farhang va Tarakkiyot†performed the following important actions:
Participated jointly with the local state authorities’ representatives, community members and Mercy Corps (MC) team, to carry out a further assessment of the communities, and initialize a second analysis of the information for selecting other communities of Zafarabad district, that had suffered the most, for the project implementation;
Statistic assessment of food safety of the selected community “Ravshanâ€;
Cooperated with Village Development Committees, created beforehand by MC in this district, for the efficient implementation of the program ;
Worked with selected households to train them in action planning, namely, in the best use of the money provided;
Were conducted training for developing individual plans of the households for appropriate use of cash;
Developed an agreement with each household concerning use of the money according to the individual household plan;
Made individual cash payments to the registered households;
Conducted regular monitoring sessions on the use of the money, transferred to the “Ravshan†community;
Conducted assessment of the Program on completion, for its impact and benefit.
Project donors: Mercy Corps/Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. - Tajikistan
ToP™ Projects 236 : Tajikistan Stability Program
Project goal: improving economic development of the country, increasing the quality of life for the vulnerable population in Tajikistan.
Project objectives:
To strengthen management and stability at Mahallya (village) level:
Ensuring cooperation between jamoats and communities in solving instability issues, through the implementation of joint projects:
Ensuring cooperation between local Khukumat, jamoats and communities:
Improving economic development, improving the main infrastructure and to provide job openings.
This program is working in several targeted districts of Tajikistan: Gharm, Tavildara, Shaartuz and Kubodiyon, (Khatlon oblast), in the south of Tajikistan, also in Ast and Isfara (Soghd oblast) in the north of Tajikistan. As the project is new, the following activities have been started within its framework:
An assessment in targeted districts was conducted for choosing communities;.
A baseline assessment was conducted of the targeted jamoats;
The selection of Focus-groups, general meetings, Community Action Group (CAG) was conducted;
Conducting a set of training sessions for the training of CAG members.
Project donors: Mercy Corps/USAID.
ToP™ Projects 237 : Agricultural Advisory System - Tajikistan
PO “EHIO – Farhang va Tarakkiyot†is the founder of Agricultural Association “Agrodonishâ€. The National Association of Agricultural Advisory Services “AgroDonish†is a non-profit, independent and non-political organization. The decision to establish the Association was made at the beginning of 2009 and that year it was officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan.
AgroDonish is a national network of advisory services that promotes innovative and high quality agro extension activities to increase farmers’ incomes in Tajikistan. It should be mentioned that AgroDonish is the only public organization (representative of civil society) in Tajikistan, being a member of the Governmental working group on, “Establishment of effective information and advisory systems for farms and the creation of an operative information network for the timely informing of society on the agrarian reform implementation.†The goal of this Group is to develop a sustainable National agricultural extension system in Tajikistan.
ToP™ Projects 238 : HIV infection training - Togo
In February 2008, ICA Togo championed an innovative peer-to-peer project for combating HIV infection in Zio District. The project comprised of a week-long workshop aimed at training peer educators on issues of HIV/AIDS. Twenty participants from ten rural villages were trained as peer educators with the objective of increasing their knowledge of HIV prevention within their communities. In turn, the outreach of these peer educators was able to reach roughly 5,000 people in their villages, combined. Through such programs, the basic level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS among Togo’s rural peoples has seen a marked increase. The training provided communities with an understanding of the symptoms of HIV, the mechanism of transmission, how to avoid becoming infected, the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, how women are at greater risk, how to lead a healthy life while living with the disease, and the importance of testing. - Togo
ToP™ Projects 239 : Womens Economic Empowerment - Togo
ICA Togo held workshops for economic empowerment, which included the provisioning of loans for women taking care of children orphaned by AIDS. In all, twenty-one women participated in loan management and income-generation workshops. Follow-up discussions with the women revealed that they used the profit garnered from their income-generating activities to care for up to thirty-one AIDS orphans. - Togo
ToP™ Projects 240 : Il Ngwesi Group Ranch HIV Aids prevention - Kenya
Established a fundamental strategy for dealing with HIV/AIDS – such as a baseline survey, the formation of an HIV/AIDS plan within the community, and a search for local partners – the project’s goal was eventual self-autonomy; after the initial year of training and support, in favor of community leadership. The programme successful: 150 peer educators were trained, 1,200 people were tested, 300 were counseled, and women leaders sprang up for the first time. Testing rates, which average less than 10% in Maasai communities jumped significantly. - Kenya
ToP™ Projects 241 : Forest Ecosystems - Cameroon
In 2008, Cameroon hosted a National Workshop on the Underlying Causes of Deforestation, which successfully brought together 32 institutions, including community- based organizations, national and international NGOs, and government institutions – like the Ministry of Forest and Fauna – in a series of workshops.
In bringing these stakeholders together, a nuanced set of commitments was reached that reflect the needs of the multiple participants involved. In these workshops, in-depth case studies of different forest ecosystems in the country were selected for review. The results of these studies, and the ensuing discussions, debates, and recommendations for further action, were made available to a wider audience. A publication of the project reports and recommendations was also called for, along with advocacy activities to help shift towards more sustainable management of different ecosystems in Cameroon. ICA Cameroon is continuing to develop further strategic partnerships with other international NGOs and will continue to work in the area of sustainable forest management to make an even greater impact. - Cameroon
ToP™ Projects 242 : Indigenous Forest Resources Access - Nepal
With the support of Global Forest Coalition (GFC), ICA Nepal carried out activities that promoted the rights of indigenous communities’ access to and use of forest resources. It organized orientation, training, and the development of case studies for its national level workshop on indigenous communities and their often complex relationship to forests. During its workshop, ICA Nepal produced 12 recommendations to present to the Nepalese government for immediate consideration. The workshop identified political instability as one of the main underlying causes of rampant deforestation in Nepal. Other resolutions considered giving special care to the culture, skills, and traditions of indigenous populations, providing better education opportunities to local communities, compensating indigenous and ethnic communities for their products, guaranteeing free alternative energy for indigenous and ethnic communities residing in or near forest areas, and new government-led arrangements for cattle raising and grazing.
ICA Nepal understands that Nepal’s rapidly growing population puts great pressure on natural resources. Through Eco-clubs and sustainable agricultural programs, children and adults respectively are encouraged to think about ways to use their environment in a sustainable way. Trees have been planted, and nurseries and kitchen gardens started as a result of this program. Furthermore, through training and facilitation, ICA Nepal has motivated thousands of people towards protecting the environment. - Nepal
ToP™ Projects 243 : Forest Management - Bangladesh
ICA Bangladesh made large advances in its forest management work by also hosting a national workshop to explore the underlying causes of deforestation, and to propose pathways and actions to address these underlying causes. The event brought together over 100 participants drawn from among policy makers, NGOs, indigenous peoples, the media, and other stakeholders. The workshop began with presentations from research studies on three major forest areas - Mangrove, Saal and Chittagong Hill
Tracts reserve forest - undertaken from February-April 2008. The research and intense discussions highlighted the fact that deforestation in Bangladesh continues to occur at alarming rates and that the underlying causes of this deforestation are manifold. The study also identified the main actors involved in the process and recommended effective measures to address the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation in Bangladesh. The event received substantive and varied media coverage, helping to raise the profile of forest management issues in the country. - Bangladesh
ToP™ Projects 244 : Farm Conservation Practices - Ghana
Local farmers in the country’s rural communities are integrating improved agricultural methods into their natural resource management strategy of non-timber forest products (NTFP).
In 2008, ICA Ghana continued ongoing, far-reaching village campaigns on conservation practices, aimed to educate farmers on allanblackia harvesting. The extracted seed-oil from the native allanblackia tree provides an alternative to palm oil, which is used as a commercial production input. Whereas palm oil is an exotic species farmed as a cash-crop with dangerous social and ecological consequences, allanblackia can have a positive impact on biodiversity and local livelihoods if sustainably harvested with equitable sharing of benefits among stakeholders. Farmers engage in wild picking of the allanblackia, which helps with biodiversity conservation and sustainable agroforestry systems.
ICA Ghana reached farmers in diverse ways, including socioeconomic surveys and radio programming, thus benefiting over 100 communities from this information and knowledge sharing. - Ghana
ToP™ Projects 245 : Soil Stabilization - Benin
One important problem facing many communities is desert expansion, as desert sands are rapidly advancing their borders, affecting local ecosystems and traditional resources.
Desert expansion is linked to deforestation, soil degradation, and drought, such that many communities are seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The desert on the border between Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger has been advancing more than ten kilometres per year. Along with the march of the desert comes deforestation, soil degradation and drought. To help slow this advance, ICA Benin, inspired by the United Nations Environment Programme Plant for the Planet Campaign, is working with communities in Alibori, Atacora, Borgou and Donga to plant 2.5 million trees in three years. This project contributes to stabilizing local soils and climate, which helps communities to remain self-sufficient and maintain a healthy environment. - Benin
ToP™ Projects 246 : Improving Quality of Life of Street Children in Bangladesh
Phulki Project
Under this project, the children are provided access to non-formal basic education and basic life skills training. Basic education covers the basic part of the elementary schooling which includes alphabet learning, counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, deviation, signature, learn how to read and write and understanding of meaning and basic theme etc. And under life skills they are taught healing techniques, citizenship, love, respect, herbal medicine, natural agriculture, social justice, environmental restoration, micro-credit, responsible internet access, leadership skills, basic computer knowledge. They are also made conscious about child rights, health and hygiene, disability, sanitation, HIV/AIDS, STDs, drug, environment etc. The children are offered learning materials including books, notes, monthly scholarship, school bag, school dress, Tiffin, stipend. Sport facilities, cultural and extra curricular activities like dance, drama, and water, electricity are also ensured under this project. The project was inaugurated by a Member of Parliament. The project also had a first year celebration. Educational and urgent materials distribution day was witnessed by the City Councilor. Before the launching, parents and local partners had a consultation workshop using ToP followed by the formal inauguration, cultural day, sports day, and concluding ceremony.
Phulki is a Bengali word used by ICA for its children life skills and education project whether the children are street, slum, orphan or underprivileged. ‘Phulki’ (meaning ‘Sparking’) combines literacy and life skills in which guardians, community, local government and local voluntary clubs/non-profits/business are partners for the project.
Basic education focuses on teaching how to read, write and understand. It’s including general aptitude, language both Bangla and English and quantitative aptitude.
Life skills training and awareness raising program includes youth leadership development such as process of group discussion, basic facilitation, conflict management, sewing machine and dress making training, computer fundamental, health and environmental awareness such as sanitation, pure water, pollution, sustainability, HIV/AIDS, juvenile delinquency, differential association, citizenship, love, respect ethics and morality.
Children are also given some opportunity to learn and practice their extracurricular activities such as drama, recitation, song, dance and other cultural events, and some Indore game and sports).
Before starting the project we went to every door of this community and talked about our project and collected their opinion about it. We arranged a community meeting at commissioner’s house where the guardians of the children were attended and shared their views about this project. We followed ORID method and they responded spontaneously. Their realization is that, they are poor but poverty is not the main issue of their life. The main problem is they do not know how they can overcome from poverty. Their dream is to establish their children as a successful person but they have no way to make it happened. If their children involve with income generation they can minimize the immediate hunger in their family. But if somebody wants to take the responsibility to make their children educated and skilled, they must appreciate it and now they are agree to remain hungry to wait for the bright future of their children.
The children are offered participatory learning environment and learning by doing along with facilitative leadership and life skills make them to be skilled, conscious and committed future leaders despite their socio-economic disadvantage. The parents, local community leaders, local government and local clubs were brought together to help the slum street children do not spoil.
The students love the school and ICA very much. They feel this school as their own organization. They comment that the education system is different here. Teachers are very friendly and helpful. They are learning new things, which are different than other schools. Leadership training is very exciting to them. They also love to learn life skill, which has very good practical orientation. Having awareness raising on different social issues like leadership, patriotism, love, respect, birth registration, vote, HIV/AIDS, etc., they share with their parents and neighbors, they are appreciated and honored which is the best achievement for them. When they think, they are the future leader of their community, they feel empowered and strength. This children want to change their society.
Children under the project were asked to write something about the project, funder and ICA. They wrote in their own words in their local language – Bangla. Two stories were picked for here now.
Md. Rabin Miah, 11 years old boy is a student of phulki school of ICA Bangladesh under this TUC Japan -funded project. He lives in slum with his mother. He is only one son of his parents. Last year he lost his father. At that time he was 10 years old and he was a primary school going student of class four. His father was the only earning member of the family. After his father’s death, his education was stopped and he started to work in a bread factory to assist his mother. His mother also started working as maidservant in some houses. He is a very meritorious student and very interested to study. But he had to work, and the class time and the working hour were same. That is why he had to drop out from his school. When his mother learned about the ICA education project in the neighborhood and life skill training, she was very interested to admit her son. Now he is a very regular student. He has a good leadership skill. He was selected as the class captain. For life skill training he has chosen computer training. Now he hopes to work a computer shop and also wants to continue his study.
Lucky Akter, 12 years old, is living in the slum of Khilgaon with her parents. Her father Abdul Gafur is a rickshaw driver and mother Ms. Sharifa Begum is a housewife. For being a female child, her parents was not interested to admit her in school due to prevailing social values and norms regarding girl child and education. But she is very interested to study. When ICA team visited their slum, she requested to admit her. Them ICA team requested her parents. When her parents found that form this project, she could learn some life skill trainings, which will be helpful her income generation and will also get monthly stipend, than they agreed. Now she is getting having basic education and life skills. She is interested in dressmaking to work with sewing machine. Now she is very happy. She wants to change her lifestyle.
The children are offered participatory learning environment and learning by doing along with facilitative leadership and life skills make them to be skilled, conscious and committed future leaders despite their socio-economic disadvantage. The parents, local community leaders, local government and local clubs were brought together to help the slum street children do not spoil.
The students love the school and ICA very much. They feel this school as their own organization. They comment that the education system is different here. Teachers are very friendly and helpful. They are learning new things, which are different than other schools. Leadership training is very exciting to them. They also love to learn life skill, which has very good practical orientation. Having awareness raising on different social issues like leadership, patriotism, love, respect, birth registration, vote, HIV/AIDS, etc., they share with their parents and neighbors, they are appreciated and honored which is the best achievement for them. When they think, they are the future leader of their community, they feel empowered and strength. This children want to change their society.
Children under the project were asked to write something about the project, funder and ICA. They wrote in their own words in their local language – Bangla. Two stories were picked for here now.
Md. Rabin Miah, 11 years old boy is a student of phulki school of ICA Bangladesh under this TUC Japan -funded project. He lives in slum with his mother. He is only one son of his parents. Last year he lost his father. At that time he was 10 years old and he was a primary school going student of class four. His father was the only earning member of the family. After his father’s death, his education was stopped and he started to work in a bread factory to assist his mother. His mother also started working as maidservant in some houses. He is a very meritorious student and very interested to study. But he had to work, and the class time and the working hour were same. That is why he had to drop out from his school. When his mother learned about the ICA education project in the neighborhood and life skill training, she was very interested to admit her son. Now he is a very regular student. He has a good leadership skill. He was selected as the class captain. For life skill training he has chosen computer training. Now he hopes to work a computer shop and also wants to continue his study.
Lucky Akter, 12 years old, is living in the slum of Khilgaon with her parents. Her father Abdul Gafur is a rickshaw driver and mother Ms. Sharifa Begum is a housewife. For being a female child, her parents was not interested to admit her in school due to prevailing social values and norms regarding girl child and education. But she is very interested to study. When ICA team visited their slum, she requested to admit her. Them ICA team requested her parents. When her parents found that form this project, she could learn some life skill trainings, which will be helpful her income generation and will also get monthly stipend, than they agreed. Now she is getting having basic education and life skills. She is interested in dressmaking to work with sewing machine. Now she is very happy. She wants to change her lifestyle. - Bangladesh
ToP™ Projects 247 : Community displaced after flooding - Bangladesh
GHDP is located in the Ghoramara Shelter Project area, which is home to approximately 230 families – or 1,500 people – who have been displaced and lost their land due to flooding. ICA Bangladesh is assessing the needs of the local community in order to plan visioning and action workshops. It has established school facilities, supplies, and teachers for 30 children who previously had no access to primary education, provided food and material aid, and made the access to safe drinking water possible.
Initiated an integrated community development program in Chandpur District. ICA Bangladesh’s community programs are mostly implemented in the village of Ghoramara Asrayan Prokalpa in Chandpur District, which is home to approximately 230 families, or 1500 people, who have been displaced and lost their land due to flooding and riverbank erosion. The ICA Ghoramara Human Development Program includes the following components in 2004-2006: Needs Assessment and Planning; Primary Education; Water and Sanitation; Food and Material Aid. In February 2008, Dhaka ICA Ghoramara introduced Dressmaking Training and Income Generation Project with 4 sewing machine for 18 disadvantaged women; Rickshaw for Employment Generation Project with 2 rickshaws and Water and Sanitation Project with two new tube-wells installed and old 8 repaired with partial support under the Working Gifts Program.
Education for the Underprivileged Children Project
Main aim is to provide the underprivileged children access to education, non-formal education is being provided and primary education is demanded for introduction, education materials and services are offered at free of cost, 45 children are currently enrolled.
Provided school facilities, supplies, and teachers for children, who previously had no access to primary education
Classes in Bangla, English, and Math, as well as sports and cultural events
Constructed a school building
Initiated primary schooling
Dressmaking training and income generation for disadvantaged women project
Women income generation activities through provision of dressmaking skills training and sewing machines. Village women and children support team is organized in the village and women are motivated and provided entrepreneurship capacity for based on their needs.
Supply of safe water and sanitation facilities and environmental conservation project
Safe water supply by installing new and repairing old tube-wells
Due to repaired old tube wells and installed new wells, the village now has access to safe drinking water and related health problems have declined
Rickshaw for the unemployed Project
Employment generation for the unemployed through rickshaw
Community mobilization
Community awareness on HIV/AIDS and social mobilization (consciousness raising about health, disability, sanitation, cooperative, birth registration, organic farming, nationality, education, children rights, women rights)
Special needs support project
Special needs support through scholarship, aid and disaster relief (medical treatment, wedding of a girl or emergency, flood or cyclone relief aid)
Distributed food and clothing to the village’s neediest families, during Eid festivals.
Community leadership development project
Community leadership development through training and facilitated meetings, strategic and action planning and Self-help community groups (one for rickshaw and one for dressmaking)
Needs Assessment and Planning
Community-driven needs assessment and planning continued with visioning and action workshops – part of a process that has been ongoing since 2004
-Bangladesh
ToP™ Projects 248 : Cyclone Sidr relief and life skills - Bangladesh
Considering the most affected sub-district under Bagerhat District and presence of hundreds of children who lost their either father or mother or both, Sharonkhola Subdistrict was selected for the whole project. The project included 102 parentless children belonging to 27 schools under 4 union councils of Sarankhola Upazila who are offered educational and urgent needs.
One-year long project for 30 orphan high school children from 4 union parisads(council) of Sharonkhola Upazila from 8 schools in cooperation with Taipei American School Foundation, Taiwan.
Students were assessed in terms of student status- regular or irregular in their study, age, sex. class, years to go college, vocational training of interest, cyclone tragedy, loss of parent, shelter and care giver, food giver and future plan. Two training locations were selected based on children’s preference in Sharonkhola Upazila. One is Tafal Bari School and College for computer applications and another is R K D S Girls High School for dressmaking at Rayenda. The survey identified the children are interested life skills training in livestock (cow, poultry etc.) rearing, dressmaking, computer training, mechanical and food processing. But finally three courses they enrolled and other courses they found not suitable to undertake due to their schooling period, distance, age and travelling issues. But they are interested to do these course when they are in class X, XII and XII.
ToP™ Projects 249 : Legal Empowerment - Benin
ICA Benin was engaged in a national consultation process for the Commission on Legal Empowerment for the Poor, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). ICA Benin organized a field visit for the Commission on 24 February 2007 and participated in organizing a national conference in May 2007.
ToP™ Projects 250 : Strengthening Political Participation - Bosnia
During the period of March and April 2011., BOSPO organized regional Referral meetings in Tuzla,Banja Luka and Bjelašnica, as activities within the project "Strengthening of political participation and representation of national minorities in BiH society", in partnership with Roma association "Euro-Rom", and in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH. The aim of the meetings was to present the activities of the Ministry in following areas: employment, housing, health care and education of Roma, as well as the presentation of Roma NGOs with regard to projects implemented by the Roma Associations in 2010. The total number of participants in the meetings is over 80 participants. - Bospo
ToP™ Projects 251 : Enhancing Patient Rights - Bosnia
Red Cross Tuzla Canton and BOSPO association officially opened info desks in health institutions in Tuzla and Sarajevo. Info desk in Health Center in Tuzla officially started with work on October 21st, 2010, and info desk in General hospital "Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakas" in Sarajevo started with work on November 4th, 2010. On info desks patients will be able to get all necessary information important for accomplishment of their rights, directions to the responsible institutions and persons who work in authority institutions, support in fulfilling forms and requests for checking or accomplishment of some right according to the existing laws and European charter about patients' rights. The work of info desks will provide feedback to health institutions so that management of the health institution can take necessary steps to provide better services to patients. Installation of the info desks is just one of the activities on the project "Enhancing the rights of patients in BH", which is financed by EU.
ToP™ Projects 252 : Roma Voting Population - Bosnia
In period from September 1st to September 24th, 2010, BOSPO organized five (5) round tables in five (5) different towns throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bijeljina, Banja Luka and Zenica. The subject of all round tables was "Elections 2010", and the aim was to invite as much as it possible of Roma population to vote. During these round tables Roma population was informed about elections, voting, verifying of registered voters on lists, etc. Total number of the participants on all five (5) round tables is around 240, mostly Roma population, but, also, representatives of local and international organizations and media. Round tables were organized within the project "Strengthening of political participation and representation of national minorities in BH society", financed by European Union. - Bospo
ToP™ Projects 253 : Minorities and European Court - Bosnia
Association BOSPO in partnership with Roma association "Euro-Rom" Tuzla organized public debate in Sarajevo, which was held today (September 17th, 2010.) at 12:00 o'clock in Parliament Assembly in Sarajevo. The public debate is one of the activities within the project "Strengthening of political participation and representation of national minorities in BH society" financed by European Union. The subject of the public debate was "Consequences for national minorities based on non-implementation of the verdict of European Court for human rights in Sejdic-Finci case". The guests and speakers were Mr. Dervo Sejdic and Mr. Jakob Finci. The category of national minorities is not recognised in the BH Constitution, despite the provisions of the EU Framework Convention on Protection of National Minorities, which was ratified by BiH in 2003. The aim of the public debate was to emphasize to the BH Government the need for protection and respect of human rights and the rights of national minorities; and, also, to emergently include category of national minorities in BH Constitution. Representatives of national minorities, members of the National Minority Council and representatives from the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees were present on the public debate, as well as other interested citizens and media.
ToP™ Projects 254 : Action Plan for Employing Roma - Bosnia
On December 1st 2009, association Euro Rom from Tuzla, in partnership with association BOSPO from Tuzla, started implementation of new project “Decreasing of unemployment of Roma in B&H through implementation of Action plan for employing Roma”. The project is financed by CCI (Center of Civil Initiatives) and the general goal of the project is to improve employment of Roma in B&H, through efficient realization of Action plan for employment, i.e. the Operational plan for period of 2010/2011. Specific goals that stem out from the general goal are: 1. To research and analyze criteria and utilization of funds intended for Program for employment and self-employment of Roma for 2009 and 2010, 2.To adopt quality program for employment of Roma for 2010 and 2011, 3.To advocate for providing of resources in a budget for employing Roma on state and entity level, 4.To monitor the implementation of Action plan and other policies in area of employment of Roma, and inform the public about accomplished results. The project will last for 16 months, till March 31st, 2011 and it will be implemented within the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ToP™ Projects 255 : Greenhouse in Bosnia
Within the project "Support to micro-forums of citizens returnees", financed by European Commission, BOSPO donated greenhouse to the agricultural association "Obnova" from Lukavac which members are minority returnee population in this area. The size of greenhouse is 100 square meters and it will be used by all members of the agricultural association. The purpose of this action is to support development of greenhouse production in this area, which would lead to support of the sustainable return of people in this area. Beside the production of different agricultural products, greenhouse will be used in educational purposes for younger members of the association and the local community, which will help to develop this agricultural branch. As it is well-known, the production of agricultural products made on 100 square meters of the greenhouse is equal to the production made on 1000 square meters in the field. This kind of the agricultural production (in greenhouse) might attract younger generation to start producing agricultural products.
ToP™ Projects 256 : Strengthening Civil Society in Srebrenica and Tuzla - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Two campaignes were signed within the project 'Building just structures in B&H', financed by Irish Aid. Within the campaigne 'Promotion of culture in Srebrenica' it's planned to realize meetings with representatives of civil society and local authorities, public debate between representatives of local government, civil society and citizens, and on 30th of May it's planned to realize a concert of classical music, everything within the manifestation 'Days of culture' in Srebrenica. The aim of this campaigne is strengthening local civil society and representatives of local government to, with joint forces, develope cultural life in Srebrenica. Campaigne is being realized by activists of the association 'SARA' from Srebrenica. The aim of the campaigne in Tuzla 'Let's integrate gender component in school documentation' is to humanize relations between sexes through gender sensitivation of school documentation. Within this campaigne it is planned to organize meetings with representatives of Ministry of education, University in Tuzla, Bosanska rijeÄŤ and other actors, in order to change title in school documentation and gender insensitive plates on school doors with titles of professions (pedagog to pedagogica etc).
ToP™ Projects 257 : Gender equity in schools - Bosnia
Aim of the project was to improve gender relations and reduce gender inequality in education sector that largelly contribute to sustained gender inequalities in society more broadly. It challenges the gender stereotypes and promotes education system sensitive to the issues of gender.
After held 5 days of training for 85 participants of elementary schools of Banovići, Kalesija and Pazar, participants showed understanding of concept of gender equity, they familiriazed better with group facilitation methods, effective ways of advocating and lobbying and ways of media relations. According to that 3 action plans were created and implemented on basis of identified needs of every schools regarding promotion and integration of gender component:
1. Inclusion of both parents, with focus on fathers, in parents meetings and 'open door days'– Elementary school of Banovići
2. Raising awareness of children, parents and teachers about gender equity – Elementary school of Pazar, Tuzla
3. Raising awareness of municipality of Kalesija about gender equity – Elementary school of Kalesija
Parents, children and teachers throughout the project raised their awareness and understanding of gender on higher level. Now they possess adequate knowledge and have developed skills to identify existing gender inequities in educational sector and to competently and efficiently design and implement actions and advocacy efforts in order to create gender sensitive schools.
Elementary school of Kalesija from year 2008 starts with the school section on human rights, where they will discuss and address the problem of gender inequity in schools and society mroe broadly
ToP™ Projects 258 : Building Just Structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Project had the aim to build skills and will for better addressing of priorities of community on local, entity and national level through mobilization of community and participative budgeting.
Project was implemented in 8 municipalities of B&H, BOSPO implemented it in 4: Tuzla, Srebrenica, Gradacac i Kladanj.
Project had established better cooperation between authorities and civil society on resolution of major problems. Through trainings, 320 citizens bettered their advocacy and budgeting skills, 50 citizens devloped leadership skills through participation in „Central action community groups!, 40 municipal officers advanced their skills, 120 citizens advanced experiences from advocacy and budgeting through meetings in communities. 1000 citizens by municipality benefited through betterment of municipal services and wider participation of budgeting processes. - Bospo
ToP™ Projects 259 : Sustainable Agriculture - India
Sustinable Agriculture
1. Lift irrigation scheme in Khamboli- 65 farmers with 65 acres land underirrigation.
2. Agricultural training to 200 farmers..
3. Agricultural awareness camp at Katarkhadak 125 farmers.
4. Introduce 4 step rice Paddy Method- 20 farmers for 20 acres.
5. Distribution of 4400 kg rice seeds to 110 farmers.
6. Placement of 30 Agricultural Collage students in village for 6 months
7. 10000 Mango plantations in 4 villages.
8. Expert’s guidance for 12 days for 200 farmers every year.
9. Training of compost and vermiculture for 40 farmers.
10. 50 acre land development by leveling for 47 farmers.
11. Agricultural tools distributed to 120 farmers.
12. Exposure given to 55 farmers in Rahuri College.
13. Extra residential training provided to 200 farmers.
Sustinable Agriculture
Government has constructed a percolation Dam in Khamboli village for irrigation purpose. ICA has implemented an irrigation scheme with the financial help of Japan Environment Corporation, Japan, worth Rs. 9 Lakhs. The scheme will irrigate about 100 acres of farmland. The villagers did Shramadan for digging and constructing the well and fixing pipelines. They have also agreed to contribute towards distribution of pipeline in their farms. The scheme has got electrical supply from Govt and has started the work effectively. It has irrigates 65 acres of land as 65 farmers have taken the benefit of the scheme. The Work of irrigation is going on very well as we have formed a committee of villagers to have control over it. They have record of the farmers who has taken the water, for how much time and the amount received for it.They are giving receipt of the money received so no chances for making misuse of money and water. This makes very clear picture of well established setup of self development. As for this they have to do planning, discussion, implementation, they have to follow rules means they learn discipline and this will help them in their personal life also.
The same irrigation scheme has been started in Katarkhadak also. The villagers were more interested in doing the labor work for the scheme. They did Shramdan and constructed the well and the digging of pipeline. There was also very good response of the villagers for the scheme. There also 70 farmers have been benefited and 70 acres of land was irrigated.
1. Training of compost and vermin culture for 40 farmers.
2. Agricultural training to 200 farmers. Regular agricultural training is offered to the farmers to improve their knowledge and skills of effective modem farming by learning from experts. The training is given through both on going training programmes and through practical demonstrations in villages for 12 days Total 200 farmers were participated. Also we have organized Agricultural awareness camp for Katarkhadak village which is new village in our project. 125 farmers were participated and benefited.
3. Four step Rice Paddy Method:- This year we introduced 4 steps Rice Paddy method to 20 farmers and distributed 4400 kg rice seeds to 110 farmers in subsidized rates. This helps them to increase the rate of cultivation and can get good crops as the seeds were of good quality. This will help them to have multiple crops with good quality.
Improved Farming Methods:
A Scientific Compost Making Methods were demonstrated in the village with the help of Agricultural experts from Japan. Mango Grafting Technique was taught to the villagers by an experienced expert while 2000 mango plants were being grafted in the three villages. Seedlings of various vegetables for kitchen garden are distributed every year to women. The kitchen garden is also popular as all wastage can be used to produce new vegetables and this helps them to have some additional income source as well as fresh vegetables to eat which is good for health. Means the women gains in double one in the form of money and second good health of the family.
Residential Agricultural training was provided to 200 farmers in 2004 for 4 times . It was very useful to implement their learning’s.
Also we have taken 55 farmers twice to visit the Rahuri Agriculture College to study the new techniques of the advance farming and agriculture.
Placement of 30 agricultural College students in villages for 6 months. This also helps farmers to learn new techniques from the students. As the area is hillside some of the farmers can not cultivate their land as it is uneven. After discussion we have developed 50 acres of land by leveling for 47 farmers and made is useful for cultivation. Agricultural tools are very important. In the main season some farmers cannot work effectively as they don’t have the good tools. We have provided Agricultural Tools to 120 farmers.
ToP™ Projects 260 : Cooperative Dairy - India
1. Dairy cooperative business started- 55 farmers.
2. 400 Poultry chicks distributed to 20 families.
3. Multiple business training & Guidance for 10 days – 300 women participated.
4. Group business started – Candle making, papad, Incenses & washing powder- 22 women.
Also we have taken 55 farmers twice to visit the Rahuri Agriculture College to study the new techniques of the advance farming and agriculture.
Cooperative Dairy Scheme
A Dairy cooperative have been registered with 50 members. The farmers are taking efforts to increase the milk production with use of good quality grass to the animals. For that they need to use irrigation water to irrigate the land where the animals can eat the grass.
They have also constructed the centre to store the milk. The milk container with cold storage has also provided and now currently about 200 litters of milk is collected and sold every day to Katraj Cooperative Dairy in Pune. 20 new families are being assisted through dairy by purchasing crossbred cows.
Many new Dairy proposals are being processed through banks also. Animal husbandry camp was arranged to educate farmers regarding animal care and dairy management.
To provide other income source to the farmers we have given 400 chicks to 20 families to start poultry business. It was helpful to increase their income level.
Also provided multiple business training and guidance for 10 days to 300 women and it was beneficial to all of them.
ASmall Saving Groups has started some small business from their funds such as candle making, papad making, incenses and washing powder etc. In the beginning 22 women started in groups.
ToP™ Projects 261 : Alternative Energy - India
Three Biogas plants have been installed in the project villages as initial demonstration. Similarly total of 280 smokeless stoves have been provided to the families form the project area. Now that they have experience these things locally more people are willing to go for implementing these schemes next year. The beneficiary families contributed through labor work in both of these activities. The unit of Biogas was connected and the information was also shared with all participants and the people responsible.1. Biogas constructed 14 families benefited. 2. Smokeless stoves provided 280 families benefited. 3. Latrine construction done 92 families benefited
Villagers worked together to allow this to happen, an excellent example of facilitated community development.
ICA Japan.
ToP™ Projects 262 : Health and Sanitation - India
Health and Sanitation
1. Health checkup camps organized quarterly ( 4times in yr) 2oo patients per camp.
2. For drinking water Well expanded at Dhangarwadi.
3. Eye checkup camp conducted in Kemsewadi – 100 patients examined 35 glasses distributed.
4. Health Awareness camp taken in new project area- Kendur Village & Shirur Taluka.
5. Govt sanctioned drinking water scheme at Katarkhadak & Khomboli- 10% amount and implementation.
Health Awareness Camps:-
Every year one-day Cancer and health check up camp is arranged with the help of Cancer Patient Aids Association. Over 200 patients are examined during each camp. People requiring further treatment was referred to reputed hospitals in Pune. Similar Health and Environment Awareness camp was arranged during the occasion of local religious festival of Khamboli village where hundreds of people gather from other villages also.
Eye checkup camp was also organized and 100 patients were examined and 35 glasses were distributed. Also operations done in this camp. Also we have organized Health Awareness camp in the new project area Kendur Village and Shirur Talika. The people were present for the camp and had benefited through the things they listen about healthy life and healthy habits.
ToP™ Projects 263 : Village Environment - India
Village Environment
1. lacks of fruits & forest trees planted in 4 villages.
2. EEC centre has raised 40,000 plants yearly.
3. Environmental awareness camp for 300 people
4. Provide seeds for kitchen garden plants yearly for 4 villages
5. Hosted international Environmental conference for 64 participants.
6. International forest Management conference hosted for 4 days for 30 participants – Delegates form 13 countries
A Forestation Project
Plantation:-
The Nursery at Talegaon training centre and Khamboli village continue to grow saplings for the A forestation project. It produces over 40, 000 saplings and seedlings every year. About 3-4 lakhs trees have been planted on the farmers’ and community land during last ten years. About 15 different varieties of fruit bearing and forest trees were planted. Some medicinal varieties like Aloevera, Neem was also included.
People from Thermax Ltd, Cummins Foundation, partner companies participated in tree plantation & shramadan along with villagers and the school children. Japan Environment Corporation, Japan, JIFPRO and Cummins Foundation have been financially supporting this project.
International Networking and Exchange continues through, visits financial support and exchange programmes. Japan Environment Corporation is providing financial support for Environment and watershed projects. A farmers’ study tour from Nepal visited the project and interacted with project farmers. Japan students’ study tour continues visiting every year for an exchange programme. Several visitors from USA, Australia, Japan etc. visited the project and extended their support Environment Education Centre at Talegaon has raised 40,000 plants yearly which was distributed in villages for plantation.
Environmental Awareness camp was organized for 300 people. The purpose of the camp was to know the importance of environment for our life, and how we can preserve the same, how we can develop them and what are the benefits of maintaining the same.
For kitchen gardening we encourage women to start it. To start with it we have given the seeds for the Kitchen garden in all villages every year.
ToP™ Projects 264 : Clinical Leadership Evaluation & Development - UK
Effective clinical leadership is seen as central to the cultural and organisational changes expected of organisations across the health service, in the context of national reforms aimed at creating a patient-led NHS.
When ICA:UK was approached in early 2006, investments had been made in recent years in strengthening clinical leadership within the then South Manchester PCT. These included the introduction of cluster working, and three Cluster Directors, to support extended primary care teams in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working; and the creation of an in-house Education, Learning and Workforce Development Team, with a Practice Nurse serving as Clinical Lead. Considerable further change was required and underway, including Agenda for Change and the merger of the three Manchester PCTs (South, North and Central).
outputs were documented in two reports, of the Consultation process (July 6th 2006) and of the Review and Planning (July 26th 2006).
A key outcome of the process was the establishment of four task forces, each comprised of 3-4 members from across the three groups, and each with its remit defined and with a first- draft work plan including quarterly milestones for the coming year and beyond. The remit of the four task-forces were:
• Growth, Development, Training Opportunities
• Redefinition; Clarity of Role; Responsibility and Expectations
• Supporting Systems and Processes
• Transparency, Communication & Access to Support
According to participants end-of-workshop feedback, highlights of the process included:
• Liked interactive style – getting up & moving around
• Group interaction helped people to understand other point of view
• An opportunity to speak and hopefully implement change
• Feel process was moved on to something constructive
• Positive actions proposed at end of session to take proposals forwards
A further series of Consultation workshops and a Review and Planning workshop were delivered later in 2007, on Management and Leadership Development. This adapted the format and process developed for Clinical Leadership Evaluation and Development in South Manchester to engage with a cross-section of staff of the new Manchester PCT - to begin to develop a consensus on Manchester way of managing, a core set of leadership and management competencies to deliver this style, and a few priority actions for quick wins over the following months.
Since then the approach has also been applied to review and planning “away days with individual staff teams including the Joint Occupational Therapist Unit of Manchester Equipment and Adaptations Partnership (a joint service of Manchester PCT and Manchester City Council) and the Manchester PCT Interpretation Service - UK
ToP™ Projects 265 : Guns and Gangs in Old Trafford - UK
The research project seeks to find out the best ways to address gang and gun problems in Old Trafford. The project gathered reliable information about the nature of gang and gun culture directly from young people by young people, in order to develop practical proposals to address the problem.
The young people have been trained as peer researchers to carry out this project, which entailed developing a research method, carrying out face-to-face interviews, creating on-line surveys and facilitating a focus group.
The project was for young people by young people and they have come up with a list of recommendations for all key stakeholders such as the Youth Offending Service, Greater Manchester Police, Trafford Housing Trust, TheYouth Service, Probation, Schools, Safer Trafford Partnership, Community groups, National Government and young people themselves.
The outcomes of the project were:
• trained 5-10 young people in peer research methods, including: exploring what peer research is with examples; developing a method for research e.g. an event, interviews or a questionnaire and critiquing the methods to decide which ones will best fit the project brief; understanding research ethics; undertaking role play and piloting to test the methods used and to anticipate difficult situations. Generating risk assessments for
their activities.
• supported the young people to undertake the project in action with between 20 and 50 respondents/ young people consulted.
• worked with the young people to evaluate the project; write a report on the project and to disseminate the findings to all the key decision making bodies within the area and beyond.
• skilled up and develop the young researchers in the following: transferable research skills; self-confidence; a greater understanding of the issues in their area; presentation and facilitation skills.
• support the young people to play a greater role in community leadership
• For the participants to find out more about the issue, and feel an increased involvement
in their community and solving community problems.
• disseminated the findings and recommendations to a range of decision makers and
community leaders on a local, regional and national level
• enabled the young people to generate ideas which they can take forward directly to
make change happen to reduce the gun and gang problem
ToP™ Projects 266 : Sexual Health Services in Halton - UK
Halton Youth Service commissioned ICA:UK in 2008 to work with a group of young people to train them in peer research and to support them to undertake an enquiry into sexual health services in Halton.
The rationale for the work is to see how the current sexual health provisions for young people can be improved in order to help achieve the local targets for reducing teenage pregnancy and STI transmission.
There was a team of four young people who worked on the project. The team had three young men in it and one young woman. All the young people currently attend school or college.
The team carried out the project in the following stages:
Training in peer research Designing the most appropriate methods of research to use
Devising an online questionnaire and e-dissemination of the questionnaire
Preparing and delivering a consultation ‘focus group’ session to evaluate sexual health publicity
Designing a set of audit questions to use for mystery shopper visits and creating appropriate characters for the visits
Carrying out mystery shopper visits to local sexual health providers
Evaluating and documenting the work
Drawing up a list of recommendations for how local services can improve their service to young people
http://www.ica-uk.org.uk/images/stories/Halton_Sexual_Health_Peer_Research_Project_Halton.pdf
ToP™ Projects 267 : Peer Research on Community Needs in Manchester - UK
‘Northwest Together We Can’ (NWTWC) invested on an engagement project where young people from five areas across Greater Manchester would assess community needs through peer research. ICA:UK trained and supported the groups of young people to undertake this research.
Our aim was to work with the young people, helping them to identify an area of need to focus on and to select a medium of research which would encourage and engage their peers.
There is a desire for change in Partington and a high number of young people who are willing to give up time to help improve Partington life. They often feel let down by authorities and need more support from the police in particular. They need community centres to stay open and offer a safe space at all times, and for more positive activities to be set up for and with young people.
The research carried out in Oldham for the Breeze Hill High School and Count Hill High School Merger highlighted a fear and concern around racism, as the two schools represent very different communities (mostly white in one school and mostly Asian in another).
The study in Brinnington focussed on alcohol use amongst under 18’ s. Alco-pops and clear/white spirits were the most popular choice of alcohol.
In Leigh the findings highlighted the desire for change in Leigh. There were a high number of young people who felt that there was a limited amount of options of places to go, and that more activities and places to go should be created in the community.
In Leigh the findings highlighted the desire for change in Leigh. There were a high number of young people who felt that there was a limited amount of options of places to go, and that more activities and places to go should be created in the community. A desire for a community centre appears an important part of bringing the residents of Leigh together. Many people felt unsafe in Leigh with a perception of a low police presence in the area. Lots of young people were unhappy with the untidy and vandalized appearance of Leigh in some areas. They felt the local government should provide more reason to come to and stay in Leigh and be proud of the area.
ICA:UK, registered charity no. 1090745 - company limited by guarantee no. 3970365, registered in England & Wales registered address: 41 Old Birley Street, Manchester M15 5RF - tel/fax: 0845 450 0305 or 0161 232 8444
In Ashton a research theme of racism and stereotypes was chosen. Although the findings were useful, during the process we discovered a need for anti-discriminatory practice training.
ToP™ Projects 268 : Lesbian and Gay Peer Research - UK
Young people of Lesbian and Gay Youth Manchester designed and undertook a piece of research about a topic they highlighted as important to their community.
The issue they chose to investigate was healthy and unhealthy relationships and the role of abuse in young LGBT people’s lives in a piece of research called ‘How’s Your Relationship’
ICA:UK trained a group of young people to undertake this research, supported the project in action and worked with the group to generate findings and recommendations.
ToP™ Projects 269 : Music and Youth Peer Research - UK
Young people came up with these project aims: We want to carry out a piece of research to find out how music affects teenagers in Manchester. Will will do this through questionnaires, interviews and mystery shopping. We aim to make contact with 250 people. We will do this through schools and friendship networks, including an online version of the questionnaire too. We will do this piece of research in 4 weeks.
Do you think music could change a teenagers life completely?
Lots of people said yes to this question. They generally thought the affects would be positive more than negative. They said it can inspire people and help people to express their emotions, become more social, be a release and an escape, give confidence and a better view of life and be able to see the world in a different light. They thought it could even help people to become healthier and happier, giving you better life choices and future path, including if it was a focus for your career. But also, people through that it can have a psychological affect on teenagers. It can make you more aggressive and more angry. It is important but as one person pointed out, music isn’t everything, and is not on its own always that powerful, but can be a tool for good if used in conjunction with other things.
ToP™ Projects 270 : Kumi Programme - Israeli Palestinian Peace - UK
Kumi (roughly translated as “Rise Up†in Hebrew and Arabic) focuses on helping participants to reflect upon their beliefs about themselves and “the other†and eventually negotiate some of their strongly held goals and interests while at the same time enhancing the capacity of the participants to organize more effectively to address the conflict they are experiencing. The new Kumi method effectively addresses the problematic dynamic of over-specialization of many conflict methodologies which deal solely with one or two aspects of a conflict (e.g. removal of stereotypes). Kumi, on the other hand, is specifically designed to bring conflicting parties together for a deeper analysis of the conflict and a deep and meaningful engagement with each other within the context of a robust and sustainable strategy and action plan.
Background
The programme was conceived in 2003, at the end of a week-long meeting of young European, Israeli, and Palestinian activists to discuss the European role in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Inspired by a shared goal of moving toward sustainable peace and development in the Euro- Mediterranean region, and disillusioned about the effectiveness of civil society efforts to have constructive impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the programme is based on three basic insights:
1. The conflict is sustained by institutional and ideological structures on both sides. These structures shape the attitudes and the behaviour of the conflict parties. A sustainable resolution of the conflict must involve the transformation of these structures through robust collective action. Many previous attempts by civil society organizations at participatory “people-to-people†projects in the region have had little impact at best and, at worst, reinforced the current divisions, inequalities and asymmetry of capability. Focusing on joint Israeli -Palestinian activities for peace education and reconciliation was a step too soon.
2. While not neglecting the potential positive long-term impact of joint activity, if properly designed, attention needs to shift to working also in each society separately in order to
1
enhance the capability for constructive organized collective action, especially on the Palestinian side, and to transform ideology, especially on the Israeli side. Both of these objectives are intended to address the abuse of the power asymmetry between Israelis and Palestinians, which is seen to be the single most significant obstacle to a sustainable resolution of the conflict. The problem is not the asymmetrical quantity of power existent between two states or two societies: Spain and Andorra, Germany and Luxemburg and other asymmetrical “couples†have had very good and productive neighbouring relationships regardless of the asymmetry of power. The problem in this conflict is the abuse of this asymmetry by the powerful part to oppress the powerless and deprive them of many of their rights.
3. Relative power is not a matter of perception but is anchored in objective reality. It is emphasized that the problem is not the power asymmetry itself but rather the lack of institutions and ideology which prevent or at least contain its abusive use. Changing this objective reality is a long-term process of social change. But meanwhile, targeted interventions can help to ameliorate the asymmetry of power in an intractable conflict such as the Israeli -Palestinian one. On the Palestinian side, this could be done by enhancing Palestinian capability to renewing the basic functionality at the national societal level, greatly disrupted by the policies of occupation, while at the same time forging new alliances, internally and with powerful external actors that aim at a sustainable resolution of the conflict. On the Israeli side, ideological transformation is intended to change perception about how the Israeli power advantage could be more morally utilized in ways which do not increase animosity through innovating new policies towards the
Palestinians and the region that can better achieve the long-term security needs of society.
Previous Israeli-Palestinian people-centred interventions usually aimed only at the ‘usual suspects’ and when attempts were made to reach those so far excluded they were solely with the aim of shifting their thinking towards that of the ‘usual suspects’. No genuine attempt to modify the paradigm in accordance with their needs was made. Furthermore, existing interventions have not created sufficient linkages between levels of analysis (e.g. structural vs. actor-oriented approaches) and practice (e.g. the famous micro-macro gap). Finally, no theoretical breakthroughs have been made, and no critical mass has been formed.
ToP™ Projects 271 : Tobacco Summit
Municipal officials, health workers, the tourist industry and First Nations were the primary stakeholders in a year long engagement process ending in a Summit in which a consensus was hammered out on a smoke free northeastern Ontario. This initiative predated legislation at the provincial level by several years. A steering committee funded by several cities in NorthEastern Ontario decided to hold a major conference, the NorthEastern Ontario Tobacco Summit, (NEOTS) to determine a region wide strategy to deal with smoking. The steering committee consisted of representatives of several health departments, restaurant associations, municipal governments and other groups. The steering committee wanted the conference but could not agree on its outcome because of the opposing viewpoints of the members. ICAs was hired to design and facilitate the conference specifically because of our conciliation approach and our ability to work with the heavy conflict which would undoubtedly occur during the conference. The only prerequisite was there should be outcomes that could be acted upon by everyone.
Six months of prep work promoted the conference throughout the region of approximately 200 by 400 kilometers. A team of epidemiologists were hired by the steering committee to evaluate the outcomes of the conference.
The three day conference of 185 people opened with eight speeches and presentations from the various and opposing points of view. Participants were then sent into small mixed teams to interview each other using a ToP Focused Conversation on the impacts of tobacco on their lives. Impacts ranged from death, to large expenses to set up smoking sections in restaurants. The Consensus Workshop Method was used to determine fourteen workshop topics for the next section of the conference. Fourteen teams met to determine the key questions they had about their assigned topic, using the Focused Conversation Method. This was followed by a major plenary of reports. The fourteen teams then reconvened, with some reshuffling of participants, to make recommendations on how to answer the questions that had been raised.
During the second plenary, a Consensus Table of 5 participants were assigned to listen carefully and determine points of consensus they heard emerging. The five points were: involve youth in all future planning; all future research should be jointly done; 100% smoke-free bylaws should be enacted, except for ceremonial uses of Tobacco by First Nations; a coordinating body should be formed; lobby for provincial funding for enforcement, education, cessation and prevention.
ToP™ Projects 272 : Hydro Lines cross First Nations Land
Working in Canada with Ontario Hydro and Wahta Mohawks First Nation
ICA was engaged to facilitate negotiations over grievances related to the construction and operation of a hydro electric generating station resulting in flooding in the Wahta Mohawks First Nation in Canada. The hydro company had also routed hydro transmission lines across Mohawk territory. This mirrored decades of history of land grievances and threatened to stop the hydro project. ICA Canada was engaged to work with representatives of Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation and the community leadership of Wahta Mohawks First Nation. Wayne Nelson facilitated a team of 12 people over three years affecting 400 First Nations members and the Corporate Management of Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One.
The three year project involved designing, facilitating and documenting a process to reach a commonly agreed upon resolution of the grievances. The negotiation process resulted in a settlement that integrated the perspectives of the parties involved and was ratified by Hydro management and the community members.
The project was seen as a joint problem solving process and was divided into the seven Phases of Conciliation.
Phase 1 - Initiating the Dialogue – Facilitated the development of agreed upon terms of reference and operating protocols.
Phase 2 - Clarifying the Situation - Facilitated the documentation of a complete, detailed history of the relevant events.
Phase 3 - Expressing the Experience – Facilitated a common understanding of the motives for initiating the project and the feelings and experience of community residents.
Phase 4 - Articulating the Substantial Issues – Facilitated articulation of the impact that the generating station has had on the community.
Phase 5 - Generating Options – Facilitated the development of ways to address the impacts of the installation.
Phase 6 - Creating Resolution – Facilitated final negotiations resulting in an agreed upon settlement.
Phase 7 – Planning for Implementation – Facilitated the development of plans for ratification and the foundations of an ongoing relationship among the parties.
Several Hydro employees formalized what they had learned through additional training.
The entire project used elements of negotiation, conflict resolution, cross cultural communication, facilitation design, process facilitation, Documentation, and report writing. ToP methods were used through the project.
Bill Staples, Canada
ToP™ Projects 273 : Multinational Insurance Company in Taiwan -Change Management
Invited to work on Change Management.
Regional team see local team as slow to respond to changes. Local team sees results as adequate and changes imagined by regional as destructive to the local market.
Process
Interviews with senior local and regional people.
Two one-day current reality sessions one with senior management and one with their direct reports. Wall of Wonder, Wave exercise, Styleflex, Scenarios and Image of the Future (Sort of a vision workshop)
Two day change management training (combining both groups)
Two Day PSP including new National Head
This is the point we have reached now.
Larry Philbrook, Taiwan 2009
ToP™ Projects 274 : Community Training in Bangladesh
A community training program for the ICA in Bangladesh.
Larry Philbrook, Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 275 : Social Services Administration
Participatory strategic planning was completed for the Board and Staff of the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board in Canada. The downturn in the economy, especially in the lumber industry, was causing a population migration into the largest city int the area which was putting pressure on all housing and social services of the board. Thunder Bay and District Social Services Board serves the social service and housing needs of a large number of far north communities. After having been through several mergers and large scale changes the Board was ready to create a long range strategic plan to carry them forward for several years. Politicians who make up the board found themselves in regular conflicts of interest because of the many boards that they sat on. The ToP strategic planning methodology which engaged board members, senior management, and also staff created a plan that the entire board was able to back. – Bill Staples, Canada, 2013
ToP™ Projects 276 : Alberta Lottery and Gaming Summit
The Alberta Lottery and Gaming Summit included over 300 participants from across the province and divergent perspectives. In three days the carefully participatory process removed the contention and acrimony and produced practical recommendations. Within a year the Alberta government implemented five out of seven recommendations with little controversy. -Jo Nelson, Canada
ToP™ Projects 277 : Miramichi Regional Development Consultation
The city of Miramichi was created from the merger of several communities. The new city wanted large scale public input from all over the region to give it a fresh start and to create citizen lead development task forces. Bill Staples, Canada
ToP™ Projects 278 : Inuit Health Consultation
Inuit from every community across northern Canada were consulted to determine how the Inuit traditional practice of medicine could augment the western medical model. Wayne Nelson, Canada
ToP™ Projects 279 : James Bay Cree Governance Consultation
Nearly 1000 people from 10 Cree communities and 4 cities participated in creating a set of values and recommendations for government structure that are relied upon in negotiations with Quebec and the Federal government. Jo Nelson, Canada
ToP™ Projects 357 : Safe Health Care and Integrated Sanitation - ICA MENA
The Institute of Cultural Affairs worked with the Governor and local government institutions, the Egyptian Association for Awareness and Comprehensive Development and community partner associations (Fathy Matar Al-Lou Foundation, Safa Association for Community Development, and Management of adult education in Qalyub). A meeting was held with community leaders to celebrate the achievements and look at the continuity and replication experience of the project in other regions. All the participants stressed that although it is a final conference for the grant, it is a beginning to open a new horizon and ideas for new development projects in the region.
While one project ended, another one is just starting. With support from the African Bank, the first mass meeting was held for this project which covers 6 villages in West Esna. Following an environmental impact assessment, the project will provide new infrastructure to deal with waste, as well as addressing related health and social issues.
The meeting brought together the Water and Sanitation Company in Luxor, local Government representatives and experts, the African Bank, people and opinion leaders, heads of the councils and local units of Al-Muta’na villages, the Vice President of the Centre and the City of Esna.
http://www.ica-international.org/2018/12/19/ica-mena-collaborates-on-safe-health-care-and-integrated-sanitation/
ToP™ Projects 280 : Human Rights Commission and Process
The Human Rights Commissioner of the Northwest Territories in Canada was planning to move on, and wanted a retreat that would capture the process and all the best practices that had been developed over the first five years of the commission. An Historical Scan, and Values Workshop and ToP process mapping exercise allowed the entire work to be done in a three day period with the commissioner and her three staff. – Bill Staples, Yellowkife, 2012
ToP™ Projects 281 : International Education Policy Development
The province of Alberta, under intense pressure to import labour from around the world and to export oil needed a policy of International Education that would educate students in international diversity and its great potential. Alberta Education hosted a series of policy development think tanks with subject matter experts and others to set the stage for a new policy. ToP methods provided the way for the policy to be developed over several think tanks. – Bill Staples, Edmonton, 2011
ToP™ Projects 282 : Hepatitis and HIV Co-infection Conference
The Canadian Treatment Action Council wanted to create and prioritize long term policy on the treatment of co-infection of HepC and HIV to be more effective advocates within the health care system for those who are co-infected. A conference was held with 90 participants and each of the eight breakout sessions over the two days of the conference had a short science presentation, a thorough focused conversation on the topic, and a consensus workshop on a specific focus question on research and policy. The results were prioritized during a final plenary session. – Bill Staples, Toronto, Canada 2010
ToP™ Projects 283 : Air Quality Website Design Conference
Public Health Ontario collects large amounts of information on air quality from public health departments across the province in order to ensure the health of the populations. PHO wanted to design a website where information could be downloaded and uploaded from all the departments, and that would make the information easily understood by public health epidemiologists and others. The Conference purpose was to engage 90 participants in to get as much design information as possible for the website including functionality, security, hardware, software and user interface. One day is all it took to create the basics of the actual site though skillful use of ToP conversations and workshops. – Bill Staples, Toronto, 2014
ToP™ Projects 284 : ORION Participatory Conference - Fibre Optics
Fibre optic cable laid throughout Ontario (1000 x 1000 km) by a non-profit networking organization Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION) provides a platform for intense data exchange. The conference was to get input from participants to craft the frameworks, partnerships and infrastructure that are needed to help research and innovation communities succeed. Conversations and consensus workshops provided great input according to the clients. – Bill Staples, Toronto, Canada 2014
ToP™ Projects 285 : Government Department Root Cause Analysis
Low numbers during a staff engagement survey lead the HR department to recommend a root cause analysis of staff disengagement and ideas by the staff on how to make things better. The department wanted anonymous interviews rather than a participatory gathering because of distrust amongst staff and management. The levels of discernment were valuable in a root cause analysis that was seen by the management as a breakthrough in understanding of what was really going on.
-Bill Staples, Toronto, Canada 2014
ToP™ Projects 286 : Dawson Creek
This is a series of visioning exercises with facilitated group meetings where the results were put into Excel spreadsheets and put into a Filemaker data base. Councillors had varying degrees of interest in its value but City staff seemed to be behind it. The survey results talked about being better informed Duncan Holmes - Canada 2003
ToP™ Projects 287 : Aerospace Council of Canada
The automotive industry and the aerospace industry need to promote certain manufacturing standards that can be transferred across both industries. This conference created a dialogue to launch such standards. - Duncan Holmes, Canada
ToP™ Projects 288 : St. Michaels University Corporate Social Responsibility
Five university professors with differering perspectives on CSR were able to recreate a nine day curriculum and three 3-day modules. This course on Corporate Social Responsility is now taught to executives across Canada. - Bill Staples, Toronto Canada 2002
ToP™ Projects 289 : The Ontario Physical and Health Education Association of Ontario
This resource centre needed to develop training session plans that could be downloaded and used immediately by health promotion staff and educators. They had the content and the key messages. We created experiential, active adult learning sessions with all the resources needed to teach them. Jo Nelson, Canada 1995
ToP™ Projects 290 : Ontario Public Service – How Government Works
The course How Government Works had to be shifted from a two day to a three hour course while keeping the integrity of the curriculum. We recreated the courses with presentations and full teaching guides. - Bill Staples, Canada 2010
ToP™ Projects 291 : George Brown Community College Special Needs Class
The faculty of one department needed to create consensus on the learning outcomes of a program for students with special needs. We facilitated the workshops that helped them define the outcomes and work with their course content to align with those outcomes. Canada
ToP™ Projects 292 : Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
More than 500 members of the OISE community including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and leaders came together to develop OISE’s Strategic Plan. The Plan was finalized in May 2011 and the implementation began immediately. The dynamic plan has sufficient flexibility to respond to emerging issues with goals and actions revisited each year. Leaders of academic and non-academic units at OISE are responsible to the Dean for achieving the strategic goals relevant to their areas of responsibility. - Jo Nelson Canada 2011
ToP™ Projects 293 : Community Health Nurses Association of Canada
CHNAC wanted to create a robust organizational structure to service its 36,000 members. From an unincorporated association under the umbrella of another organization, the organization transformed itself in three years into a major player in the field of health, with a leadership role at the policy table, with research capacity that proved its value within the entire field, and with a new set of competencies and certification for its membership. In three years the board completed almost all of its strategic plans and undertook another cycle of ToP strategic planning, but this time with many important successes under their belt and with a renewed sense of confidence. - Bill Staples, Canada 2009
ToP™ Projects 294 : Kidslink
Board, staff and stakeholders working jointly together put the agency onto a whole new footing, and released pent-up creative energy to become more “social entrepreneurial”. This led to increased teamwork, effective completion of projects, and creating a new million dollar per year income stream. - John Miller, Canada, 2008
ToP™ Projects 295 : Association of Service Providers of Employment and Career Training
During a time of significant change in funding and service delivery modes ICA Associates helped ASPECT forge new directions that have created stability in time of great uncertainty and have continued with annual planning reviews and work plans. - Duncan Holmes, Canada 2009
ToP™ Projects 296 : Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
ICA facilitated a series of cross-functional, cross-branch meetings to initiate building an integrated Human Resources Information System. One obvious result was a web-site that combined information from many programs that were separate before.
ToP™ Projects 297 : Webequie and the Ring of Fire
The Band Council, employees and community members have created a community wide plan to guide Band Council in economic development activities. A core of skilled facilitators continue to use participatory processes to involve employees and the community in other initiatives. - Jo Nelson, Canada 2011
ToP™ Projects 298 : Toronto 13 Priority Neighbourhoods
ICA partnered with the United Way of Metropolitan Toronto to train neighbourhood leadership teams for each of the priority neighbourhoods, and facilitate strategic planning with each one. After two years many of the groups had solid successes with multicultural events, reduced crime, support for youth and many other accomplishments. This was part of the Action for Neighbourhood Change initiative that has had considerable success by United Way. - Bill Staples, Canada 2009
ToP™ Projects 299 : Communities Together for Children in Thunder Bay
This program with childcare workers in a Thunder Bay including the Childrens Aid Society, two boards of education, and several children’s groups determined collaborative priorities between child care agencies. A collaborative model was built involving all these stakeholders to help them support people with behavioural disorders, especially those that do not fall within the scope of care of one organization or another. - Bill Staples, Canada 2001
ToP™ Projects 339 : Northeastern Ontario Tobacco Summit - conference
Municipal officials, health workers, the tourist industry and First Nations were the primary stakeholders in a year long engagement process ending in a Summit in which a consensus was hammered out on a smoke free northeastern Ontario. This initiative predated legislation at the provincial level by several years. A steering committee funded by several cities in NorthEastern Ontario decided to hold a major conference, the NorthEastern Ontario Tobacco Summit, (NEOTS) to determine a region wide strategy to deal with smoking. The steering committee consisted of representatives of several health departments, restaurant associations, municipal governments and other groups. ICAs was hired to design and facilitate the conference specifically because of our conciliation approach and our ability to work with the heavy conflict which would undoubtedly occur during the conference. Six months of prep work promoted the conference throughout the region of approximately 200 by 400 kilometers. A team of epidemiologists were hired by the steering committee to evaluate the outcomes of the conference. Bill Staples, ICA Associates Inc.
See full case study at Summit
ToP™ Projects 301 : City of Oshawa
Cross-functional team meetings have become more and more common and ICA has the process tools to make them productive. ICA worked with cross-functional teams to help bylaw enforcement officials from diverse departments in the City of Oshawa formulate recommendations to senior management. - Bill Staples, Canada 2010
ToP™ Projects 302 : Restorative Practice (Chile) english
Context: At the APRM to provide an opportunity for participants to explore and understand the global restorative practice social movement.
Rational Objective: To acquaint participants with restorative practice, and the role it plays, and could play more, in our workplaces, families and society. To explore how ToP and other methods could support the implementation of RP.
Experiential Objective: To distinguish between restorative justice and restorative practice, and to discover both in everyday life. Participants will have an awareness to consciously explore and extend the use of restorative processes. They will understand that this is an evolving and essential social movement.
ToP™ Projects 303 : PRÁCTICA RESTAURATIVA – Procedimientos - Sp
PRACTICA RESTAURATIVA – Procedimientos - En-Sp
De Reunion Regional Asia-Pacifico - Diciembre 2016 y pequeños agregados
Contexto: Dar una oportunidad a los participantes de la Reunion Regional Asia-Pacifico para explorar y entender el movimiento social global de la Practica Restaurativa.
Objetivo Racional: Familiarizar a los participantes con la práctica restaurativa y el papel que desempeña, y que podría jugaramás, en nuestros lugares de trabajo, familias y sociedad. Explorar cómo ToP y otros métodos podrían apoyar la implementacion de la PR.
Objetivo Experiencial: Distinguir entre justicia restaurativa y práctica restaurativa, e identificar ambas en la vida cotidiana. Participantes tendran consciencia de explorar y extender el uso de procesos restaurativos. Entenderán que esto es un movimiento social esencial y en evolución.
ToP™ Projects 304 : Restorative Practice and Justice – Global Movement - En-Sp
Restorative Practice (RP) is a growing social movement, with ancient and widespread roots. It is one of listening, restoring, building relationships, healing etc. etc., manifesting in so many ways with so many names. For most of us, it is integral to ALL the work we do, and is just a way of life.
However, punitive/retributive practice abounds in the most subtle ways in society. Obviously ‘punishment’ (we prefer to use ‘consequence’ of poor behaviour) is required at any level of behaviour, from the most innocent through to criminal offence, and is most effective when linked with restorative processes. (Even some of our jails are taking on a restorative approach.)
ToP™ Projects 305 : Purpose and Mission Workshop, LAMPA, Chile, Handicapped Council
The partners of the Council for the Handicapped of Lampa, Commune of Santiago, wanted to formally declare their Purpose and Mission, and to make it known to the people of their Member Organizations, as well as to the the general public. For this, they invited ICA Chile to work with their members, using the Technology of Particvipation, to define their Purpose and Mission.
After a round of introductions, the reading of ‘The Warrior of the Light’, by Pablo Coelho, provided a context for reflection about the struggles to reconcile what we are required to do in life, with what we would like to do in life. In subsequent reflections, one could observe the transition from suffering derogative treatments of handicapped people, toward the work of a group striving to create a new image, an image of being appreciated for an attitude to proactively confront and deal with all challenges they encounter in life.
ICA Chile
ToP™ Projects 306 : Taller del proposito y mision del consejo de la discapacidad de lampa
TALLER DEL PROPOSITO Y MISION DEL
CONSEJO DE LA DISCAPACIDAD DE LAMPA
Sede COSAM, Lampa, 15 de Diciembre del 2016
INTRODUCCION:
Los socios del Consejo de la Discapacidad de Lampa, Comuna de Santiago, querían declarar formalmente su Propósito y su Misión, para darlos a conocer a las personas de sus Organizaciones Socias, como también al público en general. Para ello, invitaron a ICA Chile a trabajar con sus miembros y ayudarles, a través de las Técnicas de la Participación, a definir su Propósito y su Misión.
Se comenzó con una ronda de presentaciones y un contexto para los participantes. Luego se hizo una lectura y reflexión del “Guerrero de la Luz”, de Paulo Coelho, sobre nuestra lucha en conciliar lo que estamos obligados a hacer en la vida, con lo que nos gustaría hacer en la vida. En la consiguiente reflexión, apreciamos la transformación desde sufrir tratos despectivos a personas con discapacidad. hacia la labor de un grupo impulsor de una nueva imagen, una imagen de ser apreciados por su actitud de enfrentar en forma proactiva todos los desafíos que les plantea la vida.
Los talleres de ICA siempre comienzan con el “trabajo individual”, con la sabiduría de cada uno.
ToP™ Projects 307 : Strategic Public Engagement - Thunder Bay, Canada
The Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board has an annual budget of close to $90 million for social services, housing and skills training for the region. 2016-2020 Strategic Planning needed public engagement from many sources because earlier planning used primarily internal information from staff. ICA’s job was to recommend the scope of engagement based on documents, discussions and legal requirements; to create instruments to collect the information; to administer the engagement process, including communication to the public, and to synthesize the gathered information for discussion by Board and staff and recommend how this should translate into 3-4 years strategic priorities for the organization.
2016. Bill Staples
ToP™ Projects 308 : Community Health Nurses Blueprint for Action - Canada
We facilitated a meeting with the executive of CHNC after the Partners Summit to reflect and ground the learnings from the summit and to decide on the parts that needed to be sent out to all members. The BluePrint for Action has been turned into a graphic by an individual. The executive wanted other options to ensure that the graphic used would have high mnemonic value for the partners. Creating this graphic and reflecting on it was key to transferring the knowledge back to the client and to the partners.
2014. Bill Staples
ToP™ Projects 338 : Mision del consejo de la discapacidad de LAMPA
Los socios del Consejo de la Discapacidad de Lampa, Comuna de Santiago, querían declarar formalmente su Propósito y su Misión, para darlos a conocer a las personas de sus Organizaciones Socias, como también al público en general. Para ello, invitaron a ICA Chile a trabajar con sus miembros y ayudarles, a través de las Técnicas de la Participación, a definir su Propósito y su Misión.
Se comenzó con una ronda de presentaciones y un contexto para los participantes. Luego se hizo una lectura y reflexión del “Guerrero de la Luz”, de Paulo Coelho, sobre nuestra lucha en conciliar lo que estamos obligados a hacer en la vida, con lo que nos gustaría hacer en la vida. En la consiguiente reflexión, apreciamos la transformación desde sufrir tratos despectivos a personas con discapacidad. hacia la labor de un grupo impulsor de una nueva imagen, una imagen de ser apreciados por su actitud de enfrentar en forma proactiva todos los desafíos que les plantea la vida.
ToP™ Projects 309 : Property Assessment Corporation - Canada
ToP™ Projects 310 : Climate Change Conference - Canada
The 'Let’s Talk About Climate Change' consultation of 2015 occurred on extremely short notice, under very close public and Ministerial scrutiny. There were 15 days of sessions, 2 per day, one for the general public and one for invited stakeholders. The consultation succeeded in absorbing a tremendous amount of input and fed it back to the Ministry in 24 hours in categories that made sense to the client. Hundreds of people participated and verbally said they felt heard not shut down.
ICA Associates Inc. was called upon two weeks before the consultations were scheduled to begin. The meetings had been scheduled before they were designed. ICA’s expertise and decades of experience were put to good use. In very short order we were able to:
Negotiate changes in schedules among colleagues to free adequate time for this client alone;
- Design two processes, one for the general public and one for invited stakeholders;
- Modify the old fashioned 'town hall' style meeting to become useful, lively, productive, and almost fun;
- Modify the 'World Café' style of meeting to fit the Ministry’s expectations of invited stakeholders’ behaviours;
- Co-design with the direct clients who then had to
absorb and integrate feedback from spokespeople in
the Minister’s office and re-design;
Re-framed the client’s needs in terms of the participant needs (not something most people think to do) in order to ensure both needs are met;
- Develop materials specific to both processes;
- Clarify exactly the categories of input the client needed to receive (5 'buckets' needed 5 questions);
- Coach OPS staff to facilitate table discussions with invited stakeholders;
- Facilitate large group discussions among invited stakeholders to describe larger themes among their ideas;
- Designed 'Focused Conversations' to engage participants in initial reactions and reflections on a presentation by the Ministry official, so they could have more in-depth conversations in the next exercise;
- Negotiated clear division of roles in order to enable participants to be clear about how to engage and with whom.
It was essential for the design and delivery to remain clear about the kind of 'decision' participants were making. Using the ToP Method’s 'Level Of Involvement in Decision Making' or the IAP2’s 'Spectrum of Public Participation' this consultation was to gain input to somebody else’s decision.
It helped that the Ministry chose the traditional use of a 'discussion paper' to launch actual discussions and call it a 'discussion”. That kind of consistency was astute on the part of the client and assisted with the facilitation design and delivery. (This tool and approach is not used often enough these days – could be used more). From a professional facilitator perspective, the discussion paper provided what we call a 'concrete beginning point' for discussion…a 'thing' for people to encounter then react to then try to make sense.
ToP™ Projects 311 : University strategic planning - Canada
Conducted full strategic plan with Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. Using Participatory Strategic Planning methodology (Historical Scan, Values, Vision, Obstacles, Strategies, Action Planning) with a wide range of over 500 stakeholders allowed the organization to diagnose the current situation and define the changes needed, and to create strategies and action plans to make the necessary structural, governance and program changes to address the needed changes. The final report of the project included a thorough description of content created by each small working group and the whole organization through the process. Outcomes were a restructured faculty with clear short- and long-term objectives for action in many program areas.
Designed the process in collaboration with the leadership, and then facilitated the small- and large contributed process. Worked with the Dean so that she could facilitate leadership meetings. 2013, Jo Nelson. This project won a Gold Impact award from the International Association of Facilitators.
ToP™ Projects 337 : Ontario Municipal Property Assessment Corporation
MPAC created its first (ever) strategic plan designed to transform the organization from a traditional hierarchy into a collaborative organization that focuses on innovation. MPAC received two international awards: for innovation and for the impact of facilitating participatory processes. Hundreds of employees plus all senior managers plus all the board of directors plus a focus group of stakeholders contributed to the strategic plan using carefully structured processes that demonstrated how participating was worthwhile. The strategic plan was created using the actual words of employees, which generated considerable enthusiasm and commitment to follow through. Employees volunteered to do extra work and to take risks on “innovation” projects (through the 100-day rapid results teams). The new CEO adopted the new strategic plan as his leadership framework and continues to reinforce it.
Employees facilitated subsequent staff meetings and planning retreats – not external consultants. Millions of dollars of savings was found through collaborative process (“budget camps”). MPAC began to engage openly with stakeholders on projects like improving the way they manage the voter lists for governments in Ontario.
Knowledge transfer began at the outset of the engagements, not just after the engagements. Initially, one MPAC employee was trained then coached by ICA. The numerous Employee Engagement sessions were codesigned with MPAC. Theses sessions were lead throughout the organization by ICA facilitators. Each session was documented by MPAC employees in close collaboration with facilitator. A second potential facilitator was recruited to help with documentation in order to also study the style of the facilitator role. MPAC employees were in charge of communicating results to senior management. ICA did not insert itself into MPAC’s processes – they continued to “own” the results. Since engagements began, 12 MPAC employees have been trained to design sessions and to facilitate group processes for themselves. Nine of these 12 had more than one training course from ICA.
Project managers were briefed on leading Focused Conversations and on using a graphic layouts/templates for team charters that can be written collaboratively by their 100-day “rapid results” teams.
Two MPAC staff were encouraged to obtain (successfully)
their Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).
Graphic templates were customized specifically for 100-day Rapid Results Teams to use and revise for themselves.
Successful teamwork in one department caused other departments to take the risk and experiment with participatory processes that engage employees and managers together.
As a result of all these accumulated successes, a new department was formed to continue to lead transformational changes in the whole organization.
This project focused heavily on the introduction and active facilitation of group process methods then training and supporting MPAC staff to apply these methods and develop their group facilitation skills. These are some of the main ones.
Focused Conversation Method used in almost every step of the entire project. Most obviously it was used to focus small teams on their work, to make decisions and plans, and to explore culture changes in the workplace. Participatory Historical Scan (AKA “Wall of Wonder”) was used as a tool for participatory evaluation of 30 years of past experience in order to inform choices about the future workplace culture. This highly participatory method also broke down barriers among participants from different departments because they saw they had similar struggles, accomplishments, and a shared story of their experience of MPAC. This became the starting point for a new story about innovation and change in the future.
Consensus Workshop Method used to develop consensus and frameworks on major parts of initiative. This method was indispensible to both constructing a strategic plan and making whole system change. The architecture of a consensus workshop method enabled the integration of large amounts of data that had been generated by previous groups. This method is so
visible to participants that they can actually see how their ideas are being used. This alone has a
transformational impact.
Participatory Strategic Planning: As articulated in the book
“Transformational Strategy”, this approach to strategic
planning is designed to mirror the structure of human
thought, as in, “how people THINK strategically”. It is
designed to produce breakthroughs and not designed
to merely fulfill administrative needs. The phases that
MPAC managers and employees explored together
were:
1. A “practical vision” workshop used to develop a clear
description of future desired state. This has remained in
use for several years. Input began to be collected during
the earliest employee engagement sessions, well before
the idea of a “strategic plan” had been finalized.
2. The “underlying obstacles and contradictions” workshop was critical for determining what was blocking the transformation. While some consultants might be afraid to explore this question, by doing so the managers and employees of MPAC could talk about the proverbial “elephant in the room” and get past blaming. By gaining a sense of ownership over their obstacles enormous energy was released. Everyone was ready to explore meaningful solutions and not waste time on busy-work.
3. The “strategies and strategic directions” workshop captured all the ideas for action that would make a difference and packaged them into one set of strategies.
Volunteers signed up to work on strategies because they knew they would make a difference.
Participatory action planning. ICA adopted several roles to develop this capacity: facilitating the process, training some people (in the Facilitated Planning course), occasional coaching and reviewing its adaptation to the 100-day plans.
1. measurable accomplishment is a process of carefully setting goals as a small team.
2. implementation timelining is a process for calendarizing the tasks that will achieve the measurable accomplishments. AS a team working together they can polish the plan to make it have more impact and realism. 3. commitments is a process of reviewing the plans and adding details about assignments, budgets, and identity to ensure that individuals knew their roles and what was expect of them.
Collaborative team / project charters. ICA developed a visual framework to suggest then trained some project managers to help them to facilitate rapid results teams. Meeting orchestration is a tool used by ICA facilitators toe ensure that all meetings were properly and practically scripted. Some staff were trained in ICA courses and subsequently coached to use the tool. Image Change Theory was applied by ICA to understand behaviour and define expectations.
Multiple Intelligences Theory was applied to event design/prep. It was especially impactful when codesigning the “budget camp” phase of the project when the entire room was divided into “camp sites” and “campfire” zones, decorated with camp gear and artefacts, and the agenda designed to include fin activities, stories and games. This supported the group processes designed to find was to collaborate on large budget cuts.
Meta-gestalt was used by facilitators from ICA to ensure that bottom up consensus was captured and used when creating the strategic plan. It is a subtle concept to apply to facilitated process planning. Some coaching of MPAC staff ensued. World Café was used both by ICA and subsequently by MPAC staff as an easy facilitation tool to get higher involvement from a lot of stakeholders quickly cycling through a series of questions. Walkabouts were another simple facilitation tool or technique demonstrated by ICA facilitators and easy for MPAC staff to learn with minimal coaching. Map of the Organizational Journey is a powerful image (poster) that consolidates a lot of research into how organizations can mature over time. While it is a good tool for many uses, in this project it was peripheral to the actual group processes experienced by MPAC employees, yet it was central to the behind-the-scenes coaching and process design work lead by ICA. Team Updates/Tracking matrix was used to make sure that cross functional team meetings were effective – both fast and thorough. Grove Graphic templates were used to engage participants in highly visual way for discussions about SWOT and PEST in particular. These were lead by ICA in the role of facilitator. MPAC staff sought further training for themselves on the coaching advice of ICA.
SWOT, PEST, 5 Bold Steps
2013, John Miller
2013, John Miller
ToP™ Projects 312 : Accident Prevention Consultation - Canada
The Ministry of Labour and the Chief Prevention Officer required a large public consultation to validate and enhance proposed recommendations respecting prevention incentive programs and any associated regulatory impact stemming from those regulations, based on Subject Matter Expert research and opinion.
The provincial election in the spring of 2014 stopped the complete execution of this project since part of it involved public meetings which were not possible during an election campaign.
The proponent was required to recommend an external public consultation process on the subject of the prevention strategies of the Ministry of Labour. The scope managed was large, getting input from the Chief Prevention Officer and two reference groups and holding 17 public meetings. There were several risks to be managed especially with the expectations of the external reference group. There was constant problem solving and negotiation as the program and process changed to meet the needs of the various players. ProjeCt management included facilitation and communication and scheduling skills, and the creation of consultation logic models that could be easily analyzed and quantified so that solid recommendations could be made to the Ministry and the Chief Prevention Officer.
The entire project required regular contact with many stakeholders within the Ministry and with the external stakeholders. Plans were developed for seventeen focus groups across the province involving up to 450 people, and an esurvey that would match the focus groups.
We were required to make presentations to the external SME Reference Group, and to test out our Consultation Focus Group Session with them. This involved summarizing all progress on the previous year of SME discussions, creating complete report for the Focus Group, creating the consultation user manual, and getting additional commentary. There was a large amount of logistical work for the Ministry in preparing for the public consultation. Everything from the consultants was ready, except for the final report of the SMEs themselves, which was constantly being changed because of changing requirement within the Ministry. The plan for each of the 17 focus groups included a presentation divided into three parts, and expert facilitation notes and processes between the presentations to get input from the stakeholders. The input followed a participatory strategic planning logic model.
The consultants prepared a specialized survey as part of the Focus Groups to allow for anonymous input which would help with the quantification of the results. The survey was also prepared as a public document for more public input. We worked closely with the internal consultant of the Ministry of Labour who was tasked to create a visual to be used for the consultation process. We used our expertise to recommend changes to the visual and her presentation. Imaginal Education Theory was the basis for our presentation. 2013 Bill Staples
ToP™ Projects 313 : Council Initiative on Public Engagement
The City of Edmonton, Office of Public Engagement
Conducted four internal workshops with City Administration and one internal workshop with Edmonton City Council. Jo and Dave worked with the Clerk’s Office and within the constraints of City Council policy to conduct the workshop during a public council meeting. Data collection, coding and reporting for Administration workshops followed information collection, storage, and privacy requirements of the City of Edmonton. November 2014 - May 2015. Jo Nelson and Dave Robertson
ToP™ Projects 314 : Aligning Brampton’s Downtown Planning Policies - Canada
The City of Brampton, Planning and Development Services
When the City of Brampton initiated a review of all downtown plans under direction of City Council, it was challenged with the complexity of communication across its departments. John Miller designed and facilitated a series of internal stakeholder meetings to bring this collection of disparate plans and policies into greater alignment. John brought together internal stakeholders to clarify their programs and plans in succinct terms. By imposing a simple matrix on their reporting and using small groups to discuss the larger, deeper patterns across program areas, participants summarized key lessons. The meeting deliverables provided a summary of programs, gaps, and overlaps, and identified areas for collaboration and communication. June 2014 and May 2015 John Miller
ToP™ Projects 315 : Project chartering, issues exploration, project look backs - Canada
The City of Calgary, Corporate Project Management Centre (CPMC)
Robin Parsons facilitates meetings for internal teams at the City of Calgary to establish project charters, review project issues and “look back” at projects. Through the City’s contractor MHPM, she has been asked to facilitate a wide variety of interested stakeholders and compile the information necessary for each stage in the City’s project management methodology. Projects for the CPMC include Community Association Futures, Parks TOD design guidelines and the pedestrian strategy stakeholder consultations. 2014 to 2016, Robin Parsons
ToP™ Projects 316 : City of Calgary Main Streets - Canada
City of Calgary, Planning and Development
In November 2014 and March 2015, ICA Associates successfully competed for two SORs from the Engage Resource Unit and Planning and Development. The team planned and executed the facilitation of thirteen workshops for the City’s Main Streets project. The process focused on gathering local perspectives about main street issues, opportunities and outcomes. Responsibilities included:
• Introducing important process improvements to the workshop agenda
• Training City staff in the agenda, table facilitation and data collection techniques
• Managing a team of facilitators to execute simultaneous workshops across Calgary
• Designing the table setups and assisting with meeting setup and takedown
• Setting up a participant evaluation system
• Coding, transcribing and documenting public input according to the City’s requirements
• Within three weeks of submitting a proposal for each Statement of Requirements, ICA Associates provided facilitators and was executing workshops. Dave Robertson, Barb Pedersen and Duncan Holmes, 2014-15
ToP™ Projects 317 : City of Red Deer Public Lands and Facilities - Canada
Recreation, Parks & Culture, City of Red Deer ()
Designed and facilitated a stakeholder engagement process to help the City of Red Deer develop a framework for the Vision and Direction of Use of Public Lands and Facilities. The City wished to have a consistent approach for approving, implementing, and monitoring partnerships and agreements for use of public facilities and land. Responsibilities included:
• Designing the facilitation process with the Project Team
• Facilitating stakeholder and staff workshops, compiling and analyzing data
• Writing a recommendation report and developing a framework
The framework is unique in that it includes a five-step decision-making matrix that allows the City to assess existing and proposed use of public lands and facilities, and align with vision, mission, values and principles. The framework is being used by the City of Red Deer staff. Barb Pedersen, January to October 2014
ToP™ Projects 318 : Community Association Futures - Canada
The City of Calgary, Corporate Project Management Centre
Worked with the Community Associations team on an initiative to re-design a future model for support and interaction with Community Associations. They wanted to evolve their role from ‘lease police’ to ‘community development’. The organization had identified 3 project streams and needed to define project charters for these major initiatives. Robin was brought in to facilitate two of the three project charters (Sustainability and Infrastructure). The workshops were five hours long and involved 16 internal and external stakeholders. Following the City’s project charter structure, a combination of brainstorms, consensus workshops and focused conversations were used to align stakeholders on the urgency of the project; gain consensus on project objectives, key decision makers (who), the definition of success (won), project deliverables (done) and potential risks. Satisfaction at the end of the first charter workshop (Infrastructure) was high enough that Robin was specifically requested to conduct the second charter workshop (Sustainability). 2015, Robin Parsons.
ToP™ Projects 319 : AESO Strategic Leadership and Technical Excellence Conferences - Canada
The Alberta Electrical System Operator. Facilitates two strategic leaders’ workshops each year for the AESO’s executive team. They involve 80 people in full-day discussions about strategic issues. In 2016, he is also assisting with the planning of a 120 person, full-day technical conference for the AESO’s engineering staff. Dave collaborates with the AESO to:
• Identify, assess and confirm potential event sites and design room layouts suited for the agenda
• Determine requirements for participant seating room and presentation staging
• Identify supporting printed materials and digital presentations and audio-visual equipment needs
• Plan assignments for support staff (ie. ushers, MCs, registration, co-facilitators)
• Assist in the coordination event setup and takedown.
2015, Dave Robertson.
ToP™ Projects 320 : Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers Annual Strategic Planning - Canada
Provided facilitation and meeting services to the Canadian Institute of Transportation. Engineers. As part of the assignment, they helped the organizers assess potential venues and create an effective room layout. They planned and executed the agenda around key social events and identified support materials for the event. While Dave acted as the primary facilitator, Robin assisted with “behind the scenes” work including simultaneous documentation of the results as well as event setup and takedown. 2015. Dave Robertson and Robin Parsons.
ToP™ Projects 321 : The Bow to Bluff Initiative - Canada
Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association. Project manager and lead facilitator for a large public engagement project focused on public realmimprovements for the Light Rail Transit Corridor in the Hillhurst-Sunnyside neighbourhood of Calgary from July to November of 2011. In addition to working with a diverse and extended team of professionals and volunteers, Dave was accountable to a committee of community members who directed the project and to the City of Calgary personnel who funded it. This project engaged approximately 2000 Calgarians over an eight week period. Dave:
• Contributed to the development of the overall engagement strategy
• Created the project schedule and budget
• Set up a field office in a storefront for the professional team and for the public
• Organized and addressed logistics for five public events and workshops
• Planned roles and assignments for support staff and volunteers
• Assist in the coordination event setup and takedown
2011, Dave Roberson
ToP™ Projects 322 : Engagement Planning, Implementation & Reporting - Canada
The City of Edmonton, Office of Public Engagement. After an audit of its public involvement practices in 2014, the City of Edmonton’s Office of Public Engagement approached ICA Associates to help the City define a vision and guiding principles for public engagement. Working with the Office and with two City Councillors, Jo Nelson designed a public engagement program involving public and internal workshops. Dave acted as ICA Associates’ project manager for the program. Jo and Dave facilitated the public and internal workshops. The process focused on developing a shared understanding of the benefits of engagement from different perspectives, such as City Council, residents, City employees and Edmonton civil sectors organizations. ICA Associates was responsible for:
• Proposing an engagement plan for executing face-to-face public engagement
• Developing a project schedule and budget in collaboration with the City of Edmonton
• Collaborating with the communications team to coordinate content development
• Developing a work plan and coordinating responsibilities with the City of Edmonton
• Monitoring and maintaining the online project management portal
• Coordinating the execution of team responsibilities through weekly standup meetings
• Developing workshop methodologies and training City of Edmonton facilitators
• Facilitating over 20 workshops for the general public, City employees and the Edmonton Federation
of Community Leagues
• Conducting a number of large, plenary workshops with self-selecting participants
• Collecting, documenting and coding feedback from workshops
Jo also designed and facilitated a special workshop for Edmonton City Council during a public Council meeting and advised on consultations with Edmonton’s Aboriginal community. Ultimately, the City conducted 40 workshops involving 1,000 Edmontonians and used ICA Associates’ workshop design and facilitation methods.
(November 2014 - May 2015), Jo Nelson and Dave Robertson
ToP™ Projects 323 : James Bay Cree Charter - Canada
James Bay Cree Nation. Jo Nelson worked with the James Bay Cree Nation to design and facilitate an engagement project for the Cree Nation. Collaborating with a Cree team to design a participatory process, she created a multi-channel strategy to include nearly 1000 elders, youth, men and women using focus groups, social media, surveys and a website. Jo facilitated 43 focus groups in 10 remote communities and 4 cities over 3 months. After a presentation on Cree history and governance, participants brainstormed answers to “What values do we want to hold in Cree governance in the future?”, clustered their ideas and named the common themes in each group. Participants were also invited to post their ideas on forms of governance using carefully crafted questions to spark thoughtful answers.
2011, Jo Nelson
ToP™ Projects 324 : Thomson Family Park - Canada
The City of Calgary Parks / Ground3 Landscape Architecture (2014 and 2015). Worked with Ground3 Landscape Architecture and the City of Calgary on a public engagement project to create a new park in Calgary’s west Beltline. The parcel included the site of the Calgary Lawn Bowling Club, a much loved local landmark. It also included a public playground troubled by crime and anti-social behaviour. He designed an innovative multi-channel engagement strategy that involved direct mail, an online engagement tool, in-person “intercept” interviews, a passive data gathering kiosk (or “sounding board”) and public workshops onsite. Responsible for:
• Working with the landscape architecture team to determine critical design questions
• Conducting a thorough stakeholder analysis with Calgary Parks
• Developing and proposing a public engagement strategy to Calgary Parks
• Writing content for communications collateral including posters and postcards
• Organizing a direct mail campaign in the surrounding neighbourhood
• Setting up and moderating an instance of Mindmixer dedicated to the project
• Coordinating online communications with staff within Calgary Parks
• Monitoring the “sounding boards” located on a Parks kiosk
• Collecting, coding and reporting all findings to Calgary Parks and Ground3
• Conducting community design and review workshops at the park site
The entire process involved over 400 people and was complimented for its innovative approach. Consultations with dog owners from this project were also partially responsible for initiating an important pilot for an urban dog park at another park site.
2015- Dave Robertson
ToP™ Projects 325 : Internet Strategy - BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure - Canada
Led an extended public research and consultation process to collect input about the Ministry’s current Internet offerings. This project engaged over 1,600 British Columbians in-person and through online surveys. During workshops, the Ministry team analyzed data to help construct a five year Internet strategy to improve online service delivery. Our associate led the preparation of the 100 page strategy and a supporting presentation that was successfully delivered to senior decision makers in the Ministry. 2012, Dave Robertson
ToP™ Projects 326 : Hotel Group (Leadership)
A fast-expanding hotel group with 42 wanted to develop General Managers from within the Group. Emerging leaders were in their 30’s and were doing very well in their middle-level positions, but had had little or no management background. Hotel managers’ style was generally directive with little authority delegated to them to handle matters beyond the routine. The hotel’s slogan, “The Guest is God”, although powerful and accepted throughout the Group, was not implementable as employees did not feel free to give their undivided attention to caring for guests. The Human Resources Vice President saw the need for a participative style and care for employees if the group was going to be able to continue its fast growth and exceptional customer service.
ICA PROCESS:
Participatory Strategic Planning sessions were held with managers of three major hotels in the Group. Attempted implementation by participant task forces after the PSP revealed an overwhelming directive management style among hotel GM’s. A pilot Leadership Training program was then established for 33 “Fast Track” Operational Managers from across the Group. Composed of three one-week programs, participants were given on-the-job homework assignments between programs to carry out in their respective hotels. They were debriefed on their return to the next week-long module. Following this series was a second three-week training program for 33 more managers, including administrative and sales people. Next a train-the-trainer program was held for HRD staff and operations training managers. Finally, ICA conducted a pilot “New Paradigm” course for teams of top managers from several companies, including the hotel company, in which members created a picture of fast-moving societal changes and the anticipated impact on their organizations in the future.
RESULTS:
This hotel group became an even faster-growing group, especially expanding to a range of “4-star” hotels and entering into management contracts with important hotels around the world. Specifically:
Sixty percent of the 63 “Fast Track” managers were promoted to Resident Manager or General Manager within three years of the Leadership Course.
Two hundred Department Heads and General Managers were included in additional Leadership programs to help them understand and support what ICA was teaching their subordinates. This helped signal the new direction the company was going.
The hotel has not needed to hire from outside during its fast-growing period, so maintaining a very powerful service culture.
There has been a style-shift to giving more responsibility to front line managers, increasing immediate service responsiveness.
As the organization has grown and taken in additional people, it has been able to maintain alignment of employees to the goals and purpose of the organization. - ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 327 : Machine Tool Company (Transformative Phasing)
A German owned machine tool company in Bangalore with 1300 employees, all Indian managers, was having trouble meeting its targets. Their work requires the highest quality standards. Their people were highly qualified. The Managing Director was a leader in the Total Quality Movement in India, was able to handle the technical side of the business, but struggled with the needed mind-set change.
ICA PROCESS:
The ICA conducted an Analysis Program which helped them see they were operating out of fragmented, individualistic management style and systems, that second line managers were generally not being developed and decisions were continually passed to the top. In a subsequent Alignment Program, the group created a Purpose, Mission and Values Statement which was circulated widely across the company. The Values Statement was read at the beginning and end of every company meeting. 5000 notebooks and laminated cards were printed for everyone to carry. A children’s art contest and company publications highlighted the concepts. The group then moved to Strategic Planning and Implementation, and created highly effective task forces. Top Management continued in a Leadership Training series while a joint ICA/Company facilitation team conducted Operations Planning Programs (LENS) for 350 additional managers and supervisors in 2 locations. A team from this company then participated with management teams from several other companies in a Transformational Leadership Laboratory series in which transformation plans for each of the represented companies were initiated. ICA continued to facilitate Management Retreats on a regular basis.
RESULTS:
The company assigned a Total Quality Coordinator to spend full time facilitating the total quality process.
By the first monthly Follow-up meeting after LENS, there were 35 cross-functional task forces working. By three months the number had grown to 75.
Members of the Management Team describe their increased sensitivity and greater interpersonal skills leading to what could be called in “interactive management team”.
The company understood itself to be in a transformational mode. They then restructured the company and its systems to support the transformation. - ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 328 : Chemical Company (Analysis)
This is a joint Venture between and a US Company (60%) and a semi-government corporation, with the US company providing the management personnel. The Factory Manager continued to operate out of a traditional, authoritative style in which every question had to be finally resolved by him. He was two years away from retirement and said he did not believe people can change their behavior. Interpersonal and planning problems in the factory situation he blamed entirely on the introduction of new “Western” methods which “would not work” with local managers. The President and Vice President of Manufacturing were foreigners and wanted to train local managers to replace them, but at that time cannot could not imagine how that could be possible. Their product was a deadly gas which needed extreme care in handling. They were not convinced this danger was taken seriously enough by the local managers. At the moment, the Vision of the company was not clear. This was recognized as a problem which needed to be addressed.
ICA PROCESS:
In the early stages of working with this company, ICA conducted extensive interviews with members of the management team, followed by a two-day Analysis Program with the top 20 people, including finance and marketing. Follow-up discussions led to 13 days of Leadership Training and Strategic Planning to facilitate their transformation journey.
RESULTS:
The group has begun to better objectify problems and relate to each other on a more “professional” basis with less acrimony.
The Factory Manager has been directly encouraged to work with the transformation process, in fact to use his symbolic power to help the group prepare for his leaving in two years time.
The group during the Analysis Program admitted that it was common practice for managers to attempt to “protect their own area”.
There is agreement to continue the transformation process through leadership training.
Foreign managers see the opening for more productive growth relationships among managers and more effective implementation of Quality Action Teams which had already begun within the context of TQM (Total Quality Management). - ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 329 : Freight Forwarding Company (Cross Cultural Team
This is a 102 year old German company, 15 years in Taiwan, whose competitive advantage is air freight shipping for multi-national companies, especially to Europe. Managing Directors come to Taiwan for 3-4 years maximum. Chinese Managers experienced upheaval every time the MD changed. The result has been a strong attempt to continue Chinese management style in a global company in which the systems used by 400 other offices are of the upmost importance. Factionalism in the company led to slow slow, inefficient implementation. Managers were attempting to run departments as independent organizations and to blame many problems on vague “cultural differences”. The MD had in the previous 9 months since his arrival brought the company back up to a level of previous profitability and was ready to deal with human relationships with a new intensity.
ICA PROCESS:
The ICA conducted several interviews with the MD and 15 members of the management team. It then facilitated an Analysis Program, followed by a review with the top management and subsequently a LENS, Strategic Planning and Implementation, with the same group. Follow-up review sessions are scheduled at one month intervals, beginning 16 May.
RESULTS:
People complained a lot in the interviews about the Managing Director, and wanted to know why they could not go back to “the way it was”.
In the Analysis Program, small groups got into side conversations disturbing the group and preventing intense focus on company problems. Still, the Vision and Issues Workshops brought new clarity and about 70% of the participants were vigorously involved.
The first part of the LENS was difficult, even though some initial vision and contradictions work had been done. Double the usual time was spent on the Contradictions, forcing members of the group to dig deeply to discover what was preventing them from being more effective. The group finally came together as a team. Task Forces began working strongly understanding they would be reporting results to follow-up meetings. A highlight of the LENS was a group admitting it was time for the managers to “get beyond the cultural excuse”.
Subsequent informal conversations indicated excitement from responsiveness and interest of program participants.
- ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 330 : Single Division with a Company (Strategy and implementation)
The division, facing intense competition, experienced a slack in market demand, which resulted in a blaming style among management. The GM thought a strategy which he successfully used 6 years ago under a similar external environment, would produce results, but found it did not work. Managers, especially the GM, were unable to objectify the real situation and decide about what to do.
ICA PROCESS:
The ICA, after initial conversations with the General Manager and the Group Human Resources Director, conducted an Analysis Program, then LENS, followed by quite powerful follow-up sessions, and finally a Leadership Training series directed to developing facilitation skills among divisional managers. Two managers participated in a Transformational Leadership Laboratory with managers from other “transforming” companies.
RESULTS:
In the journey of the division to become an “interactive team”, a new working environment emerged:
A task force with the name and symbol “Open Heart”, the task of which was to help everyone in the division become more open and receptive to each other personally, a condition which seemed necessary to achieve the kind of objectivity it took to make a serious impact on their problems.
Development of “TLC’s”, Teaching Learning Communities, across the division which focused on personal learning and interaction. Quality Circles became more like units of family than strictly job-related work groups.
Colleagues began to be viewed as important members of a team.
A system of objective reporting and regular accountability became an important cornerstone to the transformation process.
Members of the group found themselves more able to be open to the other team members in order to effectively solve problems. - ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 331 : Advertising Association (Alignment and Focus)
The Association, composed of heads of 29 member advertising agencies, was having trouble reconciling the ideas of its members. The market entry of several powerful international agencies over the past five years had resulted in fast turnover of good people from one agency to another. Competition intensified, making Association cooperation very difficult. ICA was asked to work out a program to introduce its Workshop and Reflection methods to these representatives. Early conversations indicated a need for Vision and Alignment of members toward common goals and purposes.
ICA PROCESS:
The ICA conducted 17 interviews with member representatives, asking about their concerns and vision for the Association. It then discussed the results of those interviews with the Executive Committee and formulated a two-day planning program in which they:
1) Restated their Common Vision,
2) Analyzed the obstacles to the Vision and named Contradictions blocking it,
3) Formulated Strategic Actions through which the group could get the Association back on track, and
4) Created Task Forces and Objectives which focused their work.
RESULTS:
The group in its evaluation said:
Much of the competitive differences between large and small, international and local agencies became secondary to the needs of the Association to represent all their interests.
There was strong agreement on a cooperative action plan.
A new sense of purpose and mission of the group emerged.
The group experienced a common understanding of the advertising business challenges in a new way and greatly appreciated the demonstration of collegiality in the midst of continued intense competition.
Several member agencies requested in-house transformation programs in consultation with the ICA. - ICA Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 332 : Two tobacco companies (merger)
The merger doubled the size.
OQ supported 3 facets of the merger. First to integrate the HR function across the new organization. Second was to work developing the new leadership team as coaches and mentors individuals. The third was to train facilitators to work within the organization to promote the new joint Culture
Work:
1 day session with senior leaders
2 day session with 120 HR managers
3 day Coaching Leadership programs with 40 leaders including follow up mentoring sessions
6 days Training for 30 internal facilitators (2 groups)
-Open Quest, Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 333 : Chinese and US petrochemical companies (merger)
Support leadership development and local management responsibility transfer.
9 days of senior leadership training
3 day Strategic Planning process
6 days facilitator training
12 days co-training with in-house facilitators (3 groups)
3 day additional strategizing
- Open Quest, Taiwan.
ToP™ Projects 336 : Want to know what ToP Facilitators are able to do ?
ICA's Technology of Facilitation (ToP®) helps any facilitator handle a wide range of client needs: strategic planning, action planning, public consultation, conferencing, organizational transformation, curriculum design and much, much more. The quicksearch box, top right, helps you search case studies. You may be able to accomplish or exceed this client work.
ToP™ Projects 334 : Global market research firm and survery group (merger)
Two companies merged in Taiwan as part of an Asia wide merger but distinct from other locations this was a merger of two strong successful organizations.
Support the strategic and cultural merger - Internal Survey during year 2 and 3 measured the motivational impact - Taiwan moved from lowest to highest in Asia
"The key reason why I wish to have these programs is because I want to :
-To share with them the performance of our business
-To build up their business sense
-To work with them on what is the right service concept
-To work with them on the idea of success
-To get them exposed to what we are now from client/market point of view
-To form jointly a vision for service
-To form jointly what it takes to get us there
-To finalize action plans"
Phase 1
Interviews with each leader
2 days Senior Leadership Dialogue on Mission, Values and Strategy
Interviews with the rest of the leadership team
Strategic planning for leadership team including 2 follow-up sessions
Phase 2
Leadership Retreat on Culture change based on learnings from earlier process
Mentoring with senior management
4 Management communication and cross team retreats
Phase 3
3 days Process Mapping at Department level including strategic planning with follow-up (4 groups)
Pull together day with all teams
Open Quest, Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 335 : Chinese testing company with a joint venture partner (merger)
Leaders were together for leadership training as a way to indirectly build a sharing culture.
5 modules of 2 days each with 4 individual mentoring sessions to build a common leadership culture.
Open Quest, Taiwan
ToP™ Projects 350 : Florida Adolescent Health Coordinator,
Shay Chapman, and Department of Health teammate, Tiffane Robertson, have been using the Focused Conversation method in various settings to direct conversations, and in August used the Focused Conversation method at an annual meeting of 25 county level grantees. Feedback about the Focused Conversation method:
It was a helpful to have a way to direct the conversation, and we got positive feedback from participants. ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/public-health-success-stories
ToP™ Projects 351 : Colorado Adolescent Health Coordinator
Audra Bishop, and teammate Nkem Nwankwo, Youth Advisor to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, used the Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop methods with a cross-state group of 80 representatives from state agencies, medical health and public health. The audience was composed of about 40 diverse (race, ethnicity, age, abilities) youth and young adults and 40 youth-serving professionals. Feedback about the methods:
The audience loved the activity. We used a sticky wall to put up several developmental occurrences, and they arranged and rearranged them as they saw fit. This drove a great conversation about understanding and communication between youth and youth-serving professionals. It went off without a hitch.
I loved having the great conversations between the youth and the professionals. The space felt safe and I do feel that the youth felt so too. They were open and honest about their experiences in the discussions. ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/public-health-success-stories
ToP™ Projects 352 : New Jersey Department of Education
Shondelle Williams, used the Consensus Workshop twice in July with her staff and with a cross-state agency group to build consensus on how to support students and staff in schools in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Feedback from both experiences:
I am excited to report that I conducted my first consensus workshop with my staff and it was phenomenal. Everyone loved the process and were truly amazed. I can’t believe I am doing this but I am and it’s working. It was amazing to see the energy in the room and the full participation of both my introverts and extroverts. I was really encouraged, thank you so much for providing this valuable tool to us. ToP Network - https://top.memberclicks.net/public-health-success-stories
ToP™ Projects 353 : Puerto Rico Adolescent Health
Puerto Rico Adolescent Health Coordinator, Gloria Montalvo, and her Department of Health teammate, Darem L. Dávila López, used the Consensus Workshop method twice in August with groups of health department staff to build consensus around adolescent health programs and issues. PR AHC feedback regarding the Consensus Workshop methods:
We have worked hard writing and organizing the [Consensus Workshop] questions and rehearsing. It is a wonderful feeling of enthusiasm and butterflies in the stomach… This way of working out meaningful conversations and consensus is something young people need to experience and need to know how to do it. How many misunderstandings and frustrations can be avoided by working in this way! ToP Network - https://top.memberclicks.net/public-health-success-stories
ToP™ Projects 343 : Partnership to Eliminate Disparaties in Infant Mortality (PEDIM) USA
The Partnership to Eliminate Disparities in Infant Mortality (PEDIM) is a collaborative effort of three national maternal child health associations: CityMatCH, the National Healthy Start Association and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs.
PEDIM Vision: To eliminate racial inequities contributing to infant mortality within U.S. urban areas
PEDIM Mission: To increase capacity at community/local/state levels to address the impact of racism on birth outcomes and infant health.
ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 344 : Central Arizona Water Project - USA
The Central Arizona Project or CAP is the largest water reclamation in the state of AZ and one of the largest in the country. CAP is responsible for delivering central Arizona’s share (approximately 1.5 million acre–feet) of Colorado River entitlement to retail water providers who serve 4 million residents in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima Counties. Current supplies are expected to meet demands until sometime between 2040 and 2060. CAP and its customers were seeking to create a new water supply to meet the next increment of demand in Central Arizona. - ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 345 : Central Arizona Water Project - USA (longer)
The Central Arizona Project or CAP is the largest water reclamation in the state of AZ and one of the largest in the country. CAP is responsible for delivering central Arizona’s share (approximately 1.5 million acre–feet) of Colorado River entitlement to retail water providers who serve 4 million residents in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima Counties. Current supplies are expected to meet demands until sometime between 2040 and 2060. CAP and its customers are seeking to create a new water supply to meet the next increment of demand in Central Arizona. - ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 346 : Hennepin County Merger
A large project using ToP Strategic Planning methods employed a series of 20 practical vision consensus workshops held across the Hennepin County - City of Minneapolis library systems to effect successful merger of the two systems. This work was supported by teams from the Hennepin County Facilitation Network. - ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 347 : Placer County First 5 Commission
In California, a tax on tobacco funds the First 5 program -- a program that focuses on children (and their families) from prenatal to 5 years of age. The program operates at the county level run by a Commission. In Placer County, the First 5 executive saw the opportunity for a participatory process that would support community learning and agency capacity building. During the project, a research consultant conducted a ROI study on the project, finding that for every $1.00 invested in holding the learning conversations that were the cornerstone of this project that $6.95 was returned to the system in the form of communication improvements, productivity, etc. - ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 348 : Community Development Project in Partnership with Habitat for Humanity - USA
Habitat for Humanity is an affordable housing builder in Greensboro, North Carolina, having built hundreds of houses in 11 neighborhoods since 1992. Through sweat equity and creative financing, Habitat has made it possible for many people to own their own home that wouldn’t have qualified for a regular mortgage. In conversation with Elaine Stover, their executive director noted the board's expanded image of creating communities. “We have been building houses for years. Now we need to go back and build communities.” This opened the door for the application of the Participatory Design Module (PDM) program that integrates ToP methods into a community development process. - ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 349 : Building Local Support for Arts Education Statewide in California - USA
The California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE) launched a broad initiative to engage school districts in improved arts education. Using consultants and staff trained in ToP methods, the Arts for All program was launched. More than 30 of Los Angeles’ 80 school districts created District Arts Plans and received funding to implement them. The program has received national attention for its impact in bringing higher quality arts education to students and was expanded state wide. - ToP Network https://top.memberclicks.net/case-stories
ToP™ Projects 354 : Ohio Adolescent Health
Ohio Adolescent Health Coordinator, Laura Rooney, and her state systems building teammate, Michelle Dritz from Wright Patterson Medical Center, used the Consensus Workshop method in July to guide a statewide adolescent health advisory group (the Ohio Adolescent Health Partnership) to consensus on a state level strategic plan for adolescent health. Feedback regarding the Consensus Workshop method and skills:
We were pressed for time in accomplishing our task because the process was part of a larger agenda. In the end, I was truly amazed at the participant’s responses in comparison to our traditional brainstorming and prioritizing discussions from the past. The energy and excitement for the upcoming work was truly evident. The next Monday several staff members made a specific point of commenting on the productivity of the meeting. - ToP Network - https://top.memberclicks.net/public-health-success-stories
ToP™ Projects 355 : Minnesota Adolescent Health
Minnesota Adolescent Health Coordinator, Sara Hollie, used the Focused Conversation method in August with a collaborative group of internal Department of Health programs addressing adolescent health. Feedback about the Focused Conversation method:
The method was very successful in defining our group purpose.
From Rena Large, M.Ed., CHES, of the State Adolescent Health Resource Center at the Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health at the University of Minnesota:
Definitely one of the most useful training/skill sets we've provided for state adolescent health coordinators!
ToP™ Projects 356 : The Episcopal University 2017 - South Sudan
At the The Episcopal University workshop, representatives from all institutions together agreed which four of
the eight institutions would be in “phase one” and discussed how phase two/three institutions could remain engaged with the development of TEU. At this 2017 TEU Workshop representatives of participating institutions decided:
• The core year one curriculum
• Which institutions would be in the first phase of the launch of the university
• TEU’s vision, mission, objectives and values
• Key issues affecting staff salaries, student fees and fundraising activities
Eeva John, South Sudan ToP Practitioner
ToP™ Projects 358 : Project Experience Disseminatin Session - Nigeria
Project Experience Dissemination Session (PEDS) was organised to disseminate experience gained on this project and share best practice amongst social sector actors and partners in social service delivery. The meeting which took place at the ECS Premises (Former Lagos Business School building), Lagos on January 31, 2017 attracted all partners involved in the project, including EPDI, other NGOs and the Media. The need for cross-sector partnerships and continual experience sharing by social sector actors were necessary for enhancing partnerships, sharpening capacity and showcasing activities of partnerships that work with the public.
The objective of the project is to strengthen civil society by promoting concerted community processes, which foster community development in equity, and gender equality.
http://www.ica-international.org/2017/02/07/epdi-strengthens-civil-society-in-rural-nigeria/
ToP™ Projects 359 : Systemic change in hospitals - Mongolia
Regarding continuing professional development of doctors, we invited all the important stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, central hospitals and professional medical societies to a three-day strategic planning workshop. We got a great result. Many of the participants wanted to learn facilitation skills. Now we are training 20 of them to conduct participatory workshops for cultural and systemic change at their hospitals.
Mongolians are a nomadic people who value freedom, challenge and change, love discussions. For people who had been passively following top-down directions in the hierarchical culture, the sessions provided a release. They took an active part in discussing each focus question, and talked about their wishes, problems and the system. They enjoyed the process and were surprised to see that their discussions actually produced an outcome. They saw the power of participation! The facilitators were proud of what they had accomplished and were eager to use these processes in other settings.
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/011.htm
ToP™ Projects 360 : Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences
To strengthen the capacity of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, we held a three-day participatory strategic planning workshop with 19 stakeholders in April 2015. Although the result was good, there was evidence of a “blame culture” and a “lack of thinking” prevailing at the institution.
To change this and improve ownership and commitment to the project, we decided to do an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) workshop. About a quarter of the professors, numbering 150 and aged between 30 and 60, were invited to the event entitled “Inspiring the Spirit of Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences”. The topics were strengthening the educational system, setting up a research university and promoting a positive culture. We designed an appreciative interview guide, asked the professors to interview each other and published their findings in “The Book”.
The three-day workshop was held at a hotel in Ulaanbaatar in June 2015. It used the 4-D cycle of AI: discovery, dream, design, and destiny.First, participants reviewed “The Book” in 15 groups. Each group found positive cores (hidden, under-utilised strengths and assets) from the book and illustrated them by drawing “positive core maps”. Some of the images that appeared in the map reflected Mongolian culture: the Sun, a Ger (traditional Mongolian house), Snow man, Eagle.
They had difficulty in the third phase - creating design principles (principles on how to innovate the system, relationship, communication pattern etc.). We gave them copies of ICA's Map of Organizational Journey and the Social Process Triangle, which seemed to help. It was the first time we had done this in the design phase of AI workshop, but it worked very well.
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/011.htm
ToP™ Projects 361 : Fighting Non Communicable Diseases in Pacific Islands - Fiji
96 health professionals from 14 countries were invited to Suva, the capital of Fiji, and reached a consensus on “fighting NCDs in the Pacific area”. We expect doing a three-year project for continuing professional development of medical doctors in Laos through on-site training. A workshop using Technology of Participation (ToP)® methods was held there during 2012 to 2014 to plan this project.
We have learnt that the participatory approach is essential for sustainable development. People in recipient nations tend to be dependent on the prescription of the experts from donor countries. However, they are the ones with the best knowledge about themselves, their situation, culture and the project environment. At our workshops, our slogan is “This is Your Project, not Our Project.”
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/011.htm
ToP™ Projects 362 : CarbonCare Open Innovation Lab (COIL) - Hong Kong
The programme is called CarbonCare Open Innovation Lab (Coil). Its mission is to foster innovation to tackle challenges posed by climate change. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust had asked the Hong Kong IAF to design an event to launch the programme. One of Coil’s advisors wanted it to include an idea-jamming process as he believed this would be most in line with Coil’s mission. More than 180 participants from business, NGOs and academic organisations were expected to attend.
The consensus building approach and the ORID (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional) dynamics of the Institute of Cultural Affairs had been adapted for the “InnoJam” session.
The participants were from diverse backgrounds: some were experts in the field, others had joined out of personal interest or to represent their company at large. We wanted everyone to contribute, not only the experts. The ICA process allowed this to happen through a three-stage approach that moved from individual reflections to sharing in small groups and then to consensus building in large groups.
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/012.htm
ToP™ Projects 363 : Community Councils of Disability - Chile
We have worked with Community Councils of Disability in cities such as Osorno, Freire, Temuco, Villarrica, Concepcion, Curanilahue, Rancagua, Easter Island, Santiago, Quillota, Teno, Mulchen, Lampa, Calama Copiapo and Vallenar. The courses were funded through government state projects supported by bodies such as the Social Development Ministry, National Service for the Disabled, and the Training and Work Service.
The method we used is a simplified Strategic Planning Method with the following steps:
Vision (past, present and future).
Blocks to future dreams.
Solutions to deal with the blocks.
Big strategies to follow, defined by the group.
Definition of small projects.
In their evaluations, the participants said ours was the only course where they could participate as equals and where they weren’t regarded as “a pitiful disabled person”. They compared these to other training events where they had to listen to boring expositions that taught them nothing. They felt that in our courses, their opinions and participation were valued and that they arrived at a clear consensus on what to do as a group.
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/021.htm
ToP™ Projects 364 : Mapuches in Freire community - Chile
In Freire, a small town in southern Chile, we worked with Mapuches, an Aboriginal people. Almost all of them suffered from vision disabilities and many were illiterate. During the course, we organised them into groups, each with at least one literate person who could write down the ideas that emerged in their discussions. We also had a big participative workshop with all 24 of them. They identified the blocks they faced, talked about how to solve them and what strategies to use. We taped the sessions and put them on a CD and a pen drive for each participant. We used a Word Program that they could access later with a special computing system for the blind named JAWS (Job Access With Speech).
We did a follow up through our contacts in Facebook. They said they had implemented at least one projects - completing their schooling, a requirement for working in any state enterprise.
This process has been relevant for disabled people. It gave them the opportunity to participate and define their own solutions despite illiteracy and impaired vision. They empowered themselves and are involved in programmes that they have developed.
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/021.htm
ToP™ Projects 365 : Community Development inEgypt
More than 500 communities in rural and urban areas have benefited from ICA’s programs and projects in the areas of NGOs Institutional Capacity Building, Education, Gender, Health, Environment, Voluntary Action , Micro-credit, Employment and Youth.
Based on all of this as well as our experience in community research, project monitoring and evaluation, we were selected, along with two other Egyptian organizations, to implement Monitoring and Verification projects in three governorates, Beni Suef, Minya and Assuit. They involve governmental projects supported and funded by the Social Fund For Development.
We recently prepared a strategic plan for the next five years, following dialogue and facilitation workshops using Technology of Participation (ToP) methods. ICA staff members in different levels and positions participated in the workshops.
http://windswaves.icai-archives.org/ww-2015-september/027a.htm