Vision Building-a Sure Way to Facilitate Sustainable institutions for the Poor

3

the visioning process.  Forming the

is the most difficult part for the MS

stakeholder groups gives members and

members as they need to get down to

staff the opportunity to clarify the

visualising the objectives, outcomes and

different roles and responsibilities of each

major  activities  that  they  would

level of the federation, as well as for each

undertake over a five-year period.

person within the MS.

Step #6: Developing a Business Plan: With

Step #3: Developing Vision: Once the

APMAS support, the MS members

groups are formed, the members

develop a five- year vision document

participate in a two-day workshop

which encompasses all of the exercises

The process is

facilitated by APMAS to develop the

undertaken in the workshops and training

empowering as

vision for the federation. In order to

sessions. Further, the vision document

they analyse the

construct a meaningful and thoughtful

outlines the Capacity Building, Human

internal and

vision for the MS, members are asked to

Resource, and Financial Management

external factors to

identify  individual  and  collective

plans  needed  to  reach  the  set

realise their

accomplishments they have achieved

objectives.  Finally, this document is

vision.

since joining the SHGs, VOs, and MS. From

circulated among all stakeholders,

this, the members identify their individual

especially the members of the federation,

and collective strengths and values, as

so they can feel part of the process and

well as the conditions which allow them

connect to their MS's vision. The vision

to realise these achievements. Based

document of the MS is to be seen as a

on the strengths and values brought

living document that inspires and guides

forward, the members develop their

the work of the MS over a five-year

vision for the MS.  By the end of the

period.  Annual  reviews  will  be

workshop, the members produce a vision

undertaken by the MS with the support

statement as well as a set of core values

of APMAS to assess progress against the

for the MS. The participants have the

vision document (business plan) and

opportunity for the first time to look at

make any course corrections.

individual

and

collective

accomplishments. They feel happy and

What is the impact of having a vision?

liberated by the process.

APMAS has facilitated the visioning

process  for  six  MS's  and  the

Step #4: Education about Institutional

Assessment: Following the visioning

Gangavaram mandal of Chittoor district

workshop, MS members participate in a

was one of them. With the facilitation

two-day training session to learn how to

support from APMAS, the MS members

carry out an institutional assessment,

could develop their vision, business plan

examining both the internal and external

(BP) for five years (2005-2010) and the

environment.

During the training,

APMAS team in the district has been

members are trained in using various

providing the required facilitation

tools to identify the strengths, weaknesses,

support to MS in operationalisation of the

opportunities and threats (SWOT) for their

business plan.

SHGs, VOs and MS. The EC members and

the staff of MS undertake a month-long

During  the  winter  of  2005,  the

exercise to undertake SWOT at SHG, VO

Gangavaram MS was the first model

and MS level. Considerable support is

federation to undergo the vision-building

provided for them to undertake the

exercise facilitated by the APMAS staff.

SWOT

analysis.

The

process

is

This participatory process, attended by

empowering as they analyse the internal

the MS executive committee, started by

and external factors to realise their vision.

creating a vision for the MS: "All the poor

For the first time they get an opportunity

people  in  the  mandal  form  into

to critically analyse their member

sustainable institutions and come out

institutions at all levels which enhance

of the poverty by improving their social,

their understanding of performance.

financial  and  health  conditions

Based on the SWOT analysis, the vision

through maintaining good relationships

statement  developed  by  them  is

with government and other agencies".

modified.

From this vision statement, the members

worked together to outline goals for the

next five years, as well as a detailed

Step #5: Developing an Action Plan:

Once the institutional assessment has

action plan on how to achieve these

been completed, members attend a

goals. The entire process was a capacity

three-day workshop to develop a

building exercise for institution building.

detailed action plan for the MS. This

It takes six to 12 months for the MS to

action  plan  uses  the  identified

develop a vision document and these

opportunities to address the threats it is

efforts lay a strong foundation for the

facing, leverages the organisation's

institution to pursue that over a long

strengths to minimise weaknesses. By

period of time. It is critical that all

using the vision statement, core values,

stakeholders be partners in this process

and SWOT analysis, the MS members will

for it to succeed.

create a purpose statement, realisable

objectives, and a strategy for achieving

This exercise has unquestionably had an

the objectives for a five-year horizon. This

impact on the MS members who