Updated 12 May 2009
The 8th Executive Council meeting of The World Federation was held on Sunday 3 May 2009 in Paris, France. One of they key features of the Executive Council meetings held in the 2006-2009 term has been to organise a team development workshop for the benefit of all of the Executive Councillors present. On Saturday 2 May, a day prior to this last meeting in Paris, over 20 Executive Councillors of The World Federation attended a 3 hour session on the NGO development program held at the Mehfil Zainab, North Paris Jamaat, France The main objective of the session was to give an overview of The World Federation’s NGO status and formulate a 3 year work plan for the period 2009-2011.
The seminar was facilitated by the Assistant Secretary General for Relief & Economic Development, Shan-E-Abbas Hassam and the NGO manager Imran Janmohamed at 10 am on Saturday morning.
FIRST SESSION: INFORMATION ABOUT THE NGO STATUS
The program began with an overview of The World Federation’s ‘special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations’ which was accredited to the organisation in August 2007. The presenters gave details on the ‘status’ and how this status would benefit The World Federation and its members. To this end, The World Federation has made steady leaps forward in new ways of working by introducing various polices and documents.
- The Executive Councillors were provided with details on a general project cycle, a logical project model, and how this was reflected within the community's projects.
- The presenters highlighted the need to perform thorough monitoring, evaluation and impact assessments on projects undertaken by The World Federation and the regional federations. This process would facilitate good management practices to ensure a more effective use of funds for the long term.
- The presenters also introduced various techniques which will help increase the quality of work. These methods include impact assessments (related to changes that may or may not have resulted as a result of the outcomes), logical framework approach (an analytical, presentational and results based management tool used for systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating projects and program), and outcome mapping (targeting behaviours, actions, and relationships within a program as well as on learning how to increase a program's effectiveness in relation to its ultimate goals).
Executive Councillors deliberating on the session
SECOND SESSION: DISCUSSION ON SHAPING THE FUTURE
After the first session, the presenters facilitated a discussion entitled, “Shaping the Future”. The purpose of this session was to capture the thoughts and views of all the Executive Councillors present on how to take the NGO status forward. Three questions were posed and a draft work plan was presented to focus the discussions. The Councillors then deliberated for 1.5 hours. As a result, a new work plan for the term 2009-2011 incorporating the views of the Councillors was re-drafted overnight and presented to the 8th Executive Council meeting for further discussion and approval.
RESPONSE FROM THE COUNCILLORS
At the conclusion of the programme, some of the Executive Councillors provided the following feedback:
- “It was an enlightening program. I am delighted to see that we are taking the NGO status further.”
- “The discussions were frank, open, honest and thoughtful.”
- “There was interactivity among the Councillors so that there is cross pollination of ideas.”
Shan-E-Abbas Hassam, the Assistant Secretary General for Relief and Economic Development, said “The presentation today was meant to demonstrate the importance of working in partnership with the Regional Federations if our community is to maximise the opportunities ahead of us. There is little chance of The World Federation doing this work successfully if those on the ground are not fully aware of what the NGO is and how they can improve their operations.”
Imran Janmohamed, NGO Manager expressed, “This was a very good opportunity to inform the Councillors on the progress we have made towards enhancing the structure of The World Federation, and enable them to shape the way our organisations take this forward for the next 3 years.”
Click here to view the PowerPoint presented to the Councillors
For further information, please email ngo@world-federation.org