Latjorr, I read thru your objectives and strategies but would like to dilate
a bit on "where to start".
My suggestion is to start a Gambian Organization that would require all
members to pay dues which would in turn be used for our services. I am
talking about an organisation represented by a physical office (not someone
else's "salle"). I would start by getting with the dept. of state and then
the federal branch on a national level.
Ethomas
>From: latjor ndow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: A Global Gambian Association-Strategic Framework-(Working Paper)
>Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 21:00:24 PDT
>
>Greetings:
>As a contribution to the on going discussion on the possibility of
>establishing a global gambian association and the prodding of some members
>of the list, I am posting for dialogue some of the work the Gambia
>Leadership Conference has been doing towards the realization of this goal.
>As the paper suggests it is a working document hence does invite onto
>itself
>criticism, additions, deletions, and general comments. Further, at the time
>this paper was drafted (following the proceedings at one of the GLC
>events),
>the political question was not amply dealt with and perhaps members of the
>list can elaborate further on this. Finally, I am not certain how the
>formating will look upos posting to the list, so if it is hard to read
>please go to www.gambian.com/synthesis.htm for a better read.
>Latjor
>++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++ ++++++
> A Global Gambian Association
> Strategic Framework
> (Working Paper)
>
>
> 1. Vision and Purpose
> What does the association want to achieve and for
> what purpose?
> How to Achieve The Stated Purpose
>
> 2. Objectives, Strategies, Actions
> What are its objectives and key strategies and actions?
>
> 3. Guiding Principles
> What are its guiding principles and expected norms
> of behavior?
>
> 4. Financing
> What are its resource bases (financial, human, and
> information resources)?
>
> 5. Structure
> What is the distinction between a global and an
> umbrella association?
> What is its comparative advantage or distinctive
> capability (relative to other existing
> organizations in the USA and the world)
> What are the synergies or complimentarities relative
> to other Gambian associations,
> community groups, the Gambian Embassies all
> over the world?
> What forms of partnerships would be optimal?
> How should it be organized for governance, policy,
> planning, and management?
>
> 6. Operations and Performance Management (monitoring and
> evaluation)
> What are the program priorities?
> How would the implementation of these programs be
> managed?
> What kind of performance measurement and management
> system should be established to
> measure success and progress and to enhance improvement.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 1. Vision and Purpose - The Global Gambian Association
> What do we want to achieve and for what purpose?
>
> The vision expressed is for a dynamic organization with
> membership drawn from all
> Gambians in the Diaspora and with the inspiration and
> ability to enhance its value and
> capacity to produce outstanding performance and
>productivity while empowering each
> member to realize his/her potential. In short, the
> purpose is to establish a learning and
> leadership community that would engage in reflection,
> take necessary action, and make
> necessary adjustments and improvements as it seeks to:
> (a) meet the challenges of living in the Diaspora
> (economic, financial, social and
> cultural challenges);
> (b) meet the challenge of the 21st Century
> (globalization, technology, fast pace of change);
> (c) support the social and economic development of
> Gambians in the Diaspora; and
> (d) support the social and economic development of the
> Gambia .
>
> The associations would carry out these goals with a high
> level of commitment, with clear
> standards of performance and accountability to engender
> trust and participation, with
> excellence, flexibility and integrity, and other ways
> that safeguard the organizations
> effectiveness and long-term survival or sustainability.
>
>
> 2. Objectives, Strategies, and Actions
> Six objectives were identified, views expressed, and
> some strategies and actions formulated:
> · 1. Economic and Financial Empowerment and Growth
> · 2. Human Resource Management - the Use of Existing
> Capacity
> · 3. Human Development - Development of Capacity
> · 4. Social Welfare, Protection and Human Rights
> · 5. Cultural Heritage and Sustainable development
> · 6. Building the Learning and Leadership Community in
> the 21st Century
>
> In all these six areas, the role of technology and
> knowledge management is significant.
>
> 2.1 Economic and Financial Empowerment and Growth
>
> Objective: To promote the economic and financial
> Empowerment and productivity of Gambians
>
> Strategy:
> Revenue generation and job creation
> To generate financial resources for operations and for
> investment purposes
> To become a more productive community that can create
> jobs or direct members to opportunities
> To establish networks and information systems for jobs
> and other economic and financial opportunities
> Private sector development
> To promote private sector development among Gambians and
> to promote integration with global markets
> Technology
> To leverage technology for trade and investment of
> Gambian products and services
> Consultancies
> To establish a team/network of consultants to provide
> technical and management services
>
> 2.2 Human Resource Management - Using existing Gambian
> Capacity to Optimize Performance and Productivity
>
> Objective: To use existing capacity (professional,
> technical, management,social skills, and
> information technology) in the community for the
> betterment and advancement of the larger community:
>
> Strategy:
> Leadership
> To highlight the expectations of and define the role of
> leadership in the Gambian community.
> To enhance the visibility of the "intelligentia" and
> experts as leaders in the community
>
> Human Capital
> To define the scope of human and intellectual capital
> and assess how it could be used in an integrated
>fashion.
> To use existing human resource base to support for
> example smaller organizations and the
> community at large (provide training, give technical
> advise and suggestions)
>
> Networking
> To establish human resource base for networking and for
> information exchange
>
> Dialogue and Education for change and development
> To establish the human resource base for addressing
> emerging issues in the community
> and for establishing recommendations for action
> To promote use of professional resources to influence
> the direction of change and
> development in the Gambia in institutional development
> and capacity building
> Technology and Knowledge Management
> To establish and use the existing capacity in the
> community for the use of information technology.
> To facilitate access to information technology by all
> members of the association
>
> 2.3 Human Development - Capacity Development
>
> Objective: To invest in people, enhance their potential
> and capacity, and re-direct use of this capacity by
> the community
>
> Strategy:
> Access
> To increase access to higher education and skills
> training
> Graduation
> To increase efficiency and effectiveness in graduating
> from US colleges.
> Continuous education:
> To increase access to information for continuous
> learning.
> Actions: Provide support for financing of post-secondary
> and college education
> (scholarships, affiliations with colleges, database of
> grants and scholarships for Gambians or Africans)
> To provide training programs or information of sources
> for training.
> To provide an advisory service for education and
> training
>
>
> 2.4 Social Welfare and Protection and Human Rights
>
> Objective: To enhance the social and psychological
> adjustment and well being of the community
>
> Strategy:
> To assess synergies with existing social-based
> association in the community
> To assess and define the comparative value of the global
> association in social welfare and protection.
> To establish a Human Rights monitoring system
> To establish a social fund to address emergencies.
>
> 2.5 Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development
>
> Objective: To enhance the value of our cultural heritage
> and the promotion of cultural and social norms
> and activities for sustainable development.
>
> Strategy:
> Advancement: Education for dynamic cultural growth
> To promote understanding of culture not as a static or
> fixed force but as a dynamic entity
> which builds on the intellectual ability to define one's
> situation and to act on it. Thus, the
> need to move ahead with "cosaan" and to breed dynamism
> into it.
> To encourage and support artists engaged in the use of
> traditional art forms.
> To encourage and support the generation of young and new
> artists engaged in using traditional culture in new
> forms of expression.
> To review our cultural norms and mores and re-assess
> their application and practice and
> give culture a direction (review, discuss, debate
> aspects of culture to retain or relinquish).
> To acknowledge and value the different cultural
> configurations we all bring with us and to
> learn to respect and accommodate these differences.
>
> Maintenance: Sustaining Traditional Culture and
> Preservation of history
> To develop, as a starting point, a better understanding
> of our cultural roots.
> To enhance the foundation education and acculturation of
> our children (story telling sessions, classes, etc.)
> To raise funds to preserve the historic sites in The
> Gambia
> To enhance and promote Gambian musicians to perform and
> record
> To enhance the visibility of Gambian artists through the
> use of diverse media forms
>
> Enrichment
> To engage in cultural partnerships, exchanges, with
> other communities (African Americans, other Africans,
>etc.)
>
> Knowledge Management (Knowledge generation and
> Information dissemination)
> To compile, synthesize and publish cultural materials
> To leverage science and technology in cultural
>documentation and advancement
>
> Economic Activities: To get involved in the promotion
> and development of
> culture-based economic activities promoting tourism,
> trade, and investment.
> To connect with the organizers of the Roots Festival and
> seek to be involved in promoting the festival.
> To identify trade and investment issues and seek to take
> an active role to support development.
> To organize Festivals abroad for economic and cultural
> enrichment
>
> 2.6 Building the Learning and Leadership Community for
> the 21st Century
>
> To promote a learning and leadership community among
> Gambians - one that is in tuned
> with world and technological changes, and inspires,
> legitimizes, and empowers itself for
> reflection, action, and flexible adaptation as one basis
> for making a sustainable contribution to development.
>
> Strategy:
> Core Values and Guiding Principles
> To promote the development of the 21st Century Gambian
> who is:
> (a) Engaged in continuous learning, reflection, and
> action for adaptation to constant change;
> (b) Is in tuned with and participates in the emerging
> trends of development (the global economy, knowledge
>management, technological advancement, mobile capital,
>governance issues;
> (c) Makes shifts in mental paradigms to focus on:
> finding value in all involved and empowering the
> participation of all in a collaborative and
> non-hierarchical manner; the development influencing and
> learning facilitation skills as
> opposed to command and control pre-disposition; the
> development of non-linear and
> systems dynamics forms of thinking and action-taking;
> the development of tolerance for
> calculated and responsible risk taking; the
>establishment of clear performance standards
> and quality criteria in all undertakings as an important
> factor in building trust and measuring
> progress; the ability to identify opportunities and
> exploiting them with vigor, perseverance
> and integrity.
>
> Knowledge Development and Management
> To enhance knowledge generation and dissemination of
> information among Gambians
> (publications, seminars, work-sessions)
> To re-activate the journals as one basis for
>enlightenment and the sharing of knowledge among Gambians
> To leverage the use of technology for learning and
> communication
>
>
>
> Networking
> To enhance professional networking
> To establish virtual networking systems
> To hold conferences and seminars as a forum for
> networking, sharing of knowledge and lessons of experience.
>
> 3. Guiding Principles
> What are guiding principles, the value system, the
> expected norms of behavior or business
> ethics to enhance focus and effectiveness of the
> association?
>
> Selectivity for Realism and Effectiveness - Leverage its
> Advantage
> Given its newness and the scale and scope of the agenda,
> the Global association must
> focus on key strategic directions and priority actions
> that cut-across members while
> catalyzing the maximum potential of other associations.
> It should encourage a more
> realistic division of labor with other organizations..
>
> Partnership: that builds on a shared or common vision.
> commitment and action.
> Collaboration and coordination with other organizations
> with a shared vision and
> commitment should be promoted. Partnership could extend
> to other non-Gambian organizations for certain joint
>efforts. The identification of key stakeholders and
>support groups of the association should be defined.
>
> Responsiveness
> The association should be responsive to members, clients
> for services to be provided, and
> key stakeholders and demonstrates real and negotiated
> value to these groups.
>
> Results-Orientation
> It should defines clear outcomes and impact, and
> concentrate on maximizing impact, high
> quality service, increased efficiency in operation, and
> accountability for performance
>
> Cost-effectiveness
> It must have a clear notion of the costs of various
> actions and assess the effectiveness of
> alternative strategies as well as their long-term
> effects and sustainability.
>
> Adaptability
> The associations must establish structures, charters and
> operational procedures that would
> give it the capacity to adjust quickly, to change and
> move on
>
> Financial integrity
> For the generated financial resources, the association
> must establish clear accountability
> systems and governance of such funds.
>
>
> Cultural integrity
> The Gambian valises of integrity and generativity should
> be paramount in the ethos of the association.
>
> 4. Financing
> What are its resource bases
> a) Human resource bases - knowledge skills, aptitudes,
> attitudes, reputation, image of the community
> b) Financial resources (generation, mobilization,
> management, allocation)
> c) Friends of The Gambia and other sources of financing
> or in-kind contributions.
>
> Issues pertaining to the financial and human resources
> for the management of the
> association were raised and it was agreed that these
> will defined in follow-up meetings.
>
>
> 5. Structure and Organization for Policy, Planning, and
> Management
>
> The meeting highlighted the need for an organization
> that is non-partisan, efficient, flexible,
> that can serve its members and help achieve its
>objectives in a sustainable basis. It raised
> questions and made recommendations related to the
> following:
>
> Membership
> What does a global membership mean? What consideration
> would be given to what is
> do-able and manageable? What is the role of technology
> in the establishment of a virtual system?
>
> Comparative Value
> What is its comparative advantage or distinctive
> capability (relative to other existing
> organizations in the USA and the world, the Gambia
> Embassy)
> What are the synergies or complementarities relative to
> other Gambian associations,
> community groups, the Embassies all over the world?
> How would existing organizations in the Diaspora be
> aligned with the global organizations?
> Could it provide a "clearing house of information" for
> all other Gambian organizations?
> Could it serve as a nodal point for providing technical
> and professional services to Gambian small associations
>(on organizational development, management, resource
>leveraging, etc.)
>
> Partisan politics
> As a non-partisan body focused on development for all,
> does this negate the discussion and dialogue on political
> issues?
>
> Structure for Governance, Policy, Planning. Management
> and Accountability
> What type of policy and management structure best suits
> the association and what are the
> criteria for the various official positions (Board,
> President, Management team, operations,performance
>evaluation)
>
>
> 6. Operational Functions:
> The meeting highlighted the difference between what the
> participants want and the need to
> be realistic in what can be done and being able to carry
> this our. This calls for a good
> basis for establishing the priorities for action, for
> defining management plans:
> (implementation plans with clearly defined tasks,
> schedules, responsibilities, costs) and for
> establishing a performance measurement and management
> system.
>
> The need for the establishment of a secretariat for work
> to be done and to begin the initial
> steps of launching the association.
>
> Participants expressed the need for the establishment of
> a "Gambia House" to house the
> secretariat of the association and to provide space for
> meetings, conferences, seminars,
> training, social gatherings etc.
>
>Report Prepared by the Synthesis Team, Working Group on Strategic Planning
>Sukai Prom-Jackson, Lamin Jeng, Latjor Ndow, Mohammed Kah, Mbye Cham.
>
>Gambia Leadership Conference
>www.gambian.com/glc.htm
>________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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