Strategic Planning Workshops

MEPI Spearheads Effort to Assist Local Organizations

In September 2005, the MEPI Regional Office in Tunis launched a new program called “Strategic Planning for Local Organizations,” which included a series of two-day training workshops in Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco.  The training was conducted in Arabic and French by the Egyptian NGO Support Center, in partnership with and funded by MEPI. The workshops focus on organizational strategic planning, capacity-building skills, and awareness of the ways to apply for outside funding. Out of the workshop was developed a training manual, which will soon be distributed to individuals and organizations throughout the region interested in working on reform project.

Strategic planning is a responsive way to address the needs many organizations face in acquiring essential planning skills.  These field-tested workshops provide a general overview, along with transfer of the basic skills necessary to conduct organizational strategic planning.

The U.S. embassies in each of the three countries accepted applications from local organizations, including but not limited to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), unions, and media outlets.  While outreach to recruit participating organizations varies by country – including local media advertisements, notices to organizations through list-serves, and postings on local and regional websites – transparency in the selection process underpinned all of these efforts, with priority is given to those local organizations whose missions and ongoing activities target the MEPI priorities of political openness, quality education, women’s empowerment, and economic reform.

The workshops developed as a result of MEPI and the U.S. embassies in the region working with a variety of local organizations over the past year.  It became evident that many organizations are sincere about driving reform efforts, yet often have difficulties adequately addressing their objectives, including raising funds to cover their operating expenses. 

The issue from several groups centered around planning, management, and making the best use of resources.  As a result, the training workshops were developed to increase local capacity to participate in the reform process through the acquisition of strategic planning and analytical thinking skills. These workshops are also intended to help local organizations identify funding strategies and sources relevant to their missions, including techniques to apply for funding.