Strategic facilitation for an international organization is both inspiring and motivating.
At the same time, it presents a multifaceted and demanding journey that requires deep introspection and thorough preparation, given its expansive scope, challenges and learning opportunities.
Manuela Garza, COMETA’s Founding Partner
Specific elements for designing a strategic vision for an international organization
A well-defined strategic vision steers our organization, ensuring that our actions and decisions align with and propel us toward achieving our institutional mission in the short to medium term.
There are key elements to consider when crafting a strategic facilitation process for an international organization. For instance:
- Our operations span multiple countries, often spread over different regions, resulting in diverse and unique contexts:
- Our agendas and challenges may be similar or differ from those encountered by our counterparts in other countries or regions.
- Our teams are dispersed globally, and our opportunities to work in the same space are limited.
- Our teams are multicultural and multilingual.
Due to the nature of our work, this diversity also presents challenges, as it encompasses varying approaches to work, interaction, perspectives, and interpretations of global issues.
- Progress in our agendas or initiatives can vary greatly across countries.
International organizations must be transparent about the impact we want and can achieve in different geographies.
- The priorities of our donors do not always align perfectly with our commitment to achieving equitable impact across all locations.
We must be strategic about using resources to prioritize funding that aligns with our mission and vision.
- Operating as an international organization comes with significant costs and complexities, involving financial, administrative, legal, labor, organizational, and cultural challenges.
When crafting a facilitation process, it’s essential to account for these elements.
Consequently, a strategic facilitation process for an international organization should prioritize the following:
- Incorporating the perspectives and experiences of people working across locations.
- Addressing the wide range of challenges and opportunities presented by diverse contexts.
- Balancing levels of achievable impact that are realistic and distinct across regions while contributing to a global outcome.
Simply put, a comprehensive strategic vision tailored to an international framework must be both actionable and measurable, driving tangible results across multiple spaces.
Therefore, how can we design an effective process of strategic facilitation for an international organization?
As with any effort to establish a strategic vision, we must begin by being transparent about what we want to achieve.
International organizations need a strategic institutional vision that serves as a foundation for programs and teams operating in various regions.
In some instances, international organizations already have a broad strategic framework that requires adaptation to align with evolving internal dynamics and external conditions.
In other cases, even though we have been around for many years, we do not have a previous strategic framework, and current leadership may wish to create one entirely from scratch.
What should we keep in mind for an effective reflection process?
1. Be transparent about the ultimate purpose of this process:
- What do we want from it?
- What outcomes do we aim to achieve?
- Who is going to use it?
Once we have a clear idea about our ultimate purpose, we can explore strategic reflection, where imagination, design, facilitation, and crafting will be necessary.
2. Understand the time frame of our desired strategic thinking. In other words:
- Are we aiming for a long-, medium- or short-term strategic vision?
- Do we want to design a grand Theory of Change (ToC) or have a strategic goal framework to make concrete decisions?
This framework allows us to plan an appropriate process.
3. Conduct an initial analysis to begin the process. It is essential to involve as many team members as possible to identify:
- Their vision for the organization.
- How they perceive their role in contributing to that vision.
- How their work is organized to achieve the vision.
- What they expect from the strategic thinking process.
It is essential to include people who are knowledgeable about work in different countries and contexts and involved in strategic decision-making.
4. Assess whether the process should be in-person or virtual. This decision depends on factors such as:
- The organizational culture.
- The teams’ specific needs.
- The level of in-person interaction.
- The desired depth of reflection.
- Available resources
5. Acknowledge the multicultural, multiracial, and multilingual nature of the organization:
- Be mindful and respect participants’ diverse cultures (and work cultures).
- Recognize that individuals may contribute and engage in diverse ways due to this variety of perspectives.
6. Recognize that the leadership must coordinate these reflection processes because:
- They possess the necessary expertise to successfully implement these processes.
- They can ensure that the organization has the resources and tools for their proper implementation.
- They ensure we have a team of qualified facilitators who can effectively grasp our organization and its intricacies.
As a result, flexibility and adaptability are vital aspects of strategic facilitation for an international organization, fostering a supportive and efficient environment for all participants.
Conclusion
Strategic facilitation processes for an international organization are exciting and complex. There are specific elements that must be carefully considered and cannot be overlooked.
These processes demand heightened flexibility, the ability to adjust in real-time, and a concerted effort to navigate diverse contexts, cultures, and complex dynamics. These qualities are essential to achieving meaningful, inspiring, and well-defined outcomes.
At COMETA, we have accompanied international organizations in their strategic reflections. One standout experience was collaborating with Ipas in Latin America and the Caribbean. In this interview, they share their perspective on receiving facilitation to develop their Theory of Change.
