from vision to action engaging the whole system to create and carry out new strategies for reducing...
TRANSCRIPT
From Vision to Action
Engaging the whole system to create and carry out new strategies for reducing
poverty
Presented by Nancy Polend
Sojourners / Call to RenewalPentacost 2007: Taking the Vision to the Streets
Washington, DCJune 3-6, 2007
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Welcome!
• This workshop will:– Demonstrate the value of a whole-
system approach to poverty.– Offer a proven, concrete way you can
initiate systemic change in your community.
– Share news about & extend invitation into a national grassroots-to-policy strategy.
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Key Questions
• What kind of problem is poverty?• What does it mean to put poverty
on the national agenda?• How can we create shared vision &
commitment to eliminate poverty?• How can we translate vision &
commitment into collaborative action?
• How can our local work influence national policy?
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Poverty and the National Agenda
Continuum of responsibility: Who’s got a stake?
Fed
eral G
ov’t
Perso
ns in
p
overty
Faith
Bu
siness
Med
ia
Fin
ancial S
ervices
Health
care
Ed
ucatio
n
Ho
usin
g
Co
mm
un
ity A
ction
State / lo
cal G
ov’t
Hu
man
Services
Ad
vocates
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• The responsibility of and solution to poverty is not IN any one place…
Where’s the Answer?
EducationFederal Gov’tHuman Services
FaithState/Local Gov’tResidents
Public HealthBusinessMedia
Advocates
High Tech.Creating ourProsperousCommunityHousingCommunity ActionFinancial Services
…IT IS AMONG US.
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Enabling Vision AND Action:Future Search
EducationFederal Gov’tHuman Services
FaithState/Local Gov’tResidents
Public HealthBusinessMedia
Advocates
High Tech.Creating ourProsperousCommunityHousingCommunity ActionFinancial Services
• Principles derived from 60 years of research & experimentation.– “Whole system” in the room.– Explore the whole before acting on a part.– Future focus & common ground.– Self management & responsibility.
• Unique 2.5 day action planning experience; brings together those with:– Authority– Resources– Expertise– Information– Need
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What Future Search Enables
• Shared values & changed assumptions.
• Plan for the future.• Concrete goals.• Implementation
strategy.• Commitment to
implement.
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The Future Search Agenda
• Past– What brought us here?– Global/national, local,
personal timelines.
•Present– Build a map of trends affecting
their issue.– Stakeholder groups tell what
they’re:• Doing now & what they’d like to do in
the future re: the trends.• Proud of and sorry about re: their work
on the trends.
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The Future Search Agenda (cont.)
• Future– Small mixed groups develop
preferred future scenarios.
• Common Ground– Groups identify & confirm key themes
that appear in every scenario.
• Action Planning– Groups develop goals & plans for
implementation & accountability.
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Video:The Future Search Experience (almost)
• Actual community, real Future Search.– Visualize your community, convened by you.
• Insight into planning process & related issues.– Consider who in your community could be
planning members.– Visualize yourself establishing a planning team.
• Shares concrete projects & outcomes.– Envision concrete projects in your community
being carried out.
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Introducing
Continuous community-to-policy cycles
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Resources and Activities of PCPN
• Capacity-Building: Leaders Workshop– Cohort group:
• Learns Future Search and experiences it first-hand.• Begins identifying local planning team members &
stakeholder groups.• Is matched up with experienced facilitators who
support them from planning to follow up.
• Local Future Search Sessions– Planning support.– Facilitation and documentation.– Follow up and evaluation.
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Resources and Activities of PCPN
• Learning Community– Web portal for participating communities– E-mail listserve (peer and FSN support)
• Access to information, action plans, learning, progress, resources of other participating communities
• On line email forum for sharing learning and information among participating communities
• National Future Search– Roll up of local work; selected participants from each
local session participate
• FSN Staff Support & Coordination: “Glue”
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The PCPN “At Leasts”
• We would at least have the whole system working on the systemic issue.
• Plans that affect the whole system would at least be created by the whole system using information & experiences from the whole system.
• The high level of commitment to implementation will at least increase the likelihood that the plans lead to real change.
• The community-to-policy cycles will at least ensure that people making policies directly experience community realities before developing policies.
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Ready to Roll…
• We have the:– Methodology.– Network of trained professional facilitators across the
country.– Track record.– Organization to glue it together without loyalties or
agenda.
• What we need now is:– You to become involved.– Your communities to participate.– Sponsors to fund participating communities.
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How to Get Involved
• Become a community leader-champion.• Become an “ambassador” to help engage
national sponsors.• Become a corporate, public, or NGO
sponsor.– Specific community or general support/sponsorship.
• Become a personal supporter.– Tax deductible.
• Become a program advisory team member.• Join the team of trained facilitators by
becoming a member of the Future Search Network.
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Contact Information
Nancy PolendPCPN Program Director
(540) [email protected]
Web Site:www.futuresearch.net