thanks to August

4 years ago, August 2005, there was a huge thing happened in my life. I joined APLP (Asia Pacific Leadership Program) of EWC (East West Center). My study at EWC was so wonderful. Unforgetable million thanks to Pak Terry Bigalke. And this August again, huge things happen in my life. I am just so enthusiastic and found my spirit again. First of all, I’m just so excited to facilitate trainings conducted by FORNIHA. FORNIHA is a forum of local NGOs here in Nias. We established this forum in 2007. I am so excited as the training (i would prefer to say it sharing meetings) was challenging. It took me so long to find environment that allow me to have discussions and freely do exploration of things especially our work with community. I like discussion very much. It’s freshing mind, thinking and brain. I also found that the collegues were just so enthusiastic to attend the 5-day meetings. I am energized by their energy.

I think, these trainings also affirms that I am actually very much interested in planning. I think I’m a sort of a planner and I might say that I’m good in that. We discussed very much about how to plan project and in a wider range, strategic planning for the organization. So, we discussed the tools for project plan such as LFA and things. But what made the meetings were the exploration of the spirit of project plan itself. Rather than limited exploring the application of the tools and how to make a good plan, we very much discussed about the ‘idealism of a project’. And I feel that we pretty much fed up with so many projects that disconnected with the communities. Changing people life we believe very much depends on how to plan a good and meaningful project.

In broader plan, such as strategic plan, I am enthusiastic with them as they challenged my ideas. It was kind of ‘uji materi’. I’m not sure what precisely the phrase in English. But the meaning pretty much like when you know or believe in something and then you apply it, you do kind of testing. ‘Uji-uji materi’ is very known in movement theory if you could say so. ‘Uji materi’ or ‘uji material’ is also popular here recently for testing a law.

Anyways, I was challenged by their critique. After we did SWOT anlysis, we came to defining strategic issue, strategy to result strategic goals. The way to go to the strategic goals then things happened. Albert kept on what he know from previous training that after SWOT we could go directly to the strategic goals with the diagram of quadrants. Meanwhile, I prefer to map what the strategic issues out of the lists of SWOT we have already drawn. So, I let him to do his theory. Somehow he was stuck when found that there were a lot strategic things in which made no longer as strategic. Even if so, he kept on his way of thinking that, even if we found a lot strategic things, we could still do selection and after that we could come to the action plan. But somehow it was hard to explain how to state strategic goals. We very much disccussed on this until they agree that i came on my way; mapping first what strategic; important, urgent and might happen in 2 or 3 years ahead that should be addressed, creating strategic issue by questions, the answer would be strategic goals. On the process of answering the strategic goals, there were already identified the action plan. So, the point was i offered them step by step ways rather than jumping from SWOT to directly to strategic goals. After all we agreed in the way step by step and when it was tested with the quadrants diagram, it worked.

But again, the process was just so challenging that made me so glad.

Next week, we are going to have strategic plan of FORNIHA in Poncan Island, a small island closed to Sumatra. I heard that only the cottege/resort in the whole island available. We'll be there for 5 days. So, it’s gonna be a wonderful trip i hope.

Next month, we are going to have another meeting, annual meeting of LPAM-Nias, for reviewing of our last strategic plan and to choose a new director. It was supposed to be this month but somehow, these works for FORNIHA is just so intense. So, officially, I will be resigned next month. Gosh, yes, after all, I’ll be free. Maybe for a while but that must be worthy. :) Thanks. Thanks to August as it is always the month of being turning point for me.