Provocative Proposition

From Harambee Wiki

You are About to Win a Great Award!

Imagine that you are now in October 2010. You have just been informed that you’re about to receive a very prestigious award for organizational excellence for capacity building in the field of networks (ie. on working in a networked way, learning from each other and sharing knowledge and experience). The award goes to you not necessarily as Harambee, because Harambee as a project has ended in March 2008, but out of Harambee, something else has emerged, and that’s where you as a group have achieved this excellence.

Task 1: Formulating a Provocative Proposition

The award recognizes outstanding groups active in the field of capacity building for networking that should serve as a model for the Africa. Obviously one does not win an award just by doing the normal things – awards are always given for outstanding and extraordinary achievements, that the world has not seen before.

In your group, think of a provocative proposition on how to do networking and capacity building for networking for the your group to achieve over the next 2½ years.

You have 40 minutes to agree in your group on one or two proposals (not more than 2!). A proposal should be no longer than 50 words.

Before you begin in your group, appoint a person to facilitate the discussion and a person to keep time.

A good provocative proposition should meet the following criteria:

• It is provocative. It stretches and challenges the group, forcing it to move beyond the parameters of its normal routines.
• It is grounded. Similar challenges have been met in the past and, as such, the vision represents a compelling possibility.
• It is desired. All group members would like to be part of the group as it is described in the statement.
• It is stated in the present tense and in affirmative language. This helps the group project a positive image of itself.
• It is highly participative. Achieving the statement will require effort and input from all group members.
• It stimulates organizational learning. The statement directs group members to be more attentive to those qualities that exist when the group is at its best.
• It addresses multiple aspects of the group’s structure and activities. This could include such things as leadership, societal purpose, communication, staff, structures, business practices, community relations, etc.
• It balances existing activities with future goals through a strategic transition.

Task 2: Prepare a Presentation

Now you have the following challenge: [The first 4 paragraphs are alternative tasks for 4 different groups]

Group 1: An African television station is sending a camera crew to interview the group. You will have 30 seconds of airtime to describe why your group is so exceptional, where it finds its energy and what it contributes to new and innovative networking in Africa. Develop a 30-second statement.

Group 2: A big newspaper has set aside two column inches of space to cover the story. They would like to know what makes your group perform so well, why the way you do your networking makes the world a better place and how you maintain such a high level of enthusiasm. Develop a short newspaper item of max. 150 words!

Group 3: The Secretary General of the United Nations will phone you this afternoon to congratulate you and hold you up as an example to the rest of Africa. You will have 30 seconds to describe him the qualities and values that contributed to your group’s success and your mission in Africa, ie. the way you do networking. Prepare a 30-second statement, ie. what you will tell him on the phone.

Group 4: The President of the African Union wants to know why you deserve this prestigious award. He can only be reached by e-mail. Yet, as he is very busy, he only has time to read very short e-mail messages. In 60 words or fewer, describe why the way you are networking is so exceptional, what gives it life and why people in Africa should be proud of you.

• You have 60 minutes for this task.

• Before you begin in your group, appoint a person to facilitate the discussion, a person to keep time and a person to present what you have elaborated.

• Take your Provocative Proposal developed in task 1 and craft it into your presentation – tell from the perspective of October 2010, what has come out of it.

(Session based on: G. Ashford & S. Patkar, The Positive Path, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2001)