HOW WE DEVELOP OUR STRATEGY
Introduction
The Foundation works in a fast changing context, whether it is changing charity legislation or the conflict in Syria. It is therefore crucial that we constantly adapt and develop our programming to ensure that we address changing needs in the best way possible.
In 2019 we built on the excellent foundations laid by the strategic review carried out in 2018 (details available here [Arabic]). The Foundation refined some elements of its vision and mission, taking into consideration the social, political and economic changes in the Middle East, as well as the opportunities afforded by innovative technology and techniques in learning and knowledge-sharing to take the Foundation’s impact to scale. These adjustments are reflected in the Foundation’s key objectives and programming:
The Foundation’s vision is for:
A just world where people have equal opportunities to transform their lives, invest in their communities, and shape the future of their countries.
The Foundation’s mission is to:
Invest in, and support the sustainability of, a resilient and empowered civil society infrastructure and innovative youth, who can collectively lead a transformational positive change in their communities and countries.
The Foundation’s key objectives are:
To enable the development of a resilient, effective and accountable civil society by developing the sustainability, productivity and of high potential civil society organisations (CSOs).
To create non-traditional learning and economic opportunities by providing innovative support to young entrepreneurs to help them build sustainable enterprises and tackle social challenges.
To empower partners to transform their organisations, increase their impact, and strengthen learning and collaboration – locally, regionally and globally – through community-led, localised knowledge-sharing.
Strategy development
The development of the Foundation’s strategy is an ongoing process. The information the Asfari team collects during the implementation of our programmes – e.g. data about the situation on the ground; suggestions and feedback from partners through visits, reports and workshops; the outcomes of and learning from our projects – all feeds back into the ongoing refinement of our strategy.
When appropriate, we commission expert advisors (often from the Arab region) to conduct situation analysis research, assess new projects and programmes, and evaluate existing ones to ensure we are on the right track.
This information is collated, analysed and brought to regular Board meetings so that the Foundation’s Trustees can make decisions on whether to adjust the strategy, make changes to systems or procedures or fund particular projects. At the end of each year, plans are developed for the Foundation’s next year of work, which are approved by the Trustees and then implemented by the Foundation team.