Participants' Agenda (write on big paper)
Facilitator's Agenda, three copies
Materials: paper, markers, stickers, other
Video--VCR???
Handouts: 25 copies
DRAFT PLAN for June 11 BAJA RETREAT
Matt Noyes/Charley MacMartin
FRIDAY, 7pm to 9pm
7--7:15
1. Introductions
motivation: to give facilitators a better sense of who is there, to break the ice and get started, we want this to be quick.
process: quick go around, names areas of work, a particular skill each person has
7:15--8:00/8:15
2. Two Activities to Prepare/initiate Retreat
Motivation: MN and CBM explain and motivate Friday eve. plan:
* to use the time on Friday to model an organizing technique (member to member network) that will be presented on Saturday,
* to have participants play role in logistics and agenda review on the spot,
* to get at one theme identified ahead of time by participants: "why we do the work we do in BAJA"
Process: form two groups, then meet as groups
A."coordinators group" (four people who will act as coordinators in the activity)
coordinators:
Coordinators:
Explain activity: to have one on one discussion with every participant on big question: "why you do the work you do with BAJA?" Talk with person, bring their answer back, discuss.
Explain member to member network basic idea: structure, roles, flow: present it with a concentric circles chart…
Roles: * main coordinator's job is to participate in CC and coordinate the coordinators
* coordinators' jobs are to: participate in CC and do face to face with their assigned people, also to recruit more coordinators as needed
assign roles: main coordinator? Coordinators? Do we need a new one?
Make list of people at retreat and their relevant info (areas of work, language, other) Divide up participants among coordinators, based on functional criteria, types of activity--discuss this, we also want to maximize cross-group contact.
Review tasks and assignments: is task operational? Can it be measured/assessed? Criteria of success? Once the mini-network is set up, the coordinators have Friday night and Saturday morning to do their tasks. Will our current arrangement work?
Main coordinator's tasks: to monitor network, especially tomorrow, think about how to do that--meet with Matt after group
B."logistics group" meets with Charley (he will define that process)
8:15--9:00
3. Check-in, once groups are done, on the agenda; provide time for coordinators to do their work.
SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 am
1. Arrival, breakfast, chat, coordinators do work
9:00-10:00
2. go-around intros. (15 mins.)
motivation: to get people talking, to find out who is there, to meet new people and they meet old;
process: name, work area in BAJA something no one knows about you…
9:10-9:15
3. Review plan for the day
motivation: to give participants a clear sense of what is in store, clarify overall purpose, check in on usefulness of plan...
process: spiel by Matt & Charley, or by other BAJA people?
9:15-10:00
4. We interrupt this program to bring you a fish bowl...
motivation: to model key part of the M2M technique, raise questions of why we do work we do, set stage for: a. M2M presentation, b. goals/techniques idea
Process:
9:20--9:25
Form two concentric circles of chairs [space allows this? chairs? wheel chairs? other concerns?]
9:25--9:45
main coordinator leads people in inner circle in a three part process:
first, a quick go around, coordinators sharing who they talked to and what the people said, based on their notes;
second, commenting on what they learned from the comments. (questions are on a flip chart.)
third: Main coordinator checks in on accountability--"did you talk to each person, if not, why not?, what can you do to talk to them? do we need to change network? other issues?"
9:45--10:00
second circle then has opportunity to comment on the inner circle's discussion--either/both the technique and the content.
10:00--11:00
5. M2M spiel and gear (MN)
motivation: to present a possibly useful technique in a little detail, to generate useful criteria, to look at how what you want is related to what you do with technique.
process:
10:00--10:10
briefly reconstruct process as we modeled it: in steps--group was selected, group met to form coordinating committee, assigned roles, charted contacts, assigned contacts, defined task, defined measurement/accountability, checked in on task, did task, reported back, checked in on accountability and content. (all of this detailed on a chart, have people add any missing steps...)
10:10--11:00
Presentation by MN of two examples of M2M, with focus on: context, goals, and structure.
A. IBT M2M--USE VIDEO (15 minutes)
Background: this video used in IBT to promote an organizing method that was not uniformly used by a long shot, but proved key to success in UPS strike. Look for process and problems--different situations, any crossover???
View video.
Reader response? Brief free write on video. Share a few.,
Spiel:
this technique was key at UPS, stakes, issues: union, new reform group, biggest employer, bad middle layer who scabbed on previous strike...
goals of M2M in this setting: to mobilize members directly w/o depending on kindness of middle level, to build up momentum so as not to have to strike, to make strike threat credible, to test communications/mobilization network and know temperature on shop floor, for R&F TDU types, to try a R&F focused method...
how it was structured: handouts and flow chart...
how does it get the work done?: key is accountability and testing...
results: mixed, but strong
strengths, weaknesses: (not uniformly done, top-down, not M-centered...)
B. AUD version
background (for R&F groups, used by TDU, with variations in Pasco and other locales); you don't have control or resources, start it from the bottom, everyone has work to do, families, limited time and often limited experience, fear, lack of confidence, different levels of commitment and different concerns...
handouts
use chart to show levels of commitment/involvement, build out from core focus is on a) organizing the core and increasing their effectiveness and accountability; b) pushing outward to next level in organized way and bringing people into core; c) generating repetitive process of outward motion, bringing new people into periphery...
goals of M2M in R&F group setting: can't depend on staff jobs to lend stability and structure, voluntary, which means competing commitments (kids, work, etc.) and ebbs and flows. DEMOCRACY in practice which means participation and control, and must be built over time and through action; to build bottom-up organizations that don't stagnate with core group that is overworked and only talks to supporters, to address desire for accountability, to give a visible structure to judge performance and democracy of process, reality check, to bring close people closer in, to extend organization, to overcome fear and isolation, to bring new leadership forward... DEPENDS ON DEMOCRATIC PROCESS BEYOND THE NETWORK
how it can be structured: simplified M2M, circular, focus on content and one on one and last step--accountability is key, try it with small tasks and see what happens, then build up, M2M network is subordinate to steering committee and both are subordinate to membership.
how does it get the work done?: group decides on action, M2M network is activated, coordinators meet plan action, then do it. Main coordinator keeps on top of process. action is done and reported back in coordinators meeting, problems are identified and trouble shooting happens, report to steering committee.
strengths/weaknesses: demands time and discipline, too much structure?
C. BAJA version
background: what is the setting? Who are the members? What are the different levels of participation? Where are the new members likely to come from? [write this on big paper]
goals: what are your goals and how do they relate to a network? What do you want it to do?
possible structure: you have proposals on this for group, would this kind of set up help that structure? Changes to make? Additions?
11:00--11:15 BREAK
11:15--11:45
6. Criteria to assess an organizational structure.
motivation: to have a collective set of criteria we can use to assess what we need and whether a given structure provides it...
process: brainstorm ciriteria (criteria are what you use to know if it's working--does it do X? If so, it's working, if not...)
prioritize criteria
11:45--11:55
7. Presentation of Structure Plan (brief, 10 mins.)
motivation: to get at BAJA tasks, steps
Process: presentation by BAJA members of a plan.
12:00
LUNCH
1:00--2:00
8. Small Group discussion of plan
motivation: to maximize participation, to link it to needs particular to each area of work
process: form small groups of no more than 5, based on committee in which one is chiefly involved
discuss plan and changes/additions/subtractions in small group,
one person needs to take notes,
another needs to be sure task of group is accomplished in time,
each group needs to make sure every task they propose is specific and assigned to a named person or group...
use criteria checklist to check plan and proposals
2:00--2:30
reports back from groups (on big paper?)
2:30--3:00
discussion by whole group
3:00--3:30
9. Next Steps, tasks, assignments
3:45--4:00
10. Evaluation of Retreat (format to be determined--head, heart, hands, feet?)