FoG’s Monitoring & Evaluation Programme
and Strategic Planning Workshop
The Planet Wheeler Foundation has always been a major donor critical to sustaining Foundation of Goodness activities and we have been able to carry out our numerous activities to uplift countless lives because we have been blessed by their support.
The Planet Wheeler Foundation suggested a Monitoring & Evaluation programme to take place with the wellbeing and development of the Foundation in mind. Indira Aryaratne and Gaya Hapuarachchi conducted the M & E evaluation, and after submitting their report, were advised by the Planet Wheeler Foundation to execute the suggestions that were made. Indira and Gaya immersed themselves in FoG activities, observing each sector and discussing with the staff themselves to recognize ways to stream line and improve FoG activities.
After months of M & E workshops targeting different FoG activity sectors, Gaya and Indira were able to develop a good understanding of the FoG staff, and able to encourage them to gain new insight and enthusiasm about their work. The staff who are usually working relentlessly to keep all of our programmes afloat were given the opportunity to stop and think about each of their tasks, and understand how it all tied in to the grand scheme of things as well as to realize how important their own role was in the success of the Foundation.
Gaya and Indira soon came to the conclusion that the best way to culminate their monitoring and evaluation process would be through a Strategic Planning Workshop which would bring all of the FoG staff from Seenigama and Colombo together under one roof.
With a staff of over 100 strong, who hailed from very diverse locations, planning the workshop was a task in itself. We were very fortunate to receive help from the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, who awarded a grant for the funding necessary for a residential workshop.
The workshop helped to paint a big picture of FoG activity and then narrowed down how each sector, and then each staff member could work towards achieving these objectives. The workshop, which took place over three days also helped build team work and develop leadership among the FoG staff, as well as helping to create closer bonds between people from different sectors who did interact regularly.
Overall, the workshop was a great success in developing staff and focusing FoG activities for the next 10 years ahead with less reliance on donor funding while developing FoG sustainable income initiatives. All who attended came away feeling motivated and rejuvenated, with a new sense of purpose and teamwork and a newfound understanding and respect for hidden talents displayed over the weekend.
All at the Foundation of Goodness are extremely grateful for this wonderful M&E opportunity given to us by the Planet Wheeler Foundation and thankful for the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy for enabling us to have the Strategic Planning Workshop. Last but not least, this experience would not have been the same without the insight, empathy and expertise extended to us by Gaya and Indira who worked tirelessly along with us, and became a part of the FoG family over the process.
2nd September 2014
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