


VSO is an international development charity promoting volunteering to fight global poverty and disadvantage.

In implementing its strategy, "Focus For Change", VSO wanted a process that would help them take stock of achievements and opportunities, shape the top level of VSO’s work programme for the next couple of years and to get a stronger sense of what they were likely to be able to afford to deliver. VSO's asked two internal facilitators, one from the Chief Executive’s Office and one from Training to develop the process and design appropriate workshops. The aim was to provide a forum for the Senior Management Team and other managers to contribute their ideas and thinking, develop a range of options for strategic priorities over the next three years, identify the preferred options, and analyse the broad resource implications. VSO also asked J Hill Associates to provide a facilitator to bring an external perspective.

To fit in with VSO's planning timetable it was important to schedule the first workshop quickly. We had to be very flexible in finding time to read all the background papers, working together around existing commitments, and building an effective team over the telephone. The VSO facilitators provided the context and workshop ideas whilst the external facilitator was able to clarify overall objectives, map out the process, and position the workshop. We then met to pull together the final agenda and materials and decide who would take which roles, involving the Chief Executive throughout to ensure he was comfortable with the approach. It was important to that all 20 participants could contribute so the exercises were mainly group-based with plenary sessions to ensure everyone was at the same point before key decisions were taken. We also took into account the fact that the participants had not worked together in this way before. During the workshop the facilitators shared the delivery and observing roles, used breaks to check with each other and refine the next steps, and spent the evening of day 1 reviewing the feedback before finalising day 2. We also documented the key outputs from the discussions and these were used as inputs to the next stage of the process.


The workshop exceeded the expectations of both the participants and facilitators in the outputs achieved and the way in which the two days were managed. The workshop provided a forum for significant discussion and debate, identified the areas in which VSO needed to be more clear about its direction, and gave the Senior Management Team valuable input into their prioritisation discussions. Participants appreciated the opportunity to contribute and to learn from each other, some saying that even if the original objectives had not been met it would still have been a very worthwhile 2 days. A mix of internal and external facilitators enabled new ideas to be put into the VSO context and aspects of team dynamics to be addressed. The external facilitator was able to ask questions and pose challenges that may have been difficult for an internal facilitator to raise. The internal facilitators knew the senior managers and the VSO context well, and were experienced in training and facilitation techniques. The external facilitator brought experience of strategic planning and an ability to stand back from the detail. Establishing excellent relationships from the start meant that the team worked well under significant time pressures.

"VSO really benefited from the range of skills and experience, both domestic and international, that Jacqueline brought to the team oragnising this workshop." Mark Goldring, Chief Executive, VSO. "'This was an incredibly challenging assignment and we wouldn't have got through it without Jacqueline's ability to think on her feet, assume responsibility for tasks and get stuck in and contribute creative ideas without feeling they all had to be taken on." Rachel Bartlett, Chief Executive’s Office and co-facilitator.
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