STEP II. Design Overview and Forming Project

Teams

(20 minutes)

A. Refer the group back to the Community Development Cycle and

Steps in the Planning Process in session 3. Briefly, walk the group

through the process and explain how the practice planning will

be organized:  Each Counterpart and Volunteer pair will work

together as a project team to plan a project for an issue of priority

in your community. You will develop a project design and then

continue on in later sessions to make an action plan, a budget,

and a monitoring and evaluation plan. Throughout the process,

we will all serve one another as resources and consultants as

needed. 

B. Have the participants form their teams and select a priority they

think is important for their community. After about 10 minutes,

check to see if everyone has finished and ask each team to

announce their priority area. Write these on the flipchart and post

on the wall.

Trainer Note: The priority issue should be fairly broad at this point.

Some examples might include: better maternal child health services,

access to secondary education, greater preservation of forests and wildlife,

more income generating opportunities for women, and so forth. Help

participants think  big picture  at this point in the process so that they

do not inadvertently skip over some of the planning steps. If some teams

are struggling, suggest they think about the resources and individual

capacities present in their community and focus on one area to build or

strengthen. Ideally, they have already discussed priorities with com 

munity members and have clear ideas about what they want to focus on.

STEP III. Visioning Exercise Creating the

Community Vision

(40 minutes)

A. Lead the group in a visioning exercise that will help them create

a statement about what they hope for in the future with regard to

their selected priority. Ask participants to sit back in a comfortable

position, relax, and imagine the following:

 It is now one or two years into the future. You and your

community are having an enormous celebration to commemorate

the project you have finished. The community has really moved

forward and you are all beaming with pride about what you have

accomplished. You feel excited about some of the obstacles and

conflicts you were able to overcome, and you're all pleasantly

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