Partners of the Americas is a non-profit organization founded in 1964 to connect people and organizations across borders through partnerships to serve communities. It has 75 chapters in 33 countries, 23 campus locations, and 10 development programs in 20 countries serving issues like food security, youth, and the environment. Partners utilizes a strategic issue management approach to identify key challenges and develop targeted projects to address them, focusing on continuous learning and adaptation over rigid long-term planning.

1. PARTNERS OF THE AMERICAS
Steve Vetter, President & CEO

2. OUR STORY

3. WHO WE ARE
Our mission is to connect people and organizations across borders to serve and change lives through
lasting partnerships.
The Partners Network Includes:
Partners envisions an ever growing
interconnected global neighborhood where
people
and organizations reach their fullest potential
through
long-lasting partnerships.

4. WHERE WE ARE TODAY
OUR LEGACY
Inspired by President Kennedy and founded in 1964 under the
Alliance for Progress, Partners is a non-profit, non-partisan
organization with international offices in Washington, D.C.

75 chapters in 33 countries

23 Partners Campuses

10 development programs in 20
countries

$6.5 - $8.5 million dollar budget

55 Staff: 25 in DC + 30 field staff

5. Over the past 10 years…
10,000 VOLUNTEERS have contributed 1 MILLION HOURS
of service to equal $15 MILLION in professional expertise.
Connect Serve Change Lives

6. PARTNERS’ CAPACITIES

Food Security & Agricultural Development

Sport for Development

Youth & Children

Climate Change & Environmental Protection

Professional Leadership Exchanges

Civil Society & Governance

Women & Gender Equality

Arts & Culture

8. THE “PARTNERS” APPROACH
“Being a volunteer, serving selflessly, is a position of power. It moves you from
being a victim to being an agent of change. “
- Uma Viswanathan

9. TREND LINES FOR ANALYSIS
• 57,000,000 removed from extreme poverty in LAC
• More energy in the Americas than the Middle East
• By 2060, population in the Americas is larger than in China
• Growing Interest in Civil Society and NGO Service Providers
• More Latinos in the U.S. than anywhere else outside of Mexico

11. STRATEGIC PLANNING
VS.
STRATEGIC ISSUE MANAGEMENT
“No one plans to fail.
They fail to plan…”

12. STRATEGIC ISSUE MANAGEMENT
“Lets stop borrowing from corporate
America and Russia.”

13. NON-PROFITS & NON GOVERNMENT
PLANNING CHALLENGES
• Strategic Planning — Corporate Models: “From Russia with Love”
• Today’s Environment: Complex, Fast Changing and Competitive
• Without a strategy to adapt:
– Missed Opportunities
– Unanticipated Developments
– Stagnation, decline…closure

14. OBSTACLES TO SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC
PLANNING
1.
Reliance on antiquated corporate “strategic plans”
2.
Failure to develop planning design to match outcomes
3.
Failure to match plan to leadership and management
needs and levels.
4.
Passive, non-engaged boards

15. STRATEGIC ISSUE
MANAGEMENT
HOW IT DIFFERS FROM STRATEGIC PLANNING
• Conscious focus on change
• Action bias and attention to implementation
• Selectivity in addressing limited strategic issues
• Avoidance of mechanical projections into the future.
• High level of collective involvement of both staff and board
• Commitment to continuous refinement and change

16. SELECTIVE INVESTMENT
IN CHANGE
THE NARROW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
• Resources Available for Strategic Change: A Clear Understanding of:
– TIME & STAFFING
– MONEY
– ENERGY
• REM Factor: Risk, Effort and Meaning

17. CREATING THE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
FOR CHANGE
• Leadership—”The Servant Leader” by Robert Greenleaf
• Self-Directed Learning Goals and Agenda
• “White Water Management” or “Placid Lake?”
• Performance + Learning Reviews
• The Manager as Teacher and Mentor

18. 5 KEY STEPS TO
STRATEGIC ISSUE
MANAGEMENT
1.
Design—fit to needs of the NGO
2.
Clarifying Values, Vision and Mission
3.
Identification of Strategic Issues—identify challenges facing NGO that require immediate
attention.
4.
Development of Strategic Change Projects
5.
Implementation of Strategic Change Projects

19. #1. DESIGNING A PROCESS
Four major elements:
1.
Outcomes
2.
Constraints
3.
Process and Structure
4.
Required Resources

20. #2. CLARIFYING THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
• Values:
Clarify the “Values” Statement
• Vision:
A picture of a desired future
• Mission:
Defines the boundaries and limits to
services, products, clients & their
role. Must have product, client &
role.

21. #3. IDENTIFY & SELECT STRATEGIC ISSUES
• Change Challenges: Should we do something different to move closer to
our vision?
• Selectivity is the Name of the Game — and
Greatest Risk
Over-Extension is the

22. #4. DEVELOPING STRATEGIC CHANGE PROJECTS
• Gathering Intelligence on the Issue(s)
• Fashioning Strategic Change projects –a course of action.
• Building a Staffing and Leadership Team
• Bringing Board and Staff Together

23. #5. IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC CHANGE PROJECTS
• Establish a formal structure and process to manage strategic change portfolio
• Assigning explicit oversight of the strategic management program to a board and staff
committee

24. THE GUIDING COALITION
The Inner Core: Carriers of the Vision and Mission.
The Difference Between Confidants and Allies:
The Deep Trust Challenge
Energy Field:

25. STRATEGIC ISSUE MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE:
PARTNERS’ INTERPRETATION

26. OUR VISION

27. GOAL SETTING
Sample framework:

28. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION CALENDAR
2012 Review & 2013 Preview

29. ANNUAL BUDGETING STRATEGY
March:
1st Quarter Board Review & Fiscal Budget
Approval
May:
President Review and Approve Revised
Budget based on Revenue and Expenses
July:
Mid Term Budget and Performance Review
September:
3rd Quarter Review of Budget by Board and
Senior Management
November:
Planning Process and Review/preview Starts
Over

30. 50 YEAR PROJECTION
GOAL:
STRATEGIC VISION
2014
2064
Financial Sustainability
• Budget
• Online Store Sells
• Diversification of Funds
• Foundation Endowment
$6.5 M
$2,500
90% Government
$1 M
$26 M
$118,000
10% Government
$50 M
Network Strength
• Chapters
• PartnersCampus
• NGOs
• University Affiliates
76
22
4
186
163
215
164
342
Good Governance
• Board Meetings/Year
• Communications
• Leadership Training
• Accreditations
3
2 Staff
1 Hr/1X/Year
BBB Only
12
18 Staff
4 Regional Academies
BBB + 4 Others

31. ADDITIONAL READINGS

32. QUESTIONS?