As our new funding agreement with DHS runs from 2006 to 2009, the Committee of Management thought it timely to revisit our goals, values and priorities, to get a better of understanding of what our constituent community and our stakeholders wanted from VIVAIDS, and to look at the capacity constraints, internal weaknesses and environmental factors that could impinge upon our work for drug users’ health and rights. Our strategic planning consultants, David Fowler and Aldo Spina, guided us through a comprehensive process which involved on-going involvement from staff and committee members and a thorough stakeholders’ review. Some of the finding were challenging – perhaps a few were wrong, but on the whole it was really empowering to learn of the high regard in which VIVAIDS is held and the importance that people place on our role.
The resultant strategic plan, currently being finalised, is already informing the development of our health promotion plan for the next three years, which in turn will assist us in drawing up our detailed organisational and project work plans. We also revisited our Mission Statement, with staff and COM opting for a set of words that captured the essence of our role, but which could also be used in all our promotional materials. One of the Constitutional Amendments on the agenda for this year’s AGM is the incorporation of the new Mission Statement into the Constitution. The Mission Statement is a slight variation to the slogan that we have been using with our logo for the last year or so.
"Recognising Rights, Reducing Harms,
Working for the Health of People who use Illicit Drugs".
There is an awful lot more that we can say about who we are and how we work, but it was felt that most of this is already picked up in the existing Statement of Aims and the Values statement that also comprises part of the strategic plan. Defining the core values of the organisation was a lot of fun and allowed us to really get to grips with some of the key issues that motivate us, rather than the more modest stuff of our funded projects. The Values Statement will be presented at the AGM. |
