So now you have submitted your papers to the government, you are waiting for the official confirmation. You do not know what is the next step? Should I just keep waiting or move already to the next step. The answer to this question in organizational development would always have to be to never wait and simply do nothing, there are always steps to be taken and things to be done.
While waiting for the confirmation from the government, it is important to start thinking about the vision, mission, and the values of your association. You might say “But I have already thought about that and finished this step while filling out the form, the objectives of the associations are already set, and I already informed the government about it!”
Filling out a form that says your association will work in the social and cultural domains and set few objectives such as “strengthening the capacity of the youth through trainings”, is not enough of a foundation to build your association on. If the foundation is built on a strong vision, the association is set to grow, thrive and be impactful.
4.1. Vision
The famous question that always has been asked to children while growing up around the world is “What do you want to be when you grow up”? some will say doctors, some teachers, and others astronauts etc… That specific response is a combination between a dream, hope and something to impact.
The vision is the same, it is something big, it is the long-term impact of the association. It is very important to note that an association cannot have multiple visions, it is simply impossible, if not, very tiring to work towards transformation in a lot of areas within the community, choosing one vision and one path would help your association to grow healthier and faster.
Remember that the vision of the association cannot be established individually, you already found the right people who share the same passion, it is time to sit all together, and discuss your association’s dream.
Examples:
“Tunisia with trees in every corner”
“Tunisia without discrimination”
Few guiding questions:
- How do you envision the world to look like through our work?
- What is special about our association?
4.2. Mission
Coming to this step, meaning that you have worked so hard with your team to establish the vision of your association, well done! Now you are wondering with a bit of confusion, “We have dreamt so big, we are not sure how we could approach this, or if it is even possible?”. That is indeed the right concern and the right question to be asking, but do not let it bring you down, it is only the beginning of the road. For that reason, every association has to decide on its mission.
The process of creating your mission as an association can be compared to the steps one would take when trying to reach her/his dreams. In order to be a lawyer in Tunisia, one would focus on getting the right education, whether formally or informally as a first step, the dream here is being a lawyer, and the mission is having the right education.
The mission is what you have control over as an association, it is what you can and will do to reach your ultimate dream. Unlike the vision, the association can focus on more than one thing, as long as it aligns with the vision.
Example: The vision of your organization is “Tunisia with trees in every corner”, this dream can be achieved through focusing on a lot of areas, one of the areas could be raising awareness about the importance of trees. That can be achieved through events, trainings or supporting the local farmers.
“Raising awareness about the importance of tress through supporting the local farmers”
The mission should be clear and straight-forward, do not forget that it will be your motto later when in the stage of fundraising, it needs to be attractive as well.
4.3. Values
You have already worked on your vision as well as your mission. Now the last detail in this chapter, is to look at your values as an association. Each person in life has their own values, and these values will influence the way they are working or simply living their daily life. You often hear people saying, “These are my values or principles…”, and that is what usually makes someone different from another.
The same as an association, the values will distinguish you from any other entity and will make you unique, your beliefs and values will dictate how the implementation of the work will be approached.
Example: We value Integrity, Service, Participation and Affirmation in our work in which we aim for justice, dignity, and hope.
