UNDP promotes multisectoral responses to the causes and consequences of the HIV epidemic. To this end, UNDP advocates approaches to development which reflect shared "concepts of facilitation rather than direction", recognizing that "for ideas and programmes to take root; sources of learning must be local, based on the realities of the lived experience."

Attaining this common vision and collaborative approach presents a challenge for training of personnel regardless of their sectoral focus or level of responsibility. This activity addresses this challenge in an experiential way.

Purpose:

To sensitize participants to the importance of achieving a unified vision among the many actors involved in the programme, with full awareness of the roadblocks to be overcome and the resources yet to be explored along the entire roadway towards the goal.

Time: 2 hours

Materials:

A handout of instructions for the group task, large sheets of newsprint or chart paper, art supplies if needed by the subgroups to present their ideas.

Procedure:

Explain the rationale and the purpose of this activity to the group. Ask the participants to constitute themselves into three subgroups, taking care that the composition of each subgroup is intersectoral and multilevel to the extent possible. Allow time for the negotiations needed to achieve this balance by participants working on their own or with minimal assistance by the facilitator.

Explain that the activity they are about to undertake is a planning exercise on the same principle as the Force Field Analysis by the noted psychologist, Kurt Lewin, but done in a more informal, creative, and interactive way. In doing the exercise they will need to make full use of their personal knowledge of the realities of the epidemic in their own setting, in particular concerning the availability of appropriate resources and the main impediments likely to block the programme.

This task calls for 5 steps:

Step one:
Ask each group to take a large sheet of newsprint or chart paper and to draw, on the extreme left side, a "space" (a square, a circle, or whatever shape they wish) representing the existing status of the epidemic in a typical geographical area within their experience. The area should be given a fictitious name and the "space" should be labeled NOW. The group should define very clearly the problem represented in the "NOW" situation by asking itself questions such as: what are the predominant attitudes of people towards the epidemic? To what extent are our current preventive and coping strategies effective? Why not? What is lacking? What needs to be changed?

Step Two:
The group should then turn its attention to the right hand side of the newsprint. Here they need to visualize and depict graphically in some way their VISION of how the NOW situation could change for the better within a given span of time (say by the end of two years). This future space is to be called OPAL, i.e., Optimum Participation at All Levels; and is a goal to be achieved.

Step Three:
Each group should now draw a road connecting the unsatisfactory "NOW" situation on the left to the desired goal (OPAL) on the right. The road can take any shape they wish. It can be straight or curvy, single or with branches, level or with ups and downs; it can detour around major obstacles or use tunnels and overpasses to speed ahead. In creating their roadmaps participants should clearly indicate what specific hindrances they are likely to encounter along the way, whether they are physical, material, financial, technical or administrative impediments or even attitudinal and conceptual barriers which obstruct changes. Similarly, all available or potential resources should be identified on the map with indication of their source and potential impact.

Participants should thus feel free to use their imagination and their creative talents to depict how they propose to optimize the use of available resources, from the ground level up to policy levels and what practical steps they would initiate to ensure the attainment of a common vision and insightful collaborative action among all actors concerned.

Step Four:
Upon completing their roadmaps each subgroup should prepare a short written statement to accompany their maps, listing:

• the main roadblocks as well as resources identified;


• concrete steps envisaged to overcome roadblocks and to maximize resources, with particular reference to behavioural change;


• the role envisaged for different agents (governmental or non-governmental and civic) in the process of (hopefully) moving full speed ahead; and pointers as to how the process of collaborative effort at all levels can be assured, to create an enabling environment.

Step Five:
At the plenary session, which concludes this activity, all three subgroups in turn should "visit" each of the 3 sites to study and comment on the road maps at closer range and to draw joint conclusions.

Source: Adapted from Srinivasan, Lyra, Options for Educators