In the new UNFPA Strategic Plan 2014-2017, the Fund is guided by the goal to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health, realize reproductive rights, and reduce maternal mortality to improve the lives of women and youth around the world.
To be proactive and well prepared for the changes that lie ahead, the Cambodia Country Office team came together for a one day session on March 6th to discuss how we can align our Country Programme with the new strategic direction that was recently introduced globally.
Throughout the day, several sessions were led by the UNFPA Representative, Dr. Derveeuw Marc to provide concrete guidance on our alignment with the new Strategic Plan. The team worked together in groups to examine the four parts of the business model - what impacts we seek to achieve, where we are going to achieve impact, how we will achieve impact, and who will enable the organization to achieve impact. Additionally, based on the Outcome theories of change, staff were able to brainstorm and develop strategic interventions to implement and achieve impact, which integrate the outcomes of our current Country Programme with the goal and outcomes of the Strategic Plan. The group activities also provided staff with an opportunity to look at different modes of engagement based on our country situation, which will enable us to achieve more impact in an effective and efficient way.
To make a smooth transition into the new Strategic Plan, the staff identified key areas and actions for alignment and developed a transition plan. "This is a critical exercise to broaden my knowledge in programming and helps me understand how I can prepare myself for the theories of change. This also allows us to access results quickly and clearly", said Sok Sokun, National Programme Officer for Reproductive Health, UNFPA.
The group sessions throughout the day enabled staff to apply strategies of advocacy and policy dialogue and knowledge management, and encouraged staff to recognize how to increase activities which lead to capacity development. The team discussed how service delivery can be the basis for our advocacy and policy work. All staff now feel empowered to apply the new way of doing business and how to align with the new Strategic Plan.
