Implementation

The Open Minds Initiative is developed in each country through a programme, experimented in Egypt in 2007, including five phases.

Identification Phase

During this phase, the Management Team, in charge of the Open Minds Initiative in a given country, has to:

1. Identify, with the Scout and Guide Associations and inpartnership with local NGOs working there, one or several underprivileged communities where the initiative will start;
2. Analyse the social needs and opportunities existing in these communities;
3. Identify young people willing to take an initiative and launch a project of social change in these communities;
4. Enter in dialogue with these young people to analyse their expectations and their readiness to take initiative of change;
5. Invite them to present their candidature and to take part in the Open Minds Programme as Agents of Change.

If possible, we start with communities where Guiding and Scouting are already implanted or have good contacts.

Knowing these communities, their needs and the resources that already exist, is an asset to select the ideas of projects and help young people to develop them better. In this respect, we seek for partnerships with NGOs having already a field experience in these areas and able to bring us complementary skills (community empowerment, social development, micro credit, etc.).

The National Open Minds Committee set up a Selection Panel, which examine the candidates, with the help of the Management Team, and select those who have the most appropriate project ideas.
The two main criteria for selecting the ideas of projects are:

1. Their potential of social impact
2. Their potential of sustainability

Therefore, we principally focus on social driven-income generating projects or social entrepreneurship projects.

The Identification Phase plays a key role in the success of the programme. It should be planned and implemented carefully and should last 4 weeks at least.

Project Development Phase

During the Project Development Phase the agents of change have to build their projects, taking into account the community needs and resources, and to prepare a business or project plan.

The Project Development Phase will include the following steps:

1. A Leadership Skills seminar
2. A first fieldwork period
3. A Project Building seminar
4. A second fieldwork period
5. A Project Forum

The Leadership Seminar

At the end of this event - which lasts 5 full days - the participants should be able to:

1. Describe the mission and objectives of the Open Minds Initiative
2. Use active methods of learning
3. Lead and work in team using the shared leadership approach
4. Use Creative Thinking and Problem Solving Approaches
5. Use Conflict Management techniques
6. Plan activities and manage their time properly
7. Analyse the needs, problems and resources existing in their community and develop a strategy of change
8. Clarify their project idea and develop a personal plan for the field work (based on the analysis phase of the Logical Framework Approach)

The First Fieldwork Period

After the Leadership Seminar, the agents of change go back to their communities and check their project ideas against the community context (identifying the stake holders and how they can contribute, analysing the problems and the objectives, setting up the results to be achieved).

In order to avoid losing the momentum, the field work period should be intensive and should not last more than 4 weeks. The Agents of Change grouped in teams of 5-6 participants have to implement a personal work plan through a fixed calendar including regular meetings with a facilitator (one every two weeks). The facilitators should have the knowledge and skills to give an efficient support to the agents of change (including contacts with resource people within the community).

The Project Building Seminar

After the first fieldwork period, the agents of change get together for a second seminar, the Project Building Seminar. At the end of this event - which lasts 5 full days - the participants should be able to:

1. Explain the concept of their project and how it responds to some problems and needs in their community.
2. Define the results they want to achieve and set up an action plan showing key tasks, timing, roles and responsibilities.
3. Identify the assumptions they are making, evaluate the risks they run and take them into account in their action plan.
4. Identify indicators and sources of verification to develop a monitoring and evaluation process.
5. Acquire basic skills on budgeting, product/service pricing and financial management.
6. Develop a strategy of communication/marketing and fund raising.
7. Prepare a project/business plan.

The Second Fieldwork Period

The second fieldwork period should not last more than 4 weeks. Again, the agents of change grouped in teams of 5-6 participants have to implement a personal work plan through a fixed calendar including regular meetings with a facilitator (one every two weeks).

Their personal work plan includes: 

1. Implement the skills acquired during the Project Building seminar to prepare an action plan and a budget.
2. Check their ideas with partners and stake holders within their communities.
3. Complete a Project/Business Plan.

The Project Forum

The Project Forum is a 2-3 day event (a weekend) giving the agents of change the opportunity to:

1. Present each other their projects under the form of a panel exhibition;
2. Express their needs in terms of funds, support and complementary training;
3. Share ideas, comments, suggestions and discover how they could help each others;
4. Receive feedback and suggestions from other agents of change, facilitators and partners;
5. Identify agents of change that can work as group on some projects;
6. Evaluate the results of the Leadership Seminar and Fieldwork.

The Project Forum is also an opportunity for the agents of change to rehearse the presentation they will have to do to the Selection Panel (see below).

The Project Forum is also a way for the management team to assess the results of the training and support provided to the agents of change and to enter into a deeper dialogue, with them, about their projects.

Selection Phase

Selection Panel

During this phase, which lasts 2 days, the agents of Change present their projects to a Selection Panel. The Selection Panel is formed of national leaders of Scouting and Guiding, representatives of partners NGOs and local authorities. It is recommended that a member of the Board of the OMG Foundation takes part to the Selection Panel.

According to a set of criteria, the Selection Panel selects the projects, which are to be ready to be implemented. They identify and discuss the needs of agents of change - in terms of funds, support and complementary training. Some agents of change may be asked to present again their project to a next session of the Selection Panel, if their projects still need to be improved.

Confirmation by the OMG Board

As the selection of the projects to be supported is a key element of the Open Minds Initiative, the Board of the OMG Foundation has to be involved in the final decision. It receives a report from the Selection Panel detailing the various projects as well as the background of the Agents of Change, with a recommendation concerning the projects to be supported.

The OMG Board considers this recommendation and make the final decision.
In this crucial moment, it is important to avoid a too long delay between the meeting of the Selection Panel and the final decision of the Board. A precise planning is needed.

Signature of Agreements

As soon as the final decision of the Board is known, the Agents of Change are called for a meeting to be informed and to sign an agreement detailing:

1. The amount of the loan they will receive;
2. The repayment details, including timeframe and amounts;
3. The complementary support and training they will receive;
4. And their obligations, particularly in term of reporting and monitoring and evaluation.

Implementation Phase

The implementation phase lasts 6 months after the signatures of the agreements. During this period, the agents of change are followed by a facilitator, who plays a role of mentor for a limited group of agents of change in a specific area . The facilitator visits each project regularly and organises every month a meeting with the agents of change working in the area. He asks them to share their experiences and how their projects progress. Guided by the facilitator, the group analyses the problems and difficulties, identifies solutions and expresses further needs in terms of guidance (resource persons, experts) or training.

The Open Minds Manager in the country has a budget to respond to these needs through the intervention of experts or through training sessions to be proposed to the agents of change, particularly on specific skills required for some projects.

Long Term Follow-up Phase

As the sustainability of projects is a key element to evaluate the success of the Open Minds Initiative, the Management Team has to monitor and evaluate how the projects are evolving during a period of two years after the implementation phase.

They have to visit the projects regularly and monitor them with specific Monitoring & Evaluation tools. They formulate their observations in quarterly reports sent to the Open Minds Committee in the country and to the Open Minds Executive Team.