Introduction
The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC) begins a new cycle of work with the presentation of the new strategic plan 2022-2024, built in a participatory manner and that outlines the roadmap of where we are going and how we will get there in the next 3 years.
Together with the membership, a new inspiring purpose was built, understood as the basis of what we do, how we do it and why we do it, which has been defined as follows: CLAC is the network of producers’ and workers’ organizations that leads the promotion of the principles and values of Fair Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean, and we act as agents of change in our own reality, contributing to the construction of a more just, equitable and sustainable world.
In preparation for the VIII General Assembly, it was thought that for the design and development of a comprehensive strategy that would guide CLAC’s path for the coming years, a group of experts would dedicate themselves, through exhaustive research work, to designing, in together with CLAC, this strategy.
This space shows the construction process of the new strategic plan. Azaí consultants was the organization designated to work in this process.
ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGNOSIS
During this phase of the process, we worked on the implementation of an organizational diagnosis of CLAC based on the tool designed to identify the level of development of the organizations that work for development in Latin America.
This process was nourished by quantitative and qualitative information that was collected through a virtual survey that explored the level of progress in seven specific areas of CLAC’s operation, conducting focus groups, interviews, a rigorous documentary review and the inputs collected during the evaluation of the current Strategic Plan by the consulting team.
As part of the process, an inspiring purpose was defined, a mega that accompanies the vision, and strategic guidelines and organizational goals were established. Finally, work was done on defining the strategic and tactical objectives for the next 3 years.
The inspiring purpose is the heart of the identity of organizations, it is the basis for understanding what we do, how we do it and why we do what we do. It is part of the construction of the narrative, its dynamics, its identity and its projection into the future.
The Vision is the statement of the strategy that allows us to understand the goal or idea of success that we have as an organization. It allows us to understand where we want to go.
The Mega allows to make the Vision operational. It includes indicators that allow us to measure how far or how close we are to fulfilling the Vision that we have set for ourselves as an organization.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES (SO) AND TACTICAL OBJECTIVES (TO)
In the field of planning, an objective is a statement that indicates the means to achieve a goal. Thus, the strategic objectives indicate the specific means to achieve the vision; while the tactical objectives do the same but based on the strategic objectives. In short, they are the “how” of this higher level and have a defined scope.
Strategic guidelines
In the strategic planning process, CLAC was characterized as a mestizo woman, who promulgates the values of social responsibility, justice, gender equity, transparency, autonomy, responsibility and will.
