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ABANG YOUTH FORUM/STRATEGIC PLANNING

 Abang Community
Abang is a small community within Gak Boma of Kolnyang Payam of Bor County, Jonglei State. Its border Anyidi Payam and Jiir/Adol communities within Gak Boma of Kolnyang payam and it is one of the nine communities of Kolnyang payam which form Juor-Hol community i.e. Abang, Jiir, Adol, Adaar, Guala, Gool, Awan, Nyichaak, and Abiyi. This strategic Forum is a model grounded in the collection and analysis of information about our community background, Historical development, Land and its Neighboring communities.
 
The reasons for this strategy plan is to implement current community policies, protocol and incorporate with others group like intellectual in the planning process. This information sharing must be a policy within this Forum to transform the community system of Administration into a new Administrative system.
To acknowledge youth of Abang community background, Historical events and better relationship among themselves,
 
Essential elements to make Abang Youth Forum successfully are:
 
1.       Knowledge of Community background
2.       Transformation of Administrative system
3.       Effective utilization of community resources i.e. land, forestry, water and boundaries. 
 
Some steps to be taken to make this strategic planning
Below are the steps of strategic planning for implementing Abang Youth Forum.
 
1.        Identify the supporter (s) for the process
The main supporters we have identified are community elders, community intellectuals, and Payam Administrator
2.       Initiate and agree on a strategic planning process
The initial agreement is one of the most important steps in the strategic process. The purpose of this step is to develop an initial agreement among the key decision makers and external stakeholders about   whether the community or organization’s pursuit of strategic planning is worthwhile.
3.       Mission of Abang Youth Forum
The mission of Abang Youth Forum is to collect, analyze and evaluate information, so more informed decisions can be made concerning utilization of resources and the delivery of development services while respecting the constitution, Human Rights and Democratic values of Abang citizens.
4.       Clarity Abang Youth Forum mission and mandate
This is your opportunity to clarifying the purpose(s) of Abang Youth Forum so one can eliminate a great deal of unnecessary conflict and can channel discussion and activity productively.
 
5.       Assess and identify the external and internal environments on Abang community strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in regards to this Forum
Strengths
·        Community relationship
·         Enables the community to make better decisions
·         Get equal right
·         Formation of association
·         Promote cultural activities amount the community
·         Better utilization of resources
·         People properly trained in analysis
·         Empowered people
 
Weakness
    * Lack of cooperation
    * Lack of training utilization
    * Failure to consider experience in decision making
    * Lack of funding
    * Biases on presumption
    * Lack of approach
    * Biases on discrimination
    * Lack of attending community duties
    * No appreciation for the value of information
    * Community resistance to change
    * Lack of leader support
    * Lack of command response
Opportunities
    * Increase community support
    * Sharing of idea in Payam level
    * Improve communications/reduce conflict
    * Help Payam support community or any donors
 
Threats
    * Lack of controlling our resources i.e. Land, Water, trees, grasses, soils, cattle and so on.
    * Political and environmental problems
    * Corruption of system.
    * Lack of communication with elders
    * Lack of equipments
    * Lack of infrastructure
    * Tradition/culture
 
6.       Establish an effective community vision for implementing Forum
 
The vision of Abang Youth Forum is to transform Abang policies to enhance community maintaining its historical behavior and system of administration by effective utilization of its resources and create a better relationship within the communities i.e. Biar, Pageer, Lual-Jooh and Malual.
 
7.       Identify the strategic issues facing community
 
There are several strategic issues facing the community. Strategic issues are basic policy questions or critical challenges affecting the community mandate, mission, values, services level, cost financing, structure, processes and management. Some of the issues are supposed to be discussed by Abang Youth Forum like:
 
a.       How do we encourage and develop community relations?
b.      How can we train all the community on Abang Youth Forum and what are the trainings we anticipate?
c.       How are we going to solve the existing issues of Malual-chaat?
d.      How is Abang Youth Forum going to be managed with in community?
e.      How/where are we going to find funding for Abang Youth Forum?
f.        How can we find the equipment needed to implement Abang Youth Forum?
g.       How can we increase the internal communication of community?
h.      How can we increase the commitment of community on Abang Youth Forum?
 
8.       Preparing strategies to manage the issues in relations to Abang Youth Forum
A strategy is a pattern of purposes, policies, programs, actions, decisions, or resource allocation that defines what an organization is, what it does and why it does it.
 
a.       How do we encourage and develop community relations / communications with others communities and other information sources in a transparent manner?
 
 By building relationships with the community, the ways of getting positive support from the community include:
 
-          Develop community relations through regular interaction between community and the members.
-          Transparency through openness with the community concerning community responsibilities
-          Creating community centers to promote community contact.
-          Identify the group of people we can train within community.
 
 
 
b.      How can we train the community of Abang Youth Forum and what are the trainings we anticipate?
 
 By conducting training needs assessment you will be able to identify the skills necessary to perform AYF functions. On conducting seminars, workshops on the AYF
 
c.       How is Abang Youth Forum going to be managed with in community?
 
In order for the AYF to be successful, community must be willing to dedicate 10 – 12 personnel fulltime to this program. This is a new program for Abang Youth, so some challenges are expected along the way. However, through optimistic teamwork, we will be able to manage the challenges effectively.
 
9          Review and adopt the strategies of strategic plan
 
Once strategies have been formulated, the planning team may need to obtain an official decision to adopt the plan and proceed with implementation. This typically involves bringing the community back for review with its nearby communities and approves better relations.
 
10     Develop an effective implementation process for the community
 
Without effective implementation, every important issue will not be adequately, and lasting results will not be achieved.  The challenges and solutions for implementation will be strategically identified and addressed in the next couple of meeting/days.
 
11     Re-evaluate the strategies and strategic planning process
 
It is important to re-evaluate the strategies and strategic planning process on a regular basis. To do that, we will hall some meetings:
 
a)      Regular meeting with the youth and community to discuss the progress of the program.
b)      Regular meeting with the youth leaders and community chief for constant review of the program.