International Office Report to the IEC 2006

(from September 2005 to August 2006)

Marie’s mission and impression after her first year at WILPF

I now have a pretty good idea of how things work and have been working at WILPF. I’d like to implement some procedures to make things run more smoothly. One of my aims is to make members more responsible so the organization can rely on them, the way I now understand that WILPF always aimed to be.

We all have to make a large effort on management and organization development because we are BEHIND. Then when things are smooth, management will hopefully take less time and energy.

I have written below an overview of what was done and more importantly what needs to be done in and from the office in Geneva from an office management (part I) and an organization development (part II) perspectives.

 

1. Personnel

One of my missions is to make sure that the current atmosphere is pleasant in the office in Geneva. I believe that, despite the tremendous workload, so far, so good!

Staff

Geneva

There is far too much work. 2 full-time staff are sharing 4 positions. This needs to be a short-term arrangement. This is frustrating as it leaves the feeling that objectives can never be reached.

It is not sustainable and very unhealthy. This was raised during the Officers Meeting in March, but the situation has not improved at all since.

At the moment: WILPF cannot afford the necessary staff = the current staffs work double.
What we request is: WILPF cannot afford the necessary staff = the current staffs are helped by active officers, standing committees, working groups and volunteers until the organization can afford the necessary staffs.

Suggestion in complement to the above: to lighten the work of the Geneva staff in office management and organization development and also because we have the necessary structure to train a young woman in these fields, we suggest that we offer from now on a full time annual internship in management and development.

New York
The New York staff’s personnel policy issue still needs resolving. (NY and Geneva staffs do not fall under the same personnel policies). The personnel committee is to look into the matter.

Interns

We are implementing new procedures so as to be more and more efficient.
The interns take part of the procedure process, from the assessment of the need, the idea to respond to it, and finally to the implementation of the solution.

It is crucial to recognize that although interns are really helpful and bring a pleasant atmosphere to the office, they are also here to learn and they therefore require a lot of attention and time: training, coaching, reminders…
Bearing this in mind and knowing that our internships are designed so the interns are fully immersed in WILPF’s work, especially in relation to the UN and advocacy, I strongly believe that the International Office complies well with WILPF’s aim to train and empower young women.

Note: a welcome pack is now given to interns and volunteers when they start with us. It includes a reminder of what the intern is expecting to do, tips on lobbying, information on how we work in the office, on official matters like insurance and permit, a short guide on Geneva…

Below is a short description of our past and current interns and volunteers:

Philomena
Disarmament intern - 2005 (paid full-time intern)
Finished her internship in December 2005. Continues to be in Geneva working with the ILO.

Alex
Disarmament intern - 2006 (paid full-time intern)
Ended internship on 30th March for personal reasons.
Remains committed to WILPF.
New IEC member for the Swedish section.
New member of staff, focusing on disarmament at WILPF Sweden.

Bea
Disarmament intern - 2006 (paid full-time intern)
Started on 20th March. (overlap time with Alex and received a great hand over from her).
Knew the disarmament field from Sweden.
Part of Sweden internship cooperation.
Allocates around 30% of her time to management.

Please see Secretary General’s report for more details on Sweden internship cooperation.

Michelle
Human rights intern - 2006 (paid full-time intern)
Started on 1st March. We extended her internship in order to cover the HRC until 30th June.
Reported on the transition between the Commission for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council.
Did daily reporting, coordinated WILPF delegation and round tables during Human Rights Council.
Worked on treaty body reform paper.
Remains committed to WILPF. Will raise awareness of WILPF in Ecuador.

The HR internship is funded by the German section. Please see Secretary General’s report for more details.

Brianna
Volunteer intern. Student in Geneva. (4 days a week)
Started on 6th March, ended 28th April.
Helped with office tasks and human rights issues.
Remains committed to WILPF. Will raise awareness of WILPF at University in Pennsylvania, USA.

Maya
Volunteer human rights intern. Student in Geneva. (full time)
Started on 13th June, ended on 28th July. Overlap during HRC with Michelle.
Contributed to HRC daily reporting.
Allocated around 30% of her time to management.

Line
Volunteer management intern. Student in Grenoble, France (full time)
Started on 1st June, ended 28th July.
English, French and Spanish speaker.
Allocated around 30% of her time to programme. Contributed to HRC daily reporting.
Remains committed to WILPF. Will raise awareness of WILPF at University in Lyon. Offered the French section to act as temporary co-president (with Stéphanie) from fall 2006 to spring 2007, as the French section needs leadership and revitalizing. The proposal is under negotiations.

Stéphanie
Volunteer management intern. Student in Paris, France. (full time)
Started end May, ended 28th July.
English, French and Spanish speaker.
Focused on IEC preparation.
Remains committed to WILPF. Will raise awareness of WILPF at University in Paris. Offered the French section to act as temporary co-president (with Line) from fall 2006 to spring 2007, as the French section needs leadership and revitalizing. The proposal is under negotiations.

Volunteers

Lee
Still comes by. Maintains and coordinates the office library.

Ashley
Started in April, ended end of July. (one day a week)
Helped with office tasks and human rights matters.
Remains committed to WILPF. Will raise awareness of WILPF at University and Rotary club in Pennsylvania, USA

Betty June
Volunteer from USA
Offered to stay with us from June to October to assist with office admin and fundraising research.
Was not able to help as had difficulty getting adjusted to the new environment. Required a lot of attention. A lot of time was invested with the hope that she would find a way to help.
Even though she had undergone health tests before coming to Geneva, she unfortunately had a stroke. This had a huge impact on the office, staff, resources and capacity as she required care before and during her stay at the hospital (hospital visits, contacts with the doctors, with friends and family in the USA, logistics for travel back home…). She is now home and we are happy that she is feeling better.

Tom
Offered to help with web design and translation.
Started on 17th July 2006, open ended with very limited availability.

Brigitte
Offered to help with office matters. (one day a week)
Student in Geneva.
Started end of August, open ended.

Pool of volunteers in office matters
Available for mailing, for instance.

Pool of volunteers in programme work
We need to build a larger pool of volunteers, that could include UN representatives, who would be able to cover and report on UN conferences and meetings for us.

2. Look of the office

A large effort was made for the office to look inviting to visitors as well as staff, volunteers and interns.

I make a point (not always easy for all to understand) that a clean and tidy office provides a more effective working environment and gives a more professional look to our organization.

I am still hoping to find the time soon to go through what is already in the office (mainly binders and boxes) and assess what is useful to keep and what can be sent to archives. This would help unclutter the office, which would offer us a better environment to work in and I am sure would also prove to be very valuable information for Susi and I.

3. Information Technology

Susi and I use good computers and the office is now on a wireless network and internet system (for those of you who have been to the office in the past, you may remember these rather dangerous cables running everywhere). Now these are history and our computer system is reliable, which we are extremely happy about.
We might consider the replacement of one very old computer that does not offer the functionality we need.
And we still need to clean up our server once and for all.

4. Accounting and fundraising

Accounting
Our relationship with our accountant is very good. I closely follow monthly and annual accounting for the Geneva office.

Actions following 2006 Officer meeting related to Geneva accounting were dealt with and 2205 and 2006 accounting will be presented at this IEC.

Fundraising
Fundraising is a priority and this is the reason why we need help from the fundraising committee.
Please see detailed paragraph on the matter later in this report.
More details on fundraising in the Secretary General report.

5. Swiss authorities and insurance

WILPF complies well with Swiss regulations and law.
Speaking French and being able to understand the Swiss system is a plus!
The office and the paid staffs and interns are well covered in terms of insurance.

6. Events

See travel assistance draft decision.

IEC
Organizing the event and fund-raising for it represents a very heavy work load.
No section had offered to host the 2006 IEC until we asked around in March this year.
The UK section kindly offered to host the IEC this year and is doing a tremendous job on logistics.

Understanding WILPF aims and principles, I believe that every section and member should feel responsible for the event one way or another. (by helping practically before and during the meeting, fundraising, making sure that their accommodation and travel costs are minimum when part of the travel assisted list…).

Would it be appropriate to re-consider the idea of having only 1 IEC in between Congresses? This was one of the ideas discussed during the Officers Meeting in March 2006.

IWPC
One suggestion: the Cuba delegation should present their report to the Congress 2007.
More details on IWPC in the Secretary General’s report.

Congress 2007
We connected with Bolivia in preparation to the 2007 Congress, but with little success. We hope that the IEC will be the occasion for Bolivia to present what they are planning to do and for WILPF to start planning the event.

Practically speaking, there will be a need for someone to deal with the logistics of the meeting, maybe an intern in Bolivia?

Suggestion for an agenda item during Congress: a report from the Cuba delegation.

WILPF 100
Quote from the March 2006 OM summary of decisions/actions:
“Committee of One Hundred: each member pledges or raises 1000 dollars, euros or CHF.
Year 2015: could be an IEC in The Hague. If it is a Congress, we have to alter the years we have Congresses. This needs to be decided at Congress 2007.”

We hope that this IEC will be the occasion to seriously start thinking about the 100th Anniversary.

6. Publications

IPU
WILPF International is receiving great help from Annelise Ebbe from the Danish section, with planning, layout, editing, printing... Susi is still very much involved in proof-reading and editing.

The subscriptions and the mailing are coordinated in Geneva, where we are working on improving their management. (see paragraph on unique database later in this report).
The March06 OM urges all sections to have at least 5 subscriptions. The new layout is helping.

See Secretary-General’s report for more information on IPU as well as a draft decision on cover price.

 

1. Sections

WILPF needs to strengthen its section network. The organization needs to look stronger, closer together, acting together, communicating to each other, active on national level, carrying and adapting the international programme, representing WILPF’s principles, ideas… even if it means letting go of some sections.

According to the section reports review made in preparation to this IEC, one of Geneva’s priority issues should be to hold WILPF together by, for instance, keeping the sections in touch through information sharing. I also believe that this should be one of our priorities since the sections network is the foundation of WILPF.

Suggestion: section campaign with:
- Thorough inventory of sections and branches that will allow us to establish if WILPF is well represented on the national and local levels.
- Proposal of help to sections that need revitalizing.
- Communication campaign requesting all sections to use the same logo, colors, theme, website…
- Request that the sections comply with the international campaigns.
- Take actions to terminate or hold sections if they do not respect the constitution and by-laws.

Below is an update on the sections requiring special attention that I have been in contact with in the past year:

Burundi
The section is being re-structured as the President’s new professional activity does no longer allow her to allocate time to WILPF.
Communication was established from the Secretariat.
The section promised to be in touch with us when the new bureau was elected.
We did not receive a report from the section.

Rwanda
Was recognized as a WILPF-Group by the Officers in March 2006.
Formal communication was established from the Secretariat.
We haven’t heard much from them.
They were invited to submit a report/information about them and their full contact details for the IEC. They did not respond.
The Group is waiting to be approved by the Congress 2007 as a Section.

Bulgaria
Requested to be dissolved at Congress 2004.
Their request was apparently refused and the section was turned into a core group.
I contacted them personally and my understanding is that they do not have a capacity to continue being either a section or a group.

France
Close communication was established with the members of the French section in Paris.
The current state of the bureau is alarming: the Secretary-General/IEC member and the treasurer are leaving their functions in December 2006. One of the co-presidents quit during 2006 and the other one is terminally ill. According to Paris, no one seems to want to take over.
A proposal was made by the two management interns from the International office for them to act as short-term co-presidents (from October 2006 to March 2007) to revitalize the section and make sure there is a transition between the outgoing bureau and a new team. Part of the proposal was also to attract young women from the Universities that the two ex-Geneva interns will attend during the up-coming academic year. The proposal was not well received and discussions are in progress.

Sections that seem to need attention (prior to section campaign)
Italy (very little contact)
France
Ireland (requested that the section be terminated in 2006)
Argentina
Chile
Peru
Bulgaria (requested that the section be terminated in 2004)
Burundi
Israel
Venezuela

Pan Africa region at Congress
Quote from the March 2006 OM summary of decisions/actions:
“Proposal at Congress to have a Pan Africa Region needs to be elaborated upon together with African sections and Diaspora”.

We encourage the appointment of several African regions focal points who would coordinate & help the current sections, develop membership and replace sections in countries where membership is lower than 10. Maybe the IEC06 can invite someone to start this project?

Bilateral section to section projects
These projects are already in place in several sections: please see Secretary General’s report for more details.

Work needs doing to assess what is being done and see if this is something that WILPF encourages and wants to communicate on. This could be part of the section campaign.

Communication with sections and international members
From the section reports
According to the section reports review made in preparation to this IEC, the section mailing proves to be useful and the sections still think that the communication system could be improved. In addition, they would like more information about what the other sections do and about the work of the Officers and committees.
The sections also request more information and reports on major UN meetings and on the international activities undertaken from Geneva.

Some of the sections’ ideas on how to improve communication between Geneva and them are:
- More report
- Section visits
- Emails and websites in other languages (at least Spanish and French)
- Use of plain and clear language when in English
- Update website and use other communication tools, like Skype or video conferences

From the secretariat
We currently communicate to the sections on a monthly basis, via the “section mailing”.
The secretariat will, from now on, send:
- “monthly updates” to sections, members and whoever wants to hear about WILPF, focusing on programme, section/committee updates and information that the Secretariat wants to share (the sections are strongly encouraged to include these monthly updates to their own national communication to their members), as well as:
- “organization updates” to IEC members, Officers… for organizational matters that need to remain among WILPFers.

See Secretary General’s report for more details on the newly created information and discussion lists.

Expanded International website hosting all national websites and a unique database
One of our actions within a new communication campaign would be to expand WILPF’s International website so it becomes a real platform of communication for and with the sections.

When this tool is ready, which we hope will be by next Congress, we will be happy to provide sections with training on website and database management.

WILPF International would assist and deal with updates for the few sections which do not have access to the internet.

Our first idea is to develop 2 projects:

1. National websites within WILPF International
Within the WILPF’s International website, some web pages / websites would be created for the sections which do not have a website yet. The sections which already have a website would be requested to harmonize their look with and link it closely to the International one.
Each section would be requested to update their page/site with information relevant to their work.

2. Unique database
Some tools will be developed so as to ease the sharing information process. A web based data base, accessible by all sections would, for instance ease the IPU subscription management: the section could add or remove subscribers and we, in Geneva would access the list of subscribers instantly. No need to email us each new subscriber, no need for us to input or remove them from our data base, as there would be only one unique database for WILPF at large.
The sections would be responsible for updating their details as well as their members’ and IPU subscribers’ in the database.

This would have some positive effects on 3 levels:

1. Internal communication
We need to hear more from the sections and this would facilitate both ways communication.
This way, the secretariat and all sections would be aware of all sections’ work.
If the sections update their website regularly, it will be easy for them to report on their activities in preparation to the international meetings.
This will also enhance transparency and encourage common work as every section will be able to see what the other ones are doing on the same subject.

Over all, we believe that this would answer the many remarks we received on the section reports on the need for more and better communication between the sections as well as between WILPF International and the sections.

2. External communication from each section
It would also provide a great communication tool for each section.

3. Strengthened image
This would have the positive effect to harmonize WILPF’s communication: by having all sections’ websites look similar WILPF’s image would gain in strength as the entire network of sections would be represented.

In addition, we aim at expanding WILPF’s International website with the following tools and capacity:
Online donation
Online membership
Online registration for events

2007 management and development intern
Suggestion: 2007 management and development intern to focus on sections (communication, management help to revitalize/structure the section, possible visit, put together a welcome pack to new sections with rights and obligations, that could also be sent to each section as a reminder…)

Quote from the Mar 2006 OM summary of decisions/actions:
“New sections to be given clear information on financial obligations and date of first assessment”.

Section visits
We believe that, even though WILPF’s financial situation does not currently allow them, visits to sections are crucial to strengthen the WILPF section and members network. We need to find a solution!

2. Members

National vs. international members
We need to transfer the few international members to their sections when their membership is up for renewal. We need to follow up on renewal with international members who have no section in their country or who prefer being part of WILPF International. This requires attention.

Communication with members
The monthly update mentioned above will act as an e-news letter that every member will be able to subscribe to. This way, WILPF International will be able to communicate directly with the members who wish so.

3. Committees

WILPF’s standing committees would be really useful to the development of the organization, and therefore to us, knowing, again, that we are understaffed and that we therefore cannot do all what needs to be done to move WILPF forward the way it deserves.

We need the committees to be reliable and efficient. I would like to be able to work much closer with them.

Susi put together a list for each committee (with the listserve system), which should improve the way we communicate. What we need now are motivated committee members and even more motivated committee convenors.

- Fundraising
We greatly need active support from the fundraising committee as fundraising is WILPF’s most urgent priority. Practically speaking, we could do with some help on:
1. Research on governments, foundations or companies that could be approached by WILPF International according to our different projects as well as organizations likely to fund the structural part of WILPF International. (With details of deadlines and procedures).
2. Basic draft of grant proposals, for structural funds and according to the programmes implemented by WILPF Geneva that we could then adapt from the Geneva office.
3. Help/training throughout the fundraising process and possible fund raising done directly by the committee.
4. Encourages all sections and members to fundraise by sharing tips.
5. …

We also require full support from the committees in:
- Communication
- Personnel
- Membership development
- Organizational development
- Constitution
We would be very happy to meet/discuss with each committee to establish the best future cooperation/operation.

- Finance
We feel well supported by the finance committee. We hope that our future cooperation will remain on the same level and we encourage the same kind of involvement from all other committees.

Side note: I believe that the committees should be responsible for their meetings and work (they therefore should know who from their membership will attend an international meeting and can provide their needs in terms of meeting room). Susi should not have to guess, like she had to do for this IEC!

4. External Communication

It seems that WILPF is very well known and recognised among NGOs, missions and the UN structure. There is a lack, however, in general awareness among people who are not from our field.
We believe that this is where an external communication strategy should be put in place.

Brochure
A brochure with clear and simple information on what WILPF International does was designed with the purpose of distributing it widely to raise awareness among people who are not already involved in our field, and therefore who do not know WILPF yet.
This brochure could be a tool to develop membership and attract new donors as well as volunteers.
We are planning to distribute it during events targeting people who do not know WILPF yet.
The draft needs to be put forward to the communications committee.
Once approved, the brochure will be translated into Spanish and French.
We will encourage the sections to base their own brochure on this one, so as to harmonize WILPF’s image around the world. (see paragraph on unique logo and communication in general).

Universities
We were lucky to host wonderful interns this year, and we “only allowed them to go” on the condition that they keep in touch with us and communicate on WILPF in their home towns and Universities. We therefore rely on:
Alex in Sweden, who is now a full time staff of WILPF Sweden.
Brianna and Ashley in Pennsylvania in the United States.
Stephanie and Line in Lyon and Paris, France.
Michelle in Ecuador.
Brigitte in Geneva, Switzerland.

External communication events
We have the project to organize events are universities, concerts or entertainment places in Geneva and other places where we have contacts to reach the largest audience among young people.

Harmonize external communication from sections
Same logo, image, letterhead, membership form, name, website…
I strongly believe that this is one of the requirements to strengthen WILPF’s image and section network. Time and effort should be allocated to this.

Now, all we have to do is… work hard to move WILPF forward!

Marie Boroli, International Office Manager, August 2006