NAPO Organizational Renewal in Full Swing

by Lynne Tyler

NAPO has been around for 30 years and, although our mandate remains the same “ to end poverty “ the world we work in is very different, and we need to keep current. Some of our members and coalition partners have become concerned that NAPO is not as active or visible as we used to be, and as we need to be.

So, this spring, NAPO decided to launch an organizational renewal, so that we can fire up the engines of anti-poverty work at the federal level!

The new board got down to work at its meeting right after the July AGM and made some important decisions.

First on the board€™s list of things to do is the development of a full strategic plan for NAPO for the next three yeas, which will be finalized at the board meeting in the fall. Over the summer, a Strategic Planning Working Group will work to research and prepare options for this strategic plan.

While we are working over the summer to prepare the strategic plan, the board identified three areas where work can get started:

1. Over the long term, establishing a Guaranteed Adequate Income will be an important part of ending poverty. We need to start moving towards this, step by step.
   
2. Market Basket Measure announced by the Federal government is a current issue that provides some opportunities for NAPO. We will analyze the Market Basket Measure and develop a NAPO position. We also hope to use it to put pressure on provincial governments to raise welfare rates.
   
3. Free trade and globalization issues are part of the larger context that is driving down the level of public services and human rights protection for poor people. We need to develop a NAPO position that shows how globalization promotes poverty.

The board is also working to put our own house in order. Over the next year, we plan to

• increase and diversify the funding base of NAPO
• re-build communication links with members (e.g. more issues of NAPO News, update website, etc.)
• stabilize the staff base, and hire more staff
• strengthen our financial systems, and balance the budget
• expand the NAPO membership base
• establish clear responsibilities of board members, and ensure our accountability to members

This is exciting and challenging work. We look forward to moving ahead with the support of all of our members.

Lynne Tyler is a consultant with Catalyst Research and Communications.