In Outcome Mapping, the vision statement defines the system of interacting conditions, actors and actions in which an actor intends to intervene. It describes how those doing the visioning see and understand the situation they are concerned with.
The OM manual presents a particular style of vision that many have found useful, but in practice it is not essential to follow this format. many people already have their own way of presenting a vision which is adequate fo... Read more ▼
In Outcome Mapping, the vision statement defines the system of interacting conditions, actors and actions in which an actor intends to intervene. It describes how those doing the visioning see and understand the situation they are concerned with.
The OM manual presents a particular style of vision that many have found useful, but in practice it is not essential to follow this format. many people already have their own way of presenting a vision which is adequate for use in OM. What is essential is that those who are involved in creating a vision, understand and define the system of interacting conditions, actors and actions in which an actor intends to intervene. In Outcome Mapping the vision statement describes how those doing the visioning see and understood the situation they are concerned with. It identifies the intended beneficiaries focusing on their well-being and paints an idealized picture of the physical, social, economic or ecological circumstances that influence, directly or indirectly, that well-being. It describes the dynamics that ‘should’ pertain within the intervenor's sphere of concern and in so doing it defines the boundaries of the system in which the intervention will take place.
Prior to starting the Intentional Design steps, it is a good idea to assess whether calling it a ‘vision’ statement is appropriate. There may already have been a large investment in developing an existing organizational vision statement. It may not be helpful or welcomed to open up a process that revisits their struggle or that questions hard-won territory. Also, it may not fit organizational culture for an individual project or program to have its own ‘vision’ statement. Yet creating a vision statement has important functions. In the early stages it can enable team building and develop mutual understanding and trust among partners. And it can serve as a test of readiness to proceed. During implementation the vision statement (or whatever it is called) is a motivator and guide. Changing the label will not change its value. It may make sense to call it something other than a vision: a goal statement, an ideal future, a desired state – use a term that speaks to participants.
In preparing for the visioning process, a qualifying question is: "Do you know enough to create a fairly complete and vivid description of how things should be?" If your vision statement seems thin, has gaps, or lacks depth or insight: a) you do not know enough about the circumstances of the people whose well-being you want to influence - and therefore need to do more research / diagnosis; and b) you do not have the right people engaged in the visioning process - and therefore need to involve people with the appropriate knowledge. This is not to suggest that a vision statement is comprehensive. Rather, it highlights the range of circumstances and suggests a breadth and depth of understanding adequate to initiate action and engage with other stakeholders.
It sometimes challenges the comfort of the program or project staff to be crafting a description of conditions far beyond what can be achieved within the limits of the intervention. People are inured to being accountable for the results outline in their documents. Although freedom to 'dream big', to venture inot what we call an 'accountability-free zone', is exhilarating, it can take considerable facilitation and support. How do we justify talking about changes ar beyond what we can actually achieve? It goes against current practice where the focus is on being accountable for demonstrably achieving results and documents describe what the intervention will be accountable for. It can be helpful to put it this way: the OM vision statement describes a zone of shared accountability, where various players, including the intervention have interlocking contributions to make. No single contribution is sufficient and all are necessary.
There are numerous ways to build a vision; consider who is involved and who should be involved, the length of time it could or should or can take, as well as the mechanics of creating a vision - via email? with flipchart and markers and graphic representations?
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As you engage and learn, you can revise the vision statement to reflect new learning and understanding. One common change to a vision statement is the addition of new actors whose roles and significance have emerged as the intervention has proceeded.
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