One of the permanent programme activities of the Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA since its establishment is coordination and providing professional and methodological support to its local organizations and services.
The Republic Center – PORAKA organizes and holds workshops, for more than ten years now, where the SWOT analyses of the local organizations are being reviewed and discussed. The SWOT analysis is a structured planning method for the future strategies of the organization, and at the same time a very useful tool for assessing the current situation within the organization, with all its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and the threats that come from the environment where the organization acts. This tool, if objectively prepared, is useful for finding out ways and modus for improving and overcoming the weaknesses in order to be even more effective in its work. Moreover, it represents a solid foundation for developing real and effective action plans of the organization as well as multiannual strategic plans.
This year, the Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual disability – PORAKA held a workshop for reviewing the SWOT analyses and the ongoing operational activities of its local organizations. The workshop has been preceded by Board meetings of the local organizations where the members discussed the current situation within the organizations, and on the basis of the conclusions reached, they all prepared the SWOT analyses.
The workshop organized by the Republic Center – PORAKA was held from 20th till 22nd of May 2016 in Hotel Romantik, Veles, where two representatives of each local organization took part. The first day of the workshop provided presentations of the activities implemented within the project “Towards European Values – Persons with Disabilities as Equal Citizens”, a project in which PORAKA is partner organization. The representatives of the Republic Center – PORAKA who took part in the project activities i.e. workshops held within this project, presented their experiences gained from the exchange of information and knowledge with the other project partners. The topics that were discussed were as follows:
– Self-advocacy for persons with disability;
– Volunteering as a way of inclusion of persons with disabilities;
– Peer Support and service implementation;
– Work engagement program for persons with disabilities.
The second day of the workshop was entirely dedicated to reviewing the SWOT analyses of the local organizations. Each of the participants had the possibility to present the prepared SWOT analysis and to discuss the real situations in the organization and within the municipality that the organization is being faced with, and at the same time to emphasize the difficulties faced by persons with intellectual disability and their families in the community. Additionally, the participants presented the ongoing activities in their organizations, as well as activities that will be implemented in the following period, which will lead to improving the quality of life for persons with intellectual disability and their families. PORAKA’s team, and the other participants gave comments and advice regarding the work of each local organization, whilst emphasizing the positive examples of successful activities.
The third day of the workshop reviewed the operational activities of the local organizations. The participants had the opportunity to be introduced once more with the methods for planning, developing and preparing the working programmes and the financial plans for successful realization of the goals and activities of the organization, as well as the ways and the methods for preparing the working reports and the financial reports after the end of the year.
As a final foreseen activity of the workshop was the presentation of the implemented activities within the project “Early Inclusion through mutual learning”, a project in which PORAKA is an equal partner, and is being implemented on European Level. The presentation had the objective to introduce the participants with the implemented activities and the activities that are planned for the following period.
The workshop for SWOT analyses and operational activities had the goal to consolidate and improve the activities and the work of the local organizations of the Republic Centre – PORAKA. It is of utmost importance in building and maintaining partnership relations with the local authorities in order to actively contribute towards advancing human rights pf persons with intellectual disability in the community and improving the quality of their life.
