The CFC’s ANCOP Program in Canada is making headway in “Answering the Cry of the Poor.”
Last August 2-3, 2014, ANCOP launched the First Canada National Summit at the St. Andrew Parish Hall in Edmonton, Alberta. Sixty-four delegates comprising of CFC Area Heads and ANCOP Coordinators took part in the event. They came from the following areas:
- Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray (Alberta)
- Vancouver and Victoria (British Columbia)
- Winnipeg (Manitoba)
- Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto (Ontario)
- Montreal (Quebec)
- Regina and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan)
Also present was Eric Villanueva, Couples for Christ National Director for the USA.
ANCOP President Ricky Cuenca spearheaded the two-day Summit. Under the guidance of Ricky and Rene Garrucho (Vancouver ANCOP Coordinator), Gods Lanuza (Victoria Kids for Christ Ministry Coordinator) designed the Summit. The two-day event was co-facilitated by Gods, Rene and Gabby Consulta (ANCOP Marketing Director).
Program documentation and workshop support were provided by Edna Garrucho of CFC ANCOP Vancouver and Mot Saliba, ANCOP CSP Program Manager. Fresh from a successful staging of the 2014 CFC Conference, Edmonton CFC once again provided seamless administrative and logistical support.
SUMMIT START-UP
Setting the Tone – Rene Garrucho set the tone for Day 1 as he discussed with participants the following:
- Expectations – What do/can you expect to achieve from the Summit?
- Processes – How will these expectations be achieved?
- Agenda – What concerns need to be addressed at the Summit?
Looking Back – Each area reported on its milestones and victories in implementing ANCOP in their locality. The sharing inspired and warmed up the delegates. It also opened them up to the vast potentials and opportunities that ANCOP can harness to advance its cause.
Dialogue – Then there was the interview session with ANCOP President Ricky Cuenca. The participants were grouped randomly and given the chance to:
- Ask about the strategic directions of ANCOP and
- Express the concerns and challenges that they have in their respective areas.
Setting the Context – Ricky started and ended the interview session with a sharing of his reflections/insights on, observations of, and aspirations for ANCOP Canada. He also touched on the challenges that ANCOP is facing. This set the context for the next session on clarifying ANCOP’s foundations – its vision, mission, and values.
REFINING ANCOP’S VISION, MISSION AND VALUES
Workshop – The succeeding sessions focused on enhancing ANCOP’s vision, mission, and values. Gods provided trigger questions to jumpstart discussions and encourage strategic faith-based thinking!
The workshop questions were as follows:
ANCOP Vision
- What is the best a beneficiary community served by CFC ANCOP could possibly be that is consistent with our CFC vision?
- What will this community look like if we were 200% successful in the work we do?
ANCOP Mission
- What does our organization (ANCOP Canada) need to embrace and do for the ANCOP vision to be realized?
- Why do we exist as an organization and what are we entrusted to do?
ANCOP Values
- What are the 3 to 4 values that ANCOP Canada needs to live by for the vision to be realized?
- What will guide our toughest decisions as an organization?
- And how would we be seen as ‘walking the talk’?
Preparatory Work – The Area Heads and ANCOP Coordinators attended the Summit not on their own but as representatives of their respective communities.
Before the Summit, they engaged their members on various levels of discussion to draw out their thoughts, insights and recommendations on ANCOP’s vision, mission and values. Results of these activities were brought to the Summit to serve as a guide for ANCOP-CFC elders and leaders to help them finalize the ANCOP strategic plan.
ANALYZING ANCOP’S SWOT
This part of the Summit was designed to look at ANCOP in terms of its organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). It generated a lot of discussion and drew out concerns and action points, major of which pertain to:
- Transparency
- Guidance for ANCOP Coordinators
- Future direction of ANCOP as an organization
From the SWOT analysis, Gabby Consulta guided the participants in the discussion of key result areas (KRA). KRAs are the major points that ANCOP should invest its energy and resources into and achieve results and impacts on. At the end of the day, the success of ANCOP shall be gauged in terms of how much of the KRAs it has achieved.
The process achieved the following:
- Direction – This is the cornerstone of the entire ANCOP organization and defines ANCOP’s vision, mission, and values. It answers the questions: What does ANCOP do? Why does ANCOP do what it does? How should ANCOP do it?
- Effective Programs – This pertains to ANCOP’s Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) and Community Development Program (CDP) and how effectively they may be implemented in terms of events to undertake and partnerships to pursue. Coming up with this KRA made ANCOP look beyond ANCOP as just the “ANCOP Walk.”
- Integration of ANCOP with the Couples for Christ (CFC) Community – This KRA focuses on integrating CFC into the mainstream of ANCOP’s work so that it can fully support and commit to ANCOP. It makes sure that CFC leaders and members:
- are aware of, understand and internalize the work and drive of ANCOP and
- share the same passion and commitment to promoting ANCOP and supporting all its initiatives.
- Governance – This focuses on ANCOP’s organizational structure, systems and procedures and how effective it is in serving its intended beneficiaries; relating with people within and outside the structure, and promoting transparency and accountability. Specific concerns that emerged were on transparency and accountability, the relationship between ANCOP Canada and ANCOP CFC-Tekton (Philippines), and need to update donors on a regular basis.
- Capacity Building – This KRA touches on “developing the right materials and tools, drawing on a pool of volunteers, and running training programs to build people’s capability/skills.” It does many things:
- Educate – It will build the right frame of mind among implementers to help them carry out their mission. It also helps CFC members through their Household Leaders gain a broader understanding of ANCOP.
- Capacitate – It will ensure that all areas of ANCOP are equipped with what they need to succeed;
- Guide – It will guide field implementers in their actions. A concrete tool to do this is a manual that ANCOP Coordinators and Area Teams may refer to regularly for guidance;
- Standardize – It will set standards to facilitate procedures and processes within ANCOP.
The Summit was a significant first for Canada; but more so, the entire global ANCOP. It certainly won’t be the last. In his concluding remarks, Greg Parillas, CFC National Director for Canada, announced the next event to watch for: 2015 ANCOP Canada National Summit; July 9-10, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Way to go!
Writers: Alex Velasco, Gods Lanuza and Gemma Iturralde Couples for Christ Victoria, BC