Georg Georg Schwarzl Schwarzl
Candidate for
Vice-President for Capacity Building 2018 - 2019
Letter of Motivation If we see education as one of the most powerful keys human nature has, I would say non formal education can do magic. I have seen this magic happening during my journey as trainer in IFMSA. Seeing people and teams evolving and growing with every challenge they take, never stop trying to be a better version of themselves, simply amazed me, day after day again. My name is Georg Schwarzl, I am the current Finance & Development Assistant of Europe and most importantly, a passionate capacity builder and trainer. No matter what I did at that point in time, training always boosted my motivation, I would go to one workshop after the other, never getting tired, never losing that spirit. With this letter I do not only want to announce my candidature for the Vice-President for Capacity Building, but I would also like to invite you. Invite you all to find out about my passion, my ideas for this position and the potential I see in our beloved federation. “Capacity Building is whatever is needed to bring us to the next level. It is not an one-time effort to improve short-term effectiveness, but a continuous improvement strategy towards the creation of a sustainable and effective organization.” When we talk about Capacity Building in IFMSA, it is often only referred to as “Training” and “IFMSA Strategy”. I deeply believe, if we are brave enough to also open up our minds, to step outside this box that we have been thinking in, to the colourful world of opportunities, we can truly improve ourselves and our federation. IFMSA has grown immensely in the past years. We can be more than proud of the range of students we represent worldwide, from every corner of this planet. Nonetheless, with growth we also face new challenges. One of these challenges is our internal system to train, educate, skill and empower our members, that does not fit the needs and conditions of this federation any more. Needs that differ from one region to another, from one Standing Committee to another and also from one level of leadership to another. It is essential that we bring Capacity Building to the NMOs doorstep, serving our NMOs and members, not the other way around. On the other side of the doorstep, the wonderful world in which every member has the skills and resources to be a health leader, is waiting for us. My journey in IFMSA has started as most of our stories - at home, in my Local Committee in Graz, Austria. From this very first day on, I was lucky to get the chance to participate, participate in workshops on a local, national and also international level. I have been encouraged to speak up, to take over responsibilities. I was allowed to learn from successes, but also to fail, and learn from these experiences, too. Exactly this engagement and accessibility are some of the core topics I am eager to pass on, especially to every single member. Following the process of creating the new CB Internal Operating Guidelines, I have come to realize, that we need a strong voice for education in IFMSA. We need to bring together the huge amount of knowledge and experience our members have and combine it with innovation in capacity building. I am highly motivated and dedicated to take over this responsibility, being a trigger of improvement, pull together in one direction with the Executive Board and the Capacity Building International Team. Let us imagine Capacity Building as a Lego game. You can take individual bricks that themselves might be pretty If you want to build something useful, innovative, something amazing that is bigger than a single brick or even bigger than ourselves, you need the right Legos, a plan how to build them upon each other, and of course your creativity.
So I just want to know, are you ready to play? 02
PLAN OF ACTION Opportunities - Innovation
Educational Strategy
Strategies in IFMSA
Collaboration and teamwork
Be brave - go out of the box
Quality assurance - Engagement - Accessibility 03
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Educational Strategy
IFMSA is representing a huge variety of students, We have a great amount of trainers, that strive from every continent and diverse cultures. exchange and develop. Leaders on every level alreafor educational opportunities, a place to dy serve their team and community, often simply lackin spent an enormous amount of time to meeting to improve. We need to provide support an g time and resources to attend another single member, regardless of sociocultural backgrou d opportunities to every NMO and every nd. We need to start using innovation and technology to meet the educational needs. IFMSA is currently in the process of creating the new CB Internal Operation Guidelines. In order to use them as a tool for meaningful CB multip set standards and still be flexible enough to adapt to lication they need to meet all our needs, any given circumstances in the first place.
Trainer Education Trainer Education the Trainer Platform Standardisation and Flexibility of Workshops Online Courses Competency Model Collaboration
Long Term Goal Objective
An IFMSA member can be primarily active as trainer and participate in events. This ensures an increase in quality of workshops and their follow up. Establish a multilevel approach in our educational system for trainers, which will replace a “one for all needs” workshop, currently known as Training New Trainers.
How? The basic education for every trainer needs to include training-related soft skills such as group dynamics and feedback. Furthermore it needs to cover basics of Facilitation, Training Design and Delivery, Preparation and Follow Up. The second level shall educate trainers in a specific field, such as Standing Committees or further into general Soft Skills. A further educational level for experienced trainers should be created, which prepares them to facilitate and train (international) boards, project teams and strategic planning processes. Differentiate between participating and graduation of a trainer education, by setting criteria for graduating, such as a certain amount of supervised hours of training, as well as introducing a reporting culture A Small Working Group is established to draft the system based on the needs of the federation and through analysing best practices from other Youth NGOs. Everyone who is facilitating has a basic set of tools to do so. Depending on the interest of the trainer, they have a variety of opportunities to further educate themselves and facilitate such workshops.
the Trainer Platform Long Term Goal Objective Create and set up an interactive trainer platform. How?
The trainer platform is part of the ifmsa.org homepage and actively used by IFMSA trainers and members.
Trainers are able to create and update their profiles. An interactive calendar is included, which provides information and the possibility to sign up or apply for an event. It furthermore informs about external training opportunities. Monthly webinars are held to further educate trainers. The topics will be based on a previous held needs assessment and published before the start of the term. They will be held by IFMSA trainers in collaboration with experts of the individual fields. The platform provides a space to exchange ideas and ask for help. The internal area also contains a database of approved materials for all sorts of workshops. Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
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Standardisation and Flexibility of Workshops Long Term Goal Quality education in IFMSA that fits the needs and is used all over IFMSA. Increase the quality and ensure specific outcomes of the same workshop facilitated in Objective different occasions. How? Collect outlines and descriptions of all existing workshops of a few days (more than 1 day) Keep minimum requirements for the individual workshops up-to-date in collaboration with the respective Officials. Establish them if not existing yet. Establish Standing Committee specific Trainings in collaboration with Officials. Those workshops are supposed to to offer an alternative to becoming a trainer by rather focusing on empowerment, SC specifics, Softskills and leadership skills. Ensuring freedom of education by establishing quality criteria for workshops, which still ensure the possibility for facilitators to come up with new ideas for workshops.
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Educational Strategy
Online Courses
Trainer Education
Long Term Goal Ensuring accessibility of workshops and educational opportunities by eradicating possible Objective hindering barriers like distance or financial reasons. How?
the Trainer Platform
Becoming a trainer or health leader is not limited to attend physical meetings. Online courses fulfill the same quality criteria and are as recognized as physical ones.
Establish a further education module to prepare trainers to facilitate online courses. Creating different participating levels for online courses. A passive one, which can be done by reading materials and fulfilling tasks that can be sent to the IT at any time. Beside that an active one which follows a certain timeline, online meetings with a group and coaching meetings with facilitators. Holding at least one online Trainer Education and improved Essential Leadership course in every region per semester. Collaborate with Standing Committees and Liaison Officers to establish at least one online course with each of them. Set the needed frame to make online courses a reliable and sustainable addition to IFMSA Workshops.
a typical session in a TNT - Participants working on the 4MAT Model
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Standardisation and Flexibility of Workshops Online Courses Competency Model Collaboration
Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
Competency Model
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Educational Strategy
Long Term Goal Objective
The efficiency and quality of work within (international) teams has been raised, by ensuring a basic set of skills to fulfill their task and accomplish their work. Members of the federation, from local to international leadership levels, have access to further educational opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills, resources and therefore increase their impact.
How? Define a set of important skills that comes along any leadership role. Design a set of skills required for IFMSAs future leaders for each of this skills to be facilitated. Establish an IFMSA Representation module for preparing delegations to external meetings. Create opportunities for interested members to gain these skills by organizing online courses and physical workshops.
c i g e t a Str g n i n Plan
Trainer Education  the Trainer Platform Standardisation and Flexibility of Workshops Online Courses Competency Model
Eval u -tio a n
SC skills
Collaboration
conflict management
Facilitation
Leadership
Organisational development
Representation
Group dynamics Public speaking Advocacy
examples of the competencies we want our members in leading positions to have
Collaboration Long Term Goal Objective
Cooperation and joined efforts in Capacity Building are implemented in Memoranda of Understanding with other student organizations. Learn from other student organizations and their trainer education and implement best practices.
How? Compare the different trainer educations and evaluate the pros and cons and use gained knowledge to improve ours. Share opportunities especially in fields, which are important for every Youth NGO. This can be fundraising, PR workshops, Soft Skills or further trainer educations. Share materials with each other. Recognition of trainers from other Youth NGOs. Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
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, activities, es do SA IFM ing yth er ev ut ho ug ro th le ro nt rta po im Capacity Building plays an al ob Gl s, ee itt mm Co g din an St el, lev y er ev on nt projects, campaigns, events, manageme s. gie ate str l na tio na d an l na gio re s, ea Ar s cu Fo l na Exter closer to p ste e on us s ing br d an al go m ter g lon r ou s fit do How can we ensure what we r ou re su ke ma we n ca w Ho ? rk wo r ou of ty ali our vision. How can we ensure the qu to d an be to on ati tiv mo d an ills sk , ge led ow kn s, ce ur members have the necessary reso s for ive str ing ild bu y cit pa Ca at wh is is Th ? be to em th nt become the health leaders we wa to create , lds fie ed on nti me all r ve co to ty du r ou as it e se  I . and why it is so important d an ng alo ing rk wo s ay alw , ss ce ac to s er mb me opportunities with low barriers for collaborate with the respective Officials.
Strategy to improve national work Long Term Goal Increased NMO Development shows in NMO Reports. Objective Increase the institutional memory and development of NMOs. How? Providing comprehensive organisational development and strategic planning workshops at preMeetings of official events. Evaluating and improving of NMO Management Session during General Assemblies.
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Strategies in IFMSA Strategy to improve national work Strategy to improve Regional work IFMSA Strategy 2017 - 2020
Collaborate with Regional Directors and increase the capacity building opportunities at Regional Meetings with Organisational Development and PR workshops.
Strategy to improve Regional work Long Term Goal All IFMSA regions have a regional strategy and work along theirs. Support Regional Teams in following up on their regional strategies, provide the needed Objective Strategy support for the ones the process of creating one. to inimprove Regional work How? Collaborate with Regional Directors and CB Regional Assistants, to meet the individual needs of different regions. Provide useful materials to support an efficient process and promote the collaboration with experienced trainers.
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Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
IFMSA Strategy 2017 - 2020
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Strategies in IFMSA IFMSA Strategy 2017 - 2020
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Collaboration & Teamwork
Long Term Goal All goals with their indicators are implemented at the end of the strategy. Provide the Capacity Building that is needed for strategy goals, beside the ones that are Objective directly linked to it (and covered previously). How? Support the marketing strategy process. Support efforts to bring Capacity Building from meetings to the members at home, such as theme events via live streaming. Monitor and guide the general process of the strategy implementation.
Communication and Tea importance to understanmbuilding is the key to success for every tea environment, well functi d that with good Teambuilding, the creation o m. It is of utter f o tr n in g c o m m u n ic a ti o n will become much easie ust and a safe effective. An environme common goal is shared ant in which feedback can be expressed and r and a lot more re nd everyone is eager to h elp each other and develoceived freely, a p themself. In the past, I have bee n international level, I have part of many teams myself, boards on a lo of experience in how to leworked with ups and downs, I have been able to cal, national and collect a big pool ad and be a part of effecti ve teams. Beside that, I have been able to collect  vast, bro IFMSA. ad, distinct experience a s a trainer in All of this helps me contr ib strong and effective team ute to what is needed to create a healthy work ing environment, in every level of leadersh ip.
International Team International Team Team of Officials Executive Board
Objective
Ensure a comfortable and productive working environment within the International Team.
How? Take care that teambuilding takes place from the very beginning. Having a clear communication strategy, using Slack and regular Online Meetings for everyone to be on the same page at all times. Establish clear responsibilities within the team.
Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
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International Team Objective
Creating a useful IT structure, that enables the team to work on all the different fields and distribute work equally.
How? 5 Regional Assistants, who support the Capacity Building efforts of NMOs, support Organizing Committees with Sub Regional Trainings act as contact person their trainers. Education Assistant, who is responsible for evaluating and working towards the needs of our members, promote the creation of new and adaptation of existing workshops comprehensively in collaboration with relevant officials/IT Members. Executive Assistant, who will be CB’s “right hand” and will be e.g. responsible for the graduation and certification process of trainers and ensuring the quality of workshops or for maintaining the database. Technology Assistant, who is responsible for providing the needed skills for online courses and support the implementation.
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Collaboration & Teamwork
Team of Officials Objective
Creating opportunities for TO members to further develop themselves to increase the impact of their work.
How? Create a safe environment in collaboration with the EB by ensuring proper teambuilding and a TO that pull together in one direction. Increase the use of Team of Official Meetings as Capacity Building events, by organizing specific skills sessions. Offer an internal educational program to expand our experience in fields as facilitation, based on the needs and previous experience of members.
International Team Team of Officials Executive Board
Executive Board Objective
Ensure an efficient and prepared start of the term.
How? Supporting the president in planning the Teambuilding process of the EB elect right after MM2018. Attend and promote physical meetings within the EB elect before AM2018.
Objective
Establish a low barrier for members to get in contact with the EB.
How? Attending both General Assemblies and at least 2 out of 5 regional meetings. Being directly available for NMOs, whenever they need to ask for advice, input or any help.
Objective
Be an active and supportive part of the EB.
How? Be realistic and aware about the workload within the EB, which is not directly linked to the position itself. Using my experience as trainer, previous board member and responsible person for different PR related tasks, such as web development to offer a helping hand whenever needed. Have a good collaboration with Standing Committee Directors and VPA to support their efforts. 09
Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
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Be Brave - Go out of the box
r u o e v l o s t o n n a c “We e h t h t i w problems e w g n i k n i h t e m a s e w n e h used w ” m e h t d e creat Einstein - Albert
Way too often we are stuck at trying to change something in the current system, willing to improve, however repeatedly coming back to the same conclusions. I truly believe in having the courage to go new ways. We might fail in these approaches, but this just gives us more experience and the spirit of trying. The following ideas, are exactly this, ideas. Ideas I am happy to develop further with you, discussing and maybe even dismiss. Still I wouldn’t want to leave them out. Let me take you on a journey through the forest of my ideas.
Social Entrepreneurship Social Entrepreneurship Donation Platform Long Term Trainer Program
Capacity Building comes with a price. Participation Fees, Travel costs and many times in addition immense costs for the whole VISA applications process. This is the same for participants and facilitators. Furthermore lets not forget the financial burden and risk of NMOs and their Organizing Committees. In IFMSA we gather a huge amount of inspiring, talented and especially knowledgeable personalities. Knowledge that might seem obvious for us. But it is not for many people, organizations and companies outside. Why shouldn’t we go with new and modern approaches such as Social Entrepreneurship? Let me give you two concrete examples: Offering workshops to external groups such as companies for a small participation fee. Gather a bunch of creative facilitators, create different tools and products that can be used in session and sell it to facilitators and trainers around the world. The collected money could than be used to bring Capacity Building to places, where economical reasons prevented it so far.
Donation Platform We face financial barriers all over IFMSA. They limit representation, participation possibilities for individual members and might even prevent great projects from happening. Creating an easy point of contact with Alumni and potential supporters might be a first step to overcome this challenge. The international scouts movement established a successful donation platform, which is based on crowdfunding. This platform enables projects to easily fundraise for their events and also promote them with stakeholders. But I would like to take it one step further. Why shouldn’t we merge our efforts and offer an easy and centralised platform for NMOs to collect financial support? Projects and Programs can fundraise. Regional Meetings and General Assemblies could support their finances with crowdfunding. Alumni and Supporters of IFMSA have one platform to find an uncomplicated way of supporting their previous NMO or any project. Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building
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Long term trainer program Beside all our obligations as students and active parts of our federation, it is hard to have the resources and opportunities to take part in a comprehensive trainer education, lasting for several weekends. Nevertheless having a pool of such trainers could help us to in many ways, especially facilitating the teambuilding of a TO, train any team and support the whole strategy processes of NMOs, the Region or even IFMSA. I envision: A funded long term trainer education (several weekends over a half a year) by Erasmus+ which covers nearly every country around the world. A pool of trainers in every region that can be booked by NMOs and teams. Increasing the efficiency and impact of high level processes.
"Everything we do in IFMSA always will and need to be a team effort. My plan of action shall represent my ideas for this position and work of the federation. Nonetheless, I am more than motivated to let real magic happen, when combining all ideas of a future EB and TO elect."
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Be Brave - Go out of the box Social Entrepreneurship Donation Platform Long Term Trainer Program
Georg Schwarzl - Candidature for the IFMSA Vice President for Capacity Building