Strategic planning involves establishing directions and priorities. Any organization needs such planning, but a PVO operating without it is taking a big risk. Undertaking programs and activities without knowing whether such efforts really meet members’ needs can continue for a long time in a nonprofit organization as a result of inertia or other causes. PVOs do not operate under a profit-and-loss constraint, and may go on unproductively as long as somebody is willing to supply a minimal amount of money and effort. To be effective and useful, a PVO must know where it is going and how to get there. To start working, a PVO needs a plan; to develop into an institution independent of its founders, it must keep planning.

However, no single correct way exists to develop and implement a strategic plan. The eight-step model given below is based on that developed by an American expert. Other models are obviously possible, but this particular one has been chosen for its brevity and simplicity.

1. Definition. This first step defines current and potential members, why they join, and whether their reasons for joining are likely to change with time. Having examined these issues, the following basic elements of a strategic plan can be developed:

• Organizational values: the basic beliefs the PVO holds.
• Vision: a clear statement of what the organization aspires to be in the medium- to long-term (five years plus). This is a declaration of what the organization will look like and how it will be positioned as a result of success; it is not a statement of what the organization does.
• Mission: who makes up the organization, who it represents, who it serves, and, at a fundamental level, what business it is in.
• Goals: in broad terms, what the organization does; its major strategic thrusts (such as education, legislation, research, and membership) over the next five years.

The following four steps can then be taken in order to launch the work of the organization:

2. Environmental analysis. What are the innate strengths and weaknesses of the organization in areas such as financial and human resources, technology, attitudes, commitments, and so forth? What are the external opportunities and threats?

3. Key issues. Which of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are particularly relevant to each goal?

4. Focus. First, develop specific, measurable objectives: what is to be achieved under each goal during the medium-term (the next three years). Next, use a consensus process to rank the objectives by importance to determine which should receive immediate attention in the first year of implementation. Then develop specific strategies how to achieve objectives for the second-and third-year stages.

5. Action. Develop an annual budget and operating plan. The organization is now ready to start work. Schlegel calls this phase “alignment.”

6. Alignment. Once a shared vision has been developed, it is critical that all components of the organization’s staff, volunteers, and activities be aligned to achieve the goals and objectives laid out in the plan. There will be a period of transition. It may take over six months for staff and volunteer activities to be aligned with plan priorities.

The last two phases take the association into the phase of institutional development, through its first year and into the second.

7. Feedback and monitoring. Develop a system for ensuring that the reporting of all staff and volunteer work is linked to the strategic plan.

8. Refresh the plan. On an annual basis, the association needs to do the following:

• formally review which high-priority objectives were achieved and which were not;
• develop new three-year objectives (drawing on the lower-priority three-year objectives in the original planning process, adding new ones where appropriate, and discarding those no longer relevant); and
• re-arrange the new three-year objectives so as to identify high-priority objectives for the coming year.

By now the organization should no longer simply be a collection of ideas and good intentions carried along by one or two people, but an institution developing along positive lines. Or so it is hoped.

The Jordan Economic Development Association is a private voluntary organization established in 1997 that seeks to be involved in policy research and advocacy in Jordan and elsewhere in the region.

JEDA may be characterized as a think tank/advocacy group (TTAG). TTAGs are involved in policy issues in one way or another. However, there is a spectrum of approaches to working in the policy area, some of which involve confrontation with policymakers, while others simply serve to increase the level of policy-relevant information available.

JEDA plans to be at the more aggressive end, and less of a pure research organization. To this purpose, working with similarly minded bodies, JEDA will pursue a range of activities normally undertaken by TTAGs, of course including research, but also such activities as specialized publishing, conferences, etc.

JEDA, like other PVOs in Jordan and the Arab World, is being launched in an atmosphere that presents a challenge for institution-building and the establishment of an effective civil society. In light of the changes that continue to shape the political and economic landscape in Jordan, PVOs continue to expand their role in the wake of a process of political and economic liberalization marked in particular by the parliamentary elections of 1989-1997. However, though the country’s system occasionally gives the impression of being somewhat progressive, it is still based on tradition. Despite an appearance of democratization, the tribal structure in Jordan has been preserved, and the government makes use of it.

The emergence of PVO TTAGs is Jordan and elsewhere in the Arab World is slowed by the cumbersome procedure required for certification as a nonprofit organization. It has been difficult for some in Jordan and elsewhere in the Arab World to accept that TTAGs act in the public good and deserve special status. In an effort to monitor the intentions of new nonprofit groups, many states in the Arab World require that applicants go through a screening process, which includes a number of government agencies, particularly the Ministry of Interior. The existence of such bureaucracy may reflect an effort to discourage the registration of certain extremist groups, but the end result is that many legitimate potential applicants are intimidated. Another obstacle faced by TTAGs is the absence of a clear law that can deal with PVOs as they are developing today.

Research activities of a limited nature are undertaken in Jordan’s business and PVO sector, but this remains limited. Jordan’s government bureaucracy and its universities are more active, with some of these universities in the private sector. While some research conducted there may have value for policymakers, there is little effort on behalf of or by many researchers to make such work accessible and to ventilate it through public debate. In the case of the Center for Strategic Studies based in Amman, some of whose research is useful and publicized, ties to the state-run University of Jordan comprise an integral part of its identity. Some thus consider the center’s objectivity to be limited by this affiliation.

Current members of JEDA are younger persons from the Jordanian socioeconomic elite who have joined on the initiative and invitation of the founder, myself. I in turn had been asked to establish JEDA by the Economic Development Institute (EDI) of the World Bank as the Jordanian partner in the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF), an assembly of organizations and people involved in development in the Mediterranean region. Thus JEDA was conceived as an associate of other like-minded organizations. This is not to say that the sole for JEDA’s establishment was to meet the needs of the EDI, in that in general JEDA was formed in response to the need for an independent non-profit TTAG in Jordan. However, this need was also that of the EDI for the purposes of its MDF network.

The principal objectives of the MDF as declared by the EDI are to help

1. develop, codify, and distribute knowledge about best practice approaches to development (as well as pitfalls) from those engaged in a broad range of related sectors in the region and elsewhere throughout the world;
2. create a dialogue within the region among senior government officials, the development community, and the private sector on the importance of knowledge, and on strategies for building and mobilizing knowledge; and
3. explore the critical role of learning and knowledge in building effective management, good governance, and sustainable economic growth, through lessons drawn from the public, civil and business sectors, and investigate the impact of knowledge and information technology on economic growth, drawing attention to the interactions between institutions and technological developments that enable them to harness technology in productive ways to meet regional needs. It goes without saying that these activities are very close to the spirit of JEDA and in line with its plans.

JEDA’s founding members met and elected a board, which in turn asked me as president to develop a plan. The following basic elements of a strategic plan have been articulated, following Schlegel’s model:

1. independence (in an environment not characterized by private initiative);
2. integrity (in a system that is increasingly corrupt); and
3. professionalism (in an atmosphere where many people’s educational or professional qualifications are dubious).

The weaknesses are simply that JEDA is new, small, and inexperienced. The external opportunities include the rapid change in the political and cultural atmosphere in Jordan regarding freedom of expression and the increasing integration of Jordan into the international community on a technical level through communications and on a cultural plane through vastly expanded contacts with the outside world. The main threat facing JEDA is the indifference of many members of the socioeconomic group to which the association’s members belong. Insofar as they are satisfied with the current situation in the country, as many of them are, change will not be a priority for JEDA’s constituency, and that could kill the organization and/or its plans at an early stage.

Independent TTAGs like JEDA may play a role in supporting democratic development through efforts to stimulate public debate and contribute to informed policy-making. However, these organizations do not, for the most part, have the luxury of a stable income, which university or government affiliation provides. To this end, JEDA must make the best use of its resources and develop an institutional capability.

For the time being, TTAGs in Jordan are mainly focusing on the quality of democracy and the public reaction to political change. As a result, economic issues have second priority. However, as some of the excitement of political developments pass, economic issues will receive increasing attention. JEDA plans to specialize in such topics, presenting policy recommendations in legal format and soliciting community input when developing a policy position by canvassing members of business and professional organizations. Policy issues the organization is planning to tackle during its first year include privatization and regional economic integration.

As far as possible, issues are considered within the context of development economics as applied to the Arab World. For example, a study of the impact of privatization on unemployment will give close consideration to questions of disguised unemployment, underemployment, and statistical and methodological problems of measuring the unemployment rate. (A look at unemployment through Western conceptual lenses would be less useful.)

JEDA’s first activity was a successful collaboration with the EU-funded Jemstone project and the EDI on a workshop for economic journalists held in Jordan 14-20 February. JEDA members participated in the workshop as speakers, introducing aspects of Jordan’s economy, and stressing the importance of certain sectors. The positive outcome of this participation by JEDA members was a result of their independence, integrity, and professionalism. In other words, what they had to say was said without fear, it was said with honesty, and the facts and opinions were those of people who knew what they were talking about. For 1998/9, JEDA is planning to continue working with Jemstone as well as identify and cooperate with other organizations that conduct training built around economic and business topics.

Two seminar activities are planned by JEDA for 1998. The first will be in cooperation with the South African government and will deal with the applicability of the Southern African model for regional economic development and integration in the Middle East. South Africa is a newcomer to the Arab World, and its representatives around the region are interested in making their country’s ideas better known. This event will have a minimal budget and will take place at the premises of the Amman Chamber of Industry. The audience would be a mixture of the relevant public sector officials, private businesspersons, journalists, diplomats, and experts. The number of participants should be 75-100, and would be limited by the proceedings being all in English with no translation.

The second activity is in conjunction with a “rehearsal” workshop to be held in Amman in preparation for a larger event to be held within the MDF gathering taking place in Marrakech in September 1998. The Amman activity will focus on the human development sector and in particular health and education. Participants will include experts from the World Bank/EDI, members of JEDA, some of its MDF partners from outside Jordan, as well as a small group of other Jordanians who are not JEDA members. About 35 people will participate.

These events are designed to generate favorable publicity for JEDA and to impress potential donors. Local funding is certainly available in Jordan, but our aim is also to attract interest from outside the country. The role of foreigners in the finance and co-sponsorship of our activities is set to emerge by the second half of this year, and to gradually increase over the next few years. Developing a long-range plan is one of JEDA’s priorities for late 1998 early 1999. The current process is one where much is being learned. The experience of small mistakes made now will help us to avoid bigger ones later.

JEDA plans to coordinate its work with other organizations within and outside Jordan, though these may not be Jordanian. For the first year in particular, the MDF and its members will help provide a focus for JEDA’s work. The principal objectives of the MDF are to help develop, codify, and distribute knowledge about best practice approaches to development (as well as pitfalls) from those engaged in a broad range of related sectors in the region and throughout the world; create a dialog within the region among senior government officials, the development community, and the private sector on the importance of knowledge, and on strategies for building and mobilizing knowledge; explore the critical role of learning and knowledge in building effective management, good governance, and sustainable economic growth, through lessons drawn from both the public and private sector; and investigate the impact of knowledge and information technology on economic growth, drawing attention to the interactions between institutions and technological developments that enable them to harness technology in productive ways to meet regional needs.

MDF partner TTAG PVOs in the Arab World with a similar orientation to JEDA’s include Maroc 2020 (M2020), the Institut Arabe des Chefs d’Enterprise (IACE) of Tunisia, the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES), and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS). What can JEDA learn from them, and how can this information contribute to strategic planning? In particular, which mix of research and advocacy is the most effective?

While these groups have received support from business leaders, their members are from a variety of backgrounds. M2020 and IACE were founded almost entirely by businessmen. M2020 took shape behind the public image of its leader, Ali Belhaj, and is comprised of businessmen with an average age of under 40. These felt that their generation had to take responsibility for the future of Morocco, using the ophthalmic term for good vision - “2020” - to express a vision to the year 2020. IACE was formed by some of Tunisia’s most prominent businessmen to strengthen the voice of the business community by providing high quality economic analysis and opportunities to discuss issues of common concern. ECES is also backed by high-placed business leaders. However, it has made concerted efforts to involve individuals who represent different sectors of civil society. While LCPS may not have been able to exist as it does today without the generosity of benefactors from the business community, the organization began mainly as an academic institution centered around the work of a father and son team teaching at a local university. JEDA already has a mixture of business and professional people and aims to keep the balance among them. We do not however plan to introduce major participation by the country’s universities.

IACE includes both university faculty and business leaders in its research teams in an effort to improve the policy awareness of academics while also increasing the practicality of their policy recommendations. IACE centers its annual program around a single conference. IACE’s event, entitled “Business Enterprise Days,” sets its research agenda for the year and is intended to help Tunisian executives to identify problems associated with Tunisian business firms as the driving force of the economy. JEDA could embark on something similar during its second year.

Morocco 2020 (M2020) was able to determine its potential for influence on two of its main policy issues judging by the reaction of certain high-ranking officials, who were asked to comment publicly on their proposals. In the case of education reform, the Minister of Education agreed to speak and shortly after this, a reform law was passed that had many of the same elements included in M2020’s proposal. In the case of telecom’s privatization, the Finance Minister refused to speak. This reform eventually was pushed forward, but it is more difficult for M2020 to take any credit for this in light of the minister’s reaction. ECES has found that its contribution on issues such as Egyptian trade with the European Union have been quite significant. JEDA plans to target such decision-makers and influence their actions in a professional and transparent fashion for the good of the country.

LCPS efforts to encourage reform of Lebanon’s election law have brought this issue into the public eye and on to the policy agenda. LCPS has also gained recognition for its leadership in the movement to decentralize government services in Lebanon. On the other hand, LCPS recognizes as a weakness in its work the lack of readership among top decision-makers. It thus ends up, in the words of LCPS Research Director Paul Salem, as “enlightening the bourgeoisie and intellectuals,” which are presumably relatively least in need of enlightenment in Lebanon. This may not be the case in Jordan, however, and JEDA plans during its first few years to target the intellectual and socioeconomic elite of the country.

Despite the difficulties, which these and other TTAGs in the region have faced and continue to endure, a lot has been achieved. JEDA is fortunate in enjoying the moral support and in having the good example to follow of its MDF partners. The pitfalls and obstacles they encountered will serve as a valuable lesson.