The STAR-Ghana Programme Management Team (PMT) converged at the Beige Village, New Abirem in the Eastern region of Ghana for a 3-day team retreat. The purpose of the retreat was to review and revise the programme’s work plan and budget for the 2018/2019 calendar year and build a shared understanding within the team about what’s working well, areas in need of improvement and areas of opportunity. Other objectives of the retreat were to provide space for the team to bond as well as review priorities around the Programme’s transition into an independent Ghanaian owned entity and the launch of same.

Opening

In his opening remarks, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, Programme Director urged the team to look deep into themselves and reflect on their respective contributions to the Team over the past year “let us reflect and maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses” he said.

Ibrahim-Tanko, referencing the Programme’s annual review report, further encouraged frank conversations among the team during the retreat and emphasized the need for the team to focus on strengthening among others: the programme’s strategic communications and enhance its adherence to budget even as the programme transitions into a new entity beginning October 2018.

The 2017/2018 calendar year in retrospect  

The various workstreams of the programme did an analysis of their respective workplans and achievements thereof in 2017/2018 calendar year. This was followed by a plenary discussion on the highlights and lessons learnt for the programme during the year under review. The workstreams included: Monitoring and Evaluation, Communications and Learning, Parliamentary, Finance and the Operations workstreams. Others are the Gender Equality, Social Inclusion and Capacity Building, Grants and the Programme management workstreams.

Strategizing for Impact

Based on the learning gathered from the previous calendar year and the programme’s focus on transitioning into a new independent entity, each workstream developed their key priority areas for the 2018/2019 calendar year and shared same with the entire Team using the ‘global cafe’ approach. The workstreams subsequently further developed their respective priority areas into activity plans and detailed budgets for the 2018/2019 calendar year. The session was preceded by the introduction of a revised work planning template developed and shared by Harriet Asomani, the Head of Finance. The Workstream leads supported their respective teams to develop detailed plans and budgets.

STAR-Ghana Transition

Teiko Sabah, Head of Programmes, brought the team up to speed on the status of the STAR-Ghana transition process. On her part, Mabel Viviey, the Communications and Learning Manager and member of the planning committee for the launch of the entity updated the team on the activities lined up for the launch of the new entity.

New Joiners

The team has been joined by four new staff members as follows: two Programme Finance Officers: Mary Sabbah, Godfred Fiifi Mensah; one M&E Officer, Emmanuel Osei-Mensah one Programme Support Officer, Bless Ahiakonu 

Team Building

Under the coordination of the Head of Operations, Wendy Boamah, a series of outdoor team building exercises and evening events were organised to among other reasons: improve networking, socialization, teamwork, collaboration and the fostering of innovation and creativity among the PMT in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere.

At the end of the three-day retreat, each workstream successfully developed and shared their respective Action plans and joint workplans for the 2018/2019 calendar year. Members of the PMT expressed a better appreciation of the programme’s transition process.