Rosalina Fuentes Presentation at the #2012waic Conference - Ghent, Belgium

2. Presentation Flow
 Part 1 – Introduction
 Case Conversations
 Part II - Cases
 Connecting within organizations
and communities
 Connecting across organizations
and communities

3. The SAIDI Journey to Raising AI Awareness
and Consciousness
SAIDI Academic
SAIDI Certificate
Programs : MA &
Programs
PhD
Trimedia
Association for
Exposure
Appreciative
newsletters,
Inquiry in the
journal, national
Philippines
publications
SAIDI School 1st Asian
Public
Workshops and
of OD – Dr. Appreciative
Forums Rosalina O. Inquiry Summit
2010
Fuentes
Case Western
University
Dr . David
Cooperrider
Pearl U.S. Bernardo

4. How the AI Experience is Spread
GROUPS AGENTS
Religious
Academe Groups Consultants
Local
Government
Government
Corporations
Units
OD
Practitioners
Private
Multinationals
Enterprises
AI
Interest Advocates
NGOs, CSOs
Groups

5. Geographical Reach
SAIDI Graduate
School of OD
Thailand Singapore Indonesia Vietnam Myanmar Cambodia Bangladesh Nepal

6. My AI Journey:
Learner, Practitioner and Mentor
Vision Launch
for the Whole
Executive Plenary: Organization
Positive Core:
Executive
Level AI * Hopes and
Interview Possibilities
OD Team *Clarified VMV
Training in
AI Protocol Expanded
Management Team
Attendance in AI * Story Telling
Certificate Class at
SAIDI * Shared Values and
Clarified Vision
Jean Venturanza Lapa

7. Highlights of My AI Practice
Enterprise Leadership
•Our Positive Core
•Hopes & Possibilities
•What in the Vision Resonates
Expanded Management Team: Storytelling
•Sharing of Clarified Vision by Executive Committee
•Group Positive Core
•Individual & Team Values
Recognizing Small Steps
• Values in Action (VIA) Journey
New Year Kick-Off
• Clarified VMV
• Strengthening the fundamentals
Learner, Practitioner and Mentor

8. OUR POSITIVE CORE
- HOPES & POSSIBILITIES
- W HAT IN T HE V IS IO N R E S O N AT E S

9. STORYTELLING
 SHARING OF CLARIFIED VISION BY EXECUTIVE
COMMITTED
 GROUP POSITIVE CORE
 INDIVIDUAL & TEAM VALUES

10. RECOGNIZING SMALL STEPS
“ VA LU E S I N AC T I O N ( V I A )
JOURNEY”

11. Case 1: AI as tool to build a shared vision
in a microfinance setting
The Setting:
• The Laboratory organization: a non-government institute engaged in
microfinance projects operating in the Philippines for 25 years now
• This institute has a declared bias for women-clients
• Currently, it is the largest microfinance institution in the Philippines with
a client base of over 1.7 Million as of March 2012.

12. The problematic situation (3 years ago)
1. Clients not honoring procedures and commitments
Multiple memberships resulting to more loan obligations to settle
Disturbed and bruised relationships
2. Account officers were hitting burnout
Mounting interpersonal issues
Confusion, frustrations, doubts and internal struggles regarding meaningful-ness
of the job extended to the financially disadvantaged
3. A situational tipping point: clients viewed the institute as mere conduit for loans
and the officers viewed the institute as mere employer

13. DISCOVERING POSSIBLE BREAKTHROUGHS
What could be an entry point for appreciative inquiry in a
problematic microfinance landscape?
How exactly can AI be practiced in a micro-economic
activity towards a ‘happy’ landscape?

14. STORYTELLING:
THE KEY INTERVENTION INTRODUCED
Duration: 2.5 days per group of 50-70 within a 3-year
timeframe
Population Covered: Over 1,000
Two-layered storytelling around two guideposts:
1. Revisiting the Vision-Mission of the institute
2. Building a shared Vision-Mission

15. INTERVENTION 1 – REVISITING THE VM
The Protocols used were the Value Question and the Peak
Question, e.g. :
1. Which word/s or phrase do you find most inspiring from
the Vision-Mission statements of CARD?
2. Recall a time when you were most moved as member of
the CARD family. Share this story.

16. INTERVENTION 2 – BUILDING A SHARED V-M
(JOURNEYING THROUGH AI’S 4-D CYCLE)
Craft three priority aspirations that can en-able you
most in living out CARD’s Vision-Mission for the long
term.
Prepare the roadmap (actions – continue doing, more of,
stop doing) that will translate the aspirations to
Realities at CARD. (Think of stages for this roadmap).

17. INITIAL BREAKTHROUGHS
Immediately
AFTER the 2.5
days of storytelling and sharing:
Fun feelings and/or an ‘emotional
lift’ (good laugh about the experiences shared)
An awareness (for some) and a realization
(for some others)that each had a story to
tell and together, these stories ‘painted’
the positive and/or negative image of CARD
among its clients and employees

18. THE EMERGING BREAKTHROUGHS
‘Slipping out’ of the frustration cycle
Clearing hovering doubts
Claiming once again the deeper meaning of
the work they do at CARD and for others

19. THE LANDMARK BREAKTHROUGHS
‘Positive’ conversations are more
pronounced in their meetings and interactions
Increased awareness in
doing their tasks
At ease with storytelling
conversations

20. CASE 2 – UBAS* AS A WAY TO COLLABORATE FOR
GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE
(*UBAS – UGNAYAN NANG BARANGAY AT SIMBAHAN)
The Setting:
1. This is a voluntary PARTNERSHIP engagement between a Barangay (i.e.
Village Government Agency) and the Simbahan (i.e. a local Catholic
Church called ‘Parish’)
2. This is a Church-initiated initiative and endorsed by the Secretary of Interior
and Local Government.
3. This is a voluntary engagement and does not have a centralized structure.

21. THE PROBLEMATIC SITUATION (FOR ALL THESE YEARS
OF STRUGGLE TO BE A DEMOCRACY IN THE PHILIPPINES)
1. Barangays: driven by politics and politics of accommodation
Only a semblance of services for the people – high visibility during election
season - {Specific Problems: Low participation in genuine people and community
development activities, non- transparency on financial matters, human rights issues,
peace & order problems, inefficient disaster/risk management, widespread corrupt
practices}.
2. Simbahan goes about its evangelization
Simbahan Leaders do advocacy for honest elections and good choice of
candidates ONLY around the time of elections.
3. There are places where Barangay and Simbahan Leaders are openly at odds with
one another

22. DISCOVERING POSSIBLE BREAKTHROUGHS
What could bring these two institutions to work together for the
people, especially the very disadvantaged, after all, both claim
they are there for the people?
How can any initiative start without being drawn into un-healthy,
negative and even hostile relations and the widespread distrust
between and amongst people?

23. PARTNERSHIP: THE KEY INTERVENTION
INTRODUCED
Initiating PARTNERSHIPS
Expanding PARTNERSHIPS via :
a) Motivational Summits for shared stories
b) Crossing borders leading to intergroup partnering (other religious
groups, school-based programs, NGO’s, etc)
c) Advocacy and project-generation for Partners

24. INTERVENTION 1- INITIATING PARTNERSHIPS
Three restless Church Leaders shared experiences
and aspirations; and they came to an agreement –
bring the church and local government together.
Specific Interventions undertaken:
1. Look/Move around and see; simply put,
PRESENCING
2. Gather stories of people
3. Create small groups of common interests
(as reflected in their stories)
4. Form a Secretariat to do coordination and
continued ‘pulsing’

25. INTERVENTION 2 – EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS
So far A NATIONAL SUMMIT ON GOOD GOVERNANCE has been held - key church and national
leaders participated.
The constant exchanges of stories
and experiences have started to bring down
the barriers among different religious
orientations and groups; among different groups
like People’s Organizations and
Non-Government Organizations
Indicator of Success: there are now many
individuals from many places in the country
making themselves available to get involved
and push for more UBAS partnerships

26. INITIAL BREAKTHROUGHS
Consultations & information sharing have become basic strategies
among groups: exchange of ideas is flowing: structures evolved
and projects undertaken are context-&-need specific.
In other words, PEOPLE (leaders and followers) have started to talk,
listen and act for their sake and their community and their
environment.

27. THE EMERGING BREAKTHROUGHS
Partnerships
are forming,
firming and
moving beyond
the initial group
of three! Like,
The People’s
Movement for
Good
Governance –
BANTAY, GABAY,
KAAGAPAY & TULAY
The restlessness is spreading like the sudden rush of water flowing out
from the mouth of the river.

28. THE LANDMARK BREAKTHROUGH
UBAS is now exposed as a concrete initiative showcasing
that the Government (+ Politics) and the Church CAN WORK
TOGETHER & ACHIEVE POSITIVE RESULTS despite Political
‘colors’ & interests.
{WHAT IS NEEDED NOWADAYS : A PARTNERSHIP MODEL
THAT WORKS AND DELIVER RESULTS, AND THAT EXPANDS TO
GENERATE LAYERS OF LIKE-MINDED PARTNERSHIPS!!}

29. A POINT OF DEPARTURE
In both cases, the Power of the Story has shown how it
can move deeply bordered institutions, like, the Church and
the Government to collaborate.
Both cases have showcased how, in the Philippines, AI
has ‘invaded’ inter-organizational processes to
serve the wider sector’s common good.
And lastly, it is easy to keep AI alive: simply keep the
stories alive