This document outlines the Global Focus Areas for 2008-2009 that were selected by AIESEC's global leadership team. It discusses four main Global Focus Areas: [1] Managing resources to drive growth, [2] Evolving to increase impact, [3] Enabling diverse experiences, and [4] Being a thriving network. For each area, it provides the objective, example activities that contribute to the area, and critical success factors that will be measured. The benefits of including the Global Focus Areas in local plans are also summarized as increased international cooperation, global and regional support, and having parts of the planning process already completed.

1. GLOBAL FOCUS AREAS 2008-2009
„becoming and legenday organization”
This guide will provide you will all the information you need for the Global Focus Areas in the
2008 – 2009 term. Here you will find:
• What is a Global Focus Area?
• How was the selection process done?
• What are the benefits of including the Global Focus Areas in my plan?
• So what are the Global Focus Areas?
What is a Global Focus Area?
GFA = Global Focus Area ☺
A Global Focus Area contains topics that are globally agreed as relevant for the overall
development of the organization. These topics come from the analysis of:
• The opportunities of our external environment.
• The current performance of the organization
• The needs analysing our strategy map
The GFAs are selected in the international presidents meeting, so it is a strategic decision made
by the global leadership team. This means that these topics are relevant for the countries and are
chosen to support the overall development of countries in both performance and health.
How was this selection process?
• We had the following Input papers before the conference started: External environment
assessment (compilation from countries and AI), GN inputs coming from GN premeetings,
LCs input.
• There was a general collection of information throughout the conference in the “Global
Focus Area wall”: delegates had a place where they could write down the ideas for the
global focus areas during the first 4 days of the conference. We were also providedwith
learning logs for us to capture their ideas keep them with us and also post them in the
wall.
• Global focus areas selection at IPM (for the process please refer to the session outline
here):
• Then in the GN conferences we created actions steps for countries and LCs to contribute
to the execution of the Global Focus Areas

2. What are the benefits of including the Global Focus Areas in my plan?
• You will have more countries cooperating under the same frame
• You will have global and regional support.
• You have part of your planning process done already with the contribution of the
entire global network (the actions steps created during Xpros)
So what are the global Focus Areas?
Managing resources to drive growth Being a thriving network
Evolving to increase our impact Enabling diverse experiences

3. Managing resources to drive growth
We have increased the sustainability of revenue generation activities at all levels of the
organization through creating brand strengthening products supporting all stages of the AIESEC
experience, smart pricing policies, and diversifying our partners base.
A stronger financial management culture, established through building external and internal
accountability structures and implementing long and short term financial planning and tools,
ensuring that all entities are effectively utilizing their incomes to enhance their performance.
Activities contributing to this GFA
• Pricing policies
• Brand experience toolkit
• Account Management
• Financial management policies
• Accountability structures
• Investment policies
CSFs related:
Retention rate of
supporters
Increase in Revenue
Number of entities that
review their quarterly
surplus in their yearly plan
and budget

4. Evolving to increase our impact
Our structures and processes have evolved allowing us to better capitalize on external trends
which enables sustainable growth in the volume and quality of AIESEC experiences.
By enhancing our positioning through profiling the contribution of our alumni, we have
strengthened the external relevance of our impact.
Activities contributing to this GFA
• External analysis as part of planning processes
• Alumni management (tracking and communication)
• Structure review
• Issue based activities
• Media and public relations
CSFs related
Absolute and relative growth in TN
takers and learning partners
TN re-raising
Number of partners who directly recruit
AIESEC alumni (in the last 6 months)
Growth in Realizations
Number of raised and realized EPs and
raised and realized TNs
Number and growth in people taking a
leadership role

5. Enabling diverse experiences
Our understanding of supply and demand management supports the diversification of our
members and TNs and allows us to leverage on country to country and sub-regional cooperation,
enabling us to effectively deliver a higher volume and quality of AIESEC experiences.
The internal positioning and promotion of our exchange opportunities to members ensures more
complete AIESEC experiences are lived.
Activities contributing to this GFA
• Supply and demand management based on:
o Backgrounds, duration, types, languages of TNs and
EPs
o Aligning high potential markets for TN raising with
recruitment activities
• Diversification of members backgrounds
• External trends analysis
• Country to country cooperation
• Sub-regional cooperation
• Positioning activities and targeting our key markets
• Utilizing and capitalizing on I am an AIESECer campaign
CSFs related
Members applying for Exchange and
Members applying for LR: Members
planned for exchange/leadership
No. of members that go on exchange
after leadership
Number of members wanting to have
an X and/or LR and actually get it
Number of members versus X and
LR realized
Growth in realizations
Number of raised and realized EPs
and raised and realized TNs

6. Being a thriving network
Being thriving
Every country in the network contributes to the development of LCs and countries through
international cooperation based on external trends.
All countries and territories have grown in a sustainable way by improving the efficiency and
effectiveness of our exchange and talent management processes.
Activities contributing to this GFA
• Country to country cooperation
• Sustainable LC development approaches linking LC growth to the potential in their
market
• External analysis to foster more diversified cooperation between the entire network
• Exchange and Talent Management process improvement
CSFs related
Number of members that on
exchange after leadership
Average quality rating of introduction
to AIESEC stage
Number and growth in exchange and
leadership realizations based on
issues
Number of raised and realized EPs
and raised and realized TNs
Now that you are planning for next year you can easily incorporate the global and regional plans.
If from the current state analysis you have noticed that certain external trends match with your
country and if you have noticed that you need to focus in certain CSFs that are addressed by the
GFAs and / or regional plans, you can automatically take the suggested actions under the global /
regional focus area. You will have more countries cooperating under the same frame and you will
have global and regional support.