Pause & Reflect Workshops are a tried and true approach to support learning, adaptive management, and strategic planning. In USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework, Pause & Reflect falls as a sub-component under the Adapting sphere with the goal of getting a team to step back and reflect on what they have learned as a result of implementation. In this set of workshop materials, the process is also characterized as Food For Thought (FFT).
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CLA Temperature Check
Using a very brief CLA temperature check, the group reviews the following six CLA categories and determines the strength of each capacity on a red-amber-green scale as outlined below. The USAID Cards provide more detail on each component, the ideal, desired state of practice, and the levels of maturity within a program or organization. For the sake of simplicity, these have been converted into a simple traffic rating system, based on whether the desired practice is usually or consistently done, rarely or sometimes done, or almost never done. Based on discussion, the Facilitator places an X in the box for each component. Process can also be performed using a Mentimeter online quiz (mentimeter.com), or by using a flip chart on the wall for participants to place stickers or checkmarks.
FFT Planning Meeting - Facilitators Guide
The FFT Workshop is designed to be flexible for your team’s availability. It can be conducted in a full-day in person, 2 half-day sessions, or 2-3 hour sessions over 5 days. It is possible to host a remote workshop, though the preparation will be more time consuming.
Also note that the one-day agenda is very full. For teams that have never done a reflection like this, some of the activities may take longer than this agenda suggests, and the first time implementation of the full workshop may take closer to one and a half days. Future iterations will have fewer activities, and people will be more familiar with the expectations and practiced in the kind of analytical and critical thinking that is required.
Data Planning Details
From the selected Learning Questions, identify which data sources will be most useful for the workshop, mark them as ‘Required’ and assign them to a team member for assembling. If possible, suggest a presentation method, or content focus for the data (e.g., just demographics in the baseline, select indicator results, particular PDM questions, etc.).
