Since October 2022, the USAID-funded Peace through Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation Activity II (PELA II), implemented by Khulisa in partnership with Dexis and ITAD, has been providing capacity support to USAID West Africa (USAID/WA) and its implementing partners to enhance their effectiveness in preventing/countering violent extremism and in promoting peace.
Pause and reflect sessions are valuable opportunities for teams to assess their activity implementation over a period of time and make course corrections for the future. Thus, on April 24 and 25, 2024, the PELA II team (based in Ghana), led by its Chief of Party (COP) Francis Ansong, embarked on a journey of reflection and strategic planning on the tranquil banks of the Volta River in Akosombo, Ghana.
Away from the confines of the usual office space, the team, made up of Khulisa’s Senior Vice President and Program Director, Dr. Martha Muco, technical experts from PELA II, and the U.S. Director from ITAD, Mike Klein, engaged in heartfelt discussions. To start, the facilitator led a team icebreaker exercise, termed “spider web”, to understand each other’s role on the team and how these all culminate in the attainment of the broader program objective.
The team also explored past activities, delving into successes and challenges to plan important next steps. Both group and plenary sessions allowed the team to analyze specific activities in its previous workplan and make determinations of what worked or did not work well, and how to improve on task implementation moving forward. With the PELA II USAID Contracting Officer’s Representative, Jifa Fianu, and her alternate, Anita Nkansah, in attendance, the session also provided a unique opportunity for the team to discuss how to align its efforts to amply satisfy the demands and learning needs of its primary stakeholder, USAID/WA.
The pause and reflect event revealed the importance of strategic adaptation and alignment to ensure that activities effectively serve the mission of promoting peace and development in Coastal West Africa. This strategic event was an integral part of Khulisa’s approach to program design and implementation, which leverages on the power of collaboration, continuous reflection, and open, objective feedback in driving positive change.
