Monrovia, Liberia – Paramount Young Women Initiative (PAYOWI) has ended a day-long mid-year Retreat at a local hotel in Monrovia.
The retreat, which was held over the weekend, was designed to provide an opportunity for the staff, volunteers, and Board members to come together to reflect, review, and evaluate the level of progress made in the organization’s overall work and implementation of projects, as well as assess the overall impact within the first half of the fiscal year.
Participants also reviewed challenges, risks, and opportunities to inform the organization’s ongoing work in line with the strategic direction and mission of the institution.
The mid-year retreat will also respond to staff assessment needs and provides capacity and skill refresher training in areas identified by the staff, as well as host the Board’s quarterly meeting.
Since the establishment of PAYOWI, up to present, the institution has always convened retreats as a great way for strategic planning, re-energizing, and refocus as well as to activate or fast-track decision-making in areas that need strengthening and enhance the bonding of the team.
PAYOWI’s 2023 mid-term Retreat seeks to review the program’s reports, strengthen staff and volunteers’ capacity to respond to the work demands, and implore new strategies to adequately achieve the desired deliverables. It was to also develop strategic actions for effective and efficient programming and administrative operations for increased productivity and output, staff well-being, and performance for the overall growth of the institution, to be passed on by the Board.
Retreat activities included:
Review administrative, program, and financial reports, feedback on progress, and challenges, and received recommendations for next steps.
- review of PAYOWI’s Financial Policy – identify gaps and strengthen the policy by updating the policy in line with recommendations from audits conducted by RSFU and EOL, two of PAYOWI’s current projects.
iii. Review draft program activities for the second half of the fiscal year
- PAYOWI Board to acts on the outcome of the retreat through its Resolution.
- Conduct refresher training on report writing and advocacy
strengthen the organization’s work and improve working relationships.
Expected Outcomes
All staff, volunteers, and Board Members jointly review the first quarter administrative, program, and financial report of the organization, reviewed and update financial policy, and carve the strategic activities for the final half of the year, enhancing bonding between board members, staff, and volunteers/mentees.