Mapping your Future:

Containing the HIV and AIDS epidemic is not just a health problem to be managed by healthcare providers. It is an issue that should concern each one of us, irrespective of who we are. For us to achieve a Summer for All People in South Africa, we need ‘Leadership by All at All Levels’. Everyone can play an important part to make the Summer for All People a reality.

To make a real difference we need concerted, integrated and co-ordinated efforts by individuals, groups and organisations across the country. We believe that you can play a role in areas where you have influence, i.e. in your personal life, in your community and in your work or professional capacity.

How do you move from the current scenario to your preferred scenario?

Step 1 - Situational and Needs Analysis 
Step 2 - Identifying Issues, Exploring Options and Possibilities 
Step 3 - Making Strategic Choices
Step 4 - Developing Objectives and Activities 

Step 5 - Taking Action or Implementing Activities  
Step 6 - Monitoring and Evaluation
Conclusion

STEP 1: Situational and Needs Analysis
This step in the planning cycle involves doing a Situational and Needs Analysis. This initial step asks you to consider the following questions:
• What do you know and what have you witnessed about HIV and AIDS within your community or organisation?
• What are people doing in your community to address HIV and AIDS – who is involved and what are they doing?
• What needs are emerging that appear not to be addressed?
• Where are you now? In answering this question, you may want to do a SWOT analysis to identify your Strengths and Weaknesses, and to recognise Opportunities and Threats.

Table 1. SWOT Analysis Template



Once you have answered these questions, review the four scenarios described in the Live the Future model. In which scenario would you say you are currently operating in, or are you operating in more than one season (which is possible)? Mark your current scenario with a dot as in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Current versus Preferred Scenario

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STEP 2: Identifying Issues, Exploring Options and Possibilities
This step of the planning cycle is Identifying Issues, Exploring Options and Possibilities. In Step 1, you probably identified yourself somewhere between Winter, Autumn or Spring. In this step, it is important that you recognise and have a good understanding of the issues facing your community or organisation. There are many tools available to help you understand problems or challenges, and we encourage you to use these tools to properly understand the root of the problems in your community as well as the inter-relationship between these problems / challenges. A good problem analysis exercise will help you identify the focal problem and think strategically as you go into the next phase of identifying solutions.

When identifying solutions, it will be important to focus on:

  • What is your preferred scenario – Winter, Autumn, Spring or Summer? Mark your preferred scenario on the Live the Future matrix with a cross (x) as in Figure 5.

  • What is your vision?

  • What are the options or possibilities that exist to achieve this vision?

This can be done by restating the issues you identified above into positive, desirable and realistic conditions. Summer is possibly your preferred scenario and there is a lot of information in this document and in the Live the Future – Information Pack to help you visualise and understand what a Summer for All People means.

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STEP 3: Making Strategic Choices
This step, Making Strategic Choices, recognises that you cannot solve all problems at once. In developing plans you need to consider the different options available, and consider what the most practical strategy would be to eliminate or reduce the problem. If you revisit Step 2, carefully review the strategies that emerged and ask yourself:

  • Are there sufficient resources available to implement the strategy?

  • What will be the extent and level at which these strategies will have an effect on the problem? Will this help solve the problem?

  • Are there leaders or champions to drive and support these particular strategies?

  • Which strategies address the perceived priorities and needs of your community or organisation?

  • How do these strategies tie in with the national HIV and AIDS plan?

  • Who else is working in these areas that can support or complement your work?

  • Is the strategy appropriate for your group to address?

  • How sustainable is the strategy?

These questions should help eliminate those strategies that are unrealistic, not within your field of expertise or capability, or those already being tackled by an existing programme, organisation or institution in your area.
Once a strategic option has been chosen, it is necessary to break down the strategy into measurable and realistic steps that can develop into a workable programme to mitigate the effects of HIV and AIDS. You can now embark on Step 4, Developing Objectives and Activities.

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STEP 4: Developing Objectives and Activities
This step is about Developing Objectives and Activities, as well as identifying your target audience, setting timeframes, identifying resources needed and allocating responsibilities that will enable you to achieve your preferred goal or scenario. Again, there are many planning tools that can help you conceptualise all the processes that need to be followed to achieve your vision.

Below is a template of a simple project plan for you to get a sense of how plans can be arranged to share information simply and clearly.

Table 2. Project Planning Template – an example of a project plan or programme


Project plans, such as the one outlined above, should be reviewed every 6 – 9 months and then amended to ensure they reflect progress made and any change in strategy.

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STEP 5: Taking Action or Implementing Activities
This step is about Taking Action or Implementing Activities as set out in your project plan above. Without action, no goals can be achieved.

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STEP 6: Monitoring and Evaluation
Finally, ask yourself, how will I know that I have been successful? This is the last step in the planning process – Monitoring and Evaluation. Think about your preferred scenario and consider your plan of action. Does your plan of action enable you to achieve your overall goal / vision / dream.

Figure 6: Newspaper Headlines Exercise



But what if you get to 2025 and the newspaper headline is very different? Can you afford to wait until 2025 to start evaluating your hard work? No. You need to be monitoring your progress along the way. As part of the planning process, it is important to collect information along the way that can tell you whether you have been effective, efficient with your resources, and whether you are providing a quality service. Take time to evaluate if you have met or exceeded your targets as in Table 2.

Consider that plans do not always work out as planned for various reasons. So it is important to see where it does not, and then to change your plans to make sure you can still get back on track. After reviewing your progress, you need to go back to Step 1 again and repeat the Planning Cycle.

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Conclusion

At this point you probably have a good understanding of what the Summer for All People aims to achieve, you have realised that you have the potential to address HIV and AIDS, and that you also have the tools to understand they key aspects in planning a concerted effort to address HIV and AIDS.

We challenge you to choose to be part of the Summer for All People, to set your target and see what you need to do differently, starting now! We have developed some ideas for action (see part B of this document), but this is not an exhaustive list. The list also outlines some of the challenges you could face, but in most cases it does not give solutions to the possible challenges. If you have anything to add to the list or if you have solutions for the challenges, let us know so that we can share these with others. Contact us by emailing your comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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