PARTICIPATORY STRATEGIC PLANNING IN BOSNIA:AN EXAMPLE OF THE TECHNOLOGY OF PARTICIPATION
Stuart A. Umpleby
Department of Management Science The George Washington University Washington, DC 20052
May 28, 2004
A report on a demonstration in a graduate class at the Faculty of Economics University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 28, 2004
INTRODUCTION
On May 28, 2004, Stuart Umpleby conducted a demonstration of the Participatory Strategic Planning procedure developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs. The participants were graduate students in Prof. Aziz Sunje's decision-making class in the Faculty of Economics of the University of Sarajevo in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Participatory Strategic Planning (PSP) process involves five steps:
4. Systematic Actions
Each step of the PSP process uses the Consensus Workshop method. This method entails five steps:
About 35 students participated in the exercise. The exercise was conducted in English. The purpose of the exercise was both to demonstrate group facilitation methods, to learn what Bosnian students are thinking about the future of their country and to encourage the students to use such methods for improving the performance of organizations in Bosnia.
Five focus questions, all related to the future of Bosnia, were suggested.
The students chose as a focus question, How can we promote the economic development of Bosnia?
Due to limited time only the first three steps in the Participatory Strategic Planning process were conducted in this class. When a planning exercise is conducted with a business or government agency, usually it is conducted during a weekend, often in a "retreat" setting, when there is more time. Ideally people from outside the organization are also involved particularly during the final parts of the planning activity. These people can relate their experiences with similar problems, suggest alternative actions, and provide sources of needed materials or skills. In addition outside observers may be impressed with the planning exercise and decide to conduct one in their organizations.
RESULTS OF THE TOP EXERCISE, UNIVERSITY OF SARAJEVO, 5/28/2004VISION
Low unemploymentIncrease of employment More chances for employment of young people More jobs Unemployment rate 10-15% New Jobs More employment Many new jobs Chance for everyone to get FIRST job
More investmentIncrease of foreign investment Self-sustainable producion Growth of family businesses Need for a few big companies in different parts of the country More domestic investments On-going development More “green-field” investment More technology investment
Higher living standardBigger salaries $15,000 GNP per capita Better standard of living No poor people
Political stabilityLower political party power No bureaucracy Political stability
Opportunities for innovators Understanding creative minds More independent people
Improved infrastructureLonger motorway Highways expanded
Improvements in education systemInvestment in young people/ education
Independent macroeconomic policyNo currency board
Political engagementMore young people must decide the future
No corruptionEfficient legal system
Tourism paradiseDemining
EU our futureWar criminals in jail
Revision of privatization process (state companies)
Improvements in health system
Beautiful nationMore beautiful girls More smart men BiH – Brazil 3:0 World Cup 2006 in Germany
CONTRADICTIONS
Nationalism still strongToo many people do not know what their native country is Higher education law was not approved by parliament Rule of nationalist parties Old national dreams Nationalists in government Gap between nations “Where do we belong?” mentality This is Balkans
Wrong people in some positionsDecision-makers are politicians not experts Too many chiefs, too few Indians Lack of political willingness Lack of assertive young people Lack of skilled people in place Lack of experts in government Positions assigned by favors not skills
Too many outside interestsOHR Bosnians must make decisions, not foreigners IMF and World Bank Too many foreigners Interests of international community Incompetent EU politicians hold power Prejudices of foreigners
Lack of money for investmentNot enough support from the banks High interest rates for investments High price for financial capital Currency board (2) Not enough investments in infrastructure
Constraining legal environmentLack of motivation for businessesGovernment system which does not function Political situationDiscouraging legal regulations
Corruption (3) Criminals Corrupt legal system
Lack of assertivenessOld, bad habits of Bosnian people Lack of interest in change in general
Post-war obstacles to future developmentMines (2)
Lack of visionNo true leader
No country branding policy / campaignNot enough will to define Bosnian identity
Lack of legislation in many fieldsMonopolists
Not enough participatory decision-makingLack of such kind of practice (e.g., this workshop)
Insufficient luckBagic injured Visas Moon horoscope
STRATEGIES
Better educated young peopleIn case of lack of local (domestic) experts, bring specialists from abroad New education system Investing in education Give young, clever, educated men a chance to create Give young, clever, educated women a chance to create Find capable leaders More involvement of young people in decision-making processes
Fiscal and monetary sovereigntyFree currency flow Currency board down CB of BiH must bring money home Decrease interest rate Decrease interest rate to stimulate private business Positive inflation rate New concept for BiHExperts in government Change the government system BiH without entities No entities Single economic space
Positive country branding Make a Bosnian nation as one great nation Promote ecotourism Put BiH and its citizens into first place State interests prior to national interests Public opinions to be counted
Social developmentPublicize good examples Motivate local people for decision-making Public assessment of achieved results Anti-nationalism campaign Increase responsibility
Support small and medium-sized businessesBusiness incubators Positive business legislation Reduce imports, buy domestic products Open new work places
Anticorruption agencyMore controlling bodies Increase transparency The truth
Improved government administrationSmart governing tactics Supportive state Smaller administration
Orientation toward the futureTotal recall (a new beginning) Investments in infrastructure
Improve the legal systemImprove the system of laws
Hard workWill to succeed
Fulfillment of conditions to enter the EU
Many brain surgeriesMarry a Japanese Send Bagic to Reumal Chicks for free Buy new passport Demonstrations, demonstrations, demonstrations
In this class there was a group of students who liked to make jokes. As a result the last cluster of ideas under Vision, Contradictions, and Strategies includes some whimsical suggestions. The conversation was lively, serious, and jovial.
REFERENCES
Umpleby, S., Medvedeva, T. and Oyler, A. “The Technology of Participation as a Means of Improving Universities in Transitional Economies,” World Futures, Vol. 6, Nos. 1-2, pp. 129-136.
Umpleby, S. and Oyler, A. “A Global Strategy for Human Development: The Work of the Institute of Cultural Affairs,” Proceedings of the annual meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, Crete, Greece, July 7-11, 2003.
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