AMECEA: Strategic Management Key to Institutional Growth, AMECEA Staff Told at Induction Workshop

AMECEA staff attended a week-long induction workshop from September 21 to 25 at the Elysian Resort in Nairobi, Kenya, to learn strategic management and project implementation. The workshop served both new and existing staff at the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa secretariat following recent appointments by bishops.

Secretary General Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Kaufa opened the workshop on September 22, telling staff that the true measure of their work is the transformation of people's lives. Fr. Kaufa, a Montfort Missionary, stated that the Church's mission is defined by the difference it makes in the lives of those it serves rather than financial spending or report writing. He noted that the organization supports eight episcopal conferences, two affiliate members, and over 75 million Catholics facing poverty, political conflict, and socio-economic hardship.

Facilitator Patrick Phoso, a development practitioner from Malawi, taught staff to use strategic management, resource mobilization, and effective project management to ensure institutional sustainability. Phoso described management as both a science based on data and an art involving leadership and planning. He organized the strategic management process into three categories: formulation, implementation, and evaluation, while introducing tools such as standard operating procedures and performance appraisals.