Global Infancia is a Paraguayan organization that was born in 1995. Based on the principles of sustainability and transparency, innovation, commitment, integrity, inclusion, and solidarity, this organization has worked for a culture that promotes and respects the rights of children and adolescents in that country. Through the generation of strategic alliances with the public and private sectors and international organizations, the media, universities, and peer organizations, Global Infancia has contributed to strengthening citizen participation and leadership. They have influenced public policies as well as developed innovative initiatives on the human rights of children and adolescents. Some of the most important strategies have been ‘Periodistas Amigos de la Niñez’ and ‘Empresas amigas de la niñez’. One of their most important achievements is their support in strengthening the National Child Protection System in Paraguay.

IWORDS Consulting was selected in 2020 to support Global Infancia in its strategic definition process for the period 2022–2026. This process begins with an evaluation of their last Strategic Plan (2016-2020) in December, carried out through a desk review of the relevant information of the organization (document of current Strategic Plan, activity reports, reports of projects and activities, website, among others), of the analysis of the proposed indicators, of the data and the information gathered through the semi-structured interviews and the surveys carried out with key informants. In addition to the above information, the SWOT Analysis and the CCAE Analysis are also involved. The first one is used to identify the –both internal and external- strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of the organization, and the second one, is a tool for defining viable and concise strategies, aimed at achieving the proposed objectives.

The main methodology used by IWORDS Consulting in the process of defining the new Strategic Plan for Global Infancia is the Theory of Change. This tool allows us to develop analytical mapping, which explains the successive changes that must occur during and after implementation to achieve the strategic and institutional objectives. Based on this map, Global Infancia defines and prioritizes, according to the organization’s mission, the main actions to be followed in the new period and the indicators that will allow measuring their scope. With this information, the 2022–2026 Strategic Plan document is prepared and, subsequently, the Operational Plan for year 1.

Another important methodology in this process has been designed by IWORDS  and is called GOALT (Governance, Organization, Actions, Learning, Tools). This evaluation tool enables its users to diagnosis the main areas of the Foundation, highlighting aspects such as the appropriation of knowledge, inclusion of participatory processes, documentation of lessons learned, and use of technological and innovation tools.

Guided by the principles of inclusion, participation, multidisciplinarity, and gender mainstreaming and from the differential, rights, innovation, and diversity approaches, IWORDS Consulting focuses its efforts on making this process an enriching space for the definition of effective actions in the new strategic period of Global Infancia. Given the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has imposed additional challenges for the development of in-person participatory processes, IWORDS has designed and adapted workshops and activities with Global Infancia to adjust to new requirements of remote work, without making them less effective or relevant.

Each member of the Global Infancia team is committed to sharing their talent, experience, and knowledge so that the objectives included in the new Strategic Plan 2022–2026 go from being an idea to a reality. IWORDS Consulting is proud of having the opportunity to support this important organization.