The Leprosy Mission International organized the Global Workshop for 2023 in Sarah Resort, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Colleagues from across the Leprosy Mission Global Fellowship convened in Dhaka from the 22nd to the 26th of May. The workshop focused on deriving a new Global Strategy for the Leprosy Mission as we continue to address global issues in Leprosy, integration with NTDs, and understand the latest developments of Global Health.

7 members of the Leprosy Mission Nepal joined the Global Fellowship in Bangladesh for the Global Workshop. The workshops were divided between Programs, Finance, and Human Resources. While members attended their respective sessions, there were more than a few exciting events and learnings from the Global Workshops.

Learnings from the Programs Workshops

The Global workshop held in Bangladesh in May hosted around 70+ participants from Programs, Finance, and Human resources across various TLM member countries. While the theme at large was to learn, share and interact across departments, a major part of the Programs Workshop focused on developing the Theory of Change and contributing towards the new TLM Global Strategy.

Throughout the workshop, there was a unique mix of thought provoking ideas from people working on the groups towards the elimination of leprosy. The session was facilitated through interactive group discussions of the variety of challenges faced in each country and how different we are, and yet how similar across our values within the Global Fellowship. The sessions also provided platform for experience sharing where people who had worked in leprosy for more than 30 years could share their expertise, insights, and real-life examples with those taking baby steps.

It was fascinating to see how different individuals approached the challenges and collaborated to find solutions. These exercises not only enhanced our knowledge of the global issues surrounding leprosy but also the understanding that there is no one size fits all in program planning and problem solving scenarios.

Participation from successful leaders from some countries, their stories and advice were motivating especially appreciating the differences in opinion and views but the passion and zeal in each participant particularly left me in awe and admiration of the work that goes around in The Leprosy Mission. It was an opportunity to reinforce the learnings and set action plans for implementing the strategy for the coming years.

Learnings from the HR Workshops

The 2023 HR Global Workshop was focused on exploring new paradigms of human resources. HR analytics took center stage in a few of the sessions, and the importance of HR data systems and their impact on decision making were highlighted. This also included practical demonstration of an HR Software and how member nations across the Global Fellowship could use similar approaches for managing data.

The workshops also covered the utilization of networking platforms for professional development and building connections. This included discussions on NGO networking and sessions dedicated to getting the most out of social platforms including LinkedIn. The sessions also adopted an intrinsic view to HR tools like member review and health check, which has been historically used across the Global Fellowship.

While each department were busy with their respective sessions, there were more than a few sessions for interdepartmental collaboration. The final day concluded with a joint session on Leadership and reviewed the existing strategic priorities and examined the implications of the Theory of Change for the global strategy work.

Learnings from the Finance Workshops

The Finance sections of the 2023 Global Workshop was filled with learning opportunities.  Things like Accounting software, Internal Audit, Risk Management, Institutional Funding, and Cybersecurity took center stage.

One of the highlights of the workshop was undoubtedly, “Accredo”, an accounting software which was being considered for implementation across the Global Fellowship for better and uniform regulation of financial activities. Even though the sessions were packed with new and innovative ideas, the importance of robust internal audit practices, assessments of internal controls, risk management frameworks, and compliance procedures were not lost. There was also a common voice across the Global Fellowship to develop a culture of strong governance and control system within fellowship.

The workshops also highlighted a shifting paradigm within the Global Fellowship as we look towards integration on issues concerning Global Health. Sessions also addressed the challenges and opportunities associated with institutional funding and highlighted the importance of diversifying funding sources. The increasing reliance on digital technologies and the need of cybersecurity policies in place was also addressed through the workshops.

It is important to understand the nature of ever-evolving cyber threats and their potential risks to the Global Fellowship. The workshop also called for implementation of robust cybersecurity measures, such as firewalls, encryption, and multi-factor authentication. While the entire Global Workshop was a giant brainstorming session across all departments, strong focus was given to leadership and how best to lead the Leprosy Mission while adapting to the rapid changes all around us.