FAST Process

Every FAST project is different; yet every project benefits from a unique process created by FAST that blends the power of the arts through experiential learning with the rigour of proven leadership development and management practices.

Our philosophy is one of grassroots involvement and ownership. We design, deliver and evaluate each project with full involvement of the participants: they set the agenda for deciding which social issues are to be addressed.

The FAST process follows a series of structured steps:

Insight for action

Our starting point is to work with the project participants to define the issues to address and then to move forward by:

• Conducting a shared problem analysis and specifying desired output and outcomes

• Developing a locally appropriate strategy and implementation plan

• Designing evaluation procedures and specifying success indicators

• Clarifying the roles of FAST, other NGOs, project participants, community groups (including facilitation, evaluation, reporting, project management)

Engagement and co-creation

Integral to this part of the process are workshops, dialogue groups and/or creative sessions that provide a safe environment for the project participants to reflect on and build confidence in their own leadership abilities. This is done through activity that builds from experiences created through dance, theatre, drawing, music, poetry, story telling and other art forms, combined with more traditional management techniques in leadership development and organisational behaviour.  The approach is designed to:

• Reflect the locally defined strategy and plan

• Facilitate co-created output as defined in local strategy (e.g. theatre pieces)

• Be aligned with other relevant participatory research that may be conducted and documented as an integral part of the project

Sustainable change

By the end of each project, we aim to have transferred our knowledge, skills and practices in order to enable leadership potential for future generations. We do this by:

• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the process, output and outcomes

• Promoting the development of local expertise in ongoing facilitation and management of the FAST process

• Providing a process resource pack for further development and use by local facilitators

• Agreeing and implementing an exit strategy for FAST

• Maintaining contact and nurturing informal relationships and networking.

 

Two key elements underpin the FAST process:

Experience and training

All FAST facilitators are trained in the core process and relevant skills. Selected project participants and local partner co-workers can also train as FAST facilitators.

In addition, professional training and supervision are available in specialised creative and leadership development processes. These include LIFEdance! and Elemental Leadership (developed and donated by Sara Boas). FAST facilitators are required to have prior experience in a field relevant to their role (e.g. community development, expressive arts therapy, leadership development, youth work). FAST faculty working with especially vulnerable populations (e.g. children, people in mental health care, victims of torture) are required to have additional qualifications and registration in a relevant regulated profession.

FAST process resource pack

FAST brings a process, not a product! However, tangible materials support the process. We are developing a flexible resource pack for use by FAST facilitators. The resource pack will include tools for the facilitation of FAST projects, including detailed guidelines for locally relevant artistic engagement.

The process draws on a wide range of existing participatory methods, both traditional and newly developed. These are adapted to local needs and context, project by project. Each project will generate its own documentation, which will form the basis of the project’s resource pack. The project resource pack includes:

• Roles and contact details of people involved

• Details of the evolving local FAST process

• Records of key outcomes from verbal dialogue and creative process sessions

• Documentation of artistic output

• Findings from project-based research

• Records of ongoing project evaluation

In the case of specialised processes, the file will give details of the process, with who is trained to (a) assist (b) facilitate and (c) teach the process.

Read more about Elemental Leadership
Read more about LIFEdance!

 

 

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