Kirana Fellowship for Local Youth Development Officers and SKs

The Kirana Fellows Program is designed specifically for Local Youth Development Officers, SKs, youth organizers, and Youth Leaders in the Philippines and Asia who aim to develop a portfolio of programs and partnerships. Kirana means "ray of light" in Nepali, and signifies how Local Youth Development Officers and youth leaders serve as a beacon to hundreds of local youth who want to contribute to and co-create local development using Bridging Leadership, Adaptive Leadership, and other frameworks from Harvard and MIT.

Program Objective:

To empower Local Youth Development Officers to mobilize young leaders and foster youth-led initiatives across municipalities by leveraging Adaptive Leadership Circles (ALCs), social labs, and Futures Labs. The program will equip fellows with skills in Problem-driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) and other innovative methodologies over a 4-11 month period.

Learning will be through a combination of online team activities and mini-lectures, as well as actual organizing and project implementation on the ground at the learner's communities.

Module 1: Orientation and Foundation Building

1.1 Induction and Team Formation

• Welcome and Orientation Session

• Introduction to the program goals, structure, and expectations

• Team-building exercises to form Adaptive Leadership Circles (ALCs) comprising 6-7 fellows

• Workshops on leadership, teamwork, and collaboration

1.2 Understanding Youth Development and PDIA

• Intensive training on youth development theories and best practices

• Introduction to the Problem-driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) methodology

• Case studies and real-world applications of PDIA

• Initial brainstorming sessions on local challenges and opportunities

Module 2: Local Engagement and PDIA Implementation

2.1: Community Mapping and Stakeholder Engagement

• Conduct community mapping exercises to identify key stakeholders and local youth dynamics

• Workshops on stakeholder engagement and communication strategies

• Begin engagement with local schools, colleges, and community leaders

• Initiate the formation of ALCs in municipalities, targeting the mobilization of 100 young leaders per municipality

Module 2.1: Problem Identification and Iteration Planning

• Deep dive into local issues using PDIA tools and techniques

• Develop problem statements and initial hypotheses for interventions

• Begin iterative cycles of prototyping and feedback collection

Module 4: Scaling and Iteration

4.1 Scaling Successful Initiatives

• Analyze the outcomes of initial prototypes

• Identify successful initiatives and scale them to additional communities

• Continue iterative cycles of testing, feedback, and refinement

4.2 Advanced PDIA and Leadership Training

• Advanced workshops on PDIA and adaptive leadership

• Sessions on monitoring and evaluation techniques

• Peer learning sessions to share experiences and insights

Module 5: Engaging Social Innovation Hubs

5.1: Collaboration with Social Labs

• Establish partnerships with local schools and universities to co-organize social labs

• Use social labs as hubs for ongoing social innovation and experimentation

• Host innovation challenges and hackathons to develop new solutions

5.2: Mentorship and Capacity Building

• Provide mentorship and coaching to young leaders and project teams

• Capacity building workshops on project management, fundraising, and sustainability

• Encourage cross-ALC collaborations and joint initiatives

Module 5: Municipal/City Futures Labs

5.1: Organizing Municipal/City Futures Labs

• Plan and organize Municipal/City Futures Labs as local hubs for social innovation

• Engage local government units (LGUs), community leaders, and youth in futures thinking and scenario planning

• Develop strategic plans for youth-led development initiatives

5.2: Implementation and Follow-up

• Launch futures labs and begin implementation of strategic plans

• Monitor progress and provide ongoing support to project teams

• Facilitate regular check-ins and progress reviews with ALCs and local stakeholders

Month 6: Consolidation and Reflection

Documentation and Knowledge Sharing

• Document successful initiatives, challenges, and lessons learned

• Create case studies and knowledge-sharing materials

• Organize knowledge exchange sessions with other municipalities and regions

Final Review and Reflection

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the program outcomes

• Reflection sessions for fellows to share personal growth and experiences

• Plan for sustainability and long-term impact of youth-led initiatives

Module 7 Future Planning

Program Support and Resources:

• Continuous access to mentors and experts in youth development and PDIA

• Online platform for collaboration, resource sharing, and communication

• Regular feedback and support sessions with program coordinators

Expected Outcomes:

• Mobilization of at least 100 young leaders per team

• Establishment of sustainable youth-led initiatives and social innovation hubs

• Enhanced capacity of Local Youth Development Officers in leadership and adaptive problem-solving

• Creation of a robust network of youth development practitioners and leaders across the Philippines