CC/SWOT

http://perc.ca/mediawiki/index.php/Communication

Strengths & Weakness
Strengths and weakness are qualities etc found inside the organization and might include things like:


 * Efficiency, effectiveness, quality, innova tion, customer reponsiveness
 * Resources and Capabilities of the organization

Strengths

 * Volunteer training NA
 * Volunteer support NA
 * Volunteer Orientation NA
 * Self supporting not depedent on other agencies
 * Has its own publication (PEN)
 * Library
 * Organizational structure (committee based) NA
 * Location
 * important work??
 * Loyal and generous members/donors
 * Dedicated and active editor
 * Dedicated, talented volunteers NA
 * One program (PEN) for public visibility and to attract and keep members
 * PEN is the only paper of its kind in the region focusing on local issues
 * PEN is highly regarded by its readers --Coordinator 18:11, 28 October 2009 (EDT)}

Weaknesses

 * Chronic deficit
 * declining membership
 * increasing transience of volunteers (low fidelity/continuity/leadership)
 * not glamerous
 * vision difficult to articulate simplis ticaly
 * Communication between vols is poor (few feedback loops)
 * difuse/abstract action means difficult to assess benefit (motivation)
 * vols increasingly after job/culture issues
 * PEN less visible in community (fewer issues)
 * Dependence on one program (PEN) for visibility and to attract and keep members
 * Only one program (PEN) developed for visibility and to attract and keep members
 * Outside funding sources for PEN are shrinking
 * Funding not adequate to make coordinator and editor positions sustainable
 * volunteer cannot be reallocated the way one can with paid staff


 * Leadership positions require people who are i) able (skills, language, etc), ii) have the time/energy, iii) willing, AND available in the current mix of volunteers. The standard proportion of 'natural leaders' in the population is 1/20.

Opportunities & Threats
Opportunities and threats come from outside the organization and could be found in things like:


 * Rivalry among the established organization
 * The bargaining power of the customers
 * The bargaining power of the suppliers
 * The threat of substitue products/service s
 * The marcroeconomic environment
 * The social environment
 * The demographic environment

Opportunities

 * people ARE more aware of the issues
 * locally over 20,000 folks voted green last election
 * speed of climate change increasing awareness
 * worsening protracted wars increase appetite for peace
 * people do ACTUALLY have money
 * many new canadians seeking job experience
 * social isolation means people seeking community

Threats

 * non-Oprah 'reading' in decline
 * pervasive disempowerment
 * Lovelock's article/book (despair, hopelessness)
 * charity competition (downloading) funds/vols
 * Many, many more free (and relatively high quality) publicatio ns
 * Internet
 * creates i llusion of being well informed
 * people more socially isolated, don't speak to one another
 * perception that can get information on-line (PEN)
 * economy means people often have to move for work

Pairing
e ?