Service System Project
Objective 4 of the NAWS Strategic Plan:
Transition from a service structure to a service system that is driven by unity in fulfilling our primary purpose and that is flexible in meeting the diverse service needs and goals of NA communities.
The service system project was created to address some of our ongoing challenges in delivering services. For several cycles, our Issue Discussion Topics focused on “infrastructure” or “service structure” or “building a bridge to service,” and we heard the same struggles repeated over and over: apathy, disunity, communication problems, difficulties with our public image, and challenges delivering basic services (e.g., helplines that don’t get answered). The service system project grew out of the need to find solutions to these old problems. The 2008 World Service Conference unanimously adopted a plan for this four-year project, and the 2010 conference unanimously reaffirmed the project. (More background on the project is available in the documents linked to on this page.)
The project plan explains, “The focus of this project is to find alternatives that can assist us to provide effective, efficient, and planned service delivery which will help us to better carry the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers. . . . As we have stated previously, service is a system of interdependent components of structure, resources, processes, and people.” Our work to date has been focused largely on structural ideas, which we presented at WSC 2010. That conference also adopted A Vision for NA Service by unanimous consent. With that common vision as an aspiration, we look forward to discussing these ideas throughout the fellowship in the cycle ahead.
This page is intended to provide interested members with background on the project, updates and tools, and a link to a bulletin board where you can ask questions or have discussions related to aspects of the project. More information will be posted on this page as it is available.
Current:
In August 2010 we released revised versions of the service system proposals. These are featured in a series of US workshops held in September and October 2010. All related materials are posted here. Input on these proposals is due 31 December 2010.
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Form to give input | Provide your input online
PowerPoints:
These PowerPoints illustrate the proposal report.
Discussion:
Conference material:
This material was released for discussion at WSC 2010. It will be revised according to input we received at the conference. Revised materials will be posted on this page at some point after the board meeting at the end of July, but we wanted to make the conference drafts available to you in the meantime.
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Flash presentation
(please download this file to your hard drive and extract) -
Handout - "Healthy Service System"
Background: