0. MODULE 6: 10 11 12 13 How We Organize and Manage Ourselves TOOLS
Organizational Diagram
Decision-making Chart
Daily Settings Chart
Friendly Interview 11 12 13
This module helps children’s groups to reflect on how they organize themselves and create roles for members. The tools enable groups to identify and reflect on the balance of power between different members to find ways for all members to have an influence on decisions.

1. Organizational Diagram? 10
Key Questions
Organizational Diagram
Who plays what role in our children’s group?
How do individuals and committees in our children’s group relate to one another?
Are there differences between gender and age in who plays a role in coordination or leadership of activities?
OBJECTIVE
Identify members who have specific roles in order to understand the age, gender, and power balance in the organizational structure of the group. 1 2 3
Steps
PREPARE : Create symbols to represent all of the people who are involved in the children’s group. They should be drawn on small pieces of paper to allow moving the symbol before agreeing on a final picture. These symbols should show age and gender, at least. This will be the key to your diagram. There are some examples of symbols you may use on the next page.
MATERIALS
Movable images or symbols, large flip chart paper, markers or crayons, stickers or colored paper, tape or glue
TIME
The examples on the next page may be created by printing the characters or symbols on sheets of colored paper. You may need multiple sheets of each character or symbol depending on how many members of each age and gender are in your children’s group.
60 – 90 Minutes
4, 11

2. ♂ ♂ ♂ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ Green Blue Purple Red Green Blue Purple Red Orange
Remember, these are just examples. Your children’s group may want to create your own symbols or characters using local materials.
Green
Blue
Purple
Red
Orange
Characters printed
on colored paper
Over 26 years
years
years
Under12 years ♂ ♂ ♂ ♂
Symbols printed
on colored paper ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀

3. You may want to create the moveable symbols by printing the characters on sheets of colored paper.
If you do not have colored paper, you may print or draw on white paper and color the shapes with colored markers or pencils.

4. IDENTIFY: It is especially important to think about each individual in your children’s group who are of a different ethnicity or caste/class, or perhaps children with disabilities. These people may or may not be part of your children’s group, even though your group may think it is important to include them. Create new symbols, shapes or use colored stickers to show these members and add them to your key.
Red
Yellow
Green
Blue
Someone with a disability
(red sticker)
Someone out
of school
(yellow sticker)
Someone from a social minority (green sticker)
President or
group leaders
(blue sticker)

5. Executive Committee Advisory Committee Education Committee
DIVIDE: Break into smaller groups of approximately 4-6 people. By working in smaller groups, everyone can explore and compare differences between members’ experiences and views.
This tool produces the most accurate information when two or more small groups create a diagram separately, then come together to share and discuss reasons for their decisions to diagram the children’s group as they did. For example, the group may want to divide by gender (girls and boys); age (older and younger children); organizational structure (leaders and general members); or other categories such as school going children and non-school going children.
DISCUSS : Create a list of the different committees or organized sub-groups and members in specific roles in your children’s group including general members. It is important that this include not just the officially recognized committees but any sub-group of children that meets regularly for an activity.
This list will help your children’s group plan your organizational diagram. Remember, there are also people outside your children’s group you may want to include. Just make sure you focus on ALL the members of your LOCAL children’s group, not just the leaders or coordinators.
Executive Committee
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Advisory Committee
Education Committee
Sports Committee
General Members

6. Teachers Executive Members Advisory Committee General Members
CREATE: In your small groups, arrange the symbols of members on a flat surface, such as a large sheet of paper laid on a table or the floor. Arrange the symbols to show the sub-groups of your group that meet together on some regular basis.. Some of them may be “official”and have a name such as “The education committee” of “The Advisory Committee” but others may have never been officially recognized as a committee or having a name but still carry out an important activity regularly, such as a clean up group. Both types of sub-groups should be identified on your diagram because they both have a purpose in your organization.
Teachers
Executive
Members
Advisory
Committee
There are 19 members in this children’s group. Five executive members (leaders) and 14 general members. The Advisory Committee and Teacher are not in the children’s group, but they do advise the group, so they are included.
Look closely. How many members with disabilities are in the group? Do both girls and boys share leadership roles?
General
Members

7. CREATE: If your small group is happy with how the diagrams look, you may begin to show the types of relationships the members have with each other using colored lines and arrows. Colored lines represent the type of relationship, while arrows show the direction of the relationship. For example, both leaders and members may participate in one committee (arrow with two points), but only one of the older members facilitates the discussion for the entire children’s group (arrow with one point).
The thickness of the lines may represent the strength of the relationship. You may also draw circles around multiple people if they all involved.
Teachers
Executive
Members
KEY
Advisory
Committee
Participates
(Joins in the group’s activities)
Blue
Coordinates
(Sets up and organizes group activities)
Purple
Facilitates
(Leads discussions or
communicates between members)
Orange
Consults
(Gives advice or counsel)
Black
General
Members

8. REFLECT: Bring all small groups together to discuss the following questions:
Where does this structure come from? For example:
Is our children’s group structure similar to the structure of adult groups? Or is it different? Why?
Is this how we want the structure of our children’s group to look?
Are there reasons why our children’s group is organized this way? For example, some large children’s group may create smaller groups to allow everyone a chance to speak in discussions.
What are the patterns of power in our children’s group? Are some people “in charge” more than others?
How can we make sure everyone is informed and involved in the organization and management of our children’s group?
Please add photos
DISCUSS: Ask members to imagine what their “IDEAL” children’s group might look. Encourage everyone to change the diagram and explore a children’s group structure that is more inclusive, clear, and fair. If needed, develop a plan for making changes to the children’s group structure.

9. Be sure not to copy exactly the examples in this kit
Be sure not to copy exactly the examples in this kit. They may or may not reflect the actual organizational structure of your children’s group. We encourage you to be creative to develop an Organizational Diagram that reflects your own group structure .
Also, be creative with materials. Use materials that are locally available. Adapt the process to fit the needs of the children’s group.
Please add photos

10. Please add photos
Above are examples from children’s groups in Guatemala and the Philippines. To the right, general members from a children’s group in Nepal work on their Organizational Diagram.

11. 11 ? 1 3 2 Decision-Making Chart Key Questions OBJECTIVE Steps
What decisions does our children’s group make (both formal and informal)?
Who is included or excluded from those decisions?
What other “unrecognized” activities does our children’s group make decisions on, such as, “Who cleans up the meeting space?”
OBJECTIVE 1 2 3
Identify the types of decisions made and who are included and not included in the decision-making process.
Steps
BRAINSTORM: As a large group, identify all the decisions your children’s group makes and write them on a large sheet of flip chart paper or chalkboard. Depending on how much time you have, prioritize the top 5-10 activities your children’s group makes decisions about by tallying votes. Some examples are:
Who elects leaders?
Who decides which members go to workshops?
Who makes decisions about the children’s group finances?
Who cleans up the meeting space?
MATERIALS
Flip charts paper, colored crayons or markers, stickers or colored paper, tape or glue
TIME
60 – 90 Minutes
DIVIDE: Break into small groups of approximately 4-6 people. You may either complete two charts on different questions or you may also prioritize the top 5-10 decisions your children’s group makes and complete charts on the same questions. The entire group may want to divide by gender (girls and boys); age (older and younger children); organizational structure (leaders and general members); or other categories. By working in small groups, the children’s group may explore and compare differences between members’ experiences and views.
4,10

12. PREPARE: Design or draw out a matrix with at least 10 columns and enough rows for a the column headings and each children’s group decision identified in Step 1.
Place images for the different member roles in the children’s group according to age and gender in each column. If your group created an Organizational Diagram, use the key of your diagram as a reference.
Add columns for additional individuals or children’s groups involved in decision- making.
Female
Child
Under 12
Male
Under12
Female Adolescent
12-17
Male Adolescent
Female Youth
18-25
Youth
Female Adult
26 and up
Adult
External
Group
Who decides
who goes to conferences?
Who goes to conferences?
Who cleans the meeting space?
Who handles the group’s finances?

13. CREATE: Use colored stickers, colored pencils or markers to create symbols for how many people in each gender/age group participate in a decision. For example, a green sticker or symbol means everyone in this gender/age group participates in the decision; yellow for some people; red for no one; and blue for only the leaders of this gender/age group. Leaders have their own color to show another way groups may or may not share power.
Use an X or another symbol if the group does not have members of a certain age/gender group.
No one in this age/gender group participates
Some people in this age/gender group participate
Everyone in this age/gender group participates
Only leaders in this age/gender group participate
There is no one of this age/gender in our group
Green
Yellow
Red
Blue

14. Female
Child
Under 12
Male
Female Adolescent
12-17
Male Adolescent
13-17
Female Youth
18-25
Youth
Female Adult
26 and up
Adult
External
Group
Who decides who goes to conferences?
Who goes to conferences?
Who cleans the meeting space?
Who handles the group finances?
OUR CLUB!
Green
Green
Green
Green
Green
Green
Green
Red
Red
Red
Yellow
Green
Yellow
Yellow
Green
Red
Yellow
Yellow
Green
Red
Yellow
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Red
Yellow
Blue
Yellow
Blue
Green
Green
ANALYZE: Compare the columns and rows to find patterns of inclusion or exclusion. Look down the columns. Is there a specific age group or gender that participates in decisions more or less than others?
Look across the rows. Are there specific decisions that are more or less participatory?
Note: This group used both yellow and blue stickers to show some youth members have a say on group finances, but youth leaders have more influence.
Compare charts. Did different small groups looking at the same decisions come to the same results? If not, why? Discuss the findings among the entire group. Make sure every member understands how to read the chart, as well as the different views each member shares.

15. In this example, a children’s group from Colombia decided to write the gender and age at the top of each column. They also wrote explanations next to the stickers to describe specific situations.
In this example, a children’s group from Nepal used the colored pieces of paper from their Organizational Diagram at the top of each column to show age and gender. In both examples, children’s groups made decisions that were not inclusive and learned how to improve their decision-making.

16. REFLECT: Reflect again on your organizational chart.
DISCUSS: Identify areas for improvement. Develop solutions for each and write them on small pieces of paper and stick them to the chart. Write out specific steps and set deadlines for taking action. Discuss the following questions:
Which strategies does the group use to make decisions?
Do we agree with this way of making decisions? Why or why not?
REFLECT: Reflect again on your organizational chart.
What might an “IDEAL’ chart look like?
What changes in the children’s group’s organizational structure are need to support more inclusive decision-making?
Some topics can be sensitive and difficult for everyone to feel comfortable talking about in an honest way. It may also be difficult for members to discover they are not part of certain decisions. It is important to remind the children’s group if this information is available and clear, the group can make better decisions. Everyone must commit to supporting one another in the children’s group to make changes toward more inclusive and fair decision-making.
Use the Re-scripting Drama tool (Tool 5) after the Decision-Making Chart to perform a drama about how the children’s group may develop more inclusive decision-making.

17. 12 ? 1 3 2 Daily Settings Chart Key Questions OBJECTIVE Steps
What can we learn from our everyday experiences to help us manage our children’s group?
How do we organize ourselves in different everyday settings?
OBJECTIVE 1 2 3
Reflect on how children organize activities in different settings of their everyday life, and learn from their interactions with each other and adults in these settings.
Steps
EXPLAIN: Describe the tool and how it will be used. Explain that it will help the children’s group use examples from their everyday life in order to learn how to organize their own group.
MATERIALS
Flip chart paper, colored pens or markers, colored stickers
TIME
BRAINSTORM: Ask the entire group to think about activities they do with more than three people. This could be anything from a sports game to cleaning up the space where the group meets, to producing a drama. Use a separate sheets of flip chart paper to list each setting.
60 minutes
60 Minutes
11, 19

18. Sports game played at school
PREPARE: Create a blank Daily Settings Chart on a large sheets of flipchart paper or a chalkboard. The chart should be at least five columns wide with five or more rows. Please see blank example below.
Enter the activities in different settings from the brainstorm in Step 2 in the row headings.
Write in the following headings at the top of each column: Adult organized & run; Adult Organized and run with roles for children; Child organized & run; Child organized & run with roles for adults.
Adult organized & run
Adult organized & run with roles for children
Child organized & run
Child organized & run with roles for adults
Sports game played at school
Sports game played in a park
Meetings at Youth Council
Meetings at Our Club

19. Sports game played at school
DECIDE: Your children’s group may want to have each individual member place a sticker or make a mark instead of coming to a consensus vote. The group may use either method. Below is an example of a consensus vote method.
Adult organized & run
Adult organized & run with roles for children
Child organized & run
Child organized & run with roles for adults
Sports game played at school
Sports game played in a park
Meetings at Youth Council
Meetings at Our Club
RECORD: Discuss each activity in each setting. Arrive at a consensus decision on how the activity is organized in each setting. Place a sticker to mark the group’s vote.

20. REFLECT: Compare and reflect on the patterns of roles children and adults have in various activities.
How does the organization of each activity change each person’s role?
How does this compare to the organization of your children’s group?
How did the roles of children and adults differ between activities and settings?
Use drama at any time for discussing topics that are hard to explain using words. For example, a topic may be different levels of power and control between children and other children and adults. Children’s groups may be structured in many different ways, but everyone has power - whether they feel like they do or not. It is important to discuss what different levels of power mean to the different members of the children’s group.

21. 13 ? 1 3 2 Friendly Interview Key Questions OBJECTIVE Steps MATERIALS
How can we improve the way we manage our children’s group?
Who participates in group-management activities?
What are the different roles and responsibilities for each group member including facilitators, child leaders, general members, outside supporters?
OBJECTIVE 1 2 3
Steps
Share and learn management skills each group member may use in their different roles and responsibilities.
DECIDE: This activity can be used between members of one children’s group, or between members of two or more groups at larger meetings. In either case, it is meant to be a time to share ways of managing a children’s group and creating new group management ideas.
MATERIALS
Paper and pens
TIME
Encourage the group to meet and interview another children’s group in the community!
60 Minutes
EXPLAIN: Explain that a group of journalists is writing a story about children’s groups. They are interested in learning more about how young people organize themselves. Using the Friendly Interview, the journalists will ask the children’s group representative about their group and the responsibilities of each member.
14, 16, 18

22. EXAMPLE: Blank Friendly Interview
What is your name?
What is the name of your group?
What is your role in this group?
What is the goal of the group?
Where does the group meet?
How often do you meet?
Does anyone keep record of activities or documents?
Does anyone keep track of the group’s money and budget?
Does the group have any rules?
What happens if someone does not follow the rules?
How do you resolve conflicts within your group?
BRAINSTORM: Take a look at the Friendly Interview. Discuss if these questions would be helpful. Brainstorm additional questions. The group may want to focus on particular themes, such as finances or resolving conflict.
PAIR-UP: In each pair, one person will be a journalist. The other will be a representative from their children’s group.
ACT: Take approximately 20 minutes to complete the interview.
SHARE: Once each pair has completed the interview, combine pairs into teams of 6-8 people. Everyone in each small group will share and compare responses. Depending on how much time the children’s group has to complete this activity, group members may switch roles. The journalist becomes the interviewee and the interviewee becomes the journalist. This way, everyone has a chance to express his or her views.

23. DISCUSS: Come back together as a large group to discuss the findings.
Are there similarities between everyone’s responses?
Are there differences?
If this activity is done with one large children’s group, emphasis any differences between members responses to the same question.
Why are there different responses to the same question? Are management practices different for different members or situations?
Is there a particular management strategy your children’s group learned that you might want to share with other children’s groups?
Questions to consider
Create interviews about specific topics such as planning and monitoring, financing, and conflict resolution and protection.
Planning and Monitoring
How does our children’s group…
monitor and plan goals?
manage and design our meeting space?
maintain records, attendance, events calendar, etc.?
Finances
How does our children’s group…
keep record of group funds?
spend funds?
make plans to get more funds if needed?
Conflict Resolution
How does our children’s group…
create new group rules?
keep members safe?
prevent, identify, and resolve conflict within our group?

24. While the aim of this activity is to share management practices, it is important to note that there is not one good way There are many alternative ways to structure a group.
But while there is no single “best” way to manage a children’s group, there are management strategies that are more or less inclusive, transparent, and fair. Facilitators should emphasis this throughout the activity.

25. The Article 15 Project
Please visit CRC15.org for all Resource Kit modules.
Roger Hart
Blair Osler
Ingrid Agud
Pamela Wridt
Bijan Kimiagar
Claire O’Kane
Paul Stephenson
Ruthi Hoffman-Hanchett
Annette Giertsen
Ravi Karkara
CERG is a Key Institution of the Childwatch International Research Network
Character images created by CERG through Bitstrips For Schools is not associated with The Article 15 Project.
Module 1 – Page 25