Project Plan for New Economic Working Group

Prepared by Jim Rosen

Revision 8: June 7th, 2004

This working document outlines the proposed work plan for the New Economic Working Group and will be the basis for prioritizing and organizing work to be undertaken by the working group in preparation for the next Shambhala Congress. The working group will work in close collaboration with the Review Group, other working groups, and the Mandala Governance Council throughout this project.

Projects have been identified through input from the Shambhala Congress and through a set of brainstorming sessions and reviews with members of the Working Group and the Review Group. We have not identified all of the resources required for completing each work project and, as such, it is possible that all of this work may not be completed.

Individual project teams have been assembled in our working group. Each project team has a team leader, whose names are listed below. The project teams have agreed to put together a plan and schedule for their work that will culminate in detailed recommendations that will include an implementation plan covering dependencies, timetable, and who should be responsible for implementation. Each team’s recommendations will be reviewed by both the review groups as well as the overall New Economic Working Group. Once approved within the New Economic Model Working Group, proposals will be brought to the Mandala Governing Council.

Successful implementation of these projects is, in many cases, dependent on progress and milestones of other working groups. In order to move forward, we have had to make a number of assumptions which we have made based on the prevailing sentiment arising at the Shambhala Congress as well as further discussions with President Reoch and other Working Group chairs. For example, we have assumed that the role and function of central office will be clarified – at least for the next year – by the Mandala Structure and Governance Working Group. We have also assumed that a 2005 budget for the Central Office will be completed.

There were a wide range of activities that this working group feels will need to be undertaken. However, it is apparent to us, that we cannot tackle all of the issues this year. We decided to tackle those activities that would stabilize the financial management of the Central Office before looking at broader issues such as a mandala wide plans and controls, funding teachers, growth strategy, etc.

We decided to begin our work by focusing on these “internal” issues for two reasons. First, we felt that there needed to be a consensus as to how the overall mandala will be structured and how the various groups will work together before we could address some broader, mandala-wide issues. This is unlikely to happen before the next Shambhala Congress. Second, it is our expectation that the Mandala is poised for substantial growth, as we “turn the flower outwards” and continue to invite a broad community of people to experience the teachings. In order host the growth, we will need to strengthen the operational capabilities of our Mandala and finance is a critical component of this.

Reflecting this strategy, the project plan is broken into two phases. The first phase consists of projects that would be undertaken the upcoming Shambhala Congress, the second phase of projects that would hopefully commence after the congress.

Phase 1 – Work projects to be undertaken before the next Shambhala Congress

Articulate a view and strategy of finance in our Mandala

This document will be international in its scope and will need to take into account varying requirements existing at the local, regional and continental level

Team Leader: Jim Rosen

Prepare a funding model for entities in our Mandala to support the Central Office.

Prepare a comprehensive view of how funding will be provided

In principal, funding could also flow from the Central Office to support emerging areas, small groups, and other cash strapped parts of our mandala in order to enable the funding sources to know what they are funding, implementation is dependent on finalizing both the responsibilities and budget for the Central Office

Should cover as a minimum detailed proposals for the following:

Comprehensive view of how funding will provided over the next several years
Funding model for North American Local Centers to support Central Office

Will require template reporting tools to implement

Needs to take into account impact of regionalization

Funding model for Local Centers and Major Practice Centers outside of North America to support Central Office

Include all centers outside of North America, including Europe, South America, and Asia.

Will require template reporting tools to implement

Will need to take regionalization into account since European practice centers support Shambhala Europe

Funding model for major practice centers to support Central Office

Will require template reporting tools to implement

Team Leaders:

Overall coordination of funding plan: Connie Brock and Chris Tamdjidi

Funding model for North American Local Centers to support Central Office: Connie Brock

Funding model for Local Centers and Major Practice Centers outside of North America to support Central Office: Chris Tamdjidi

Funding model for major practice centers to support Central Office: Connie Brock

Make a recommendation for the function and staffing of the central finance function

Working with the President and Comptroller, this group will identify ongoing and anticipated activities in the finance office at SI in Halifax. In the short-term, this will lead to a draft proposal for the hiring of a CFO.  

This group will serve as the Finance Committee for SI, identifying ongoing issues that would normally face the committee. We anticipate recommendations to the governing board on some of these ongoing issues including the 2003 accountant's financial

Team Leader: Michael Greenleaf

Define required and recommended financial reports

Define what financial reports are required by Central Office, Local Centers, and other groups like Nalanda Translations
Will mandate format and timing that data is provided between entities and for mandala-wide reports. Will not mandate how centers run their accounting systems, set up a chart of accounts for their own use, format reports for their own use or schedule reports for their own use. Will act as a clearinghouse for financial reporting ideas from the centers. Eventually hope to offer templates, suggestions, and options to local centers.
Multiple stakeholders will have requirements and may require separate reporting recommendations

Should look at mandated minimal reporting as well as optional reporting.

Should include a consolidated income statement and balance sheet that incorporate the totality of our Mandala.

In order to present a full view of our financial situation, eventually it could also include a schedule of estimated market values for our assets – a much higher figure than reflected in the balance sheet

Adding staffing to central office will be a requirement before reporting initiative can be implemented fully (see item 3).

Team Leader: Trish Barbato

Prepare recommendations for structuring the legal entities in Mandala in order to support the MandalaÕs requirements and simplify financial management.

Our preference is to simplify book keeping and potentially simplify the flow of funds between entities

We don’t anticipate recommending any changes regarding local centers who are incorporating as a legal entity because the rationale for this is sound

Since the view and vision for the functions provided at the center of the Mandala will part of the scope of the Mandala Structure and Governance Working Group, we will work closely with them when defining or recommending legal entities.

Team Leader: Denny Robertson

Phase 2 – Work projects to potentially be completed after the next Shambhala Congress

We may begin this project before the next Shambhala Congress as a dialogue that will explore what our view should be, what should be done, and what the appropriate time frame is.

Not sure it falls under our mandate.

Function could be web based and would serve the whole Mandala.

Would take into consideration:

Prepare recommendations for a Mandala wide budget process

Would take into account varying needs of different groups

Project Plan: NEMWG Page # Revision 8: June 7th, 2004