Ghana YMCA’s National Officers and National Staff came together with representatives of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs to deepen their understanding of movement strengthening and its role in building a resilient organisation with lasting community impact.
On Friday, 16 October 2026, Ghana YMCA welcomed Mr Osborne Wanyama and Ms Lavine Imali from the Africa Alliance of YMCAs for a follow-up session on its last Organisational Health Assessment. Held under the Strategic Alignment and Movement Strengthening (SAMS) initiative, the session brought together all National Officers and National Staff around a shared focus on organisational development.
The engagement provided an opportunity to connect the assessment process with the wider YMCA approach to strengthening national movements. It highlighted the importance of sustained learning, coordinated support and intentional organisational development in enabling YMCAs to fulfil their mission.
Movement Strengthening as a Continuous Journey
A central message of the presentation was that movement strengthening is an ongoing process. It involves developing healthy, resilient organisations that can deepen their impact in communities and advance the YMCA’s collective mission.
The session outlined five connected areas that support this journey: good governance and leadership; mutual and continuous learning; financial and operational sustainability; youth and community voice; and a culture of strategic innovation.
For Ghana YMCA, these areas offer a useful framework for reflecting on how leadership, organisational systems and programme delivery contribute to its work with young people. Strong governance supports clear direction and accountability, while continuous learning helps an organisation respond to experience and changing needs.
Financial and operational sustainability are equally essential to maintaining services and planning for the future. Keeping youth and community voices central to organisational development helps ensure that the movement remains responsive to the people it serves, while strategic innovation encourages new approaches to emerging challenges.
A Shared Approach Across the YMCA Movement
The presentation also explained the rationale for a global approach to movement strengthening. It described the need to bring greater consistency to assessment tools, improve coordination among stakeholders and make more effective use of available effort and resources.
The guiding phrase, “one assessment, one plan, one language for all international YMCA work,” captured this emphasis on alignment. The approach seeks to connect organisational assessment with a coherent development plan and coordinated support.
Participants were also introduced to the development of SAMS, from its initial assessment phase through strategy development, movement-wide consultation and action planning to ongoing implementation. This journey reinforced the importance of reviewing and refining approaches as learning emerges.
Connecting Leadership and Staff
The participation of all National Officers alongside National Staff created a shared space for engaging with the SAMS framework. Bringing governance and operational perspectives into the same session is valuable to developing a common understanding of organisational priorities and the responsibilities involved in strengthening the movement.
As a follow-up to Ghana YMCA’s last Organisational Health Assessment, the engagement placed organisational health within a broader, continuing development journey. Its relevance extends beyond internal systems to the movement’s ability to provide meaningful opportunities for young people and sustain its contribution to communities.
Ghana YMCA extends its appreciation to Mr Osborne Wanyama, Ms Lavine Imali and the Africa Alliance of YMCAs for their guidance and continued support. The session reaffirmed the value of collaboration and shared learning in building a stronger YMCA with greater community impact.
