Designing 100-Day Challenges
(for Challenge Strategists)
The purpose of this guide is to prepare you to organise a rapid (100-day) project that aims to significantly improve a strategic issue that requires fresh thinking and collaboration across departments and/or organisations.
You will be learning about the 100-Day Challenge Approach. Leaders in the private sector, in Government and in non-profit organisations, have used this approach to make breakthrough improvements on a multitude of issues and in dozens of countries all over the world. So, you will be joining a community of global leaders who have achieved remarkable results by empowering and enabling others in their organisations and communities.
Below are some of these leaders describing the results they were able to inspire through 100-Day Challenges.
100-Day Challenges Experiences
Our own 100-Day Challenge Guru – Nadim (the young version)- talking about doing 100-Day Challenges in different countries. (100-Day Challenge used to be called Rapid Results Initiatives)
Jakkie video – Alrien
You are in a leadership position in your organisation. Your role is organising a 100-Day Challenge that inspires a cross-organisational team to progress significantly on an important GBVF issue. You and the team you organise will be joining a movement of activists who are taking the initiative and actually doing something about GBVF in our country rather than waiting for instructions and guidance from outside and above.
The 100-Day Challenge as a Relay Race
The 100-Day Challenge can be viewed as a relay race, with the baton getting passed back and forth between the different athletes. Unlike real relay races, when athletes pass on the baton, they do not get out of the race. They continue running alongside the athlete with the baton, supporting and cheering them along.
As you can see in the graphic, you, the Challenge Strategist, will hold the baton until about two weeks before Day 0 – the Start-Up Workshop. At week minus 2, you will hand the baton to the Team Coach. The Team Coach will hand it over to the Team Leader after the Start-Up Workshop. You will get the baton back from the Team Leader after the Scale-Up Workshop, so you can design the way forward beyond the 100 days.
Guidance on Designing and Supporting 100-Day Challenges
As a Challenge Strategist, you will provide the inspiration and energy to bring 100-Day Challenges into existence, and you will put them on the proper track to run their race. And you will cheer them along during their 100-Day race. In short, you play a very critical role.
In order to help you understand this role and play it effectively, the World of Impact team will send you WhatsApp messages, most weeks, for the next 20 weeks or so. Each Note will include specific tasks that you will need to follow-up on, complete, or pay special attention to, in that week. We refer to these messages as Guidance Notes. They will include guidance on performing these tasks, and in many cases, they will include links to more substantive information to prepare you to perform these tasks. We refer to these substantive information packets as Learning Deep Dives. We highly encourage you to go over these.
At the end of each Guidance Note, there will be an Assignment that you are expected to complete. It generally takes 5-15 minutes. It either refers back to the Learning Deep Dives of the week, or it includes information that was generated by you or others during the week.
The World of Impact team will host a weekly one-hour “Ask a Guru” Zoom call. Please join these if you have questions after reviewing the Guidance Note and Learning Deep Dives of the week.
As you’ll see in next week’s Guidance Note, one of your first tasks will be to recruit a Team Coach. The Coach will work closely with you before the Start-Up Workshop and then provide hands-on support to the Team during the 100-Day race. Team Coaches will receive their own customised guidance note each week, and they will be invited to join the Ask a Guru” weekly call.
Please note that in line with the figures in the race diagram, throughout the programme, we will use the female pronouns for the Challenge Strategist and Team Leader and the male pronouns for the Team Coach.
100-Day Challenge Strategist Certification Track
North-West University Certification
The Management Department at North-West University has adopted this program as one of its “short courses” on leadership and project management. You will be eligible to receive a certificate of participation from the University if you complete the assignments at the end of each Guidance Note. The short course certificate can be used for credit towards a further qualification in management from the University.
Enrolling in the certification program requires a registration fee of R250. There no fee required for the learning programme. This is covered, for all public service employees and staff of public benefit organisations by the Ford Foundation, as part of the Ending GBVF 100-Day Challenge Learning Programme.
Please reach out to us at info@theworldofimpact.org if you’d like to enroll in the 100-Day Challenge Strategist Certification Programme.
Where can I get help during the Learning Programme?
Groups and people are available if you need guidance or a second opinion. Follow the links or email us to connect.
