Revolutionary Events

Induction, Part 6c

Storming the Winter Palace

Revolutionary Events

The proposal below is given by Cde Tebello Radebe, Provincial Organizer of the SACP in Gauteng Province.

The attached document is an “Event Management Plan Toolkit”, supplied by Cde Tebello, was written for Australian conditions, to cover all kinds of large events, but modeled on what they call “festivals”.

Communist University Input

This item is very welcome as part of this course. In the spirit of the preceding three items in this part, it is included under “fundraising”, or, we can say, “Fundraising and Events”.

Clearly, for the Party, there are hardly any events that can be funded from any prior general fund that the Party possesses. There are simply no available funds of that kind, even at National level.

Even worse, in fact potentially catastrophic for the Party, is the idea of holding an event and then raising funds to pay for it, afterwards. This is a recipe for bankruptcy.

Therefore, any event of any kind has to be conceived of as self-funding. The good part about this is that if we can in fact make a practice of self-contained and self-funding events, then the Party can do any number of things, and it can hope to generate surpluses, of greater amounts as time goes on and as we become more experienced.

We are not likely to start at the scale of the events described in the document, but this does not mean that the document is not suitable. Smaller events will have to cover all of the matters that are written larger and in more detail in the plans of large events. We can study at the big scale and scale down for our first attempts.

Proposed Event Execution  Framework Plan and Check List

Introduction

Clearly there cannot be any debate around the fact that every event has to be run such that, at the bare minimum it meets, and or at best, surpasses all its intended objectives to be considered as a success. At the same time, it also goes without saying that it is for these reasons that all events have to be executed on the basis of a carefully planned, programmatic, systematic and scientific fashion which should at all times undermine any foreseeable unintended outcomes or mishaps.

It is in the context of all of the above that the following Event Execution Framework Plan and Checklist is proposed. This EEFPC cannot by any chance be considered to be a blueprint or complete manual for every event. It should be used mainly as a guideline to be informed and or adjusted to the “dictates of the prevailing material conditions on the ground “.

1. Planning

1.1 Gauteng has to designate ranks or levels which indicate the resources and organisation necessary for specific events:  for instance –

    

     1.1.2  Events to be ranked Level 1 should be assigned to events of a National as well

      International significance in which HQ and National speakers HAVE to take part.

      Examples : The Chris Hani Commemoration, National events allocated to the

      Province by the CC – A National Congress ; A National SACP Anniversary etc

     1.1.3  Events to be ranked  Level 2  should be assigned to Provincial events in which

      HQ may be invited to play a role – such as to provide speakers and or resources.

      Examples : The Joe Slovo Commemoration ( NB this event and or similar others   

       May in time grow to  Level 1 Status) ; Provincial SACP Anniversaries; All    

     Provincial Rallies or marches eg. Release The Cuban 5 etc.

     1.1.3 Events to be ranked Level 3 should be assigned to District events in which both    

      Province and or HQ may be invited to play a role and or resources.

      Examples : The Yusuf Dadoo Commemoration ; All District Rallies ( inclusive of 

     Any campaign rallies or marches. Noting that any of these events may also in time be     

     Elevated to Levels 2 or 1).

     1.1.4  Events to be ranked Level 4 should be assigned to Sub -District events in where    

      Both the District and or Province may be invited to play a role and or resources.

     

      1.1.5  Events to be ranked Level 5 should be assigned to Branches in which     

      District, Province and or HQ may be invited to play a role and or resources.

1.2.1 Key planning for any event should start at the level of the branch as informed by the decisions of the upper structures with regard to the dates and venues. It goes without sayinh that the main Chris Hani and Joe Slovo events do not need reminders to anyone as  dates and venues are Gauteng.

1.2.3        The Branches should indicate to the sub-district or district the names and  phone numbers of  members who may be available to attend an event showing the signatures of such members. There should be a list for a weekday event and a weekend event. These list should be compared to the final list of  bus passengers on the day of the event to inform different assessments as well as  success rates or otherwise.

1.2.4        The Sub-Districts and Districts should compile consolidated indications of  possible attendance and to forward such to the Province. This step is ULTRA CRITICAL As it should set the parameters for all resources that may be required as well as to indicate the basis of what is doable, feasible or not and so on.

2. The Mobilisation Team  ( To assume the role of the Organising Committee )

2.1.1   To be ideally chaired by an elected executive member at both the District and

         Provincial Level.

2.1.2        An Operations Centre with full office infrastructure such as phones, email, 

copiers etc be established and controlled by an Operations Officer who may be

The same person as in 2.1.1 above or anyone else  to assume the same responsibility in the absence of the 2.1.1 person. All of the 2.1.3 role players below to report to and take instructions from the Operations Officer.

 

2.1.3        To be made up of all key role players who each contributes to and are accountable

To specific tasks – as far as possible preferably to submit written reports or plans:

Examples :  Fundraising ; Liaison with Authorities (Where legal – Emergency Provisions – Traffic etc  permissions  are necessary ) Media Liaison (Including Postering Teams); Transport Co-ordination ( including bus co-ordinators ); Marshalling Teams and their leaders or leader ; Branding ; Catering; Programme / Speakers etc. Above all effective and efficient Administration by an administrator or administration team – to ensure all bookings, orders and payments and records of payments are done in time. Any other additional tasks and roles may be added to the above if so identified.

3. Time Frames

3.1 As far as possible small Mobilisation Standing Teams be set up the annually to meet every three months to assess the state of readiness of all the forces necessary to run any event especially Levels 1 and  2 events.

3.2  The frequency of meetings of the bigger teams be decided from  3 months before the event and then accelerated accordingly as the event draws nearer.

3.3  “Debriefing” or assessment meetings be held soon after each event – to review every aspect of the event.                                                     

Tebello Radebe, 16 / 04 / 2013

• The above is to introduce an original reading-text: Event Management Plan Toolkit, Australia, 2013.