Public Relations Handbook - Narcotics Anonymous

Inventory local servicesInventory current servicesAn inventory can help an area see its strengths and weaknesses. It can helpidentify what is being done well and what needs improvement. An area can use theinventory process to more objectively examine the services currently beingprovided. Through its inventory, an area may discover that they have a strongtraining and orientation process for phoneline volunteers. Members may find that thephoneline committee utilizes experienced members and performs mock phone callsin the training of new members. The area may discuss and decide to use some of thephoneline committee’s training methods for other subcommittees and projects.Looking at what needs improvement is just as important. There are bound to beareas where the service body’s ability to provide public relations service is weakerthan others. Working to strengthen those weaker areas is an important part ofproviding effective services. The ideal is for our PR service efforts to produce resultsthat strive to fulfill our primary purpose in our local community.While the Eleventh Concept applies directly to themanagement of funds, it also has implications for themanagement of all our service resources. Most projectsdepend as much on ideas, information, conscience, and members’ timeand willingness as they do on money. If we have the funds needed tocarry out a project but lack the time or the ideas, we’d best wait untilwe’ve gathered all the needed resources before proceeding. If we don’twe will have wasted NA service funds. In responsibly planning andprioritizing our service efforts, we must consider the total resourcepicture, not just our finances.20 | Chapter 3 | Effective ServicesTwelve Concepts for NA ServiceInventory where NA may be needed in the larger communityThe area can gather information about the needs of the local community to createservices that better meet those needs. This may mean evaluating helpline calls anddiscovering that there have been a number of requests for information about NAfrom local community colleges. The area committee may then decide that thepriority is to form relationships with college administrators. The area can then workon providing information about NA to local colleges looking for student resources.This aspect of an inventory allows an area to determine if certain populations stillneed to be reached. If existing efforts are not meeting the larger community’s needs,then the service body may decide to take action to reach a particular population ofpotential members.PrioritiesPrioritization involves evaluating which service projects seem most needed forfurthering NA’s primary purpose in a local area. Prioritization may require that, forthe greater good of NA, members let go of service projects about which they arepersonally passionate. Inviting all interested trusted servants to participate inprioritizing an area’s projects helps focus on the broader services needed, ratherthan the desires of individual subcommittees. Involving all of an area’s trustedservants also helps to inspire in those trusted servants a sense of responsibility forthe area’s future projects.