NAWS Projects & Surveys

Participation is essential to unity, and it’s also how we start to feel like we belong.

-Guiding Principles, p. 6

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NAWS surveys are opportunities for members to share their views and help shape the projects planned for future conference cycles.

Current Surveys

Issue Discussion Topic Input Forms

DRT/MAT as it Relates to NA: Helping Members Take Root
Reimagining and Revitalizing Service Committees (RR-EN)

Projects (2023-2026)

Past Projects

Spiritual Principle a Day

A Spiritual Principle a Day (SPAD) is now NA Fellowship-approved literature!

It’s available to purchase for $13, plus shipping and handling: item #1110 from our online store.

You can also subscribe for free to receive each day’s reading via email.

Thank you to all who contributed or cheered on our collective efforts.

FIPT Report and recommendations

The following documents are drafts that were distributed to Conference participants and discussed at the August 2019 Conference participant web meeting. The Board will discuss the results of that web meeting and any other input they receive at their October 2019 meeting, and any recommendations from the Board will be in the 2019 CAR.

Local Service Toolbox

We are excited to be working on a local service toolbox—a collection of tools that reflect our Fellowship’s best practices and experiences delivering services locally. We already have some materials, such as PR, Planning, and H&I; Basics, but there are so many more we lack or that we have not revised or adapted in years. The “Basics” seem to be a good approach for us because they are perhaps less overwhelming than a large handbook, and they are easier to translate and revise. We believe a “toolbox” with small-scale pieces will have the same advantages.

The current focus of the project is virtual meetings best practices, and carrying the NA message effectively and virtually.

Virtual Meeting Basics: English | Farsi | Hungarian | Spanish

This board-approved service material collects best practices on creating, administering, and even attending virtual recovery meetings. We have also extracted a single page from the tool to serve as a Quick Start Guide (EnglishFarsi | Hungarian | Spanish) for virtual meetings.

Virtual NA Meetings: Connecting to the Service System

It seems to us that this is an issue that many in NA are still figuring out. And undoubtedly, much will change in terms of the virtual landscape of NA when shutdown orders are lifted in more places and the pandemic begins to subside. Because of all of these factors, it seems premature to begin outlining resources or service tools related to this second project focus. We want to continue discussing how virtual meetings are connecting to NA by listening to what is happening in your communities. 

Please click here Word | PDF for the March 2021 report containing some background and detail about the Toolbox Project’s activities.

We continue to gather resources relevant to virtual NA meetings here – www.na.org/virtual – which you may find helpful. Resources from webinars focused on the project can also be found on that page.

Due to the high level of interest in this topic, we will be including information about the project in our regular NAWS Update emails. If you are not already receiving those please visit www.na.org/subscribe, and if you have any questions please email [email protected]. We encourage you to continue sending us your locally created resources and to join us online to share your ideas.

Here are the tools we have developed so far:

CBDM Basics discusses what consensus-based decision making is and how it aligns with our spiritual principles, and offers a model of the process for communities to adapt for local use. CBDM Basics: EnglishFarsiItalian | Norwegian | Polish | Spanish 

Serving NA in Rural and Isolated Communities discusses some of the challenges and solutions when carrying the message in less densely populated areas. This tool is available in English and Spanish. Along with this printed piece we are also offering a webpage containing links to downloadable locally developed resources here.

GSR Basics (EnglishFarsi | Italian | Spanish)is intended to help NA members better understand the group service representative (GSR) commitment and to more effectively participate in the work of a local service body. We have also created two templates for GSR reports here and here, and a diagram of the service structure here.

Whether you are a service veteran or a local service newcomer, we could use your help.

What can you do?

Sign up for project updates by emailing [email protected] if you are not already receiving NAWS Update emails. (Please include your name and address.)

Send us any tools that have been helpful locally—sample agendas, workshops, guidelines, policies, budgeting tools, project outlines, you name it. If it’s helped your local service delivery, it will probably help others.

Share your ideas and experience in our local service toolbox web meetings. These will be announced to all who signed up at [email protected] and via our regular NAWS Update emails

Help spread the word and raise awareness locally

Following a decision by participants at the 2018 WSC, service materials produced by this project will be identified as World Board-approved material and follow the same approval process as service pamphlets. That means after the World Board signs off on them, drafts will be distributed to Conference participants for a 90-day review before being identified as approved.

Convention and Events Tools Project

For the 2020-2022 Conference cycle, we are continuing with the development of resources that support the successful delivery of local conventions and events. These new materials represent current best practices and experiences of our service committees responsible for overseeing these events. If you have convention or event experience then your participation in developing these tools is needed and welcomed. 

The current focus is on Committee Structure and Accountability. We are collecting any input and ideas on that topic. Feel free to send your ideas to [email protected]

We will be hosting more workshops and web meetings to gather input on the draft and other prioritized topics that support convention and event service. Please write to [email protected] if you are interested in receiving information about those opportunities. 

Below is the current list of completed materials: 

Contracts & Negotiations

EnglishSpanish

Hotel Comparison WorksheetExcel File

Money Management

EnglishSpanish

Bank Ledger  Excel | PDF
Check Request FormDoc | PDF
Convention Budget & Report 1Excel
Convention Budget & Report 2Excel
Cash Payout Form Doc | PDF
Fundraiser Budget & Report Excel | PDF
Petty Cash LedgerExcel | PDF
Pickup ReportDoc PDF
Restitution AgreementDoc PDF

The Program Committee & Development of the Program

EnglishSpanish

Cleantime countdown PowerPoint
Checklist for opening a workshop Doc PDF
Format – Two-speaker workshop Doc PDF
Format – Four-speaker panel workshop Doc | PDF
Format – Interactive Flash Group Doc | PDF
Format – Marathon meeting Doc | PDF
Format – Open-podium workshop Doc | PDF
Format – Main meeting Doc | PDF
Main meeting readings worksheet Doc | PDF
Press Announcements Doc | PDF
Program grid 1 Excel | PDF
Program grid 2 Excel | PDF
Program committee timeline Doc | PDF
Program committee budget Excel | PDF
Speaker evaluation form 1 Doc | PDF
Speaker evaluation form 2 Doc |PDF
Speaker release form Doc | PDF

Webinars and Events

 

Please remember that we are looking for: 

Tools: 

      • Any templates, worksheets, or forms that your convention committee uses in support of their work 
      • Guidelines, policies, and any other reference resources used by your convention committee 

 

Ideas and input: 

      • Your great ideas and participation in upcoming conventions and events web meetings 
      • Your participation in our online survey intended to gather your experience based on specific topic area.  

 

So: 

    • Share locally developed materials with us by sending them to [email protected]
    • Send an email to [email protected] to receive information about our web meeting schedule 
    • Send comments on the review and input drafts as they are posted
    • Check this page for updates as we post more information and resources
Service System Project

Service System Options GLS Addenda

The first achievement of the project was the unanimous approval at the 2010 World Service Conference of A Vision for NA Service, a view of what our services are striving to accomplish that serves to guide and inspire us.

A Vision for NA Service | Spanish

At the 2014 WSC the Fellowship adopted three motions related to local services and approved the 2014–2016 Service System Project Plan. With the passage of those motions and the approval of the project plan we are continuing to support local communities that are transitioning or considering transitioning to a new service system. 

Material from the recent web meetings focused on the main ideas from the project, and the experience of local communities who are implementing them, can be found here:

We are also committed to continuing the work begun by participants at the WSC to discuss ideas for the future of the WSC, and the role of zones within NA. 

As always, we continue to welcome your ideas about how to improve our service delivery. If you have questions that are not answered by the material here, please write to us and let us know: [email protected]

Service System Proposals & Project Plan

The ideas from the Service System Project used to be contained in one big document called “The Service System Proposals” (SSP). Many people found the SSP overly complex and confusing, and so we are trying to take a simpler approach. The 2014 Conference Agenda Report contains the most current basic description of the ideas for local service delivery and the tools developed initially for the service system field test give a sense of how those ideas might be implemented. 

 

Implementation

As part of the development process of the Service System Project ideas a field test of the local services portions of the proposals was held in 2012–2013. A summary of the test was included as an addendum in the 2014 CAR

 

The draft tools below were created for the service system field test. They are intended to help communities that are adapting the ideas from the Service System Project for their local use. These tools will continue to be revised and added to as we receive input about them. Please let us know what you think!

First Draft Proposals:

In August 2010 we released revised versions of the service system proposals. These were featured in a series of US workshops held in September and October 2010. All related materials are posted in the Previous Workshop Material section below. Input on these proposals was due 31 December 2010.

 

Second Draft Proposals:

We published a second draft report in March 2011 which formed the basis of conversations that helped shape the material in the  Conference Agenda Report.

 

Third Draft Proposals:

The third draft report posted below was included as an addendum to the 2012 Conference Agenda Report

Session Profiles and PowerPoints

These workshops were created in the 2012-2014 conference cycle prior to field testing:

 

These session profiles and PowerPoint presentations were used at workshops in 2011. For current versions of workshop materials, see the main Service System section above. 

 

These session profiles and PowerPoints were used at the October 2010 workshops in Orlando and Baltimore:

 

This condensed session profile was created for local use:

Related Materials:

 

Field Testing Frame

The document below explains the field test in detail. We are also including two different introductions to the document, one to regions that are talking about reunifying or sharing services, and another to communities that were asked to become part of a “core group” of field testers.

 

WSC 2010:

This material was released for discussion at WSC 2010 and then revised according to input we received at the conference and distributed as the “first draft Service System Proposals.” 

WSC of the Future Project

The 2018 World Service Conference approved the WSC of the Future project. The project’s three main goals are:

  • Develop a shared understanding of what is meant by an effective and sustainable WSC.
  • Forward ideas to the Board for a project plan for presentation at WSC 2020 on the role of zones, their relationship to the wider Fellowship, including integrating zonal delegate participation into the decision making process at WSC.
  • Strengthen collaboration among zonal forums and between NAWS and zonal forums, and collect and share best practices of zonal forums.

The workgroup was comprised of a participant selected by each of the 15 zonal forums and one from Iran. Reports pertaining to the workgroup can be found in NAWS News.

Some of the results of the project include:

  • the Virtual Meeting of Zones, which is planned to take place three times a year
  • input to the Role of Zones Project Plan, which will be included in the 2020 Conference Approval Track material
  • a new zonal report form, which will result in a Zonal Snapshots tool that gives a picture of each zone
  • ongoing discussions on what is an effective and sustainable WSC and whether the Mission Statement needs to be looked at with fresh eyes
  • the Zonal Self-assessment Workshop, which is posted here: workshop outlinePowerPointhandout
 
Previous Cycles’ Projects 

Planning Our Future was the name of the 2014–2016 project created to “to continue to evolve the ideas about the future of the WSC generated at WSC 2014.” The following cycle, 2016–2018, the Future of the WSC Project was created to discuss the effectiveness and sustainability of the Conference, and the size and shape of the WSC.

At the 2014 & 2016 WSCs, participants had a series of sessions in breakout rooms about the future of the WSC and how to best meet the needs of NA in an ever-growing Fellowship. In each of these rooms, much of the discussion highlighted the possibility that the way forward rests, in part, with our use of zones.

The hope was that the conversations would help the Conference come to agreement about a vision for itself that would serve our collective needs as a Fellowship, use its fair share of Fellowship resources, and allow for effective discussions and decision making. The resources below were offered as ideas and tools to further those conversations.

October 2017 Future of the WSC 3 report

May 2017 Future of the WSC reportSpanish

February 2017 Future of the WSC report

Web Meetings for Conference Participants on the February 2017 Future Report

  • March 2017 Web Meeting
  • April 2017 Web Meeting

 

Updated WSC 2016 Planning Our Future Resources 

 

Pre-WSC 2016: Planning our Future Resources

Downloadable version: mp4 | mov

 

WSC 2014

 

Workshops

 

Reports

 

Other Resources