Technology makes our lives easier and easier with each passing year. Wonderful new products are being created to help us to do things we never thought possible. The only question is, how do we use them? This is where we come in. Open Forum has the right mix of the latest products, knowledgeable advice and Programmes to help Grassroots Communities connect the different areas of our lives – where we live, work and play.

“Open Forum endeavours to conduct its operations according to sound management practices and principles of transparency, accountability, efficiency, and obtaining results. To further increase efficiency, improvements were made to guidelines and tools to perform risk assessments of ongoing Programme and Activities. Automation of grant payment requests has reduced workload and improved accuracy. Open Forum also tracks in real time its project allocations, commitments, and expenditures.” Kumar Aman Chief Executive Officer

Open Forum is a Development Organisation working at the grassroots level to strengthen civil society and citizens' action for social justice, human rights, sustainable development, accountable governance and realization of MDGs to achieve the set targets. Open Forum’s primary mandate is to empower civil society with information, analysis, diverse perspectives and alternative messages, enabling citizens to: 1) assert, exercise and claim their rights, 2) participate in meaningful discussion and citizens' action, and 3) advocate change in public policy and social attitudes. The core competence of Open Forum is the use of innovative communication strategies and media advocacy to influence public policies and societal attitudes. Our civil society discussion forums, the civil society and grassroots outreach programme, our online resource base on social justice and development issues, the monthly publication Antatah and other action-research works and publications play a crucial role in advocating issues related to sustainable development, governance, human rights and social justice. With our Activities and Programmes, we seek to strengthen public policy debates, advocacy and action at the local, national and international levels.

As working for the grassroots communities I came to know well the work of the Open Forum. The world was changing rapidly: Governments in India were beginning to take a fresh look at many National Issues, including matters related to development. Open Forum was at the forefront of considering what new challenges lay ahead in the developing world. It was an optimistic time, but many states and Union Territories, confronted with new realities, were operating their development programs in a policy vacuum.

I remember taking great pride, as an Indian, in the work being done by Open Forum, and in its reputation in the National Development community. I was very proud, therefore, to be invited to join the Open Forum, Financial Team, last year, and to be appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2007. Open Forum continues to enjoy an exceptional reputation within Indian government circles and in the broader world. Our task as CFO is to ensure that the high standards that have been the hallmark of the organization continue into the future. Open Forum, which was initiated by some likeminded people for the development of Grassroots communities in year 2001, directs Programme and Activities of Open Forum “to initiate, encourage, support and conduct research into the problems of India, a developing nation.” The ultimate goal of this research is to find new knowledge to improve the lives of ordinary people everywhere. Such an ambitious objective demands patience, persistence, and discipline. Open Forum therefore embraces the long-term view, and carries out its work on the basis of rigorous intellectual effort and careful planning. This planning includes continuous monitoring and scrupulous evaluation of all its activities. In addition, Open Forum draws on its expertise as a research organization and advances its purpose by way of management strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective.

Open Forum is fortunate to benefit from a particularly active Governing Board. Its members - all experts in their fields - are well-informed and vigorously involved. They are not afraid to challenge assumptions and to hold out high expectations for the organization’s performance during last few years. Some were engaged in the search committee established to identify and recommend to the Board Open Forum’s President, or participated in field visits to Open Forum Activities and Programmes at National as well as Grassroots Level. The Board is in their preliminary process, thinking that ultimately organization will lead to a new strategic plan for the period 2008–2010, building on the achievements of the current Plan. The Board is sensitive to the fact that Open Forum is not immune to widespread public demand for higher standards of corporate governance, and will continue to ensure that its members are well versed in contemporary requirements. It is worth noting that Open Forum’s Board members and Team Members are highly qualified to perform their duties, and that the Financial & Resource Team within the Board, to be helpful in ensuring that the Board is a talented team, fully capable of fulfilling its responsibilities. In 2007–2008 a new members was welcomed as Governing Board Members. Mr. Suresh Gaur, Senior Marketing Professional who took voluntary retirement from Oriental Bank of Commerce, a Nationalized Bank working under Government of India, Ministry of Finance, in Year 2008 after serving the organization as Chief Manager for 9 Years. Sadly, the Board said farewell to Three of their Members who resigned from their post and duties before the expiration of his their term as Member of Governing Board. The two vacant posts in Governing Board will be very soon taken up by likeminded personality from the different sphere of life with urge of social development in their mind and heart. I also want to express the appreciation of all Governors, management, and staff to Vishwendra N. Thakur for his 11 years of dedication towards Open Forum, as President, of Governing Board. His guidance and wisdom has always supported the Programme & Activities of Open Forum in achieving its mission for Connecting Communities and Voicing the Voiceless. Open Forum is fortunate that when internal leadership changes, it has not only a dedicated and engaged Board of Governors but a highly capable management team to ensure a smooth transition. Together we look forward to an exciting and positive year.

As every year, I hereby take this opportunity to present the Annual Report of the Organisation for your perusal. I look forward for your guidance and comments if we can make our programmes and activities more effective to reach grassroots and make India a developed nation.

Jitendra K. Mishra,
Member, Management Board