I N#THE#SERVICE#OF#HIS#DIVINE#GRACE#A.#C.#BHAKTIVEDANTA#SWAMI#PRABHUPADA#

Founder*Acarya!of!the!International!Society!for!Krish n a!C on scio u sne ss!

THE#GBC’ S#STRATEGIC#PLAN#

A#COMPREHENSIVE#SUMMARY#

OUR#SERVICE##

Every!day,!ISKCON!members!throughout!the!world!actively!respond!to!people’s!needs!with!the!timeless!

spiritual!science!of!Krishna!consciousness,!making!it!possible!for!thousands!of!people!to!find!sustained!

happiness.!Working!through!ISKCON’s!network!of!temples,!centers,!and!home*based!efforts,!devotees!

strive!to!fulfill!the!mission!given!to!them!by!His!Divine!Grace!A.!C.!Bhaktivedanta!Swami!Prabhupada!in!

the!founding!docu m en t!of!the!Inte rnatio nal!So ciety !for!Krishn a!Co nscio usn ess :!

!"#$%$&'()&*+),,%#-."-)/)&'#$- *.*&0),#12 "3 ,'4 /'#&" #$"+*'&% #)&#,)./' #)24 #&"#'40 +)&' #),,#

-'"-,'$#*2#&5'#&'+52*60'$#"7#$-*.*&0),#,*7'8#*2#".4'.#&"#+5'+1#&5'#*(9),)2+'#"7#:),0'$#*2#,*7'#

)24#&"#)+5*':'#.'),#02*&%#)24#-')+'#*2#&5'#3".,4;#

Srila!Prabhupada!established!the!Governing!Body!Commission!(GBC)!to!serve!ISKCON!in!achieving!these!

ends!by!providing!leadership!and!governance,!establishing!global!policies,!and!developing!strategies!for!

the!sustained!grow th!of!the !Krishn a!con sciou sn ess!m ov em en t.!An d,!as!Srila!Pra bhu pada!requested,!the!

GBC!serves!as!ISKCON’s!ultimate!managerial!authority.!

The!GBC,!of!course,!cannot!work!in!isolation;!rather,!it!needs!extensive!collaboration!with!ISKCON!

members!and!projects!throughout!the!world.!Aside!from!the!obvious!need!for!this!collaboration,!the!GBC!

is!driven!by !o n e!o f!S rila !P ra b h u p a da ’s!la s t!re q ue st s:!th a t!w e !sh o w!our!love!fo r!h im!by!coop e ra tin g!to!serve!

him.!

A#GROWING#NEED##

The!challenges!and!opportunities!of!our!times!call!for!both!dynamic!visionary!planning!and!the!effective!

execution!of!those!plans.!ISKCON!is!growing,!and!with!it,!the!need!for!better!social!support,!leadership,!

and!global!coordination.!!

The!GBC,!aided!by!a!dedicated!Strategic!Planning!Team!(SPT),!has!increased!its!attempts!to!address!these!

needs!–!first!by!identifying!so m e!o f!the !w ays !ISKC O N !ne ed s!su pp o rt!in!its!gro w th,!an d !the n!b y!d eve lop in g!

practical!strategies!to!offer!that!support.!Carrying!out!the se!strate gies!w ill!allow!th e!m em b ers!of!the !GB C!

to!underscore!Srila!Prab hu pad a’s!vision !for!ISKC O N!as !a!coop erativ e!society !that!reco gn izes!un ity!in!

diversity,!maintains!Vaisnava!behavior!and!high!spiritual!standards,!works!on!both!love!and!trust!and !

sound!organizational!principles,!and!encourages!a!broad!and!active!participation!among!its!members.!!

As!ISKCON!embraces!Srila!Prabhupada’s!vision!and!learns!how!to!better!implement!it!worldwide,!we!will!

find!ourselves!ab le!to !rea ch !pe op le!fro m !an y!background!and!nurture!their!spiritual!advancement!and!

happiness!as!well!as!the!advancement!and!happiness!of!our!own!members.!

THE#STRATEGIC#INITIATIVES##

The!GBC’s!strategic!planning!focuses!on!a!set!of!broad!initiatives!that!have!been!fleshed!out!with!specific!

goals!and!action!points.!These!concerns!or!areas!of!effort!fit!together!like!pieces!of!a!puzzle;!assembled!

they!form!a!powe rful!an d!com p reh ens ive!be ginn ing!pla n!for!the !future !of!the!Krish na !cons cious nes s!

movement.!While!these!initiatives!are!the!starting!points,!othe r!area s!soo n !need !to!b e!ad de d,!su ch!a s!

initiatives!foc u sin g !sp e cif ica lly!o n !e d u ca tio n .!T h e !cu rr en t!b ro a d !c a teg o rie s!a re :!!

• Strengthening!Our!Foundations!

• Building!Capacity!for!Leadership!

• Expanding!Outreach!

• Devotee!Care!

• Bringing!the!Plan!Into!the!World!of!Action!

Each!of!these!areas!is!described!below,!and!each!is!to!be!supported!by!an!ISKCON!culture!that!embraces!

Srila!Prabhupada’s!focus!on!results,!compassion,!enthusiasm,!kindness,!and!drive.!!

STRENGTHENING#OUR#FOUNDATIONS##

As!ISKCON!has!grown,!our!mettle!has!been!tested!in!implementing!the!instructions!Srila!Prabhupada!gave!

us.!To!address!both!the!immediate!and!long*term !ne eds !these!ch allen ges!ha ve!raise d,!the!G BC !is!wo rking!

to!apply!the!principles!in!ISKC O N’s!fou nd ing!do cu m ents !and !Srila!Prabhupada’s!other!directives,!and!to!

enhance!ISKCON’s!internal!culture!of!cooperative!service.!!

Through!global!collaboration!and!discussion!with!a!number!of!ISKCON!mem bers,!led!by!GBC!committees,!

several!importan t!d o c u m e n ts!h a v e!b e en !o r !ar e!in !th e !p ro c ess !of!be ing !crea ted .!He re!is!a!sa m p ling !of!th e!

ongoing!work:!

T HE$ISKCON$ C ONSTITUTION$

Not!long!after!forming!ISKCON!Srila!Prabhupada!asked!his!disciples!to!begin!work!on!its!constitution.!The!

constitution!is!mentioned!as!early!as!1968.!In!1971!he!wrote,!“We!are!in!the!experimen ta l!st ag e,!b u t!in !

the!next!meeting!of!the !GB C!m em b ers!the y!sho uld !form !a!con stitution !ho w!th e!GB C!m embers!manage!

the!whole!affair.”!!

Srila!Prabhupada!gave!us!a!number!of!principles!on!which!he!wanted!the!organization!and!operations!of!

ISKCON!based.!The!ISKCON!Constitution!is!meant!to!clarify!and!enshrine!these!principles!in!a!document!

that!will!serve!present!and !future !gene ration s!of!dev ote es,!help ing!to!en sure !both !the!su ccess !of!our!

mission!and!faithfulness!to!our!Founder*Acarya.!

S RILA$P RABHUPADA’ S$P OSITION$

ISKCON !is!u n ifie d !b y !the!p aram o un t!pos ition!H is!Divin e!Gra ce!A.!C.!Bh ak tiveda nta !Sw am i!Prab hu pa da!

holds!as!our!Founder* Acarya.!As!we!wish!to!succeed!as!a!Society,!all!ISKCON!members!must!continue!to!

deepen!their!understanding!of!and!fidelity!to!their!relations h ip !w ith !S rila !P ra b h u p ad a !a n d !h is!mission,!

vision,!instructions,!and!the!overall!guiding!principles!on!which!he!founded!ISKCON .!!

P ARALLEL$L INES$OF$A UTHORITY$AND$E CONOMY$

One!of!ISKCON’s!unique!challenges!is!to!maintain!clear!lines!of!organizational!authority!without!

unnecessarily!inhibiting!the!spiritual!dynamics!of!the!guru*disciple!relationship!in!a!Society!with!multiple!

types!of!spiritual!leaders.!It’s!importa nt!to!es tablish !policies!an d!stan da rds!th at!will!bes t!add ress!this!

challenge.!!

ISKCON# C ULTURE#

In!the!cou rs e !o f!its !h isto r y, !our!Society!has!naturally!developed!its!own!culture!of!beliefs,!behaviors,!

norms,!priorities,!standards,!and!assumptions.!On!the!whole,!ISKCO N ’s !culture!em bodies!ma ny!spiritually!

positive!elements!–!a!strong!dedication!to!the!sadhana#Srila!Prabhupada!assigned!us,!for!example,!and!a!

loyalty!to!w h a t!h e !ta u gh t.!B u t!t h ere !a re!n e g at ive !as p ec ts !of !ISK C ON’s!develo p in g!c u ltu re !to o !–!aspects!

that!do!not!support!ISKCON’s!overall!mission,!such!as!a!feeling!of!disempowerment!among!the!devotees!

and!a!lessening!of!participation!in!the!Society’s!aims.!In!addition,!some!of!the!cultural!elements!Srila!

Prabhupada!personally!introduced!have!been!de*emphasized,!such!as!his!focus!on!achieving!

transcendental!results!b oth !in!individu al!pra ctice!and !the!p reach ing!m issio n.!So !part!of!pla nn ing!for!

ISKCON ’s!fu t u re !is!to !e x p lo re !o u r!c u ltu re !a n d !id en t ify!a n d !manage!b o th !its !p o sit ive !a n d !n e ga tiv e !

elements.!!

BUILDING#CAPACITY#FOR#LEADERSHIP#

The!GBC!is!responsible!for!providing!effective!global!leadership!to!an!increasingly!diverse!and!expansive!

Society.!Therefore!it!is!vital!we!strengthen!and!build!ISKCON’s!capacity!for!leadership!through!team*

building,!identifying!and!training!future!leade rs,!an d!re finin g!an d !en ha nc ing !ISKC O N ’s!orga n izatio na l!

development.!

TEAM:B UILDING#

As!the!ultimate!managerial!authority!for!ISKCON,!the!GBC!needs!the!leadership!and!organizational!

acumen!to!serve!a!worldwide!movement!–!and!it!needs!to!work!as!a!team.!So!tea m *building!is!one!of!the!

most!crucial!elements!of!the!GBC’s!leadership!mandates.!As!the!GBC!improves!the!teamwork!among!its!

own!members,!it!then!needs!to!create!connecting!points!with!the!rest!of!the!Society.!The!GBC!cannot!

operate!in!a!vacuum.!As!Srila!Prabhupada!wrote!in!a!letter!dated!October!18,!1973,!“Material!nature!

means!dissension!and!disagreement,!especially!in!this!Kali*yu ga.!But!for!this!Krishna!consciousness!

movement,!its!success!will!depend!on!agreement,!even!though!there!are!varieties!of !en g a ge m e n ts .”!!

SUCCESSION#

While!considering!their!future,!most!organizations!search!out!people!who!appear!to!have!the!capacity!

and!dedication!to!lead!the!organization!forward.!Current!leaders!seek!out!those!who!are!successful!in!

their!particular!fields!and!nurture!their!growth!as!leaders!by!training!and!encouraging!them.!Leaders!in!

the!fields!of!itinerant!and!cong rega tiona l!preac hing ,!project!lead ers,!tem p le!presid ents ,!and!de vo tees!

whose!specific!service!it!is!to!care!for!others!–!all!these!persons!require!go od !Va isna va !asso ciatio n,!

training,!spiritual!support,!and! opportunities!to!develop!their!experience.!They!also!need!a!thorough!

grounding!in!the!movement’s!history!and!the!details!of!Srila!Prabhupada’s!legacy!so!their!leadership!

capacity!and!integrity!as!Srila!Prabhup ad a’s!follo w ers!becomes!solid.!Some!of!these!devotees,!after!many!

years!of!demonstrating!that!integrity!and!a!strong!record!of!accom plishment!in!caring!for!devotees!and!

outreach,!may!be!ready!to!serve!as!members!of!the!GBC.!It!is!vital!for!the!continuity!of!the !GB C !bo dy !tha t!

we!identify!and!help!those!who!will!deve lop!the !spiritua l!stature!an d!ex ecu tive!com p ete nce!req uire d!for!

this!responsibility.!

GBC# O RGANIZATIONAL#D EVELOPMENT#

Srila!Prabhupada!designed!the!GBC’s!current!leadership!model!at!a!time!when!the!m ov em en t!wa s!sm aller!

and!less!complex!than!it!is!today.!The!GBC!will!thoroughly!review!that!model!and,!while!remaining!loyal!to!

Srila!Prabhupada’s!directions,!implement!any!necessary!structural!developments!and!enhancements!in!

order!to!meet!the!needs!of!an!expanding!movement.!!

This!initiative!addresses!!

• GBC!members’!duties,!responsibilities,!performance,!and!accountability!

• Systems!–!how!the!GBC!functions!and!how!it!interfaces!with!the!rest!of!ISKCON!

• The!GBC’s!financial!requirements!!

ORGANIZATIONAL#AND#ENVIRONMENTAL#S CANNING#

Local!and!regional!ISKCON!projects!are!often!so!busy!with!day*to * day!activities!that!they!do!not!have!the!

time!or!resources!to!ana lyze!the ir!ow n!org aniza tion!o r!the!en viron m ent!in!w h ich!the y!serve .!For!exa m ple,!

are!the!systems!in!place!in!a!pro ject!tha t!allow !that!pro ject!to!fun ction !at!its!best? !Are!ind ividu al!ISKC ON !

projects!aware!of!–!and!therefore!capable!of!catering!to!–!what’s!going!on!in!the!preaching!field!around!

them?!Srila!Prabhu pa da!h im self!con du cted !an!environmental!scan!when!he!was!still!living!on!the!Bowery!

in!New!Yo r k!C ity !b y!v isit in g!Mukunda !a n d !Ja n a ki,!two!of!his!first!d isc ip le s,!to !a sk !q u es tio n s!a b o u t!

American!life!and!culture.!It’s!just!helpful!when!planning!for!a!temple’s!(or!ISKCON’s)!future!to!make!this!

kind!of!analysis.!!

The!organizational!scan!allows!the!GBC!to!study!ISKCON!as!a!whole.!Organizational!scanning!includes!!

• Identifying !ISKCON’s!o ff ice rs !a n d !sta ff!

• Taking!a!census!of!initiated!devotees!

• Identifying !ISKCON’s!p ro p e rt ies !a n d !a ss e ss in g!h o w !well!they!are!managed!

• Studying!how!various!ISKCON!projects!perform!both!qualitatively!and!quantitatively!–!how!many!

books!are!being!distributed?!How!effective!is!the!preaching?!Are!the!devotees!being!cared!for?!

Are!the!spiritual!standards!Srila!Prabhupada!gave!us!being!followed?!

• Examining!the!work!of!ISKCO N’s!lead ers,!from !loca l!autho rities!to!G BC !repres enta tives,!and !

assessing!their!performance!!

Obviously,!it!is!not!possible!for!the!GBC!body!to!study!the!environment!around!each!ISKCON!project.!Still,!

we!can!preach!more!effectively!in!a!place!when!we!come!to!understand!the!local!material!and!spiritual!

culture.!The!GBC!will!therefore!develop!methods!local!and!regional!leaders!in!all!parts!of!the!world!can!

use!to!perform!this!scan.!

REGIONAL#LEADERSHIP#

In!recent!years!the!GBC!has!begun!to!delegate!elem ents!of!its!authority!to!Regional!Governing!Bodies!

(RGBs)!while!en su ring !that!its!u ltim ate !au tho rity!to!manage!ISKCO N !rem a ins!in tac t.!The !GB C !will!rev iew !

and!analyze!the!RGBs’!achievem ents!and!challenges!in!order!to!define!and!implemen t!a!system !fo r!

regional!or!nation al!m an a gement!in!all!parts!of!the!wo rld.!

EXPANDING#OUTREACH#

During!Srila!Prabhupada’s!time,!he!personally!led!us!forward!by!his!example!and!precept!into!th e !fie ld !o f!

preaching.!Preaching!thus!became!one!of!two!core!elements!that!define!ISKCON!(the!other!is!care!for!our!

members,!discussed!below).!This!is!what!ISKCON!is!all!abo u t:!m ore !dev ote es!an d !ha pp ier!d evo tee s.!!

The!GBC’s!strategic!planning!Outreach!Committee!is!designed!to!ensure!that!the!service!of!sharing!

Krishna!consciousness!remains!at!the!heart!of!what!it!means!to!belong!to!ISKCON.!The!GBC!is!meant!to!

lead!devo te es !in to !th e !p rea c h in g!fie ld !on !S rila !P ra b h u p a da ’s!b e h a lf!and!to!inspire!us!to!spread!Krishna!

consciousness.!!

To!do!this!they!need!to!encourage!the!devotees!under!their!care!to!understand!the!needs!and!attitudes!of!

their!local!cultures,!to!make!sure !the!pre ach ing!is!releva nt!to!an d!ap pro priate !for!the!loca l!society,!an d!to!

help!the!devotees!measure!their!preaching!success!by!such!things!as!an!increase!in!people!joining!the!

movement.!!

Srila!Prabhupada!gave!us!particular!preaching!strategies!–!book!distribution,!harinam*sankirtan,!life!

membership,!and!farm!projects,!to!name!a!few.!Yet!Srila!Prabhupada!was!ever!willing!to!adjust!his!

methods!if!they!did!not!yield!the!best!results.!Do!our!traditional!preaching!strategies!require!any!

adjustment!according!to!tim e,!place,!and!circumstance?!Asking!these!questions!and!brainstorming!

outreach!options!will!allow!the!GBC!to!encourage!the!most!effective!styles!of!preaching!in!each!area.!

DEVOTEE#CARE#

Equally!if!not!mo re!imp o rta n t!th a n !IS K C O N ’s!o u tr ea ch !e ffo r ts!is!t h e!s p iritu a l!ca re !a n d!d e v e lo pment!of!ou r!

current!members.!We!want!mo re!devotees!and!happ ier!devotees.!

Of!the!seven!purposes!Srila!Prabhupada!established!for!ISKCON,!at!least!two!directly!refer!to!services!for!

the!members!o f!the!So ciety: !

!"#9.*2/#&5'#('(9'.$#"7#&5'#<"+*'&%#&"/'&5'.#3*&5#')+5#"&5'.#)24#2').'.#&"#=.*$52)8#&5'#-.*('#'2&*&%8#)24#

&50$#&"#4':',"-#&5'#*4' )8#3*&5 *2#&5'#( ' ( 9'.$ 8#)24#50 ( ) 2*&%8#)&#,)./' 8#&5)&#') +5#$"0 ,#*$#-).&#)2 4#-) .+',#"7#

&5'#60),*&%#"7#>"45' )4 #?=.*$52 )@A##

!"#9.*2/#&5'#('(9'.$#+,"$'.#&"/'&5'.#7".#&5'#-0.-"$'#"7#&')+5*2/#)#$*(-,'.#)24#(".'#2)&0.),#3)%#"7#,*7'; #

It!is!vital,!therefore,!that!the!GBC!lead!the!Society!in!dev elop ing!an d!m ain tainin g!dyn am ic!pro gra m s!for!

the!care!of!its!membe rs.!

SPECIAL#INITIATIVES#

TEMPLE#DEVELOPMENT#

Srila!Prabhupada!wanted!ISKCON’s!temples!to!be!centers!of!intensive!dev o tio n a l!se rv ice ,!es pe c ially !in !th e!

form!of!the!five!m a in!p rac tices !esse ntia l!to!95)1&*B%"/)C#chanting!the!holy!name,!hearing!<.*()4B

D5)/):)&)(8!worshiping!the!Deity,!serving!Vaishnavas,!and!living!in!a!holy!place.!He!also!wanted!the!

temples!to!serve!as!hub s! for!outreach,!where!the!spiritual!lives!of!ou r!guests!could!blossom.!While!some!

of!our!temples!are!meeting!these!objectives,!many!are!struggling.!This!initiative!examines!Srila!

Prabhupada’s!instructions!about!temples!and!applies!a!“best!practices”!and!mentorship!approach!to!

helping!all!ISKCON’s!temples!better!fulfill!their!purpose.!

SERVICE#ORGANIZATIONS#AND#AFFILIATES#

When!Srila!Prabhupada!was!physically!present,!ISKCON!seemed!simpler!–!everything!functioned!around!

the!temples,!which!remained!under!the! greater!umbrella!of!ISKCON.!But!as!ISKCON!h as !e xp a n d e d !a n d!

become!more!congregationally*based,!devotees!are!expressing!their!service!desires!in!a!number!of!ways!

not!easily!accommodated!or!facilitated!by!the!temples!themselves.!As!a!result,!we!have!seen!a!

proliferation!of!ISKCON*affiliated!service!organizations!and!projects.!The!purpose!of!this!initiative!is!to!

understand!and!manage!the!relationship!these! organizations!have!with!ISKCON!in!a!way!that!serves!Srila!

Prabhupada’s!core!mission!of!spreading!Krishna!Consciousness!as!widely!as!possible.!

CONFLICTS#OF#INTEREST#

With!ISKC O N ’s !e xpansion! has!come!the!need!to!address!possible!conflicts!of!interest!in!the!Society’s!

management.!This!initiative!is!working!toward!a!way!to!address!and!manage!conflicts!of!interest!by!

delineating!unacceptable!or!untenable!conflicts!and!recommending!a!reporting!procedure!for!those!

conflicts!of!interest!that!can!be!permitted.!!

BRINGING#THE#PLAN#INTO#THE#WORLD#OF#ACTION##

Strategic!planning!is!worth!only!the!paper!it’s!printed!on!if!the!plans!are!not!executed.!Therefore!the!GBC!

is!in!the!pro ce ss !o f!es ta b lish in g !sy ste m s !b y!which!ISKC O N ’s!c u rre n t!st ru ct u re s!ca n !b e !u se d !to !b e tter !

effect,!goals!can!be!set!and!realized,!and!devotees!can!feel!encouraged!to!co m e !forw a rd !to!he lp.!

M INISTRIES#AND#O FFICES# # # # # #

Currently,!the!GBC!has!the!following!ministries!and!offices:!

a. Ministry!of!Book!Distribution!!

b. Ministry!of!Communications!!

c. Ministry!of!Padayatra!

d. Ministry!of!Deity!Worship!

e. Ministry!of!Cow!Protection!and!Agriculture!

f. Ministry!of!Fund!Development!

g. Ministry!of!Educational!Development!

h. Central!Office!of!Child!Protection!

i. Congregational!Development!Ministry!!

j. Guru!Services!Committee!

k. Youth!Ministry!

l. Ministry!of!Health!and!Welfare!!

m. Vaisnavi!Ministry!!

n. Ministry!of!Sannyasa!Services!

o. Ministry!of!Justice!

p. ISKCON!R e s o lve !

q. BBT!Construction!Grant!Allocation!Com m ittee!

r. Sastric!Advisory!Council!

s. ISKCON !Pr o p er ty!Office!

t. GBC!Vaisnava!Calendar!Committee!

u. GBC!Appointment!Committee!

v. International!Steering !C o mmittee!

Key!to!implementin g !an y !o f!th e se!initiatives!is!to!s tre n gth e n !a n d !ex p a n d!t h e!e xisting!ISKCON !ministries!

and!other!global!offices!so!they!can!better!serve!the!Society.!Initially!set!up!by!Srila!Prabhupada,!the!

ministries!and!offices!have!managed!to!provide!services!in!a!number!of!areas!(see!sidebar)!despite!severe!

underfunding.!This!initiativ e !is!meant!to!he lp !su p p o rt!t h e!ministries!by!h e lp in g!th e m!reach!the !d ev o te es !

they!are!meant!to!serve !and !prov iding !earm ark ed!fu nds !for!spec ific!projects!an d!p rogra m s.!

DEVELOPING#AN#EXECUTIVE#S TRATEGY#FOR#THE#GBC#

Accountability!is!essential!to!any!strategic!planning!effort.!The!members!of!the!GBC!have!decided!they!

can!best!be!helped!to!remain!accountable!by!appointing!one!of!their!own!members!to!assess!their!

performance.!The!current!system,!where!individual!GBC!members!answer!to!the!whole!GBC!body,!does!

not!seem!a!practical!way!to!encourage!accountability!and!ensure!that!the!G BC ’s!directives !and!go als!are !

accomplished.!The!executive!strategies!are!designed!to!hold!members!responsible!for!their!services!and!

increase!the ir!effectiven ess!w ithin !the!So ciety. !

The!GBC!body!has!decided!to!appoint!an!Executive!Secretary!to!whom!individual!GBC!members!will!report!

as!they!fulfill!the!fundamen tal!assign m en ts!Srila!Prab hu pa da!ga ve!them,!im p le ment!the!GBC ’s!resolutio ns,!

and!make!progress !in!activities!related!to!strategic!planning.!Because!a!tremendous!amount!of!work!

needs!to!be!done,!the!Executive!secretary!will!be!assisted!by!Divisional!Directors,!each!assigned!to!a!

specific!area!where!more!help!is!required.!!

Neither!the!Executive!Secretary!nor!the!Divisional!Directors!will!interface!regularly!with!temple!

presidents,!projects!leaders,!or!regional!governing!bodies.!Dealing!with!these!entities!will!remain!the!

responsibility!of!GB C!m e m b ers.!Th e!Executive!Secretary!and!the!Divisional!Directors!are!designed!to!work!

primarily!with!individual!GBC!members!and!to!assist!them!in!accomplishing!the!goals!they!have!set.!

EXECUTIVE#SECRETARY#

The!Executive!Secretary!will!serve!the!GBC!by!ensuring!the!execution!of!the!GBC’s!three!primary!

directives.!Specific!responsibilities!include:!

• Establishing!priorities,!objectives,!and!goals!

• Establishing!systems!designed!to!get!more!done !

• Management!of!their!staff!and!resources!

• Supervising!GBC!zonal!representatives!on!behalf!of!the!GBC!body!

DIVISIONAL#D IRECTORS#

The!Executive!Secretary!will!work!through!Divisional!Directors.!Generally,!a!Divisional!Director!will!be!

appointed!for!every!major!area!of!effort!(listed!below).!The!Executive!Secretary!will!establish!overall!

objectives!within!each!area!consistent!with!the!GBC’s!three!prim ary!directives.!Each!Divisional!Director!

will!then!create,!under!the!Executive!Secretary’s!gu id a n c e ,!g o a ls !d es ig n e d !t o !b ri n g!t h e s e!o bjectives!ab o u t .! !

The!following!Divisional!Directors!will!be!established:!

• Director!of!Devotee!Care!

o To!promote!the!well*being!of!ISKCON!devotees!in!all!areas!of!their!lives!–!physical,!

emotional,!intellectual,!and!spiritual!

o As!part!of!that!promotion ,!to!offer!education!through!courses,!seminars,!media,!and!

other!means!to!address!the!holistic!needs!and!growth!of!the!devotees;!these!programs!

are!meant!to!stimulate!the!moo d!of!all*round!service !to!Va isna va s!an d!to !sup po rt!

individua ls!in !th e ir!a tte mpt!to!attain !p u re!K ris h n a!c o n sc io u sn e ss!

o To!establish!a!“best!practices”!methodology!on!key!devotional!care!developments!and!

practices!within!the!Society!

o To!interface!with!the!Devotee!Care!Committee!!

• Director!of!Outreach!Initiatives!

o To!organize!and!supervise!projects!and!campaigns!aimed!at!improving!the!quality!and!

quantity!of!how!Krishna!consciousness!is!propagated!around!the!world!

o To!monitor!yatras!in!the!third!world!and!in!areas!where!ISKCON!is!still!developing,!and!

to!help!those!yatras!grow ! !

o To!establish!a!“best!practices”!methodology!on!outreach!methods!used!by!ISKCON!and!

to!make!sure!they!are!th e!m ost!effe ctive! th ey!can !be !

o To!interface!with!the!Outreach!Committee!

• Director!of!Administration!and!Systems!Development!

o To!provide!all!areas!of!the!Executive!Strategies!with!a!“systems!thinking”!approach!–!an!

awareness!that!everything!in!ISKCON!is!interdependent!and!must!be!examined!as!a!

whole!rather!than!only!looking!at!parts!

o To!create!and!maintain!appropriate!systems,!and!to!clarify!functions,!capabilities,!roles,!

and!structures!for!the!smooth!and!productive!operation!of!ISKCON!!

o To!ensure!that!these!systems!are!implemented!and!monitored!so!they!serve !the ir!

intended !p u rp o se s!a n d !d o !n o t!cr ea te !u n in ten d e d !co n s eq u e n ce s!

o To!provide!an!ongoing!analysis!of!these!systems!and!procedures!and!to!update!or!

modify!them!when!necessary!

o To!supervise!the!work!of!the!GBC!Secretariat’s!and!Executive!Secretary’s!st a ff !!

o To!interface!with!the!Organizational!Development!Committee!

• Director!of!Succession!

o To!ensure!the!smooth!and!proper!succession!of!ISKCON!leadership!by!identifying!

potential!leaders,!training!them,!helping!them!to!accept!the!full!implications!of!servant*

leadership ,!s u p e rv is in g !th e ir !d e ve l o p ment,!and!f a cil ita t in g !th e ir !b e in g !s e n t!o u t !in to !t h e !

field!

o To!interface!with!the!Succession!Committee!

• Director!of!Strategic!Planning!

o To!oversee!the!design!and!implementation!of!realistic!plans!for!how!to!achieve!the!

GBC’s!three!primary!directives!

o To!ensure!that!the!GBC’s!work!focuses!on!long*term!achievements!(what!co uld!the !GB C!

be!doing!that!would!leave!Vaisnavas!two!hundred!years!from!now!feeling!grateful?)!

o To!interface!with!the!Strategic!Planning!Team!

• Director!of!Legal,!Accounting,!and!Regulatory!Compliance!

o To!ensure!the!Society’s!compliance!with!internal!and!external!legal,!accounting,!and!

regulatory!requirements!!

o To!protect!ISKCON’s!properties!and!assets,!both!hard!and!soft!

o To!oversee!the!national!and!loc a l!in co rp o ra tio n !o f !ISK C O N’s!affiliates!

• Director!of!Community!Relations!

o To!liaise!b etween!the!G B C !an d !t h e!IS K C O N !c o m munity!

o To!identify!the!needs!of!ISKCON!members!that!are!unique!to!where!they!are!serving!and!

to!bring!those!needs!to!th e!GB C’s!atten tion!!

o To!assure!that!the!GBC!and!its!policies!are!presented!in!a!consistent!and!appropriate!

way!to!the!members!of!ISKCON!

• Director!of!Ministry!Supervision!

o To!supervise!and!support!the!GBC!Ministries!by!making!sure!devotees!worldwide!and!in!

any!language!are!aware!of!the!resources!available!to!them!

o To!assist!with!travel!coordination!

o To!examine!how!the!ministries!use!their!grants!

o !

• Director!of!Education!!

o To!promote!the!educational!initiatives!established!by!the!Education!Comm ittee!

o To!help!establish!a!“best!practices”!methodology!on!key!Education!developments!and!

practices!within!the!Society!

o To!promote!a!new!educational!ethos!throughout!ISKCON!

o To!interface!with!the!Education!Committee!!

• Director!of!Organizational!Development!

o Work! to! ensure!that!the! different!parts!of!the!organization!and!its!functioning,!

and! interaction! between! the! parts! reaches! higher! levels! of! productivity! and!

effectiveness.!

o Intera c t! with! all! concerned! parties! toward! facilitating! the! crea tio n ! of! a!

favorable! culture! for! the! deve lop m e nt! of! the! individuals! involved! and! the!

functioning!of!th e!S oc iety.!!

o To!interface!with!the!Organizational!Development!Committee!

GBC#COMMITTEES##

The#Executive!Secretary#receives#essential#authority#an d#direction#from #the#GB C,#but#he#mu st#also#be#

given#the#facility#to#present#his#vision#for#his#service#to#the#GBC.#An#ongoing#and#respectful#exchange#

between#the#GBC#and#the#Executive!Secretary#is#crucial#for#e n su rin g #th a t#the#strategic#plan#is#

10!

prioritized#and#carried#out#even#as#the#Executive#Secretary#remains#a#servant#to#the#will#of#the#GBC#

body.##

Still,#taking#direction#from#–#by#present#standards#–#a#group#of#approximately#thirty:five#peop le#

meeting#officially#only#once#or#twice#a#year#renders#the#execu tive#proce ss#cum b erso m e,#imp ractical,#

and#hardly#productive.#

To#address#this#problem,#some#GBC#committees#have#been#delegated#executive#power#on#behalf#of#

the#body#as#GBC#Ex ecu tive#Com mittees#to#interact#with#and#prov ide#guid ance#to#the#Executive!

Secretary.#These#Exe c u t iv e #C o mmittee s #will#be#sta n d i n g #c o mmittee s .#

These!committees!are:!

• Devotee!Care!!

• Outreach!

• Organizational!Development!

• Succession!

• Strategic!Planning!

• Educational!Development!

• Global!Development!(Fund!Development)!

CONCLUSION#

During!the!Annual!General!Mee ting!(A GM)!of!the!GBC!in!May apu r!in!19 75,!Srila!Pra bh up ada !app rove d!

their!first!resolution:!

!5'#>DE#?>":'.2*2/#D"4%#E"((*$$*"2@#5)$#9''2#'$&)9,*$5'4#9%#F*$#G*:*2'#>.)+'#H;#E;#D5)1&*:'4)2&)#

<3)(*#I.)950-)4)#&"#.'-.'$'2&#5*(#*2#+)..%*2/ #"0 &#&5 ' #.' $- "2 $ *9*,*& %#" 7#()2)/*2/#& 5' #J2 &' .2 )&*" 2 ) ,#

<"+*'&%#7".#=.*$52)#E"2$+*"0$2'$$8#"7#35*+5#5'#*$#&5'#K"024'.BH+).%)#)24#$0-.'('#)0&5".*&%;##

!5'#>DE#)++'-&$#)$#*&$#,*7'#)24#$"0,#5*$#4*:*2'#*2$&.0+&*"2 $ 8 #)24#.'+"/2*L'$#&5)&#*&#*$#+"(-,'&',%#4'-'24'2&#

"2#5*$#('.+%#*2#),,#.'$-'+&$;#

We!aspire!to!better!serve!the!will!of!Srila!Prabhupada!and!to!share!in!his!extraordinary!mercy,!which!will!

empower!us!to!serve!their!Lordships!Sri!Sri!Radha!and!Krishna;##