Organizational Structure

1
Organizational Structure
Members act as facilitators for external
discussion sessions

• INTERNAL

• EXTERNAL

Participants
Participants are often potential future members
2
Value to Stakeholders The Kopitiam Group
Exhibit 2
Members

• Alternative forum to discuss and exchange ideas.
• Active role in sharing concept of open
  discussions.
• Networking opportunities.

Funders

• Viable growth prospects with minimal sponsorship
  required
• Addresses problems from a fundamental and
  systemic approach, rather than by specific issues.

3
Exhibit 3 Organizational Analysis The Kopitiam
Group As of 091002

• Membership selection
• Internal/ External
• Spin-off groups
• Sustainable growth

• Find enthusiastic members
• Internal/ External
• Discussion as an end

• Kopitiam Session
• Membership selection
• Spin-off groups
• Advising system

• To foster informed and open discussions
• To inspire greater civic participation.

• Well-honed organizational skills
• Networks in civil society in Singapore

• Open
• Informal
• Passionate

• ExCo and Members
• Dynamic
• Intellectually interested
• Give and Take

From McKinsey Staff Paper, June 1979
4
Competitive Analysis The Kopitiam Group
Exhibit 4
Organization
Strategic Significance
Think Centre

• Holds exciting, well-attended forums, usually
  panel sessions.
• Viewed as undesirable by Government given the
  shift in their agenda towards Human Rights.
• More of a research think tank now.

IPS

• Holds more neutral discussion sessions, but still
  often speaker-centric. (e.g. Corporate Breakfast)
• Impressive guest speakers which pull in the
  crowds. (e.g. corporate leaders, economists, MPs.
  Ministers)
• Very good crowd.

Feedback Unit

• Holds regular sessions to collect feedback for
  Government.
• Discussion usually dominated by a few people.
• Many who attend are not well-informed.
• Can often degenerate into a complaining or
  griping session.

NUS

• No discussion style formats known to have been
  organized
• Organizes large talks and speeches, given by 1 or
  2 speakers for a crowd of up to two hundred
  students.

5
Competitive Analysis The Kopitiam Group
Exhibit 4
Organization
Strategic Significance
Roundtable

• Similar membership selection process.
• Activities organized purely internal. Has closed
  and exclusive feel to it.
• Publishes occasional papers.

Socratic Circle

• Style of discussion similar to Kopitiam sessions.
• Limited impact.

Young PAP

• Attracts intelligent and like-minded people,
  potential competitor for membership pool.
• Party affiliations may put off some people who
  wish to concentrate on issues.

Other forums

• Online and offline forums such as Sintercom,
  newsgroups, ST Forum attract fair amount of
  traffic and postings.
• Reflect increasing need to be heard.
• More a complementary force rather than
  competition.

6
Strategic Analysis September 2002
Exhibit 5
Supplier Industry

• Have connections procuring promotional material,
  business cards, meeting spaces, background
  materials
• Have connections in potential guest speaker
  circles
• Have connections in civil society

From Osters Strategic Management of Nonprofit
Organizations, 1995.
7
SWOT Analysis The Kopitiam Group
Exhibit 6
Strengths
Weaknesses

• Unique value proposition
• Internal/ External systems
• Sustainable growth
• Experience with discussion forums

• Saturated market
• Inexperience with non-profit sector
• Intangible objectives

Opportunities
Threats

• Expansion into other target user groups
• Possible government/school support
• Corporate version of product
• Nascent non-profit sector conducive for spin-offs
  and new projects

• Mindset Change
• Government regulation
• Public suspicion

8
Key Success Factors
Exhibit 7

• Mindset Change
• Brand Name
• Product development
• Basic Discussions
• Seminars and skill workshops
• Tie-in with curriculum
• Deviating from original goals?
• Measurability of Outcome
• Surveys, Evaluations
• Post-discussion knock-on effects
• Networks
• Donors
• Guest speakers