Communications Update

Dear Friends of NARM,

Last week we held our first virtual Town Hall meeting/Information Session (more on the name below). We were encouraged to see so many of you on the call.

If you were unable to make it or would like to rewatch it, a video recording of the meeting is available here.

During this first meeting, we:

Introduced our board of directors (read their bios here)
Heard an update from Brynne Potter, executive director, on the work underway at NARM
Learned about the Landscape Analysis and its role in NARM’s strategic planning from Stephanie McLemore Bray
Hosted a Q&A session.

Keeping you up-to-date: Information Sessions

This Information Session was the first in a a series of meetings where we hope to share updates with you on specific aspects of NARM’s work. During these sessions, we will present to you on a given topic and host a Q&A with a similar focus. Based on feedback from our community, we are changing the name of this series from “Town Halls” to “Information Sessions.”

We recognize many of you came to this session with questions that were not answered given the limited time allotted. We are committed to answering all questions, and our Executive Director, Brynne Potter, will be addressing unanswered questions at the beginning of our next Information Session in December and in regular monthly newsletters moving forward.

We have scheduled the following Information Sessions over the next few months:

Accountability Policy Updates
NARM Governance
Test Development
Eligibility Review
Landscape Analysis Presentation, by Touchstone Leadership Group
NARM Strategic Roadmap

Learn more about the Information Sessions and how to register here.

Understanding how you have experienced NARM’s credentialing process: Listening Sessions and Feedback Form

These Information Sessions are just one part of a larger process designed to inform NARM’s future work. While the Information Sessions are designed for us to present to you and host questions on a specific topic, we are also holding a series of Listening Sessions, which have a related but different goal.

Led by Stephanie McLemore Bray, a well-respected and experienced thought leader in non-profit organizations, the Listening Sessions are a space for you to share with us what matters most to you about NARM’s work. These sessions are designed to:

Gather your input in a way that fosters authentic dialogue and feedback
Hear from as many parts of our community as possible – including CPMs, CPM students, preceptors, and representatives from professional associations, and midwifery schools – through events hosted by midwifery-related organizations
Seek your feedback on what the CPM means to you, your experience with NARM and what you value most, and how NARM can better support midwives to provide the high-quality, culturally aligned, respectful care all families deserve
Provide NARM with an unvarnished understanding of our strengths and challenges and create the accountability that comes from an outside assessment.

Please let us know if you would like to schedule a Listening Session for your organization by contacting stephanie@touchstoneleadership.org.

Please continue to share on the Feedback Form

We also continue to learn greatly from those of you who participated in our online survey. If you have yet to participate, please do so by visiting here.

While we recognize you may have provided feedback to NARM in the past, it is imperative this feedback be collected in a process that is unbiased and transparent.

How your stories and perspectives inform NARM’s work moving forward

We need your authentic feedback to inform our efforts to equitably evolve and grow as an organization. Additionally, our accreditation standards require that any material changes to NARM’s program be based on validated evidence of the reason for change. The information you share in the Listening Sessions and the Feedback Forms will be used to create a Landscape Analysis that will serve both aims.

We have intentionally chosen an outside organization, Touchstone Leadership, to conduct this process. We believe an outside consultant facilitates a space where you can openly share your past experiences with the CPM credentialing process while providing NARM with the accountability that comes from an external assessment.

The Landscape Analysis will be shared with the NARM board, and Touchstone Leadership will present the findings to you in an upcoming Information Session (click here to learn more).

Thank you in advance for your continued engagement in this process.

Sincerely,

Brynne Potter
Executive Director