WSC 2026 Literature, Service Material, and IDT Survey |
The conference has used a survey in the Conference Agenda Report (CAR) to help guide participants in setting priorities for recovery literature, service material, and Issue Discussion Topics (IDTs) since 2016. The results of this survey will help delegates select Issue Discussion Topics and prioritize recovery literature and service material to work on in the cycle ahead. For each conference, we compile results from members and from conference participants—seated regions and zones. Those results are distributed at the conference and included as an appendix in the minutes.
This cycle, conference participants (CPs) led the creation of the CAR Survey using a new process approved by the 2025 Interim WSC. Instead of motions for specific projects, CPs and members submitted ideas for recovery literature, service material, and IDTs through an online form. Over 500 ideas were received and consolidated into broader topics, then prioritized by CPs through two rounds to create a concise survey. This is the first time CPs were involved throughout the process.
As we explain in the Planning essay in the CAR, we have just started a new collaborative planning process, and the CAR Survey is not yet as well integrated into the process as we would hope. The CAR Survey and the NAWS Strategic Plan are, in essence, two different ways to show what work needs to be done in the upcoming cycle, and we need to find a way to make them “talk to each other” better in future cycles. In the meantime, we have added a bracketed number next to each CAR Survey item listing a Strategic Plan objective number to show the connection between the items in the CAR Survey and the Strategic Plan objectives.
We are asking members to fill in the online survey by 1 April 2026 and we will compile those responses for the conference to consider. We are also asking conference participants to collect the conscience of their service bodies by the same date. We will compile those results to distribute as well. Please be aware that the entries are randomized so the order will not be the same for you when you fill out the online survey as the order listed in the CAR. For that reason, we have numbered the lists in the CAR and included those numbers next to each item. The numbers don’t indicate importance—they are simply a way to quickly identify each item.
When we each select priorities, ideally we’re considering not just personal preferences or the preferences of our group or area, but what would benefit the wide world of NA. Sometimes that means thinking about underserved or underrepresented populations. If everyone simply prioritized their own interests, IPs for “young addicts” or those with “additional needs” might never have been published. Also, keep in mind that we may not have time to do everything that’s prioritized! There are always more needs than resources. That’s the nature of what we do.
The full essay on the CAR Survey or more about the collaborative Strategic Plan can be found in the 2026 Conference Agenda Report located at na.org/conference.
This cycle, conference participants (CPs) led the creation of the CAR Survey using a new process approved by the 2025 Interim WSC. Instead of motions for specific projects, CPs and members submitted ideas for recovery literature, service material, and IDTs through an online form. Over 500 ideas were received and consolidated into broader topics, then prioritized by CPs through two rounds to create a concise survey. This is the first time CPs were involved throughout the process.
As we explain in the Planning essay in the CAR, we have just started a new collaborative planning process, and the CAR Survey is not yet as well integrated into the process as we would hope. The CAR Survey and the NAWS Strategic Plan are, in essence, two different ways to show what work needs to be done in the upcoming cycle, and we need to find a way to make them “talk to each other” better in future cycles. In the meantime, we have added a bracketed number next to each CAR Survey item listing a Strategic Plan objective number to show the connection between the items in the CAR Survey and the Strategic Plan objectives.
We are asking members to fill in the online survey by 1 April 2026 and we will compile those responses for the conference to consider. We are also asking conference participants to collect the conscience of their service bodies by the same date. We will compile those results to distribute as well. Please be aware that the entries are randomized so the order will not be the same for you when you fill out the online survey as the order listed in the CAR. For that reason, we have numbered the lists in the CAR and included those numbers next to each item. The numbers don’t indicate importance—they are simply a way to quickly identify each item.
When we each select priorities, ideally we’re considering not just personal preferences or the preferences of our group or area, but what would benefit the wide world of NA. Sometimes that means thinking about underserved or underrepresented populations. If everyone simply prioritized their own interests, IPs for “young addicts” or those with “additional needs” might never have been published. Also, keep in mind that we may not have time to do everything that’s prioritized! There are always more needs than resources. That’s the nature of what we do.
The full essay on the CAR Survey or more about the collaborative Strategic Plan can be found in the 2026 Conference Agenda Report located at na.org/conference.