Measuring the Impact of Organisational Change Processes
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MeasuringThe value the Impact of volunteers of Organisational ChangeImagine howProcesses many needs on New would Services go to Vulnerableunanswered Communities without volunteers A review of 6 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Asia Pacific Coordinated by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Asia Pacific Zone Organisational Development and Volunteering Unit Supported by the Swedish Red Cross www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds. © International Federation of Red Cross International F ederation of John Gwynn Asia Pacific Organisational and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, 2010 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies P.O. Box 372 Development Coordinator Copies of all or part of this study may be made for noncommercial use, CH-1211 Geneva 19 , Switzerland Tel: +60 3 9207 5760 Email: john.gwynn @ifrc.org providing the source is acknowledged The IFRC would appreciate receiving Telephone: +41 22 730 4222 Telefax: +41 22 733 0395 details of its use. Requests for commercial reproduction should be directed to E-mail: [email protected] Rika Ueno the IFRC at [email protected]@ifrc.org. Web site: www.ifrc.org Asia Pacific Organisational Development Delegate The opinions and recommendations expressed in this study do not IFRC Asia Pacific zone Tel: +60 3 9207 5736 necessarily represent the official policy of the IFRC or of individual National The Amp Walk, E-mail: [email protected] Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies. The designations and maps used do Suite 10.02 (North Block) not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the International Fed- No 218 Japan Am pang Alex Torres eration or National Societies concerning the legal status of a territory or of 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Asia Pacific Volunteering its authorities. All photos used in this study are copyright of the IFRC unless Tel: +60 3 9207 5700 Delegate Fax: +60 3 2161 0670 Tel: +60 3 9207 5726 otherwise indicated. E-mail: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 1. Introduction 1.a Background 00 1.b The “Impact Spider” tool 00 2. Case studies 2.a Case study from Cambodia Red Cross 00 2.b Case study from Cruz Vermelha de Timor Leste (East Timor Red Cross) 00 2.c Case study from Case study from Democratic People’s Republic 00 of Korea Red Cross 2.d Case study from Mongolia Red Cross 00 2.e Case study from Nepal Red Cross 00 2.f Case study from Sri Lanka Red Cross 00 3. Lessons learned 3.a Internal drivers for change 00 3.b Key contexts and environmental factors behind 00 successful change processes 3.c Balancing combinations of internal and external inputs 00 3.d Key success elements of National Society change processes 00 3.e Other factors that contribute to impact 00 3.f Measuring successful changes at community level 00 4. Recommendations for the future 00 5. Appendices 00 5.a Terms of Reference 5.b The “Impact Spider” 5.c Questionnaire used to undertake the review in each National Society International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Red Crescent of Red Cross International Federation 1. Introduction 2 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Strategy 2020 promotes the notion that a learning culture is essential to adapt to a changing world so as to ensure that we can match appropriately and adequately the evolving needs and vulnerabilities of the communities of which National Societies are a part. The combined service delivery ability of National Societies is the main strength of the Interna- tional Federation and, indeed, the whole Movement. To help National Societies become strong and sustainable service providers is the best way to tackle vulnerability anywhere and everywhere. It is also how Red Cross Red Crescent influence and share of humanitarian and development action can be expanded. That is why the International Federation has made making National Societies strong one of its main objectives.1 So has the Movement.2 The International Federation has the lead in the Movement of the work to support National Society development. WHAT IS A STRONG NATIONAL SOCIETY? All Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies can become strong. This is true regardless of whether a country is rich or poor. Over the years many National Societies have gone from weak to strong. However, an achieved strength is not permanent; it must be nurtured and adapted to remain so. Neither is a weakness permanent; it can be overcome. Growth of strength in an organization always comes from within. It is the result of good strate- gies, right leadership, strong partnerships, and hard work. When those are in place, external part- ners can make a difference through appropriate support that is carefully applied to help and not undermine the National Society. Thus, it is critical that all Movement actors recognise that each National Society is responsible for its own sustainable development and growth. A National Society is a service delivery voluntary organization. People join it mainly to help oth- ers; unmet needs in the community are their driving force. As a service delivery body, a National Society must do so to consistently high standards if it is to remain in business. It must also run its services continuously for as long as needed. This also keeps its volunteers motivated and busy, and maintains its delivery strength. Characteristics of organisational strength Accordingly, we may define a strong National Society as follows: A strong National Society is one that is able to deliver country-wide, through a network of volunteer-based units, a relevant service to vulnerable people sustained for as long as needed. Experience suggests that a strong National Society demonstrates characteristic norms. It: • lives up to a clear, important and well-known mission. • runs a few well-known services on a long-term basis. • has a strong democratically involved membership base. • has local branches based in and resourced by the served communities. • has an effective volunteer management system in place to attract and retain a diverse range of volunteers from all sectors of society. • has a strong headquarters coordinating regional branches that lead, guide, train and support local work. • covers through a managed mix of incomes, the costs for its organization and services. Measuring the Impact of Organisational Change Processes on New Services to Vulnerable Communities Vulnerable Services to on New Change Processes Measuring the Impact of Organisational • mobilizes on a voluntary basis competent people to govern, lead and deliver services. 3 • attracts and keeps competent managers and staff. • enhances the knowledge and skills of governance, management, staff and volunteers through its own nation-wide learning system. • is accountable to its members, the communities it serve, and to donors and partners. Organisational development to reach a “turning point” National Societies are always changing and most of this is a spontaneous process which can make it stronger or weaker. A planned change process is called organizational development (OD) 3. This is an internal strategic top-leadership responsibility and starts with the leaders themselves as part of their duty to lead and run the National Society. There are several situations in which National Societies should use organizational development: 1. Starting a new National Society. If a new National Society gets the right organizational struc- ture and statutes from the very beginning, it will have a good, sustainable base from which to grow. 2. Adjusting a National Society to new external conditions. When there are major changes in the country, the National Society needs to adjust itself to the new situation. 3. Adjusting a National Society to emergencies. During major disasters, the big challenge for the National Society is to temporary scale up and then down. With the right strategies this can be done without harming its long-term interests. 4. Transforming a National Society. If a National Society is not, but wants to become sustainable, if it wants to change its structures or services, or if it wants to add a great number of local branches or a new nationwide service, then it has to go through an organisational transforma- tion. The turning point Once a National Society acquires the right leadership, structure, systems, and services it is po- tentially fairly stable and sustainable. It has reached a turning point. To reach the turning point is always a transformation process i.e. organizational development. The work to be done depends on the situation. It is likely to be divided into steps. Good practice within IFRC has developed a “design, test, and duplicate” method to improve the new before going up in scale (which is capac- ity building). Organizational development (OD) is work done within a National Society by its leaders to change what exists. The aim is a major increase or improvement, often requiring a transformation. The result is a new quality (from weak to strong National Society, from dependent to sustainable), a modification of structures, delivery systems or services; or a dramatic increase of key numbers (including the adaptation of the organization to a new situation). Capacity building is the work done within a National Society to improve what already exists eg an organizational unit, a work process, a service or staff. It is often under the responsibility of technical staff. The result is an increase (e.g. of branches, volunteers, members, incomes, benefi- ciaries, delivered hours, or an improvement (eg. In management, the activities, administration, etc. compared to the situation prior to the intervention. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Red Crescent of Red Cross International Federation 4 1.a Background A key challenge in our Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is to show how the results of our short, medium or long term organisational development and capacity building work have changed the lives of vulnerable people for the better.