Transcript Addressing Europe’s Global Responsibilities

Management and Strategic
Planning for National Platforms
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1. What is Dóchas?
“Umbrella organisation
Network: Focus on members and their priorities
Mandate: policy work, not operations.
of Irish
Definition: “Independently established and located in the
State”; need to be autonomous, and have been in
existence min. 2 years.
Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs)
involved in development and
relief overseas and/or in the
provision of development
education.”
Definition: “Government of the State … does not control it
directly by choosing or appointing a majority of the
board of directors or other officers or does not so
control its constituent bodies or members whose
concern with development co-operation would
otherwise render them eligible for membership.”
Need to sign on to the NGDO Charter.
Development cooperation as important part of their
work.
Does not exclude local groups.
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Modelling a network
Five dimensions of effective networks to
be explored in the working groups:
• Trust
• Predictability
• Capable members
• Relevance
• Momentum
Key message: Networks should focus on
their benefits for members, not their form
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How did Dóchas come about?
1974: Creation of VALC
- no office, no staff, rotating administration
- desire to lobby government and work on development education
1970s: Creation of National Platform for CLONG
1974: Creation Governmental aid programme
1977: Formalisation: CONGOOD
- Membership of 14.
- Constitution, office and 1 staff member
1993: Merger & creation of Dóchas
- 17 members (now 36)
- One network for domestic and EU agenda
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Organisational set-up (1)
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Membership contributions
based on relative size
(voluntary income).
•
Fees vary from €250
(14 members) to €25,000
(2 members);
Mean contribution: € 800
•
After 10 years, now have a
3-year agreement with Irish
Aid to build network’s
capacity.
36 Members
General Assembly (36)
BOARD (9)
SECRETARIAT
Working Group
Working Group
Working Group
Working Group
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Organisational set-up (2)
Annual General Meeting
Director
Working
Groups
Staff
Delegated Authority
Accountability
Board
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Key structures
Board
Secretariat
Working Groups
Annual general meeting
MOU formalising relations with Govt.
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Dóchas Board
• 9 members, plus 1 ‘semi-external’ treasurer
• Members elected from membership by AGM for 3
years
• Board members responsible for Dóchas (collective
responsibility for scrutiny and oversight) under
company law
• After 2 terms of 3 years, members have to step
down
• Treasurer co-opted to assure financial good practice
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Board – positives & challenges
• Representative and
democratic
• Guarantees that
members are driving
the organisation
• Routinely brings new
blood and new ideas
• Now ‘competition’ for
board places – more
nominees than
positions
• Hard work, for both
secretariat and
members, to keep it
working well
• Big investment for
NGOs to have someone
on the board
• (6 meetings a year plus
AGM plus ongoing
decision/approval role)
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Secretariat
set-up distinguishes between Director
and staff: the Board instructs the Director,
who interprets the board’s wishes and makes
its wishes happen
3 core staff
More a ‘policy board’ than a ‘task-oriented
board’
 Legal
Sets boundaries for action (through budget, work plan and
progress meetings), rather than limited tasks to be achieved
Avoids dragging board into micro-management
Director mandated to interpret Board’s directions, then
implement work plan in the best way he sees possible
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Working Groups
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Comprise people from member organisations
working together on a particular theme or
issue.
The Board has to approve the creation of
Working Groups, since they have implications
for strategy, focus and finances
The Board approves the focus and perameters
of the work to be done
Dóchas publishes positions, sends advocacy
letters, etc – not Working Groups
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Working Groups (2)
• Have also been ‘Learning Groups’
• Less formal groupings, ad hoc arrangements
Potential difficulties: focus, resources and finances?
• Accommodates members’ interest in issues, but
requires capacity
o There are also non-Dóchas groupings:
Platform does not have to do everything.
o ‘Lead agency’ approach also in use.
Members can do a lot for and by themselves,
keeping the network in the loop and drawing on
occasional support/ reinforcement
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Working Groups (3)
 Task and learning oriented
 Limited lifespan and defined
goals
 Engages and involves
members in issues of
importance to them
 Helps achieve results, which
consolidates members’
commitment and reinforces
the strength of common action
 Allows capacity building,
information sharing and
networking among members
with stronger and weaker
capacity
 Important to retain network’s
strategic direction and focus:
don’t be pulled into trying to
address every issue
 Information sharing is not
enough. You need to work on
tasks and achieve results
 E-working versus physically
meeting, and coordinating
communication
 Getting members to do their
share: the network can lead/
facilitate/ support. Members
have to do much of the work
they consider important
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AGM
• Company law sets out the role of an AGM
Held once a year, for half a day
Very exceptionally: EGMs– EU Presidency, MOU with
Irish Aid
• Approves accounts, annual report, budget, work
plan
• Elects members to the Board. Decides on new
members, after recommendation from the Board
• Accounts, budgets, work plan etc filed with
Companies Office and Revenue Commissioners.
• Roughly two-thirds of members show up
(Must turn up at least once in every 3 years)
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AGM (2)
 Forces Board and
Secretariat to explain
once a year what they
have done and plan to
do, as well as why, how
and at what cost
 Forward looking for the
most part (assuming
Board has considered and
recommended the annual
report)
 Lots of formal work - so
hard to make interesting
or inspiring
 Minimising time on
routine and maximising
discussion of work plan
 Balance between
discussion on
strategy/direction and
micro-level details.
The Board is there to
look after week to week
governance
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MoU with Irish Aid
Defines the
partnership
relationship between
Dóchas and Irish Aid
Sets out mechanisms,
processes to make
that relationship work
At least 2 meetings a
year on relationship;
2 with DG on issues,
priorities etc
The relationship is
not just about the
MOU.
Relations between
Dóchas and Irish Aid
have to work at all
levels
- Daily and weekly level
of ‘making things work’
really defines the
partnership.
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Dóchas systems
 Consultative working
practices
 E-bulletin and Newsletter
 Minutes of all Working
Group meetings available
(on request) to all
members
 Clearly defined members’
rights and responsibilities
 Clear and important
criteria.
 Core budget and additional
‘programme budget’.
It is intended to have core paid
by members, programme paid by
government
 Membership fees paid in
arrears to protect network
in 1 annual tranche
 0.25% of voluntary income
Exceptions for the really big and
really small
 Annual external audit
(SORP standard)
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BUT…
Networks should focus on
their benefits for members,
not their form …
– form follows function
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Key ingredients of
a successful network
Relevance
Momentum
Trust
Predictability
Skills
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Shaping an effective network
Aims
Relationships
Procedures
Commitment
Skills
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Dóchas - network values
Strategy
and focus
Trust and
Respect
Predictability
and clear
rules
Commitment
and
Momentum
Skills and
capacity
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Strategy and focus
 Formulate a Vision and a Problem
 Repeat, repeat!
 Focus, focus!
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Commitment and momentum
Big changes take time, small changes
don’t
Start small, with many small
successes
Be practical, not theoretical
Check that all projects link back to
the vision/ problem
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Interaction - trust and respect
Emphasise strength in diversity and
mutual dependencies
Personalise: meet each member
separately on their turf (both physically
and metaphorically)
Keep everyone informed all the time (eg
through a newsletter, or e-letter)
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Skills and Capacity
Base network strategy on current
capacity, not expected future capacities
Know who knows what –
don’t try to know it all yourself!
Consider a ‘lead agency’ approach
Establish focused, effective working
groups
Informal briefings can be very effective
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Procedures, predictability
Define members’ rights and
responsibilities
Network supports members,
network=members
– therefore, members support members
Keep fees and secretariat to a minimum
Avoid centralisation
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Conclusions (1)
Don’t focus on the ‘hard’ but the ‘soft’
Skills (knowledge), staff (skills) and style
(culture) … intangibles
BEFORE
Structure, strategy and systems
Make sure not to just copy from others
Design your own to suit your purposes!
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Conclusions (2)
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The key to a network: Be relevant to members
Choose members wisely
Focus on what is to be achieved
Let members set the agenda
Let members implement the agenda
Don’t get frustrated if members don’t do what
you want: the customer is king -- but a bit of
leadership is always a good thing
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Don’t forget,
It’s taken Dóchas 30 years plus
– And it’s not perfect…
No network is perfect
Good luck!
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