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Management and Strategic Planning for National Platforms

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1. What is Dóchas?“Umbrella organisation

of Irish

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

involved in development and relief overseas and/or in the provision of development education.”

Network: Focus on members and their prioritiesMandate: policy work, not operations.

Definition: “Independently established and located in the State”; need to be autonomous, and have been in existence min. 2 years.

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 networkFive 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)

36 Members

General Assembly (36)

BOARD (9)

SECRETARIAT

Working Group

Working GroupWorking Group

Working Group

• 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.

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Organisational set-up (2)Annual General Meeting

Board

Director

Staff

Delegated A

uthority

Accountability Working

Groups

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Key structures

BoardSecretariatWorking GroupsAnnual general meetingMOU 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 Legal 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 staffMore a ‘policy board’ than a ‘task-oriented

board’ 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• 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 dayVery 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 AidDefines 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 networkin 1 annual tranche

0.25% of voluntary incomeExceptions 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

RelevanceMomentumTrustPredictabilitySkills

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Shaping an effective network

Aims

Proc

edur

es

Skills

RelationshipsCommitment

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Dóchas - network values

Strategy and focus

Pred

icta

bilit

y an

d cl

ear

rule

s

Skills and capacity

Trust and R

espect

Commitment and

Momentum

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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 theoreticalCheck 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 CapacityBase network strategy on current

capacity, not expected future capacitiesKnow who knows what –

don’t try to know it all yourself!Consider a ‘lead agency’ approachEstablish focused, effective working

groupsInformal briefings can be very effective

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Procedures, predictabilityDefine members’ rights and

responsibilitiesNetwork supports members,

network=members – therefore, members support members

Keep fees and secretariat to a minimumAvoid centralisation

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Conclusions (1)Don’t focus on the ‘hard’ but the ‘soft’

Skills (knowledge), staff (skills) and style (culture) … intangiblesBEFOREStructure, strategy and systems

Make sure not to just copy from othersDesign your own to suit your purposes!

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Conclusions (2)• 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 perfectGood luck!