NGO Education Survey

NGO Management, Short Course

Part I, Understanding NGOs (Units 1-3) begins with an analysis of the continued growth of the NGO sector and the focus on effectiveness and transparency. It introduces frameworks for understanding NGOs. It then moves on to describe the issues faced by NGOs as a result of their distinctive identity and relationship with a wide range of stakeholders in the context of a changing aid environment, and concludes with an examination of the key functions of management, leadership and governance as they relate to NGOs. Part II, Managing People and Finance (Units 6-8) first examines what an NGO can and should do to recruit, develop and retain the commitment of its people. The use of competency-based approaches in NGOs is an important thread running through unit 6, which concludes with an examination of people management systems and approaches to staff development. Units 7 and 8 provide an overview of the major sources of income available to NGOs, the challenges created by dependency on official aid donors, the increasing importance of foundations as funders of NGOs, and the importance for NGOs of developing a resource mobilisation strategy. It then moves on to outline a strategic approach to financial sustainability and summarises the main elements of financial information available to NGO managers and how this should be interpreted. It also considers the importance of mobilising non-financial resources such as volunteer time, access to policy forums, and the development of a local constituency. Part III, Managing People and Finance (Units 6-8) first examines what an NGO can and should do to recruit, develop and retain the commitment of its people. The use of competency-based approaches in NGOs is an important thread running through unit 6, which concludes with an examination of people management systems and approaches to staff development. Units 7 and 8 provide an overview of the major sources of income available to NGOs, the challenges created by dependency on official aid donors, the increasing importance of foundations as funders of NGOs, and the importance for NGOs of developing a resource mobilisation strategy. It then moves on to outline a strategic approach to financial sustainability and summarises the main elements of financial information available to NGO managers and how this should be interpreted. It also considers the importance of mobilising non-financial resources such as volunteer time, access to policy forums, and the development of a local constituency. Part IV, Managing for Effective Impact (Units 9 and 10) discusses approaches to monitoring and evaluating NGO work. NGO managers have to manage, monitor and evaluate increasingly complex programmes in the context of an intensified focus on effectiveness. The section concludes by outlining the importance of NGOs being learning organisations that are able to continually adapt and change. It looks at some of the barriers to learning within NGOs, and concludes with strategies, competencies and behaviours that the NGO manager can draw upon in order to develop a learning NGO.