Transaction and transformation in the work of civil society organisations

Transaction and transformation in the work of civil society organisations

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Thinking about the services that organisations in the social sector provide to their clients and the difference it makes for them in the long term.

Recent project work has led me to think about the services that organisations in the social sector provide to their clients and the difference it makes for them in the long term. In our sector, we spend a lot of effort making sure services are maintained on a day-to-day basis and that they comply with certain standards. While this is essential, of course, it is important to keep sight of the long-term objectives of a service or program.

Here is an example. I recently helped run some interviews and focus groups for people with disabilities living in isolated settlements in the north of Australia. The aim was to inform the design of services for this group of people and their carers. One insight that emerged was around the balance between their everyday needs being met and changes to their overall quality of life being achieved. On the one hand, individuals worry a lot about being able to move around in their homes as safely and efficiently as possible. Ramps in key locations, for example, are a part of achieving that. On the other hand, people are also trying to tackle the ongoing problems of, for example, isolation or not being able to spend time with family members or visit places special to them.

Another example comes from support for individuals and groups to start small enterprises. The work we have done with Enterprise Learning Projects and with BeadforLife comes to mind. Both organisations help people in situations of disadvantage build their confidence and skills in business. Again, there are tangible benefits to be achieved from income and skill development. And there are longer-term and more esoteric changes that come from growth in people’s confidence, self-reliance, connectedness and a stronger place in the wider economy.

In these examples, there is a dynamic between transactional work and transformational work. The transactional component is often day-to-day, regular service of some kind. It might be a home visit for a person with a disability or refresher training for small-scale entrepreneurs. The transformational part is what happens in the longer term, especially the difference to people’s quality of life that comes from reduced isolation, for example, or greater confidence and self-esteem. The key is for everyone involved to keep both the transactional and transformational aspects of the work front and centre of their thinking. While we might spend a lot of time working on the everyday, it is critical to never lose sight of the overall ambition of the work.

Overcoming isolation; why support groups are crucial for managing mental illness

Overcoming isolation; why support groups are crucial for managing mental illness

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I used to volunteer with a group for men recovering from mental illness, which was organised by a local mental health care organisation.

I used to volunteer with a group for men recovering from mental illness, which was organised by a local mental health care organisation. We would meet every Wednesday at lunchtime and usually around six or seven men participated along with a facilitator. The facilitator would suggest some ways to make best use of the time, including games to help with building memory, topics for discussion and ways in which people could interact with each other in a positive way. The group was designed to be a safe and confidential place in which members could feel free to speak their minds and share personal information and experiences.

I noticed a couple of aspects of the group that taught me a lot about mental health and made me want to do more work in this field. The first was that all conversations tended to lead to one subject; work. We all defined ourselves through our occupations and felt pride in the kinds of work we were able to do and how many hours a week we were working. Progress was celebrated in a quiet way: for one man to express happiness that he was now doing three four-hour shifts a week inevitably left others feeling unhappy that they could not yet return to work. I quickly became used to the subject of work coming up during the first few exchanges and remaining a key topic throughout the meeting.

The second aspect of the group that woke me up to the realities of mental illness was the obvious isolation that everyone was experiencing. It wasn’t that they were without friends because most people associated with the organisation were visiting the drop-in centre most days and meeting others in a similar situation. What I noticed was a more deep-seated separation from the world outside mental health care, as if somehow the men in the group were cast adrift from the rest of the community because people didn’t really know how to talk to them anymore.

The value of the weekly conversations was undoubtable. They enabled the men to talk about issues they faced and helped recover skills and abilities they had lost or which were dormant, including having a sociable conversation with a group of other people. One man talked about improving his arithmetic skills and getting back to playing cricket again.

At the same time, I wondered what the rest of the week was like for participants. I went back to my office and a busy work environment, while they carried on with the process of recovery, often a solitary journey.

The group taught me about important factors that aid recovery and management of mental health issues. A greater number of self-help groups with experienced facilitators are a way of the mental health system embracing people recovering from illness and keeping in touch with them. We also need people in the wider community to be much more aware of mental health and to be willing to help those affected to overcome their isolation. Understanding the central role work has in our lives, and helping those who want to work, helps them regain a sense of self-worth.

The weekly sessions in which I participated were similar to the groups that BasicNeeds offer as part of its global model for recovery. BasicNeeds’ work in low and middle income countries involves encouraging participants to be a part of a self-help group, as it is through these groups that members get social and economic support.

I decided to join the self-help group in my area so as to join forces with people, lend a hand in farm production and raise awareness about mental health in my community. The group has changed the perception of people in the community regarding mental disorders and have shown the community that they are capable of improving lives…

– BasicNeeds self-help group participant.

The groups offer ongoing understanding and support for the conditions participants are living with, they build confidence to help them advocate for a better understanding of mental illness with their community and they help them to prepare for employment. Within these groups, people are listened to and are able to express themselves. It is a step towards individuals developing ways and means to manage their mental health as well as to advocate for their needs.

Effective governance; insights from recent training courses

Effective governance; insights from recent training courses

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Starting meetings in the right way.

Ninti One has been conducting training in governance for voluntary committees in remote communities that are participating in the Stronger Communities for Children program, which is Australian Government supported. Working with colleagues at Ninti One, I have developed the materials and delivered the first few sessions in locations in the Northern Territory.
All along, we have wanted the training to be interactive, meaning that people get the chance to practice governance skills rather than just watching a presentation. Thanks to the willingness of committee members to have a go at the various exercises we have developed, some interesting insights and lessons on governance training have come out of the work. I share a few of them here.

Starting meetings in the right way.

It can be easy to think that board or committee meetings simply happen once everyone has shown up. The reality is that the start of meetings can be a messy and confusing business. Through the training, we noticed that an effective chairperson makes people welcome, sets the right tone for the meeting and gets the work started. Practising how best to start meeting makes all the difference.

Visuals replacing words.

Too much paper and too many words can sometimes get in the way of good decision-making. We found that summarising the main subjects for discussion in 1-5 words in a series of circles on the white board, with space for other people to draw arrows or make notes, provides a simple focus. In one case, the discussion really kicked off, with members of the group coming to the front of the room to explain their views on each subject.

Getting everyone involved.

Not everyone wants to speak in front of a group, which is fine as no committee needs to be full of public speakers. But still their views should be taken into account because everyone at the meeting is there as a decision-maker. We found that breaking up into small groups of 2-3 people to discuss particular topics really worked well. Here the chairperson has an important job in suggesting the right mix of people in the groups and making sure the report back from each one is clear and understood by everyone else.

Handling conflicts of interest.

A conflict of interest is not easy for anyone to define clearly, but most people know one when they see it. I describe it as a situation when a person’s role as a committee member is hampered by personal or family interests in a subject the committee is discussing. In small communities, conflicts of interest are inevitable. Through the training, we found that defining what it means, using examples and then agreeing a clear procedure where members declare their conflict of interest seem like a big step forward. Along with nepotism and confidentiality, the subject benefits from open discussion.

Improved and more effective governance is critical to remote communities. It has been a subject of much work by government, NGOs, researchers and communities themselves over many years. Ninti One is developing a sound approach to governance training that I hope will become more widely available in time.

Minyerri; what a community arts centre is for

Minyerri; what a community arts centre is for

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We have been working with the community of Minyerri recently through a project managed by Enterprise Learning Projects (ELP) through The Smith Family. The work is part of the Australian Government-funded Communities for Children program.

I visited the community in August during a period when the Arts Centre was being revitalised and relaunched, so it was an exciting time as the building was repaired and improved. A beautiful sign was created by the women and children at the Centre (see the photo).

At this time, the activities of the centre were also being planned, which is why I was there. My job was to help the people running the Arts Centre and ELP work out a way of planning and measuring the results of the work they would be doing at the Centre into the future. We call this a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, which is a grand-sounding name for a table with three columns and which follows the logic below:

Discussing this framework with the women at the Arts Centre led to one important question; what is the Minyerri Arrts Centre for? There are many answers to this question. As we talked about it, the conversation produced a set of outcomes that define what they are trying to achieve. Outcomes include sharing of knowledge between older and younger generations in the community, developing new skills, building self-esteem of children and young people and strengthening connections that they have with their history and culture.

These are early days but the Arts Centre is becoming a place for many activities to take place. Drawing and painting are part of the plan, especially as after-school activities. One lady is making cushions there. Minyerri is also the home of Gulbarn Tea and so the collecting and packaging of tea also takes place there. More information on Gulbarn can be found here: https://gulbarn.com.au.

The official opening day was 1st October. The children formed their own mini catering and events organisation, doing all the promotional material and distribution around Minyerri. They prepared wraps and popcorn and sold food and art to the community. It fitted in with one of the outcomes in the framework: ‘The community, especially parents, will know about the good things that kids can do at the Art Centre, that will help them grow up well’.

I will be visiting Minyerri again in February, this time to help work out ways to collect information on the outcomes being achieved. No doubt we will review the framework in the light of experience so far at the Arts Centre. I am looking forward to being there again with Minyerri people and the ELP team.

More of what works

More of what works

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I have received a few enquiries recently from organisations wishing to talk about how they can replicate projects that have achieved success in one location and offer potential elsewhere. This subject animates many people in the community sector.

Here are some insights from these conversations:

Starting without money

A common question for small community organisations refers to the level of investment they need to make to be able to replicate. The short answer is that it depends on the kind of project they want to scale. A program that is already operating through volunteers and focuses less on meeting the needs of customers than providing some kind of additional community benefit will require investment in identifying new implementers and supporting them. An example might be environmental care programs. On the other hand, a staff-intensive social service such as a food recycling program or a drop-in centre will require an intensity of support and infrastructure to ensure it delivers to its potential in a new location.

Seminar Paricipants

Over 50 organisations participated in a seminar we recently held in Buenos Aires on the subject of social franchising, in conjunction with RACI, the Argentinian Network for International Cooperation

Relationships are good but formal ones are better

It can be easy to embark on a scaling-up plan through identifying like-minded organisations and then coming to an informal understanding about how they will use your experience in their own locality. This is all very well until inevitable questions arise about aspects of the work, especially intellectual property. If one organisation develops a model of practice over many years, provides it to another and finds that the original idea is changed, used in different ways than envisaged or even that the new organisation becomes well-known for its work, tensions can understandably arise. Replication is often more effective if business-like agreements are formalised from the outset and not left to chance.

Levels of control

Associated with intellectual property is the question of control. To what extent should an organisation impose controls on the use of its ideas by another? In wholly-owned or joint ventures, control is exerted through management and ownership. In franchising arrangements, much depends on the scope and nature or what is being scaled. Some organisations find the notion of introducing controls to a social impact project to be uncomfortable. In that case, a better perspective is to think about ways of maintaining quality and positive impact for the ultimate beneficiary individuals, families and communities. These often turn out to require a level of formal control.

The International Centre for Social Franchising (ICSF), represented in Australia by Community Works, uses a spectrum of replication that is a good starting point for discussions with organisations seeking to scale up.

scale

This spectrum is enormously helpful in the early stages of thinking through options for growth and expansion of any organisation, project, program or service.

For more on this subject, the UK Big Lottery Fund has an initiative called Realising Ambition and an associated discussion forum on the subject of ‘what works when replicating’, which can be found here: https://community.biglotteryfund.org.uk/uk-wide/what-works-when-replicating/default.aspx

With Maria Rodrigues, I am working on a paper called ‘More of what works’, which will bring together our current thinking on replication in remote Australia and will be published by Ninti One.