You never stop learning
Every Friday – now we’ve started up again that is – I have the unenviable task of following ‘The Chaos Within’ which has surely built up a cult following by now.
On the one hand I occasionally like to brighten the mood with a light-hearted piece about picnics or prize-givings. This puts me in mind of a stand-up comic stepping up to the stage immediately after the compere has announced that the bar is closed and all the vehicles in the car-park have been vandalised. On the other hand, now and again the time is right for some musings about serious subjects.
Today I’m going to attempt a different angle.
Natasha is always attempting to round up contributors to post on the blog. It’s interesting to hear what the volunteers – both local and international – are getting up to. I can’t wait for some of the song-and-dance routines we’ve been promised for the Celebration of Life… Hopefully we can get some permanent staff members to chip in with some entries too.
I have a fairly undefined role at DGS, being somewhat of a ‘jack-of-all-trades’. One of the things I’ve been working on is the continued development of a professional approach to project management, fundraising, progress monitoring and reporting. All that kind of thing. DGS have been able to find a couple of very experienced experts to visit and consult about best practice. Now I’m not one of these experts – no surprises there – but it’s been great to work alongside and learn from them.
Let’s take one example. These days, securing institutional funding – from corporate businesses perhaps, or international donor agencies – can involve a tremendous amount of effort. When in the past, a simple letter might have sufficed, nowadays potential donors want to know a project’s specific aims and objectives. They want to know the overall vision. They require financial breakdowns and timescales. Filling in the appropriate documentation takes considerable time and effort.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It drives transparency in the not-for-profit sector, should help improve the quality of service to beneficiaries and helps projects focus at all stages of their operation. This doesn’t mean that compiling and providing this information is much fun, or even easy to do. For long-running successful organisations which have operated effectively in the past without cartloads of formal procedures or documentation, it can be quite a shock to have to meet these requirements.
As I wade through project plans, ISO9001 quality documentation and Human Resources policies, I know it’s important to keep in mind what all this is for. Who all this is for, in fact.
DGS is undergoing a period of change. It’s hard work. There are plenty of challenges ahead. It may not be much fun – hey everyone, lets play ISO9001! – but it is necessary. Securing funding is just one part of the equation; ensuring that DGS beneficiaries receive the best possible service is the ultimate aim for all of us.
On the one hand I occasionally like to brighten the mood with a light-hearted piece about picnics or prize-givings. This puts me in mind of a stand-up comic stepping up to the stage immediately after the compere has announced that the bar is closed and all the vehicles in the car-park have been vandalised. On the other hand, now and again the time is right for some musings about serious subjects.
Today I’m going to attempt a different angle.
Natasha is always attempting to round up contributors to post on the blog. It’s interesting to hear what the volunteers – both local and international – are getting up to. I can’t wait for some of the song-and-dance routines we’ve been promised for the Celebration of Life… Hopefully we can get some permanent staff members to chip in with some entries too.
I have a fairly undefined role at DGS, being somewhat of a ‘jack-of-all-trades’. One of the things I’ve been working on is the continued development of a professional approach to project management, fundraising, progress monitoring and reporting. All that kind of thing. DGS have been able to find a couple of very experienced experts to visit and consult about best practice. Now I’m not one of these experts – no surprises there – but it’s been great to work alongside and learn from them.
Let’s take one example. These days, securing institutional funding – from corporate businesses perhaps, or international donor agencies – can involve a tremendous amount of effort. When in the past, a simple letter might have sufficed, nowadays potential donors want to know a project’s specific aims and objectives. They want to know the overall vision. They require financial breakdowns and timescales. Filling in the appropriate documentation takes considerable time and effort.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It drives transparency in the not-for-profit sector, should help improve the quality of service to beneficiaries and helps projects focus at all stages of their operation. This doesn’t mean that compiling and providing this information is much fun, or even easy to do. For long-running successful organisations which have operated effectively in the past without cartloads of formal procedures or documentation, it can be quite a shock to have to meet these requirements.
As I wade through project plans, ISO9001 quality documentation and Human Resources policies, I know it’s important to keep in mind what all this is for. Who all this is for, in fact.
DGS is undergoing a period of change. It’s hard work. There are plenty of challenges ahead. It may not be much fun – hey everyone, lets play ISO9001! – but it is necessary. Securing funding is just one part of the equation; ensuring that DGS beneficiaries receive the best possible service is the ultimate aim for all of us.
posted by Paul Heron at 12:07 am
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