By Samuel Lartey, Project Manager
Charles Abbey has called on all persons who are interested in serving society with their knowledge, skills, and financial resources to consider partnering with NGO that are in line with their interest. He explained that manking should be first interested in serving his maker then serving the makers creations.
Charles has worked in NGO for a good number of years and is more interested in the development of society through concentrating on communities. He has therefore deveted his time, money knowledge and skills to serve needy communities.
On Monday, 3rd July 2006 he organised a seminar to sensitise business and society leaders to cencentrate also on making their presence felt in the communities they find themselves.
Charles made this call considering the fate of the members of the community we find ourselves in. He said we can serve the community better by showing them that we are interested in them. It was an hour lecture and was immediately followed by a group discussion. Charles was at his fantastic best breaking all the ice, controversy, misunderstanding and wrong conception about Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) management in Africa.
Charles managed and successfully convinced his audience (business executives, managers, leaders and community leaders) on the need to form an NGO or be part of an NGO. To Charles the NGO is never and should never be conceived as an organisation that is set up to receive donor funds either locally or internationally (or to beg for funds), but rather an organisation set up by one person or group of people who have a genuine interest to offer to society. He explained that in modern times most individuals, groups and institutions have seen the need of meeting the welfare needs of the society and one of the much organised ways of doing this is through the NGO Management. He said the NGOs serves as the institutions that have the dedicated professions and individuals who have dedicated themselves to the well being of mankind. He therefore stated that it is rather unfortunate that for some persons to see the NGO as an avenue of amassing wealth or seeing the professionals in NGOs as beggars of donor funds and resources.
He continued to explain that NGO management is as equally involving as managing any other professional body and must therefore be considered by professionals and experts of good knowledge, skills tools and techniques. He mentioned that, to effectively set up an NGO, the formulators must have a clear vision, a well defined mission, and smart objectives and targets. They must have well qualified front liners who can reach all who are concern to the effective admistration of the organisation.
They should effectively reach those whose interest would be both positively and negatively affected. He stressed again that the type of team that would be set up to manage the organisation is an important ingredient to the effective management of the NGO. The NGO management team must have good insight of the organisation and community they are working for; they must show good knowledge and understanding of general developmental issues. They must be interested in the economic, social and political wellbeing of the society.
Charles was very passionate about change. In discussing change management he stated that if you cannot change them change them. He stated that society is never static and for that matter the NGO leader must be ready to change. They must be ready to incorporate new ideas, strategies that would develop the society faster. He mentioned again that what is important for change management in NGOs is to brainstorm to identify the gaps that exist in the society and in the individuals in whose interest they exist. The NGOs must strive to fill these gaps. He advised that to be able to do this the leaders of the NGOs must be flexible not only on their objectives but on their action, activities and behaviours. They must be innovative and think outside the box at all times.
He spoke also on the power balance and advocacy in NGO management. He stated that it is very important to plan on how to come out and the strategies of making positive impact. To clearly state the resource needs of the organisation, facilities requirements, infrastructure and how to position the organisation and when to reposition to as to show professionalism in managing NGOs.
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