One of the reasons that I have been looking forward so much to my work here in Macedonia is that I have the opportunity to consult with 13 non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—or as I call them, social profit organizations—who are really working to make change here possible.
My consultancy is providing strategic capacity building assistance to ISC’s Civil Society Strengthening Project (CSSP) through training and technical assistance to a selected cohort of experienced non-governmental organizations working in Macedonia. This core group of Leader NGOs will develop their own capacity and, in turn, act as mentors and resource providers to other Macedonian NGOs. This project includes a special emphasis on developing sustainability and diversified fund development strategies; as well as building the skills and expertise of the staff managing the programs.
Yesterday, my individual consultations with two organizations, Planetum and MCGO, reminded me why I love this aspect of my work so much. Both groups are achieving remarkable results and yet represent opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their organizational development.
In preparation for these consultations, I review all kinds of assessments of their efforts (self and external reviews); budgets and financial reports; strategic, marketing and development plans (if they have them); organizational charts, etc. ISC has done some terrific benchmarking and has worked hard at building their relationships with the groups; and I benefit from the chance to speak and learn from ISC's team and their insights. You may also remember that I met with each of the groups when they visited Washington last spring; and, of course, just completed a two-day sustainability training for these organizations.
With all of this information and pre-work complete, I've been scheduled for half-day meetings directly with the organizations' leadership. During these meetings, I have the opportunity to ask lots of clarifying questions and begin to make concrete suggestions to help them solve problems, improve efficiency, modify or implement policy or infrastructure changes, increase their assets, diversify their funding streams, etc.
As a consultant—especially one coming in from the United States—I see part of my role to act as a mirror for what is happening inside their organizations. I bring my experience, training, and expertise, but I am always careful to remind them that they are the real experts when it comes to their organizations. I am here to help them think outside of the box, consider solutions they may not have thought about, encourage them to step outside of their comfort zones, bring an international perspective when appropriate, share cutting-edge resources, and support them in ways that build their confidence to exceed their expectations and achieve even more than they might have believed possible.
I realized in the early days of my international training work that I'm often afforded a kind of expert status just because I'm a foreigner, a native English speaker, sometimes because I'm from the U.S. In a way, its a kind of privilege that I haven't earned and don't deserve (
I've written a lot about privilege previously that you can read by clicking here). I have to be very careful not to let this get in the way of really uncovering and understanding the needs of the group with whom I'm working; and matching that with what I have to offer them that is relevant and useful. I don't want a social profit organization to do something simply because I recommend it. I want them to engage with me, discuss and debate potential solutions, and ultimately create an action plan that is unique and tailored to their particular mission, vision, and values—solutions consistent with their intended outcomes and the community in which they work.
