Background
Christian Aid is the overseas development charity of 39 Christian (mainly Protestant) churches in the UK and Ireland. Its stated purpose is to:
‘Strive for a new world transformed by an end to poverty and campaign to change the rules that keep people poor.’
Unlike some charities that deliver aid directly, Christian Aid seeks to work in partnership and through local organisations.
‘Because we believe in strengthening people to find their own solutions to the problems they face, we support local organisations, which are best placed to understand local needs.’
Christian Aid employs about 750 staff; 500 based in the UK and 250 spread across 26 overseas offices in Africa, Asia and the Middle East and Latin America and the Caribbean. The number of staff in any country overseas can vary from 35 to as few as two. One of Christian Aid’s major business objectives is to move the decision-making process as close as possible to the point of impact, which requires a strengthening of the management capability of all managers based outside the head office. This may also lead to a greater number of people being employed outside the head office, and is part of a general process aimed at decentralising decision-making and empowering managers at a local level.
The management development programme
Jimmy Naudi was appointed Christian Aid’s Head of Learning and Development – a newly created role – in July 2006. However he inherited, and is seeking to develop, a major initiative aimed at about 145 senior staff. In his words this management development programme is designed to ensure that:
‘The right people with the right skills are in the right places. We need to be confident that our managers have the appropriate skills and awareness of Christian Aid without feeling the need to pass every decision upwards.’
The programme emphasises self-awareness and the development of the ‘softer’ interpersonal management skills. Indeed, the management development programme begins with all participants completing a 360 degree feedback questionnaire which covers the following topics:
Managing relationships
Manages relationships both internally and outside Christian Aid. Gets the best out of staff and situations by effective management and support, and helping people to contribute effectively to the organisation’s wider objectives.
Leading and managing a team
Manages performance effectively – encouraging strong performance and addressing poor performance in a timely and consistent manner.
Decision making and problem solving
Takes responsibility for solving issues and finding appropriate ways of overcoming them. Makes decisions appropriate to own level and situation.
Strategy and vision
Establishes strategic objectives, develops plans and prioritises to achieve Christian Aid’s vision. Challenges existing ways of working and provides direction.
Important organisational considerations also determine the programme’s design. One is the need to create an ongoing culture of mutual support, where managers from across the organisation can seek guidance and advice from each other. They also need to be thoroughly aware of Christian Aid’s philosophy, policies and strategies at all levels – particularly given the increasing local responsibility for decision-making. Christian Aid’s management development programme is therefore based around action learning.
The structure of the programme
The programme is delivered to groups of managers who participate over a six-month period. So far, three groups of about 12 each have completed the programme and a new group of 23 has recently started it. The first three groups that piloted the programme were mainly based in the UK. But from now on the aim is to ensure that all senior overseas managers participate.
Currently, the programme consists of two three-day residential sessions. Both are held immediately after major Christian Aid events, such as Christian Aid Week or a significant Christian Aid campaign event, when overseas managers will be in the UK to participate.
All these group events involve some instructor-led elements. However, the group of participants agrees on the management themes based on their 360°Feedback Profiles. Programme participants are divided into small ‘learning’ sets of ideally six participants. A facilitator initially supports each set.
The group begins the process by sharing and considering the 360° feedback. Participants then choose a business issue that will be firmly embedded in the workplace, but designed to develop or enhance relevant skills. Project topics are always centred on interpersonal skills and recent examples have included:
- managing difficult relationships with colleagues, peers and direct reports
- influencing other policies outside the organisation
- demonstrating effective leadership
- introducing a programme of change while maintaining team motivation.
At their first meeting, participants share their project and seek ongoing advice and support from their learning set on how they should proceed. The set is expected to offer different ideas/suggestions and act as a sounding board for new and challenging ideas.
Clearly, different people will respond to action learning activities with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Some will evidently be holding back and not offering the support that they could, or be less forthcoming on the nature of their problem. This can be overcome by capable facilitation and establishing firm processes that encourage participation. Jimmy Naudi has produced guidance on creating such a process. As the group progresses, such processes become standard practice, almost habitual, and the need for an imposed structure and facilitator disappears.
The project’s progress is then kept under continual review within the learning set, through email or telephone conferences before the next group meeting.
Some issues
Jimmy Naudi is a firm believer in action learning. He feels that it fits well with Christian Aid’s management philosophy of self-directed problem solving within a supportive framework. In his view it is essential that those in more remote locations across the world are not at a disadvantage in terms of access and support.
Some problems have arisen and some changes have been required. On one occasion, for example, the participants were guarded about sharing their 360° feedback in front of the whole group, so one-to-one sessions were required. However, the fundamental model will remain unchanged.
The ultimate test of success will be the extent to which the learning sets become ongoing mutual support groups beyond the life of the programme, and that managers are more effective at leading and managing their staff and operations.