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| RDRS
Organisational Development |
Rationale
Organisational development cannot be
considered as entirely separate from other
strategic areas of programme development.
While the primary emphasis must be on
programme development and operations at
field level, the quality and effectiveness
of the organisation itself is a critical
factor in the success of development programme
work and ultimately in fulfilling RDRS’s
mission to achieve sustainable improvement
in living standards of the rural poor.
During the last strategic planning phase
(1996-2000), RDRS underwent a major organisational
shift, when it transformed from an international
organisation, the field programme of the
Geneva-based Lutheran World federation,
Department for World Service into a fully
autonomous Bangladeshi NGO. This transition
process (as opposed to the formal legal
event) is nearly completed. However the
recently independent RDRS faces many organisational
challenges in trying to ensure its survival,
its continued efficient operation and
in adapting to the increasing pace of
change and complex environment. The RDRS
strategy 2001-2005, therefore, considers
organisational development as one of the
four main explicit focuses that RDRS intends
to pursue over the next five years.
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Development Objectives
The localisation of RDRS
in 1997 automatically raised organisational
development to a more central role in the
overall agenda. In simple terms, since international
organisations ultimately wind up and withdraw,
then organisation building other than for
immediate programme tasks is a luxury. For
national organisations, the longer-term
perspective and the pressures and challenges
arising directly in the wake of the withdrawal
of international ownership and direction
demands greater and explicit attention not
only for programme development but for organisational
survival and protection, sustainability
and adaptability. Therefore, the overall
development objective of RDRS organisational
development is:
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Increased institutional
capacity and quality to deal with future
challenges of programme development at primary,
secondary and tertiary levels and to sustain
organisational efficiency and effectiveness
in programme implementation, adapting and
responding to new challenges and in promoting
innovation and organisational sustainability.
The objective will be attained
primarily through a comprehensive approach
towards organisational development geared
at developing the institution, extending
role and responsibility, improving organisational
structure and management systems, developing
human resources and organisational culture
and upgrading physical facilities.
Emphasis and Approach
The main elements of organisational
development will continue as a management
process primarily focusing on institutional
and human resource development backed by
management system, organisational culture
and human and technical resources. The future
challenges for the next five years will
demand significant changes to existing organisational
structure and staffing patterns. However,
in pursuing organisational development,
RDRS will emphasise five broad objectives
as follows:
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A. |
Intensifying
external resource constraints:
The recent global decline in aid resources
is expected to continue as a result
of reduced commitments from industrialised
countries and the shift to trade and
investment as primary development
instruments. The share of global aid
channeled to south Asia is likely
to reduce both as a result of perceived
improvements in economic conditions
and through the diversion of resources
to new and strategic priority areas
emerging in other parts of the world.
Consequently, reduction in core funding
and growing uncertainties about bilateral
funding will exert increasing pressures
on the continuity, coherence and RDRS.
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B. |
Competition
among NGOs: Competition for
aid channeled through NGOs will intensify
in both north and south. In Bangladesh,
further intensification of NGO competition
for scarce resources, and coverage
will continue. There will continue
to be mainly adverse impacts through
reduced funding and competition for
contracts, duplication of coverage
and unco-ordinated efforts especially
in the area of credit, increased competition
for staff, tendency for greater government
regulation. Mid-sized NGOs such as
RDRS, especially those with holistic
development approaches, are likely
to face sever challenges from all
fronts. |
C. |
Adverse
effects of micro-credit dominance:
The preponderance of microfinance
(especially microcredit) at grassroots
levels primarily through NGOs presents
several risks – debt overhang
among the poor, and imbalanced development.
Within integrated development programmes
such as RDRS, the natural assertiveness
of microcredit threatens to undermine
the priority and quality of essential
non-credit interventions. Microfinance
is still considered an essential tool
in poverty alleviation but needs to
be applied carefully. |
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Diagram : RDRS Governance
& Management |
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Diagram : RDRS Organogram |
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