Expanding Impacts: NGO Legitimacy, Advocacy and Partnerships September 12 - November 18, 2011

Transcription

1 Expanding Impacts: NGO Legitimacy, Advocacy and Partnerships September 12 - November 18, 2011 This distance learning course contains five learning modules. Each module focuses on a different aspect of expanding and enhancing the impact of your NGO. Below you will find a list of key readings and cases, and a general overview of the course. Instructions for how to complete the discussion questions and written assignments are provided in each module.

2 Module 1: Strategies and Expanding Value Creation September 12 23, 2011 We will use readings and cases to understand NGO strategies and value creation as a base for thinking about scaling up their impacts. We will use the frameworks to look at the choices facing Oxfam America and then apply them to thinking about the challenges facing your NGO. s Monday, September 12: Module 1 officially begins. Thursday, September 15: Comments due to group discussion forum. Friday, September 16: Course assistant responds to comments. Tuesday, September 20: Live session with Professor Brown. Thursday, September 22: Participant Workbooks are due to Module 1 1. To learn basic concepts about NGO strategy, value creation and scaling up; 2. To identify your NGO s current strategy and value creation theory; and 3. To explore initial approaches to scaling up its impacts. s Moore, Mark Managing for Value: Organizational Strategy in For-profit, Nonprofit, and Governmental Organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 29(1 Supplement): Uvin, Peter, Pankaj Jain, and L. David Brown Think Large and Act Small: Toward a New Paradigm for NGO Scaling UP. World Development 28(8): Oxfam America, HBS Discussion Questions (Due to group discussion board on September 15) 1. What strategy would you recommend to expand Oxfam s impacts? Why? 2. How will this new strategy affect Oxfam s legitimacy and support and its operational capacity?

3 Module 2: Enhancing Legitimacy and Support September 26 October 7, 2011 Expanding value creation and impact has consequences for an NGO's legitimacy and support. In this module, we examine the implications of expanding the impacts of a women s health NGO on perceptions of its legitimacy with and accountability to key stakeholders. We will then use that analysis to explore the same issues for enhancing the impacts of your NGO. Monday, September 26: Module 2 officially begins. Thursday, September 29: Comments due to group discussion forum. Friday, September 30: Course assistant responds to comments. Tuesday, October 4: Live session with Professor Brown. Thursday, October 6: Participant Workbooks are due to Module 2 1. Learn concepts for understanding NGO legitimacy and accountability; 2. Understand how legitimacy and accountability can interact with expanding impact; and 3. Explore how your NGO might enhance its current legitimacy and support. Brown, L. David Chapter 3, Assessing Legitimacy and Accountability and Chapter 4, Enhancing Legitimacy and Accountability in Creating Credibility: Legitimacy and Accountability for Transnational Civil Society. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press. pp Brown, L. David Women s Health Agency Discussion Questions (Due to group discussion board on September 29) 1. What strategy should WHA adopt and why? 2. How can WHA enhance its legitimacy and accountability with this strategy, both with key stakeholders and with the wider public?

4 Module 3: Building Capacity for Influencing Others October 10 October 21, 2011 Strategies focused on expanding impacts often require changes in operational capacities. This module explores expanding impacts by influencing other actors. It will examine the case of an NGO that seeks to have wider impact by influencing government policy for education reform. Then we will apply the concepts to building the capacities of your NGO to influence other actors. Monday, October 10: Module 3 officially begins. Thursday, October 13: Comments due to group discussion forum. Friday, October 14: Course assistant responds to comments. Tuesday, October 18: Live session with Professor Brown. Thursday, October 20: Participant Workbooks are due to Module 3 1. Understand options for expanding NGO impacts through influencing other actors. 2. Learn frameworks for dealing with common challenges to effective influence, such as coalition building and advocacy. 3. Examine how your NGO might scale up capacity to influence other actors. Building Coalitions, HBS teaching Note Stachowiak, Sarah Pathways for Change: 6 Theories about How Policy Change Happens. Sapientis and the Launch of CECE, HKS Discussion Questions (Due to group discussion board October 13) 1. What option or options should Lopez recommend to expand the impact of Sapientis and CECE? 2. What kinds of influence coalitions will be needed and how can they be constructed?

5 Module 4: Expanding Capacity by Building Partnerships October 24 November 4, 2011 While coalitions and alliances are an intriguing way for NGOs to mobilize more resources and capacities, they also present some management challenges that are different from unitary forms of organization. This module focuses on challenges that are common for mature alliances networks and partnerships. We will look at a combination of within- and cross-sector alliances in Mumbai to explore some of those problems before turning again to your own NGOs. Monday, October 24: Module 4 officially begins. Thursday, October 27: Comments due to group discussion forum. Friday, October 28: Course assistant responds to comments. Tuesday, November 1: Live session with Professor Brown. Thursday, November 3: Participant Workbooks are due to Module 4 1. Apply frameworks for understanding the management challenges of alliances and partnerships within and across sectors 2. Explore approaches for building trust, negotiating mixed interests, managing power differences and organizing for collaboration. 3. Apply these ideas to managing alliances for your own NGO. Austin, James Strategic Collaboration between Nonprofits and Businesses. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 29(1) Supplement: Brinkerhoff, J. M Government-Nonprofit Partnership: A Defining Framework. Public Administration and Development, 22(1), Financing Slum Rehabilitation in Mumbai: A Non-Profit Caught in the Middle. KSG C Discussion Questions (Due to group discussion board October 27) 1. What has gone wrong with the Alliance-Citibank partnership? 2. What should Sheela Patel do about the current problems? And why?

6 Module 5: Managing Change and Organization Learning November 7 November 18, 2011 NGO scaling up strategies involve changes in creating value, in maintaining legitimacy and support, and in operating capacities. Managing these changes may involve response to leadership challenges as well as increasing the NGOs capacity to learn from its experience. This module focuses on integrating value, support and capacity elements in managing change and in constructing a learning system that enables rapid adaptation to future challenges. Monday, November 7: Module 5 officially begins. Thursday, November 10: Comments due to group discussion forum. Friday, November 11: Course assistant responds to comments. Tuesday, November 15: Live session with Professor Brown. Thursday, November 17: Participant Workbooks are due to Module 5 1. Identify value, support and capacity changes required to expand NGO impact; 2. Construct a learning system to assess success in value creation, respond to support challenges and expand operational capacity. 3. Help participants develop change management and organizational learning plans for their NGOs. Kotter, John P Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail, Harvard Business Review. Reprint R0701J Garvin, David, Amy Edmondson and Francesca Gina Is Yours a Learning Organization? Harvard Business Review. Reprint Oxfam America: Becoming a Global Campaign Organization, KSG case C Discussion Questions (Due to group discussion board November 10) 1. What problems does the new strategy pose for Oxfam s value creation, legitimacy and support, and operational capacity particularly in relations with Oxfam International? 2. How should Offenheiser and Valentin work together in managing the change and what do you expect will be the most problematic issues in that process?

7 Program Evaluation November 18, 2011 The program evaluation will be available on-line on Friday, November 18.