In an organization working with communities in around 70 countries worldwide and employing 12,000 staff, CARE’s Gender Equity and Diversity strategy (GED) has transformed the organization’s culture and had a marked impact on the design and effectiveness of its programs.

With the majority of CARE’s employees being national staff working in their own countries, the growth in understanding and capacity to respond to diversity issues has resulted in more sensitive, inclusive, and appropriate programming. For example in India, focused involvement of women has increased participation and sustainability, and led to greater livelihood security.

The first steps were taken in 1998, when leadership from the Board and Executive Team steered this initiative through a global organizational dialogue on Gender Equity and Diversity and CARE’s vision, mission and programming principles. The resulting strategy consisted of three interconnected strands.

Firstly, the process of building analysis and awareness was accomplished by means of a global Diversity Gap Analysis. The second strand involved building capacity and skill, achieved through global conferences and training workshops based on a specially designed diversity curriculum; use of a Gender Toolkit; and incorporation of GED skill building into management and leadership programs. Thirdly, GED was fully integrated into policies, systems and management structures, with Diversity competencies assimilated into recruitment and performance management, and HR policies reviewed. Gender and Diversity were also integrated into programming frameworks and operational strategies.

Standard tools to support GED implementation now include a 4-module GED curriculum, GED Gap Analysis Toolkit, and Inclusive Decision-making Toolkit, while customised GED interventions are produced as required by individual Country Offices.

A core team of 3 Senior GED Advisors takes the lead in ongoing development of the overall Global Strategy. A network of Change Agents in Regional and Country Offices have responsibility for ensuring that GED continues to be incorporated in policies and processes, both within CARE and in its programs.

Resources were committed to this project from the outset and development costs for GED over the last 8 years are estimated in the region of USD 500,000 – 700,000. The cost of implementation over the same period is estimated in the range of USD 750,000 – 1,000,000.

Implemented at global, regional and local level, GED has had a transforming effect. Having created a platform for dialogue and the ability to address difficult issues, such as the role of race at HQ, and of caste in India and Nepal, GED has facilitated the career development of CARE’s employees, with significantly increased numbers of women, staff from developing countries and US minorities in senior positions. This diversified profile is also reflected in new approaches to programming and broader, more sensitive, community involvement.

“Embracing diversity at CARE means valuing, respecting and fully benefiting from each individual’s unique qualities and abilities in order to fulfill and strengthen our vision and mission.” GED has succeeded in changing the culture of the organization, and therefore the way it does its work.

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This case study originated from Care International and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).

As the official international humanitarian agency of the US Catholic community, Catholic Relief Services provides humanitarian relief and development assistance in 99 countries throughout the world, and uses its International Development Fellows Programme (IDFP) as a successful recruiting tool.

IDFP gives people interested in a career in international relief and development an opportunity to increase their overseas experience and gain broad exposure to CRS programmes. Each year, around 500 applicants compete for approximately 30 one-year placements with country programmes overseas.

When recruiting for IDFP, CRS looks for candidates that have completed a master’s degree in subjects such as international affairs, development or health, professional proficiency in French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Arabic, work experience in a developing country or relevant US-based experience, strong cross cultural skills, and a commitment to its guiding principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Specific job responsibilities depend on the country program’s focus, be it agriculture, health, peace building HIV and AIDS or microfinance.

The IDFP goal is to place fellows where they can draw upon their previous education and work experience while at the same time broadening their skills. Many fellowships lead to regular CRS positions. Since the program’s inception, CRS has been able to promote over 95% of the fellows into program manager positions with country programmes overseas. Many fellows continue to work with CRS overseas for many years, becoming agency leaders.

The program itself took around 10 years to develop and requires a budget in the order of USD 75,000 to run each year, with each fellow ‘costing’ the organisation around USD 30,000. The IDFP is now firmly established as a valuable recruitment tool for CRS, and fellows typically come from a range of universities and academic institutions with whom CRS has developed strong links.

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This case study originated from CRS and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).

With a commitment to respond to any major emergency around the world, World Vision (WV) developed a Rapid Induction package to speed up recruitment of fully operational teams during the initial relief response phase. As a large, complex organization operating in over 100 countries worldwide and with approximately 23,000 employees, WV has gained agility in quickly assimilating new staff and facilitating their contribution at an early stage of the response effort.

Until recently, a general reluctance in sudden onset crises to hire managers lacking in WV or relief experience resulted in long term staffing being put on hold while existing experienced staff rotated in and out of the program on short-term placements, with consequent negative impacts on teams, stakeholders, knowledge management and program quality.

In response to the challenge of staffing emergency responses after the initial 90-day phase, the Rapid Induction package is designed to equip new staff with the essential knowledge required to function effectively within the organisation’s structures, systems, style, values and culture, and to represent WV appropriately with all stakeholders. Confidence in a fast, robust induction process enables hiring managers to appoint candidates knowing they will be equipped to operate successfully from the outset.

Rapid Induction takes place in the field or regional office before deployment to the project or program site. Delivered by WV relief professionals, it takes approximately 2 days in total. The package includes modules covering:

• Understanding the context in which you are operating
• Your role
• Decision-making and influence in your context
• Systems
• Programming
• Policies and standards

Tools created to support the Rapid Induction consist of a CD Rom, database, and hard copy prompt cards in a slim manual.

The Rapid Induction package has enabled WV to draw on a far wider pool of candidates outside the organization to meet its critical staffing requirements. This has resulted in teams being established more quickly and with greater long term stability, with positive knock-on effects on staff morale and retention rates. Continuity within the teams has promoted more effective knowledge management, and improved relationships with external networks and stakeholders. Collectively these outcomes have enhanced program quality and impact.

Feedback for the rapid induction tool has been very positive: “... an excellent tool... that guide[s] us through the hand-over process. ...This is a tool to build the institutional memory…” (Senior Relief Co-ordinator, Global Rapid Response Team)

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This case study originated from World Vision International and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org)

With programs in 39 countries providing humanitarian relief transitioning into development, Mercy Corps (MC) has developed its Office in a Box (OIB) as part of its drive to enhance the overall impact of response efforts. The goal was to offer MC staff fluid and flexible tools that provide for rapid response and programme start-up, and effective, compliant management of entrepreneurial programming. In use since March 2006, the OIB has already proved an invaluable tool in emergency response situations.

The Office in a Box (OIB) is a cost-effective solution primarily designed for use at the program start-up stage, as well as being available to strengthen the operational capacities of existing field offices. Accessible via the internet, in CD format or hard copy, it contains the guidelines, manuals, practical tools and templates that are essential for rapidly establishing a new program and for ongoing operations management.

A set of manuals, each accompanied by relevant documents and tools, provides all the necessary information regarding set-up and maintenance of administration, finance, logistics, security and IT functions. The OIB also contains a Field Office Checklist, and a helpful tips section.

Designed by combining best practices of MC field offices with requirements imposed by donor regulations, the contents were then vetted by HQ and field staff and field tested in six operational countries. The OIB was formally rolled out in March 2006, supported by formal training, and is currently in use in six additional countries in Africa and Asia.

Since its introduction the OIB has reduced the amount of time and effort spent by programme managers on developing operations systems, allowing them to focus on programming issues which have an impact on quality. Its rigor in ensuring more robust systems which are consistent and compliant, has improved accountability and transparency with external stakeholders and with staff. By incorporating best practices and lessons learned from around the organisation, the OIB also functions as a development tool for national and international staff as they work with the system. This in turn has facilitated internal transfer and promotion, and impacted retention rates.

The OIB took two years to develop and involved a team of eight people at the design stage. After gathering extensive input from the field they guided the OIB through a thorough vetting process by HQ and field staff. Five staff members have a part-time responsibility for keeping the system up-to-date.

The success of the OIB lies in its simplicity, low cost and adaptation for use in situations with limited back-up resources. It makes effective use of technology to enhance consistency, organisational learning, responsiveness to donor requirements and program quality.

Speaking of OIB, CEO Neal Keny-Guyer praised it as a “fantastic package of tools required to set up and operate a field office” and applauded the way in which it freed staff from a systems focus and enabled them to become “social entrepreneurs”, able to “take the risks necessary to design innovative program strategies”.

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This case study originated from Mercy Corps, and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).

Why did TEAR decide to take this path and go through this process?
HR policies and procedures had developed in an ad-hoc way over the past 10 years and were a very mixed bag. Some were highly developed and 'good practice' (e.g. Child Protection) and others were embryonic (e.g. People Management). We also had had some HR pain over the past year, relating to TEAR's rapid growth and inadequate HR processes.
We had been aware of the People In Aid Code and had used it as a reference as we worked on some areas but we felt the need for more rigor and for more external accountability. Aspiring to become compliant gave us that opportunity.

How did TEAR kick start the process?
I (as HR Coordinator) prepared a short presentation to the leadership group outlining some of the failings of our systems and how the Code would help that. I did the same to the Board. We then developed a budget and a working group and the leadership team approved both. We were off and running!

How did TEAR set up the logistics of getting questionnaires completed?
We asked People In Aid for use of their questionnaire and the working group adapted it for TEAR. IT staff then converted it to an online survey program. We set up computer stations around the site of the annual staff conference and cajoled people into completing it while they were all in Melbourne. We also invited People In Aid to send a staff person (Lucy) to come and introduce People In Aid to all the staff during one session, which went down very well.

What was the response from staff?
We had a very high completion rate on the survey. Most of the staff, especially younger ones, could easily see the value of it. It would be fair to say, however, that there was some skepticism about the value of formal HR practices; some concern about losing the informal spirit of TEAR. That is still there and change management is one of the things the working group is taking into account.

Were the results surprising?
Not to me. I had observed some of our weaknesses first hand and knew we had work to do, especially on managing performance. I was surprised that in some questions, there was a clear divide between older and newer (younger) staff members. The latter clearly had much higher expectations of being actively managed and expectations that their career aspirations would be considered as they worked for TEAR.
Overall, there were some very positive findings which balanced the weaker areas. One finding that surprised everyone is how values-driven our staff is. Very few had anything to say about our modest salaries!

What actions are you now taking as a result of the process?
The working group then did a prioritization process to plan what it would work on first. Performance management will be worked on initially, then Health and Safety, then Learning and Development. That should keep us out of mischief for the year! We are developing an Action Plan with timeline markers for 2010.

How will you review the success?
The survey had given us very useful baseline metrics so we will re-survey after we have implemented some of the changes. We may also use other techniques such as focus groups e.g. of young staff members.

How have TEAR found the process so far?
Very user-friendly and quite manageable for a small organization. One of my fears was that we may be biting off more than we could chew and that People In Aid's expectations of us would be unmanageable. So far, we have found the support systems great and all the resources very helpful.

With 3500 staff based in over 40 developing countries spread across 16 different time zones, Mercy Corps (MC) tackled the challenge of sharing programming tools and information efficiently by creating a Digital Library. Providing 24/7 access to key documents and web resources, the Digital Library underpins managers’ ability to act quickly and effectively.

Functioning as a single, reliable and up-to-date resource, the Library consists of MC documents containing information and tools on key areas, including program development, management and evaluation; proposals, grants and reports; and administration. Documents include case studies, concept papers and training materials, as well as practical tools for assessment, log frames, reports, work plans and manuals. Links to Internet resources on UN standards and SPHERE, for example, ensure that all relevant information can be accessed via the library.

The Digital Library uses open-source software customized to meet the information requirements of MC staff. All MC employees can access it either via the internet on a secure website or on DVD. Staff can contribute documents and the site is updated daily. Although training is not essential, a short briefing conducted by the Digital Librarian helps to maximize efficient usage.

Since its introduction in June of 2002, the Digital Library has proved effective in speeding up program activity by making critical information available on demand, and by reducing time spent reinventing materials. Its value in the field as a reliable resource is evidenced by the steady increase in usage. One emergency team staff member reported, “It makes me feel that we have information at our fingertips…and it gives me confidence that I have a resource to go to that is easy to use.”

By sharing information widely, especially “best examples” of local practice, it is believed the Digital Library has strengthened knowledge and contributed to better decision-making. It has also served to standardize practice across the organization.

Research and design of the Digital Library took 9 months up to the initial release of 350 documents. This work was undertaken by a full-time librarian and part-time technical support person, with the involvement of a broad-based focus group. Associated costs were approximately 85,000 USD. The current staffing requirement remains the same as the library continues to develop, with annual operating costs in the region of 125 – 150,000 USD.

Championed by the Board and senior leaders in program operations from the outset, the Digital Library’s innovative use of affordable technology supports MC’s ability to operate with agility. As well as giving worldwide, immediate, 24-hour access to critical information, it connects people across the organization and acts as a forum for shared learning. Designed to develop organically it has the capacity both to promote and adapt to change.

In the words of a field manager: "The Digital Library created new avenues for organizational learning and information sharing within Mercy Corps that were previously unimaginable… It has become an assumed, unspoken backbone to… …day-to-day jobs. The Digital Library has had great success in closing the divide between headquarter and field offices, but more importantly, has empowered many of the local staff by providing them access to the same tools, information and resources as the international staff."

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This case study originated from Mercy Corps, and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).

The ability to manage teams effectively and to retain staff with relevant specialised skills is critical in an organization that, since 1996, has responded to 80 humanitarian emergencies in 37 countries, and launched 23 new country programs. Designed to equip managers with the basic skills and HR knowledge they need to manage people in this dynamic environment, the HRMT was introduced in 2000 and rolled out to all managers.

Consisting of a set of training modules covering various aspects of HR and incorporating the guiding principle of respect, the HRMT addresses:

• Hiring
• Teambuilding
• Stress management
• Communication and performance management
• Transparent management and promoting respect

This case study originated from the International Rescue Committee, and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).

Committed to responding to any emergency that endangers the well-being of children, Save the Children (SC-US) has increased the speed and appropriateness of its response in the 45 countries where it operates by placing local staff at the heart of its strategy.

Whilst relief programs can be implemented within hours by deployment of its Global Emergency Team, SC-US recognised the many advantages of being able to mount a local response. Focusing on developing the capacity of national staff to achieve this, SC-US’s strategy involved several key elements.

• Deployment of national staff on regional REDI (rapid response) teams has enabled those with less experience to work alongside more experienced counterparts. This provides opportunities for apprenticeships and mentoring, with additional formal training provided as required.
• Regional Emergency Response Training is provided for one point person selected from each Field Office.
• Regional Preparedness Advisors work with Senior Management Teams in each Field Office to develop emergency preparedness plans. This approach has built awareness and capability while also offering a process for delegating responsibility for preparedness to national staff.
• Temporary Duty Assignments of 3 – 6 months enable local staff, especially those from countries where emergencies occur infrequently, to gain experience and skills in an emergency context alongside more experienced staff. Performance evaluation during the assignment informs plans for further personal development in relevant skills.
• Simulation exercises have proved extremely successful in situations where deployment with a mentor is not possible.

Evolved over a period of about five years, the strategy required an initial investment of time in developing the formal emergency response training program. Essential staff key to ongoing implementation are Regional Emergency Preparedness Advisors; qualified mentors; and trainers with practical knowledge of emergencies. The annual budget includes $90,000 per Regional Advisor plus the costs of formal training, and travel and living expenses of Temporary Duty Assignments.

By shifting away from reliance on roving global expatriate teams and focusing on nationalising its relief response SC-US now has the capacity to respond to emergencies more quickly and appropriately. This strategy has created a wider pool of technically qualified staff to draw on, strengthened skills in Field Offices around emergency preparedness planning, and more broadly, increased awareness of all staff as to the required shift in mindset and approach when the focus of their work changes from development to relief.

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This case study originated from Save the Children US and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org). 

Based on the premise that leadership development builds community and shapes organizational culture, CARE’s leadership program Leading With Impact (LWI) is designed to build mission-critical skills, enhance leadership capabilities and foster global standards and knowledge-sharing.

With over 12,000 employees dispersed among 70 countries, the challenge for CARE was to institute a system of leadership development which would create a common vision of organizational purpose, and the ability to deliver this in complex environments.

Launched in November 2003, by the end of 2007 LWI will have reached reached 206 leaders and emerging leaders. The program centres around four leadership capabilities identified as critical to achieving CARE’s vision and mission: leading from within, creating the future, managing complexity, and building human and knowledge capital.

Delivered by the CARE Academy, the LWI is founded on self-directed, self-owned learning, blending classroom and peer-to-peer consultation over a period of nine months. A 360° leadership assessment tool is used to identify and track areas of development, and individual coaching, peer consultation sessions and implementation of personal leadership commitments all foster ongoing reflective practice. Themes running through the program concern questions of leadership style and meaning, alignment with the vision, worldview, productive interactions, and adapative challenges facing CARE.

The LWI has been well-received by CARE staff and data demonstrates how it is supporting change. One participant commented: “…I learned that some of my unit members think I have a tendency to micro manage. This led me to change how I structure my interactions with them… I now try to ensure that I give them enough room to breathe, make mistakes, learn and grow.” In addition, some of the personal leadership commitments have contributed to developments in other key areas such as gender and diversity, and global compensation, thus supporting the aim of connecting and shaping culture.

The program was championed by the Executive team and development, in partnership with Duke Corporate Education, took 10 months. First delivery of LWI for 44 participants cost approximately USD 450,000 in total. Each subsequent delivery requires a 5-month planning schedule involving a program manager, program coordinator and design support person, all on a part-time basis. On-site support for the six-day classroom component requires a total of 12 people and the cost of each delivery is USD 200,000.

Focusing on strategic capacity and using a range of methodologies to engage participants in reflective learning, the LWI is highly effective in developing the leadership capabilities necessary to shape and deliver CARE’s shared future.

“Leading With Impact is only the beginning in creating a culture that is flexible and adaptive to change at CARE,” says Patrick Solomon, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “We want all staff to have every opportunity to strengthen their leadership potential and become fully involved in our fight against poverty. This requires new ways of thinking at all levels and an openness to new ideas as we tackle complex challenges.”

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This case study originated from Care International and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).  

Oxfam’s Pick Up & Go packs are proving a fast, cost-effective way to equip staff across the organization with a range of basic skills required to fulfil their roles. Originally conceived as a response to facilitating improvements in people management, the approach has already been applied to other areas, specifically HIV/AIDS and further topics are in the design stage.

Each pack is a complete, stand-alone kit, designed to be delivered by staff at country level who are capable facilitators but may not have in-depth knowledge of the subject. The material is thorough and clear enough to be able to deliver a good quality version of the module first time round. Principally formulated for staff in their first 18 months with Oxfam, it aims to familiarise them with knowledge and skills to a basic level of competency.

Pick Up & Go packs are designed to a standard format. Each course takes half or one day to deliver, and is participative in style. Drawing on input from specialists across the organization, content includes information for the region and for the facilitator; objectives; timetable; detailed facilitator notes with step-by-step instructions for each session; flipcharts and handouts.

Packs are readily accessible on the organisation’s intranet and are available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. They are offered as a tool which regions can elect to use as appropriate to address locally-identified learning needs.

Within the topic of Managing Self and Others, examples of individual courses include Recruitment and Selection, Coaching and Feedback, Performance Management and Time Management. Other topics available are Understanding Project Financial Reports, Gender Mainstreaming, and Campaigning, with more courses in the pipeline.

Oxfam develops the packs largely in-house, and includes the design and piloting processes. Direct costs are limited to translation expenses and, for some modules, outsourced writing.

Led by the Learning and Development function and championed by senior staff, Pick Up & Go has advanced Oxfam towards achieving corporate objectives in the area of people management. It offers a relatively low-cost response to an organizational need, delivered in a way that is appropriate for the culture of the organization. Success in its use has caused other NGOs to recognize the value of the Pick Up & Go concept. Modelling an empowering, ‘can do’ approach, it provides a complete and easy-to-use tool for fast, effective training of staff.

This case study originated from Oxfam GB and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org).

Introduction to the organisation
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA) is a Non-Governmental Organization founded in 1992 as a collective response to the humanitarian crisis that erupted in Somalia following the fall of the Siad Barre government in 1991. Since its inception, HIJRA Somalia has implemented a range programmes from humanitarian relief and recovery to development programmes mainly in South Central Somalia.

With the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, most of the qualified and experienced people left Somalia to neighbouring countries. Others sought refuge in Europe, Asia and America. This meant that the recruitment of staff with relevant skills in Somalia remained a major challenge. Staff started acquiring skills in different aspects of project implementation and some were fortunate enough to receive capacity building from the agencies. Over time these skilled people understood their skills were in high demand and they were marketable. They began to seek better paying jobs within non-governmental and governmental organizations. Agencies with limited funding like HIJRA found it difficult to retain experienced and qualified staff.

Since 2000 HIJRA has expanded its programmes tremendously. It is now able to generate internal resources to fund some of its activities ensuring HIJRA can offer stable employment for some positions. However many positions are still funded by short term project funding. Staffs still leave the organization after a short period. To effectively manage its human resources, HIJRA established HR Department in April 1st, 2009.

Background to implementing the People In Aid Code of Good Practice
With the HR department in place HIJRA was able to analyse its retention situation. HIJRA concluded that retention was caused by:

• Poor remuneration due to unstable funding from the donor community:
• 90% of all HIJRA recruitment is due to project implementation. This means without continuing programmes HIJRA cannot hire many staff for long. Consequently at the end of a specific program staff contracts would also come to an end
• Lack of learning, training and staff development: With such a working environment based on projects, proper training and long term staff training and development is lacking because HIJRA could not guarantee the costs for staff training and development due to lack a of funding
• Weak HR systems- poor recruitment procedures, staff orientation and job placement:Though HR systems were operational they remained weak since staff supervision was the preserve of programme officers in various sectors. This reduced the role of HR to that of an observer waiting for the contracts to end before recruitment began again.
• Lack of staff recognition- lack of staff grading based on qualification: The absence of salary scales and non adherence to qualifications and experience impacted negatively on staff wanting to remain in HIJRA for longer duration. Therefore they looked to other organisations for career progression.
• Lack of staff policies and practices: All staff policies and practices were not in place and this meant staff were not well informed and created poor communication and within the organization

Addressing retention through the People In Aid Code of Good Practice.
To address these staff retention problems, it was critical that HIJRA'S new HR department had the full support of the senior management. Their support led to the inclusion of the department's new HR strategy being included as integral part of HIJRA's overall strategic plan. A primary objective of the HR strategy was to obtain internationally recognized human resource accreditation. HIJRA began to implementation of the People In Aid Code of good practice.

“This improved their current HR systems and tremendously increased staff confidence in the organization. Paving the way for hard work and open communication within the organization”.
HIJRA Somalia Mohammed Ibrahim Nur, HIJRA Human Resource Manager

Guided by the Code of Good Practice HIJRA undertook the following initiatives:

Employee Survey
HIJRA conducted staff survey with the help of the People In Aid to find out the employees perspective on issues such as organizational culture, roles, leadership and management, pressure, engagement and the People In Aid Code of Good Practice.

• Developed staff policies and practices: The introduction of staff health, safety and security manual assured the employees how much HIJRA is committed to the safety, health and security of its most valued asset, its employee
• Improved compensation packages: HIJRA put in place compensation package based on formal organizational grading and salary scales and improved the employee's remuneration package by rewarding competitively and introducing new rewarding approaches based on performance.

Employee Recognition Initiatives:
To recognize the staff contributions and to demonstrate that our people are central to achievement of our vision, mission and goals, the HR department organized the first HR Award ceremony where HIJRA appreciated and valued the commitment and dedication of its staff. Certificates were distributed at the event which came after the completion of HIJRA's strategic review meeting for 2010-2012

• Encouraged growth: HIJRA promoted personal growth and professional training and development programs throughout the organization. The organization sponsored a number of professional courses to help the staff improve their knowledge and skills. Internal staff training and development programs were also conducted

Evaluation of success
After the start of the People In Aid Code implementation, HIJRA has seen a number of significant changes:

• Improved staff relations is the key to improved retention.
• Implementation of People In Aid Code and Human Resource policies has improved both staff morale and donor confidence and support to the organization. They have significantly raised motivation and engagement levels among all employees.
• The importance of staff communication
• The creation of a HR manual and its subsequent implementation has resulted in better understanding of staff job obligations and enhanced teamwork. When HR systems are in place and functional, potential qualified employees are attracted to the organization.
• Listening is a key to staff retention. Conducting the employee survey and developing action plans for the survey findings assured employees at all levels that HIJRA is committed to continuous improvement program.
• Reduction in recruitment costs.
• Succession planning and career progression: key skills, knowledge, experience and ideas remain within the organization.

Conclusion
Employee retention, especially of your best, most desirable staff remains a key challenge in any organization today. However HIJRA, believe that when you think about employee work satisfaction, morale, positive motivation, and retention. knowing what makes employees want to leave an organization is half the battle.

“Where employees feel safe, they will tell you what's in their minds, whether they are planning to try something else. Your work culture must foster trust for successful two-way communication. Above all, look at the remuneration aspect of your employees based on the market needs for comfortable living. Clear staff policies and practices, personal growth and professional development, recognition and communication are three basics
in employee retention. These three practices, which are also highlighted in People In Aid's Code of Good Practice, are the initiatives that led HIJRA retain its best talented employee successfully.”
HIJRA Somalia Mohammed Ibrahim Nur, Human Resource Manager

Introduction to the organisation
FARM Africa reduces poverty through innovative approaches to natural resource management. Their vision is of a prosperous rural Africa where resources are efficiently utilised and sustainably managed and the benefits of development are shared equitably among all citizens regardless of gender, education, geographical location, ethnic origin or religion. FARM Africa believe that small farmers and herders can improve their own well being and focus on communities with a degrading resource base and poor access to markets. They have a track record of successful grassroots development and have shown spectacular results from investing modest amounts in alleviating poverty and building capacity of rural organisations.

Background to Farm Africa's Staff Development Fund
In mid-2004 FARM-Africa's new Kenya Country Director found that staff members were hard working and dedicated but there were some obvious areas needing improvement in terms of their skills. Many were also undertaking personal studies in the evenings and at weekends, but were receiving no organisational support in their endeavours. Staff development was mentioned in the staff charter but from previous experience, the new Country Director felt that having an official policy and guidelines and earmarked funding would help strengthen both staff motivation and their competence to do their work more effectively.

Addressing retention through a Staff Development Fund
Staff members had many ideas about training courses and other activities that they would like to undertake. However, funding was dependent on project budgets, and where funding was available line managers tended to support staff members in all their requests regardless of the relevance of the activity to the person's work or the fit with organisational strategy.

It was concluded that a more formal and systematic approach would benefit FARM Africa and its staff. A Staff Development Fund was established within the Country Office budget, thus making staff development support not totally dependent on the donor funding available in project budgets.

Transparent process
The success of the development fund was based upon its design. Simple but comprehensive application guidelines were developed as follows:

• All staff members who have successfully completed their probationary period are eligible to apply for staff development support.
• Staff development is often equated with 'going on a course' but applicants should not be limited by this definition. There is a wide range of alternative approaches (e.g. mentoring, shadowing, on-the-job training, job exchanges).
• All applications must be submitted using the standard FARM Africa form.
• The completed application form should be forwarded to the Country Director (now Regional Director) together with copies of any relevant background information.
• Applications must be consistent with and complement FARM-Africa's Organisational Strategy.
• First priority will be given to activities that are likely to produce tangible benefits for FARM-Africa. Activities intended to further the applicant's professional/personal development will be given second priority.

Funding constraints
The maximum level of funding per staff member per year was initially £1,000 but in 2008 it was reduced to £750 (or the equivalent amount in other currencies). Initially FARM Africa was willing to contribute up to 50% of the course fees of staff members undertaking formal studies, up to the annual funding limit, but in 2008 it was decided that the organisation could not assist with academic course costs due to funding constraints.

Making the case
The Applicant has to supply the following information in order to make a clear case for support by the Fund:

• Name;
• Job title;
• Full details of the request (activity, dates, location, costs including related travel);
• Whether they have discussed this staff development need with their line manager (there is a section in annual appraisals related to this);
• To which FARM Africa Strategic Framework Outcome does the activity relate and how? (the 4 objectives are listed to jog their memories);
• How the activity will be of benefit to FARM-Africa;
• How the activity will further their professional and/or personal development;
• How they intend to utilise and share their new learning within FARM Africa on completion of the activity;
• Whether FARM Africa has previously supported them in any staff development/training activities, and if so, brief details and dates.

They are also encouraged to attach further details (e.g. itinerary/course syllabus) to support their application.

Line Manager's endorsement
Once the Applicant's section is completed, they pass it on to their Line Manager, who completes the following information:

• Name;
• Job title;
• Whether the staff development need has been identified or discussed during the appraisal process;
• How they think the activity is relevant to the applicant or will assist them in their work;
• Whether they feel the applicant's commitment to this activity is realistic, given workload and other demands on their time;
• How they will support the staff member to share their new learning within FARM Africa on completion of the activity;
• Whether any funding for the activity is available within their project budget or whether the whole cost will need to be paid by the Country Office (now Regional Office);
• Any further comments in support of the application.

Approval
The form is then submitted to the Regional Director for review, approval and allocation of resources from the budget and the Staff Development Fund. If it is negative, an explanation is provided. One such example is if somebody applies who has previously received substantial support and the requests are more than can be funded, that might be a reason for rejection.

Evaluation of success
Farm Africa's Development Fund has been well received and enabled the meaningful and pragmatic allocation of limited resources to this important area of staff engagement.

Its evaluation of the Fund has identified the following issues:

• Whilst the process and guidelines are clear and there is a clear attempt to link staff development to organisational priorities and needs and the performance appraisal process, there is still a tension between what staff members want and what managers perceive they need.
• Some staff members also have a tendency to sit back and wait for someone to tell them what they should do, rather than being proactive and looking for opportunities. FARM Africa has tried to address this by placing a file in the office with details of courses offered by different national and regional training bodies and other organisations but it has not been well used.
• When FARM Africa was assisting with academic fees, staff members based in the field were at a disadvantage since most of the part-time formal education opportunities are only available in Nairobi.
• Sharing of new knowledge and skills with other staff members is still not very effective, being mainly in written form and sometimes through presentations at staff meetings.

Conclusion
“Overall the Staff Development Fund has been very popular amongst staff, although its impact on retention is difficult to measure. Very regrettably due to the current financial situation the organisation has had to suspend the Fund for the time being. However this will give us the opportunity to know whether lack of training opportunities is cited as a reason for staff members leaving during their exit interviews and forms and therefore the probable impact of the Fund on staff retention.”
Helen Altshul, Regional Director

Introduction to the organisation
Trócaire is a non-profit making relief and development agency set up by the Irish Catholic Bishops in 1973 to address the concerns of the Irish Catholic Church on the needs and injustices affecting developing countries. Trócaire has two main aims; to help those in need in the developing countries and to make Irish people more aware of these needs and its duty to justice towards them.

Trócaire works in solidarity with local development actors in over 30 countries throughout the developing world. Trócaire Horn and East Africa Regional Office in Nairobi work in six countries namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Background to change in leadership
From 2005, Trócaire faced major changes which coincided with the formulation of a new strategic framework. Subsequently the new strategic plan (2006-2016) introduced a new organizational structure and a change from ‘projects approach' to a ‘programme approach'. This shift entailed a move from funding individual discrete projects (or “baskets of projects” in a country or region) to supporting and financing a more coherent range of interventions, spanning a number of partners, all contributing to a common objective and platform of action. .

These changes introduced new approaches to work. It also had a significant impact in the programmes approval system, new staff positions, reorganization of some existing staff positions, and in some cases, staff redundancies. The changes directly affected staff morale and increased anxiety to the extent that some staff left the organization. The Horn and East Africa Regional office in particular was affected by the staff departures and the challenges of staff retention.

Change of leadership at Trócaire HEARO
In 2007, there was a change of leadership at Trócaire HEARO. A new Regional Manager was recruited to replace the incumbent who was leaving for another regional office. The outgoing Regional Manager (‘Representative' then) had been an excellent manager with immense development work experience and very supportive to staff. The incoming Regional Manager was able to build upon the supportive environment set by his predecessor. Representing fresh energy, not associated with the painful changes the new manager was better able to manage the staff concerns and anxiety. His approach was considered to be one of transformational leadership and had a significant impact on staff attitudes and behaviour.

Evaluation of the by the Regional Manager new approach
The new Regional Manager used several approaches and methods to understand and support the staff needs. The methods used included the following:

• Listening: The new manager spent a lot of time in the initial days at the office meeting, talking and listening to every individual staff member at the Regional Office. The discussions revolved around the personal values, challenges, family issues, work, career plans and the organization generally. It was interesting to note that during these discussions the new manager talked about his own personal issues, including family. This created a sense of openness, trust, and value of the employee, because the employees saw themselves not just as workers but as people with a life and a family that extends beyond the work environment.

• Mix of formality and informality: The staff meetings that were convened by the manager were a mixture of formality and informality. A key example is a regional meeting that the staff had in Naivasha to discuss important programme issues. The presentations and the sitting arrangement were informal. Some staff sat comfortably on sofas or just lay on the carpet within the meeting room. Staff reported that they felt that this was one of the best regional meetings ever with greatest outcomes. The manager ensured that there was a balance between formal and informal approaches such that the policies, procedures and values of Trócaire were not compromised.

• Empowerment: The manager gave equal attention to all employees junior and senior alike. This ensured a sense of fairness and empowerment of all staff. The same approach was used to create a sense of balanced attention between the national staff and the expatriate staff at the regional office.

• Representation of HEARO staff issues at HQ level: The manager actively supported and voiced issues that affected the staff at the regional level. On a number of occasions, the manager advocated for staff based in the region on issues that included terms, conditions, fair chance and career development

• Effective Communication: The staff at the region felt more empowered through timely dissemination of information. There was periodic communication by the manager whenever an issue came up or whenever major decisions were made at the head office on issues that may have a direct impact on the staff and their work. Such information was shared openly.

Conclusion
“There were many other approaches that were used by the Regional Manager, these are just a selection of the most noticeable. These approaches increased the level of staff empowerment at the regional office. The negative experience of the organizational changes had had a real impact on retention and potential staff turnover. The manager's style is credited by many staff as mitigating and reversing this trend.“
Leonard Kwelu Trócaire HR East Africa Regional Office

Introduction to the organisation
Trócaire is a non-profit making relief and development agency set up by the Irish Catholic Bishops in 1973 to address the concerns of the Irish Catholic Church on the needs and injustices affecting developing countries. Trócaire has two main aims; to help those in need in the developing countries and to make Irish people more aware of these needs and its duty to justice towards them.

Trócaire Somalia programme was consortium of NGOs between Trócaire and Merlin and previously between Trócaire, CORDAID and AMREF. The consortium was transferred to Trócaire Somalia programme in August 2009 when the partnership arrangement with Merlin was dissolved. The Somalia country programme is one of the country programmes of the Trócaire Horn and East Africa Regional Office (HEARO) based in Nairobi.. Trócaire HEARO is responsible for 6 countries namely Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Uganda. In Somalia, Trócaire with support from donors, provide assistance to public health, nutrition and education services in five districts of the Gedo Region.

Background to the restructure
In February 2009 a mid-term evaluation of the Somalia programme was carried out. In response to the needs of the programme and the changing context in Somalia the evaluation recommended to restructure the organization. The Executive Committee of Gedo Health Consortium reviewed the recommendations and decided to dissolve the partnership. Under the new arrangement, a new structure was developed based upon the number of staff and technical skills required to support the future of the programme in Gedo. Consequently staff were to be directly contracted by Trócaire Somalia programme.

Ensuring a successful restructuring
The Executive Committee's decision had several immediate consequences for the team. These changes included removing certain staff positions and the termination of their contracts, and not renewing contracts coming to an end.

Trócaire wanted the anticipated changes to be carried out in a fair and transparent manner. Priority was to be given to the existing staff in the new structure, taking in to account their strength and suitability to the new context. In order to affect this, a restructuring proposal was developed by the Programme Support Coordinator. They were also responsible for Human Resource services and had experience with similar situations in the past. They were fully supported by the management. The proposal followed appropriate procedures and aimed to guide the management through the change journey by providing a proactive and comprehensive exit and separation plan.

Evaluation of the success
The following points have been identified as critical to the change process success.

• A new organisational structure with a transition plan was developed and shared with all the staff based upon the competencies and skill s required by the new programme. Staff were briefed early enough of the impending changes. Discussions were initiated on the process and the likely consequences.
• An opinion of a legal expert on labour laws was sought to ensure that all the actions were in compliance with the labour laws of Kenya. The plan indicated the policies and practices to be adopted in recruiting the new staff and how to deal with those who were not be re-employed. This plan also clearly provided details about the benefits which were to be due to all the staff as their contract with the consortium was coming to an end and what the redundancy package was to be.
• Line managers were encouraged to constantly communicate to staff. Frequent communication to all the staff outlined: what could be expected, details of the activities and progress of the transition process and re -assurance that decisions were fair and in no way discriminatory. Regular staff meetings were held to communicate any new development as and when they became available.

“The appropriate and adequate communication helped to allay people's fears, removed ambiguity, provided clarity and common understanding.”
Simon Obosi - Trócaire Somalia Programme

• A counselling psychologist was brought in to help prepare the staff psychologically for the impending changes and the consequences.

Conclusion
Trócaire feel that the restructuring process was well managed and successful. They concluded that there is a:

• need to have a clear and concise plan of action to guide the process from beginning to the end with some room allowed for flexibility to respond to changing contexts. This will avoid ambiguity and ad hoc decision making.
• need to have a change leader or someone driving the process but with full support from management.
• need for constant and frequent communication to all the staff and key stakeholders one the process progress to ensure cross functional understanding and assurance.
• need for the management's full support.
• need to ensure fairness and transparency in the process to ensure staff buy- in and cooperation

Introduction to the organisation
CARE is an international non-governmental organization operating in over 70 countries globally. CARE has been working in Ethiopia since 1984 undertaking large-scale emergency and development programming. At present, CARE Ethiopia's Country and Field Offices staff over 700 employees operating in South Gondar Zone and Bahir Dar in the Amhara Region, East and West Hararghe and Borana Zones in Oromiya Region, Zones 1, 3, 4 and 5 in the Afar Region, Dire Dawa and Addis Ababa. CARE's programs are grounded in household livelihood security framework and rights-based approaches, which are aimed at addressing the underlying causes of poverty and vulnerability. CARE Ethiopia's mission is to work with poor women and men, boys and girls, communities and institutions, to have a significant impact on the underlying causes of poverty. CARE implements a range of rural and urban based programs, addressing:

• Emergency Preparedness and Response
• HIV and AIDS
• Sexual Reproductive Health
• Food and Livelihood Security
• Pastoralist Livelihoods
• Education
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

CARE's funding comes from a wide variety of donors including the Governments of USA, Canada, UK, Norway, Netherlands, international bodies such as UN OCHA HRF and the European Commission, and private companies and foundations.

Background to retention issues
The humanitarian relief and development sector in Ethiopia is a large job market in which there is especially high demand for professionals with specialized higher education and training as well as management experience. The significant amount of aid and development resources dedicated to Ethiopia over the past three decades has created a job market with numerous national and international NGOs operating in the country as well as UN agencies, donor and Government agencies all vying for a relatively small pool of qualified professionals. These employers have varying capacities to offer different salary and benefits packages with UN/donor bodies at the affluent end of the spectrum and government sector and local NGOs with the most limited funding for human resources.

Even in normal circumstances economic pressure and the fact that the employment in humanitarian and relief activities are central to people's livelihoods, staff are often continuously looking for better and more secure financial packages. The economic recession starting in 2008 adversely affected organizational resources, reducing certain income stream and their undermined organizations capacity to retain staff. Furthermore short-term emergency projects, or even longer-term but time bound projects, also lead to staff turnover. Staff seek better salaries and longer-term contracts. It also creates more competition among employers, adding further challenges to retaining qualified, experienced professionals.

The loss of experienced, high potential and high performing professionals from the organization is problematic for a number of reasons, including:

• Loss of invested institutional knowledge, competencies and skills.
• Turnover means pulling from immediate priorities to cover gaps and slowing overall organizational advancement on regular plans, important innovations, and change agendas

CARE Ethiopia offers competitive remuneration packages and ensures regular review and comparison with peer NGOs operating in Ethiopia to ensure its competitiveness within the local market; however the organization is often unable to compete with employers such as the UN, private sector counterparts, or donors that have more competitive packages and often better job security. CARE recognizes the costs of staff turnover and recruitment and is continuously seeking ways to attract and retain highly competent professionals in both monetary and non-monetary ways.

Addressing retention through Market Driven - Professional Allowance Supplement
It has become increasingly difficult to attract new talented professionals in certain positions; for example this challenge has been observed as particularly difficult in the Public Health Sector as there is a high demand for professionals with advanced higher education (MD and MPH), with extensive management and administrative experience and non-profit sector expertise. Individuals that meet these criteria are highly sought after in the local context, therefore difficult to retain. Analysis identified some professions within the job market who are outside of CARE's current compensation and benefits package.

CARE recognized that there are certain systematic and financial aspects of the organization that limit the ability to retain staff and cannot be easily changed such as donor/funding regulations and operating a business model that is constrained by projects which confine the organization to developing human resources linked to secured and separate project budgets. While the closure of projects represents more than half of staff departures, other opportunities (higher salary and benefits packages and professional growth opportunities) represent the majority of the balance.

CARE is attempting to address the inherent issues of impact and staff retention related to the project model through its current project to program shift (P-shift). However the P-shift is a long term, multiyear process which will not yield instant results in terms of staff retention. In order to address the problem in the immediate present, CARE needed to find a way to increase the flexibility in salary packages that would allow the organization to keep its best people without skewing the overall salary scales/grades in a manner that was financially unviable.

Evaluation of success
In response to this challenge, CARE Ethiopia initiated a process to create a Market Driven Professional Allowance Supplement with a more competitive compensation which would enable the retention of competent professional staff in high turnover senior professional positions and to attract talented and qualified individuals from the local job market. In order to establish the professional salary supplement, CARE Ethiopia undertook an iterative review process to assess and learn from similar experiences of other CARE country and regional offices and other international organizations operating in Ethiopia.

The main purpose of this professional salary supplement is to enable CARE Ethiopia to be competitive in the local job market for targeted high turnover/highly competitive professional positions. The decision to consider a position for the supplement is based on vigilant review and analysis of attrition rates over time and measured against industry standards, and careful market analysis. Some positions that are highly competitive in today's market may become less so if more highly trained and experienced people join the local market in that particular category, and vice versa. Therefore the market driven salary supplement is not a catch-all solution for staff retention in general, but is specifically targeted at those high demand positions that call for senior management professionals. The policy is useful in that it allows for CARE to practice strategic flexibility in the effort to recruit and retain qualified staff without reviewing and adjusting the overall compensation and benefits package (this process is performed every 2 years).

This professional supplement was introduced as a pilot program in December 2006 to be reviewed periodically. The first position that was targeted in this pilot was the HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator, as data collected over time demonstrated this position as the highest turnover position in a highly competitive market (requiring MD and MPH, as well as senior management and INGO experience). The specific professional allowance supplement range is established and exact allowance determined by taking into consideration the local market value of the profession at a given time (even outside of CARE's regularly scheduled salary and benefits reviews (every two years) and cost of living analyses (every 6 months), CARE's budget availability, and past salary/compensation history of the selected candidate.

CARE Ethiopia has been implementing the Market Driven Professional Allowance Supplement policy for over 3 years. The policy has been used 5-6 times in that period to successfully recruit and/or retain personnel integral to CARE's programs, who would have otherwise been lost to competitive employers in the local market. In general, the policy has been well received by staff without observed perceptions of unfairness/jealousy.

Conclusion
The policy can be rated as successful overall; however, as specified above, this policy is highly targeted and is not appropriate to apply to all positions. It is not a solution that can effectively tackle the issues CARE faces in regards to retaining qualified and experienced frontline staff, especially in operational areas of the country that are remote and undesirable. The professional salary supplement is useful for its intended purpose and would be recommended as a potential technique for organizations operating in contexts of similar employment markets.
Abby Maxman Country Director CAREA Ethiopia and Alix Carter, Emergency Program Officer

The Objective: Project MERLOT, as the initiative was called, was designed to meet the Human Resource challenges facing Tsunami Response Teams as programs moved into transition, and employment contracts for significant numbers of staff were to end. Based on a determination to translate World Vision (WV) core values into practice, the project's goal was to help staff feel their value and worth with practical implications for their personal and professional development by ensuring they exited with dignity and with improved occupational prospects.

Specifically in Indonesia the project was described as a basic HR activity to help ensure the image of the organisation was not badly affected, while in Thailand MERLOT was planned to help defuse potential issues associated with staff hearing that the project was to close earlier than anticipated.

The questions senior WorldVision HR staff asked themselves were:

1. How can WV ensure that exiting staff feel valued for their contribution to the tsunami response work and leave with dignity and a sense of pride?
2. How can WV ensure exiting staff are better equipped to seek new employment?
3. How can WV identify and retain those staff with the ‘right’ competencies and match them with the right posts across the Partnership to help strengthen the organisation’s human resources?

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This case study originated from World Vision International and has been prepared by People In Aid in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (www.ecbproject.org)