Browsing by Author "Fredericks, Beulah"

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    Insightful agility' the regeneration of the Foundation for Community Work : a case study of a nonprofit organisation in the Western Cape
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-04) Fredericks, Beulah; Stellenbosch Unversity. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is not and cannot be business as usual for any organisation; from charities, developmental institutions to multi nationals. The operational environment of organisations all over the world is affected and often infected by change. The need for change is linked to the need for new ways of looking at the external world. The way in which organisations adapt and respond to such changes, indicates the levels of maturity and awareness within organisations. The ability to adapt and respond to external stimuli to effect change in the environment is a process that goes beyond the learning organisation paradigm. It is when the organisation regenerates itself to remain viable and in so doing, "make(s) a positive net contribution to the viability and development of the larger whole of which it forms part", that organisational sustainability is captured (Groenewald, 2003:1 ). Bringing about change that is relevant and sustainable is context dependent. Herein lies the problem for today's Non Government Organisations (NGO's) that seek relevant and appropriate responses to an ever-changing operational context. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a possible path forward for an NGO of longstanding, which, in realising the inadaptability of its structure, sought to be responsive in an apt, agile and insightful way. Three objectives were dissected from the overall aim and used as guiding pillars in this research process. These were: To identify options in securing the FCW's future existence. To assess the feasibility of each identified option against the criterion of 'Insightful Agility', meaning how best would the FCW change or adapt itself to remain relevant and viable in the social development arena. To propose a route for change in the FCW based on the feasibility assessment of the future options. The Foundation for Community Work is a NonProfit Organisation of over thirty years standing, that has incubated the idea of transforming to a Community Development Foundation. By applying the work by Markus Schwaninger, Intelligent Organisations (10), an integrative theoretical framework, the organisation's journey is briefly sketched from its inception during the turbulent period of Apartheid South Africa, through to 1994 and the post Apartheid era. In summary and according to Groenewald (2003), the 10 has at its core, the ability of self-control of its activities; the structure for its viability and development and the internal interactive behaviour of its stakeholders. The FCW's strength was always its engagement with communities and how in touch it remained with community needs and aspirations. The challenge now is to expand on the FCW's community networks and connectedness and to establish the exact boundaries and scope of its development interventions. In developing a Community Development Foundation, (CDF) it is envisaged that such a structure would be flexible, dynamic and adaptable enough to address the poverty needs of marginalised communities in the Western Cape. Poverty reduction programmes, have made little, if any, impact on the living conditions of severely impoverished communities in which the Foundation for Community Work operates and major social inadequacies have not been wiped out. The lack of coherent infra structure for effective and efficient resource mobilisation has not unlocked available resources, but has rather slowed down the pace of grant-making. The intended mission of the CDF is to bring resources closer to communities by working together with marginalised communities in the critical areas of need around poverty reduction with the focus on youth development; HIV/AIDS; and the mobilisation of capacity building and utilisation of local resources within civil society structures. This study is as much a testimony to past experiences, and of transformation processes highlighting growth points, initiatives and lessons learned, bringing into play the present, as the Foundation for Community Work moves on to face new challenges of renewal and regeneration.