CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Organizational Development Plan

2014 - 2016

CCR = National Office, confederation of 10 diocesan

Caritas association; licensed as social services

providers acc. with Romanian legislation

6,1 % Catholics

(RC & GC)

CONFEDERATIA CARITAS ROMANIA

Beneficiaries Services

Vulnerable children and youth

Elderly

Families at risk

People with special needs

Long term unemployed

Poor and remote communities

Social assistance

Psychological counseling

Home care

Day centers / after school programs

Residential centers

Social and on wheels canteens

Social drugstores

Night shelters for homeless

Hospice care

Medical recovery programs &

kinesthetics

Professional training

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Caritas Romania

Confederation

Year of foundation: 1994

Based in: Bucharest

Average income/last 2

years: 450.000 Euro/year

Governance:

Bishops Conference

Board of Directors (10)

President & Vice-president

Executive director

No. of employees:

5 Full time (incls. ExD): permanent labour

contracts (4 in Bucharest, 1 in Satu Mare)

2 part time: permanent labour contracts full time

(1 in Bucharest, 1 in Baia Mare)

2 part time: project based contracts (in

Bucharest)

Experts (outsources)

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Caritas Romania Confederation role

•Representation of diocesan Caritas in the dialog with central authorities

and governmental agencies

• Influence the social policies and strategies, mainly those addressed to

vulnerable people who tackle the poverty and social exclusion

•Legislative lobby

•Advocacy and awareness campaigns / public debates that approach the

social justice

•Promotion of Caritas best practices

•MO organizational capacity development

(workshops, trainings, joint initiatves)

•Disaster Risk Reduction

•Intervention in case of emergency

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

The history behind OD plan…

October 2010: Translation of CMS in Romanian

CMS ratification (Board meeting)

Apr.2011: CMS Self assessment workshop with Board members

Peer-to-peer / Caritas Luxemburg (exchange visits Ro – Lxbg)

2011 - 2013: Annual self-assessment - national office / Piloting

the CMS in three dioceses

2013: Review improvement plan / identify priorities

May – September 2013: CDF opportunity to speed up decision-

making for change

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Approach: How did we work?

Presentation of the CDF opportunity to the Board (June, 2013);

Identification of the problems – Internal workshop with Board

members

Prioritization and milestones of the 3-year OD plan: working group –

Executive director, President, Vice-president and a Board member

Responsibility of writing the OD plan and detail the 1st year action

plan: Executive director

Submission of 3 year OD plan to Caritas Europa (Sept. 2013)

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

B.E.S.T. Caritas –

Better, more Effective, Stronger and Transparent for a

fair world

Specific objective of the OD Plan:

To create a Better, more Effective, Stronger, Transparent

organization and financially autonomous by the end of

2016

Existing resources: •CMS self-assessment tool;

•CDF development handbook & project & budget

templates;

•members of CDF task force

•ESF & CDF

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

…BUT

Are we prepared for a real change?

Lack of staff

Lack of policies

and procedures

Inconsistent decision

making

Weak communication

Improve leadership and management

Limitted financial

resources

Passive Board

Problems’ Tree OD Objectives

Increase Caritas visibility

Strengthen the financial base

Develop staff skills in writing projects

Increase Board ‘s participation

Extend the projects’ portfolio on development assistance and humanitarian aid

Description of the

results that need to

be achieved

relating to the

problems identified

as priorities

Setting the

timeline for the

priorities to be

addressed

Nominee the

person or group

responsible for

the action

Listing the

required

external inputs

and budget

Foresee the risks –

actions, events or

situations that

could obstruct the

results being

reached

Detail the 1st

year action plan

& budget!

Estimate the

budget and

sources of

income

Planning the 3 year intervention – actions and events that help the

organization increase its effectiveness. Disrupt the Status Quo!

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Detail the workplan for Year 1 (2014)

Five priorities; each priority represent a set of actions and outcomes

Year 1 (2014) / Months

Prior

ity Activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

P 1 Defining ToR for Board development

Hiring an external consultant

Workshop with Board members

Interviews with Board members & stakeholders

Outlining the Board handbook

Board feedback & Formal approval of Board Handbook

P 2 Updating organization chart

Reviewing job descriptions

Updating the Personnel policies

Staffing plan

Staff recruitment / call for applications/ CVs

Financial Manager + Res. Dev. & Fundraising officer

Short list with selected candidates

Establishing Interview Selection Commission

Running Selection Interviews

Hiring/signing the labor contracts

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

(Insert rows if you need

to add more priorities) WHAT HOW WHO WHEN MEANS INDICATORS RISKS

Priority (ies) for year 1 as identified in the CMS self-

assessment tool

Results that need to be

achieved relating to the

problems identified as

priorities

Activities that will contribute

to reaching the results

Person or group

responsible for

the action

Action finished on External inputs

required

Concrete criteria to

measure the

achievement of the

results

What could happen

that could obstruct

the results being

reached?

1. Develop Board efficiency by:

creating a common vision on

the role of the national office

and the development of a

comprehensive step-by-step

guideline and tools for

consultation and decision

making in all critical and

ongoing Board activities.

1.1 Board Development Plan

agreed & approved -

Board members take over

responsibility for monitoring

the activity and make proper

realistic decisions by regular

follow ups / evaluation /

report with the people in

charge

1.1.1 Defining Terms of

References for Board

Development; search for an

external consultant

President and

Vice-president

with the support

of Executive

Director (Ex. Dir)

30th of March 2014

Time & volunteer

work from President

&VP;

Human resources -%

salary for Ex. Dir

Terms of

References/concept

paper

Board members did

not allow sufficient

time to provide input

for development plan

Selected consultant

fails to facilitate

effective consultation

process. Assumption:

a special attention

should be given to

the selection of the

consultant, it is

critical for the

success of the

process

1.1.2 Hiring an external consultant; prepare the first

Board consultation meeting

President; Executive

Director

End of April 2014 Funds to pay the

consultancy fee

Contract of

consultancy; agenda

of Board consultation

meeting

1.1.3 Consultative workshop

with board members (Board

retreat)

Consultant May 2014

Human resource,

board members,

consultant

Time, office supplies

Finances for

accommodation,

Meals

&transportation

Report with inputs

from Board members

1.2 Handbook / Guideline and

tools for consultation and

decision making are available

1.2.1 Qualitative interviews

with Board members and

other stakeholders

Consultant June 2014

Computer with internet connection

&Skype;

Communication

(telephone)

There are no

anticipated major

risks; just possible

delays from the

consultant in drafting

the

documents because

of delayed feedback

from Board members

1.2.2 Outlining the structure

of Board Handbook /Guideline

and write the decision-making

procedures

Consultant 30th of August

2014 Computer; time

1st draft of Board

Dev. Plan and Board

Handbook sent from

consultation/feedbac

k

1.2.3 Formal approval of the

Board Dev. Plan and Board

Handbook – decision making

meeting & Board training

Consultant;

President

30th of October

2014

Human resource,

board members,

consultant

Time, office supplies

Finances for

accommodation,

Meals

&transportation

Final written

documents;

Detailed knowledge

of how to use the

Handbook and

monitor the

development plan;

Board agrees to meet

at least three times

per year;

Board decisions

implemented quickly;

Minutes compiled

and published

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

That’s why we need a

Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Monitoring and evaluation

1st step: Clarification of terms / common understanding for all staff

Monitoring = a planned, internal systematic process of observation that

closely follows the activities and indicators written in the OD project, and

compares what is happening with what is expected to happen.

Evaluation = a process that assesses an achievement against preset criteria.

2nd step: Explain the importance of good monitoring and evaluation

(people dislike too many reports and burecracy)

3rd step: Prepare as simple as posible monitoring and evaluation tools

4th step: Take corrective measures and discuss with people the causes

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

What How? Methods Source of verification Who

OD Progress monitoring Monthly staff meetings Staff reports; minutes of

the meeting /

adjustments if

necessary;

administrative records;

financial report

Executive director &

staff

Quarterly internal

evaluation (example)

Standardized evaluation

form

Evaluation files;

financial reports

Executive director &

staff

Annual evaluation Technical / narrative

report

Outcomes President, Executive

director

External evaluation

(annually)

Audit / technical and

financial control

Audit report External auditor

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Evaluation Form

Quarter … / Year:

Name of responsible person:

Priority Action Expected

result/s

Rate of

achievement

(%)*

Met the

deadline

(Y/N)**

Corrective measure

P 1 A1 R 1.1

R 1.2

A2 R 2.1

R 2.2

* Reasons

** Effects

Example:

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Example:

OD Objectives /

Year 1

Activities implemented in Year 1 Results produced until

the reporting date &

planned to be reached by the end of Year 1

Impact

Obj. 1: Develop Board efficiency

(...)

A1.1.1Defining Terms of References for Board

Development: a first draft of ToR was prepared by the executive

director in consultation with the President and the Vice-President

between January – March. It was presented to BoD at the Board

meeting on 1-2 April at Satu Mare for information and

feedback.

Draft Terms of References for BoD

BoD member are aware about the OD priorities and

expressed intention to participate at the

achievement of objective

A1.1.2 Hiring an external consultant: at the date of

reporting a public acquisition invitation was sent to a number

of three consultants with

expertise in the organizational

development. The deadline for receiving the offers is 10th of

October.

Request of offers; invitation letter;

contract

An independent consultant will lead the debates about

the roles and responsibilities at the level

of BoD more objectively.

A1.1.3 Consultative workshop with Board members: this

workshop is scheduled for the period 27 – 29 October and it is

back-to-back with the Board

meeting. The consultant will

prepare the first Board consultation meeting.

Agenda of Board consultation meeting;

Report with inputs from Board members

Participatory approach will get more commitment and

involvement of BoD to support the organizational

development process

Annual report

www.caritas.org.ro

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

YEARS TOTAL IN EUR

Year 1 (2014) 41,389.53

Year 2 (2015) 33,935.82

Year 3 (2016) 43,354.44

TOTAL (2015-2016) 118,679.79*

ESTIMATED COSTS OF THE OD PLAN

*25% per year Caritas Romania contribution

CDF supporter / Year 1 (2014): Secours Catholique

CDF supporters / Year 2 (2015): Secours Catholique

Caritas Germany

Caritas Austria + Pro bono consultancy

Sources of income for Caritas Romania contribution:

EEA Grants (NGO Fund)

Swiss – Romanian Cooperation Program (Civil society component)

Membership fees

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

PROBLEMS AND LESSONS LEARNT

Participatory approaches and effectiveness Communicate (periodically) expectations to everyone involved in the OD plan implementation

Consultations and link from the OD Plan to the diocesan level Decision-making and MO members involvement Tight deadlines and lack of backup for the OD project manager Clarifying roles and responsibilities

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

Board of Directors: 2nd OD workshop

Brasov, 10 – 12 December 2014

CARITAS ROMANIA

CONFEDERATION

In conclusion… Sooner or later you’ll discover the benefits of your organizational development plan. Don’t give up!