Training & Development Key to NFP Performance
17 November 2010 at 2:34 pm
Australia’s Not for Profit sector must invest in training and development of its leaders if it is to improve its performance, according to a new report by the Australian Scholarships Foundation.
The report by ASF identifies the areas of leadership development, finance and people management as key skills areas that the Not for Profit sector must develop in order to meet the challenges outlined in the 2010 Productivity Commission study into the sector.
The report is based on the key messages coming from sector leaders at a discussion forum hosted by the Australian Scholarships Foundation., Philanthropy Australia and the Origin Foundation.
The event – a discussion forum on capacity building in Not for Profits – was attended by nearly 100 senior representatives from the Not for Profit and education sectors.
Speaking at the event, Productivity Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald said that to address the major issues confronting the Not for Profit sector, organisations need to reassess the skills within their business.
Fitzgerald named leadership development, finance and people management as major skills areas that Not for Profit organisations need to develop.
Fitzgerald said that mergers and acquisitions have become part of the strategy of some Not for Profit organisations with the view to scale up activity, and that this requires an entirely different set of management skills than has previously existed in the sector.
CEO of the National Breast Cancer Foundation Sue Murray said that her greatest wish is that funders would recognise the importance of capacity building and provide support for it.
Amy Lyden, CEO of the Australian Scholarships Foundation said it is becoming harder for Not for Profit organisations to do good work without the resources to develop their capabilities.
Lyden said the Not for Profit sector is being challenged to run their organisations in new and different ways, and clearly there is a great need to invest in the development of its leaders. She said if individuals can improve their skills, the service offering of their organisations will improve, leading to better outcomes for the community.
The Australian Scholarships Foundation will receive support worth $100,000 per year for two years from the Origin Foundation in order to fund new scholarships to provide training and development for people working in the critical areas of education and employment readiness.
The summary of proceedings from the discussion forum are available from the ASF website here.
I want to thank the author for siting Robert Fitzgeralds statement that "Leadership development, finance and people management (are) major skills areas that Not for Proft organisations need to develop", Community Compass Inc (http://www.communitycompass.org.au) prides itself in being one of the few nonprofit organisations that support other nonprofit organisations in their financial mangement. We see the gap which exists and work hard at training NGO leaders (CEO, Financial administrators and Boards) in financial mangement believing that 'if individuals can improve their skills, the service offering of their organisations will improve, leading to better outcomes for the community", (Lyden 17/10/11). Training & Development Key to NFP Performance. This article reiterates our very existence, and our vision for supporting community outcomes, our passion and philospophy in supporting effective decision making processes of nfps through the understanding of their financial position.