NGO Management Forum Overview

The objective of the NGO Management Forum is to enhance the long-term institutional capability of non-governmental organisations through the building of managerial capacities. More specifically, its objective is to provide unique and innovative approaches to enhancing the skills and competencies of managers in non-governmental organisations.

Responding to NGO Needs

The performance of a non-governmental organisation is dependent upon the quality of its management. And while the importance of sound management is to varying degrees recognised, the development of management capacity in non-governmental organisations is limited by several challenges:

  • The lack of appreciation of the benefits derived from increased management capacity;
  • The lack of time and space available for reflection and learning on management competencies;
  • The limited opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of managers in organisations working under similar conditions;
  • The lack of reinforcement of a “culture of management” to supplement skills development and provide a continuous learning environment;
  • The lack of management capacity development of junior managers in parallel to their professional advancement.

Objectives of the NGO Management Forum:

The initiative provides facilitated structured peer exchange and learning to managers of non-governmental organisations as well as access to knowledge and resources with the aim of establishing a community of practice.

The Forum:

  • Drives strategic thinking in the area of management focus of each forum;
  • Provides a platform for the transfer of good practices;
  • Encourages collective responses to common challenges;
  • Creates a network to assist members in quickly solving problems;
  • Enhances the professional capacity of members;
  • Assists NGO’s in retaining employees.

Each network follows Chatham House rules (participants can speak freely and are guaranteed anonymity) to facilitate open and frank discussions and caters to managers in its functional area from both larger and smaller organisations, with topics of relevance to both groups.

For more information on the programme, please contact:

Jonathan Wood
Programme Director
NGO Management Forum
Tel: +41(0) 22 731 76 66
Email: jonathan.wood[at]ngomanager.org