Gwangju International Center: Defining and Assessing a Korean NGO’s Mission

1. Gwangju International Center: Defining and Assessing a Korean NGO’s Mission Maria Lisak, Kunsan National University (Visiting Professor) Gwangju International Center (Board Member) Asia Association for Global Studies (AAGS) "Asia in Global Perspective“Kwansei Gakuin University Nishinomiya, Japan Saturday, June 24, 2006

2. Defining & Assessing GIC’s Mission • Defining Mission • Creating Value • Developing a Strategic Service Vision • Working with Community • Assessing Performance • Define • Development & Implement • Translate Analysis into Action

3. GIC Background • Established by Gwangju (Kwangju) City Government and Gwangju Citizens Solidarity in 1999 • Moved from governmental to NGO collaboration • Gwangju City provides some financial assistance (initially 75%, now 25%) • Created initially to help the international community of Gwangju and Jeollanamdo

4. GIC Clients • Initial target client • International community of Gwangju and Jeollanamdo • Expanded target client • Korean youth • Current target clients: • Local Korean community • International community of Jeollanamdo • local Korean youth (university students) • International collaborators (Human Rights organizations in different countries)

5. Mission Statement Development • Meet Dr Gyonggu Shin • Angel and Advocate • Supports, Encourages, Sustains GIC • through his energy, enthusiasm & network • His brain is the GIC Institutional Knowledge bank. • Requests from Maria Lisak 2003 to have more info online for Gwangju News Magazine • Requests from Ana Wilson, GN Editor (Apr - Sept2005) • For website, brochure & GN promotional materials

6. GIC Mission Statement • Provide visitors & international residents with information and services • Promote international exchange in the fields of culture and economy • Foster international awareness

7. Emerging Missions • Mission expanded to included Human Rights work • Authentic language exchange • Why expand mission? • Emerged through network of donators & supportors of GIC (Human Rights) • Natural by-product of program development & success

8. GIC Programs • Programs: • Monthly Gwangju News • Korean language courses for foreigners • English Library for foreigners • Counselling service for foreigners • Gwangju international community day • Monthly GIC Culture Tours • A weekly Talk to promote intercultural understanding • concert to fundraise money to help third world countries: • International youth exchange program for students • Financial assistance to third world countries and migrant workers • Collaboration with Asian Human Right Commission • Translation service

9. Developing a Strategic Service Vision:The Value Equation Value -for clients -staff -volunteers -donors Results + Process Quality = Cost + Ease of Access

10. Developing a Strategic Service Vision:The Value Equation – Process Quality • The Role of Process Quality • Dependability • Timeliness • Authority • Empathy • Tangible Evidence

11. Developing an Entrepreneurial Competitive Strategy: Assessing Your Strengths and Weaknesses • Governance • Management & Organization • Culture • Strategic Thinking/Planning • Resource Development • Financial Management & Reporting • Marketing & Promotion • Human Resources Management • Physical Plant & Equipment

12. Developing an Entrepreneurial Competitive Strategy: Service Delivery Assessment • Effectiveness • Cost • Personnel • Convenience • Quality

13. Cooperative Strategy:Recruiting Willing and Able Partners - Getting Started • Create a climate for partnerships • Create a plan for contact • Create a positive meeting environment • Create a negotiating team

14. Cooperative Strategy: Managing the Partnership:Road Map for Success • Analyze the organization & need for change • Create a shared vision & common direction • Separate from the past • Create a sense of urgency • Support a strong leader role • Line up political sponsorship • Craft an implementation plan • Develop enabling structures • Communicate, involve people, & be honest • Reinforce & institutionalize change

15. Working with Community • Key Steps for Cultivating and Continuing Community Connections

16. Assessing Performance • Define • Develop & Implement • Translate into Action

17. Defining Value in the Nonprofit Marketplace • Valued by measurable social impact • Social Return on Investment • Characterized by a strong commitment to positive social change • Sense of personal power to effect that change • Continuously adapt, learn & innovate

18. Performance Information • What’s needed • Reliable & timely performance info • A call for accountability • So how do we define value? • How do we measure it?

19. Performance Information • Steps to design & implement credible systems of measurement • How to use performance info to achieve a social mission

20. What is GIC’s social impact? • Measurable social impact • Collect performance info for • Internal audience • Staff – offer in-house training for volunteers • Board – how are their funds being used • Clients – offering something special to visitors • External audience • Investors - forms • Policymakers - none • Media – created a GN Advertising Brochure, contacts with KBS • Competitors – Tourist Board, gathering places of ex-pats, schools/companies employing large numbers of ex-pats • Organization information needs as the first priority

21. Prioritizing Performance Information • Prioritizing Info recognizes the value of it • To inform practice –don’t have to recreate the wheel • Planning – implementing new programs/expanding programs/stabilizing programs/eliminating programs • Quality of services to consumers – relationship, environment, service & product • This helps to explain to external audiences • How info can be presented – solicit more donations • Why it’s important – how GIC promotes intercultural learning & exchange • Eliminate duplicated demand of info by outsiders

22. Why collect performance info? • Inform practice • Demonstrate accountability • Improve planning • Better manage programs & services • Improve social impact of program & services • Meet funding requirements • Inform the field • Demonstrate cost effectiveness of services • Raise public awareness of the issues addressed • Demonstrate “social return on investment”

23. Measuring Performance • Clearly articulate what the organization is trying to do • What specific contribution • Community building • Lifelong learning • Friendship & intercultural relationships • Identity confidence • How the world is different – smaller, more intimate • Because of programs and services – eases culture shock, opens minds to new horizons • Measures should reflect strategies • Easy to measure – number of volunteers, members • Look good – number of people served, personal narratives of life change • Easy to understand – why should local Koreans help internationals in the area? Why should ex-pats come to GIC? How can they help give back what they are taking away? • Family of measures

24. Articulate Contribution • What is the organization’s unique contribution • Mission – why the org exists • Goals – driving force of mission • Objectives – measurable milestones of progress to achieve goals

25. GIC GIC Mission Statement Gwangju News Goal Culture Tour Goal Korean Language Program Goal GIC Talk Goal Objective

26. Theory of Change • Makes explicit all the assumptions that are embedded in the program design • Relationship between what you are doing and what you expect to happen as a result • Hard to measure mission in short term • So important to describe exactly how you will achieve objectives relates to the mission

27. SMART Objectives • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Realistic • Time-limited

28. Types of Objectives • Process objectives describe specific activities that are performed, by whom they are performed, and in what time period • Outcome objectives describe what is anticipated to change as a result of these activities

29. Some Questions • What impact did we have on reducing social problems in our society? • Is different from • What services did we provide to how many people over what period of time? • Emphasizing outcome at the expense of process fails to provide a complete picture of what has happened in the organization

30. Objectives • Setting objectives • Develop a uniform process • Be inclusive • Be clear and concise • Benchmarking • External • Internal • retrospective

31. Show relationship between interventions & results • Increases the credibility of the system being developed • Documents help develop the theory of change for the program • Documents help contribute to the development of objectives for the services & programs being provided

32. Checklist • Mission check your programs • Organizational vs Program Performance • Finance • Leadership/governance • Human resources • Strategic planning • Marketing/communications • Reflective practice

33. GIC’s challenges • First to develop and articulate goals in each area and explain how those goals will contribute to the mission • Next, after goals are established, develop process and outcome objectives

34. Assess current practices • What info has already been collected • Talk to staff – what has worked & not worked in the past

35. Develop Guiding Principles • Flexibility • High level of rigor • Integrated • User friendly • Responsive to multiple levels • Consistency of practice • Follow up of ownership • Consequences of noncompliance for not documenting

36. Some Questions • Determine what info is needed = indicators of success • What info is most useful to planning and executing programs efforts? • What info is needed for other audiences (funders, board, community) to ensure viability? • What can you afford on info gathering?

37. Feedback & Community Challenges • Squeaky wheel syndrome • Expansions & contractions • Annual ex-pat teacher contract

38. Methods • Quantitative • Qualitative • How to ask questions • What specifically needs to be known? • Who to ask?

39. Questions • What do you need to know? • How much flexibility do you have? • About whom or what do you need info? • When do you need the info? • What skills do you have in-house to collect info? • How much do you have in the way of staff time and financial resources to invest in the process?

40. Performance Information That Really Performs • Build in time to test your info-gathering tools and processes • Refine the tools and processes based on your findings • Look at the information being gathered and assess whether it is in the info you want or need. If not, try again. • Be prepared to confront the shortcomings of your current practice • Embrace truth and see it as an opportunity to improve

41. Translating Information into Action • Easier to collect than analyze info • Analysis – whose duty? Relevant skill set? • Social service skills • Social science skills • Build organizational capacity for Analysis • Contract out

42. Analysis • How often to analyze? • Some continuously • Others semiannually or annually (usually mission related) • Info used should be • Timely • Dynamic • Reach target audience to ensure credibility & cooperation

43. Reflection & Correction • Expect that an org is open to learning about the ways its programs are effective as well as opportunities for improvement • Special time for staff and board to review and reflect on perform info • Have process inform decision making and practice • “What does the info tell you about your program?” • “How do you intend to apply this info to improve services?”

44. Checklist • Make your audience active rather than passive recipients of info • Be inclusive in the process of interpreting the results • Be systematic & methodical • Be detail-oriented • Imagine & document procedures • Engage others in your vision • Set parameters for performance & to measure results

45. Visioning • Embrace change • Process of continuous learning • “affordable” is a state of mind

46. Summary