Save the Children needs to improve its effectiveness by unifying its 27 separate national organizations, which work in 100 different countries. This global charity operates with a single mission: to ensure the well-being of children around the world. This work often takes place in countries where children go without enough food and where many have no access to education.
By the nature of its mission, Save the Children often works in countries where people suffer under dire economic conditions. The job can present different challenges in different places, but one thing the group needs everywhere is coordination of its efforts. This is where the Unified Presence project comes in.
Each of the 27 Save the Children national organizations essentially operates on its own. At a given time, there may be up to five groups working in the same country independently, with no sharing of resources and often with no sharing of information. Save the Children saw an opportunity to improve its operation by unifying the national organizations; working with BCG, it launched the first Unified Presence pilot program in Myanmar.
A unified structure gives Save the Children increased credibility with other nongovernment organizations and donors. In addition, it makes the organization more prominent, which is crucial in being offered opportunities to help children. Finally, it benefits from the exchange of best practices, which is impossible when national groups are operating separately.
To do this type of work for a charity organization, the BCG team uses many of the same practices that lead to success in the business world. The main difference in a project like this is that the results are measured not in improving corporate value but rather in improving the quality of life for children in some of the world's poorest and most isolated countries.
In Myanmar, the BCG project team worked with Save the Children to consolidate the three national organizations that were operating independently there. The project was approached essentially as a series of small postmerger integrations.
The first step in the process was to develop a blueprint of what the new unified organization would look like. This involved extensive communication with headquarters and with regional and field offices, preplanning workshops, and the creation of timelines and work plans.
Once key decisions had been made, the team moved into the implementation planning phase, selecting Unified Presence coordinators and specifying the funds that would be needed in the field. This phase involved the gathering of more data, the development of job descriptions, the selection of staff members, and regular budget updates.
Six months into the project, the transition period and execution of the plan began. Save the Children U.K. became the managing member in Myanmar, merging with Save the Children Japan and Save the Children U.S.
The initial review analyzed everything from administration to communications, funding, information technology, human resources, bank accounts, and reporting, and a plan was made as to what the key milestones in the process would be.
Because the Myanmar project was the first Unified Presence pilot program launched by Save the Children, it provided strategic insights and lessons that will guide future unification efforts in other countries.
"Someone once said to me that when you think you've communicated enough, you have usually only just started," said one team member. "Channels of communication between country and head offices need to be given priority for everyone involved to keep them up to date, to receive quick answers, and to resolve issues as fast as possible."
In any country where this type of unification effort is undertaken, it is crucial to put together an effective management team to lead the unified organization. In Myanmar, the project brought together three different organizations—with different cultures and working styles—that had never worked together. To make the transition as smooth as possible, the BCG team developed a custom workshop to help the leadership team define a shared vision and culture for the unified organization.
Keeping the unification project moving ahead at a brisk pace was another important factor in maintaining momentum and excitement about the process.
"If it doesn't feel like you're completely rushed and way too intense, you're probably not going fast enough," said a member of the Save the Children leadership team. "We achieved the main integration milestone in Myanmar three or four months ahead of schedule. We'll reap the benefits of that because three or four months down the road, we'll already feel like we're operating as one team.
"It was definitely the right decision to do this. If it had been left to the normal Save the Children way of working, this would have taken us 18 months to two years. That would have been a complete disaster."
The greatest tangible success of Unified Presence in Myanmar has been in the area of fundraising. Not only is Save the Children's money now being spent more wisely through economies of scale, but the organization has gained significant extra funding through its collaborative approach.
The new, unified Save the Children in Myanmar recently put together its first joint proposal, which was submitted to the U.K. Department for International Development. With the approval of that proposal, Save the Children received an education grant worth U.S.$4.5 million.
In addition to the improved fundraising, human resources is benefiting by having all staff in one location, and there has been improved sharing of ideas and support.
The leadership team also believes the unification in Myanmar will lead to more efficient implementation of programs. The end result will be a greater percentage of money going directly to programs for children, with less being spent on running the organization.
