“One of the most important things I have learnt this week is that you have to give something back to the society from which you come, because however much you grow yourself there are people that still need help.” Neil Rumao, Henley MBA Student.
Laurence Estève, Co-Founder of Zip Zap Circus School explains, “As an NGO, NPO, we are always in need of professional advice and guidance. When Henley Business School approached us we took the opportunity for a win/win situation where their students will have a truly worthwhile experience and where Zip Zap will gain in strategy.
I first met the students over SKYPE. They were a
group of well-spoken, educated young people and I felt intimidated by their previous work experience. But as they asked me questions about Zip Zap, I felt they were genuinely interested about my project and were asking pertinent questions to help me and to help Zip Zap.
Everyone enjoyed working with them. They interviewed our Board of Trustees who felt acknowledged and recognised. They interviewed our beneficiaries – who are vulnerable children and could be frightened easily – with great respect. They had an easy interaction with all the staff.” Graeme Cairns, Director at St George’s Home for Girls agrees, “I was delighted that I was approached by Henley to be part of this stage of the MBA process. It was an opportunity not to be missed. I grabbed it with both hands. I put together an idea that the students could engage with, provided a clear understanding of the project, and also what I would like them to achieve at the end of the process.”
Cairns confirms, “the Henley MBA students more
than meet my expectations. The information and recommendations were just what we needed in order to assist us with the work we do. There is quite a bit of work for us to do now to reach those objectives.”
Ikamva Labantu Director Janine van Stolk was as equally delighted with the results, “It certainly exceeded what we anticipated. The group was extremely well-organised and prepared, so they managed to accomplish more than we expected. They had a wider contextual understanding than I thought would be possible about the government here in South Africa, local NGO peer organisations
and the sectors that we work in. They had clearly immersed themselves effectively and they had an unique attribute which was great team-play and cohesion that made them so much more effective than might otherwise have been the case.”
Explaining how the students contributed to Ikamva Labantu, Van Stolk says, “The Henley team project has given us a lot of value in several ways; firstly, it has bonded the internal organisation around a notion of reputation and image that we had not consciously factored in before. Now we can see the value of reputation and there is great interest to manage this more proactively going forward. The team’s insights were very strong and they provided us with clear issues and paths forward to consider; their articulation has provided us with fresh language and concepts to think about”. Van Stolk continued, “Working so closely with the group has given us confidence about working with external groups and drawing them in to help analyse our business. And of course, there is great value for us in receiving this kind of review which is not normally affordable or accessible for an organisation like ours”.
Yumma Martin Project Manager at FARR Foundation for Alcohol Related Research explains how NGOs can get the most out of this experience. “Preparation is definitely key to making this project a huge success. The students visit for one week only, so all the planning is required to take place long before that.
We worked very closely with the Henley co-
ordinating team in Cape Town and met often to discuss their expectations and our expectations of the project. Communication with the Henley students was continuous via e-mail, meetings and telephonically. We worked with them to plan the schedule for the students and to ensure that the relevant meetings and site visits were set-up for them. We would definitely recommend the Henley Project to other NGOs, as the experience is a positive, fulfilling one.”
“We would definitely recommend the Henley Project to other NGOs, as the
experience is a positive, fulfilling one.” Yumma Martin, Project Manager FARR December 2011 | Management Today 57
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