The board of Impact Forward, a mid-sized NGO focused on health research in Africa, was stuck. Meetings were dull, filled with routine reports and polite nods. Strategy discussions? Rare and superficial. Worse still, the senior management team (SMT) operated like a silo, with limited input from the board. The result? Stalled projects, frustrated donors, and research outputs that weren’t making the headlines they should. Whereas resource mobilization or rather diversification was the key strategic challenge, the subject never appeared on the board agenda!
The chair of the board finally said it aloud during a meeting: “We’re spinning our wheels. Where’s the impact we promised?” What will we show for our time on the board after our term ends in the next two years?
The Self-Assessment
Recognizing the dysfunction, the board agreed to a full governance review. An external facilitator, Mr Strategy of Summit Consulting, to facilitate a self-assessment that highlighted glaring gaps. The board was reactive, not strategic. The SMT wasn’t aligned with the board’s vision, and decisions lacked accountability. The report was brutal but necessary.
The chair put it bluntly: “We’ve been asleep at the wheel. Time to wake up.”
Targeted Training
Armed with the assessment, the board rolled out targeted training. Board members learned how to shift from operational meddling to strategic oversight. They practiced decision-making frameworks tailored to high-stakes NGO environments. SMT members, meanwhile, were coached on aligning research goals with the board’s long-term vision.
The training sessions weren’t easy. One senior leader remarked, “I didn’t realize how much I was micromanaging until we unpacked it in that session.”
Governance isn’t glamorous, but it’s the backbone of every effective organization. For Impact Forward, admitting their failures and taking action turned a stagnant NGO into a leader in its field.
Mr.Strategy Tweet
The transformation
The results were tangible. Board meetings became focused and productive, with clear priorities and actionable outcomes. The SMT embraced accountability, delivering quarterly updates tied to key performance indicators. Most importantly, the organization regained its momentum, publishing groundbreaking research that attracted new funding.
One donor summed it up best: “This is the Impact Forward we believed in.”
The lesson
Governance isn’t glamorous, but it’s the backbone of every effective organization. For Impact Forward, admitting their failures and taking action turned a stagnant NGO into a leader in its field. If your board is coasting, it’s time to face the music. Self-assess. Train. Act. It’s not just about fixing problems; it’s about unlocking potential.
