Save the Children Study Project - Research Paper Example

?TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS IN AN ORGANIZATION: Identification of the problems in any organization is very important for the improvement of the organization. SAVE THE CHILDREN is one of the leading non government organizations that are working for the betterment of children .Same here in Pakistan, it is working in collaboration with another organizations. COLLABORATION WITH AN NGO FOR PROBLEM ASSESSMENT: The WATSAN (water and sanitation) students of Comsats Institute of Information Technology carried out this with collaboration to an NGO which was “SAVE THE CHILDREN” NGO and the project they running for this water pump installation and toilets provision was “WATSAN” project. Due to our expertise in water and sanitation as a researcher, we were called by the organization to study the loop holes of the organization and also to carry out the assessment of the ongoing running project by the NGO. The NGO was running the project of installing hand pumps for the Afghan refugees which is the largest Afghan refugee’s camp in Pakistan, located in Haripur. Due to this team work and collaboration, it was quiet easy to sort out the locations from where the water sample was to be taken because the NGO already knew the sites, so we just needed to travel along with them and take out the water sample from different areas and bring them back to our university. Before going for field work, we had a group discussion with the community mobilizer of the NGO, he told us about the situation and conditions of the project and about the success of the project. The NGO was recently working on phase 2 of the project, and in phase 1 it provided the hand pumps and the flush toilets to the community. Recently in the phase 2 they were covering two union councils of the Haripur in which 18 hand pumps was the target. First twenty years, this NGO served afghan refugee community (which is the highest community of Afghans in Pakistan located in Haripur). This NGO developed a water user association in which they provides the community management skills to the people and the aim is to develop linkage of the local people with the authorities. For this task of the provision of the hand pumps and the flush toilets, the NGO worked as a community need based assessment and started to work, employing the local people for the physical force, and also taken 20 percent share from the local people. Since 8-9 months the activities has been ceased but management team is still there to monitor. To make the investment sustainable the NGO links the organization to the government. It worked on the basis of gross root institutional development which is directly proportional to the development. The NGO also made the district health board for the local community. The NGO also conducted health and hygiene sessions for the local awareness and community management skills training program. The community mobilization process included the need assessment, realization, and conceptualization. In the management skill training involved the process of consultation, gain and confidence and future vision. FIELD ANALYSIS: During the field analysis, we collected the sample from the water sources and put them in the labeled glass bottles and keep the lid tight. The sample bottles were pre sterilized to avoid the contamination. As the precautionary measure it was important that to close the bottle lids as soon as the water was put in the bottle, this was to avoid the air contamination in the samples and it was done according to the precautionary measures. SURVEY SITES: There were 18 different sampling sites from where the water sample was required to be collected. But due to lack of time we collected the water samples from ten different sites. All the water sampling sites were located in two union councils. WATERSAMPLING: The water sample was collected and kept in a bag that was specially designed to keep the water sample cool. Each water sample consisted of 50 ml sample. Also each water sample was labeled with a black marker followed by the name of the area and the sample number. Two samples were drawn from each water source, one sample was for determination of turbidity and the second sample from the following site was for the determination of the fecal contamination. ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATION: We analyzed the organization, its environment, the work records, the skills of the trainees. During the sampling procedures, we kept the trainees with us. We analyzed the water sample, interviewed the community so that we may get the better idea of how the organization is working and where are the loopholes. LAB ANALYSIS: Lab analysis was done by performing certain experiments in order to determine the E.coli contamination and also the turbidity. For the turbidity determination, the turbidity meter was used, the pH was calculated using pH meter and for the E.coli contamination, EMB (Eosin methylene blue lactose sucrose agar) media was prepared and used for the purpose. Table 1: Standards for Water Quality Parameters Sr. No Parameter WHO Standard Pakistan Standard 1 pH 6.5-8.5 6.5-8.5 2 Turbidity ‹ 5 NTU ‹ 5 NTU 3 E Coli Must not be detectable in any 100 ml sample Must not be detectable in any 100 ml sample PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION OF ORGANIZATION: After the problem analysis of the organization regarding training, research and development, we came to the final conclusions of the problems we analyzed. This portion discusses the identified problems and in the next portion we shall discuss that what was done regarding these problems. PROBLEM 1) Due to lack of poor water quality having a fecal contamination in it, the people of Haripur were constantly complaining that their children are getting ill and becoming ill with diarrhea, because of the presence of e.coli. The organization installed the water pumps but most of the people were not using it frequently like a normal person usage of water. PROBLEM 2) the organization installed the water pumps without analyzing the quality of water that was present underground. They didn’t conduct the water sampling so that they could do any kind of modification with the water pump installed. PROBLEM 3) the water quality was deteriorated and was not potable, whereas people of the village had no other choice at the end of the day but to use the same water from the deteriorated source. PROBLEM 4) there was lack of skills regarding the communication and convincing skills of the trainer within an organization, so because of the ineffective communication of the trainers that used to inform people of how to use the water pumps, people were reluctant to use this water and often used it as a secondary source, not a primary source. PROBLEM 5) it was also one of the most threatening problems of the organization that they were not keeping the documented records of the day to day activity. All the organizations that go beyond the stories of success have this important component of record keeping. So they may be able to revise the report or a project and for further looking in. So it is a very important component that was absent regarding the WATSAN project. PROBLEM 6) Health and hygiene sessions record were taken granted, and due to lack of proper mobilization and ineffective sessions, the villagers (local as well Afghans) were not following the hygienic approaches. To make this thing sure, we conducted several interviews from the local and Afghan community and they said that they never had proper health and hygiene sessions. PROBLEM 7) the laboratory results showed that the water was not potable (recommended for drinking). All of the ten samples showed the bacterial contamination and this was unknown to the NGO which did not conduct any pre analysis of water before installing hand pumps. SOLVING THE PROBLEM: APPROACH OF TOT (training of trainers):- After the sampling and problem identification and analysis of the problem, we came to the conclusion to conduct the TOT of the organization, and trained them by conducting a training workshop of the employees and trainers. The training seminar included the following components. 1. Training including verbal and practical training. 2. Hygiene training. 3. Open group discussion. 4. Motivation approach for the trainers by the head of the WATSAN program. Training including verbal and practical training:- The verbal training included the power point presentation that highlighted the main issues regarding the water quality and training of the employees. Also in the training, it was emphasized to document the daily reports of the project of WATSAN, and proper attendance procedure must be adopted in order to complete the project within the given time frame. Also, the use of Microsoft word and Excel was emphasized, their importances were discussed and short introduction (how to use) to this software were given to the employees. Two types of practical training were given to the trainers. One of the training included the sampling techniques of the water sampling. As the experimental analysis could only be done in the laboratories, so it was not possible to give them the training of experimental analysis because these things are not included in their expertise. But the sampling technique was taught in the training workshop and each of the trainers was asked to repeat the procedure of water sampling twice. Because this was the important aspect to check the water quality, and it will save time in the future that they can transfer their samples directly to our university. The second practical training that was given to the trainers was the boiling of water and use of filter paper for water purification. Because already the water pumps were installed and it was not possible to construct some water purification plants to each and every water source pump. As, it was known to us that the we can kill the bacteria E.coli that is caused by the fecal contamination by proper boiling the water, so this training of boiling the water and use of filter paper at every water pump was taught to the trainers. Each filter paper installation to every water pump was practically performed in front of the trainers and detailed description of how to boil the water was given to the trainers in any case. Along with this, the ideas of placing posters to main streets of villages were given to the trainers. So it will also help in the community awareness. This poster included the slogan “boil the water before drinking” and description of how to boil the water. Hygiene training:- The hygiene training was given to the trainers for the community to be trained. This training included washing hand with soap after playing, after using toilets, working, or any kind of outdoor activity. The target audience was all ranging from the age of 6-old age. Open group discussion:- After the lunch, open forum discussion was held in which there was question answer session and then open group discussion. The problems of the trainers were discussed and any ambiguity regarding the training of the villages was removed. Motivation approach for the trainers by the head of the WATSAN program:- At the end of the training workshop, the trainers and employees were motivated by the head of the program. The head also informed that the importance of water quality relating to the development of the society. And the head also emphasized on the proper documentation procedures and hardcopy as well as soft copy of the documents. CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE ORGANIZATION STUDY: For any organization, there are certain factors that make it a successful one. Most important of these factors are the employees and workers of the organization Effective interaction and proper communication is also another important aspect. There was no proper monitoring system for the organization documentation. To keep the day to day records of the organization is very important aspect as it will help to discover the loop holes of any project. Due to lack of record keeping and incomplete skills of the trainers, there was a problem in achieving the milestone of the project. Training and development is very important aspects of the organization to reach to the heights, to improve the organization that was lacking. Proper skills are required regarding the raising awareness and the community mobilization to mark its effects. REFERENCES: Save the children. (2011). Pakistan. Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150547/ Save the children. (2011). About Us. Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6146405/k.C7E9/About_Us.htm Muhammad, Z. (2010). Analysis of Save the Children Organization. (Working paper 2010). Abbottabad, Pakistan: Comsats institute of information technology. APPENDIX CFU: Colony Forming Unit E.coli: Escherichia Coli EMB: Eosin Methylene Blue Lactose Sucrose Agar NGO: Non Governmental Organization NTU: Nephlometric Turbidity Unit TOT: Training of trainers WATSAN: Water and Sanitation Read More