An Analysis of a Nonprofit in the Grater NYC Area: Doctors without Borders - Case Study Example

An analysis of a nonprofit in the grater NYC area: Doctors without Borders 0 Organization overview Located on 3337th Avenue, New York, this organization was founded after frightening images were televised to the French people from Nigeria in the Biafra wars of late 1960s and early 70s (doctorswithoutborders.org). The Southern Nigeria war that saw government troops starve inhabitants of the province of Biafra led a group of doctors to come up with humanitarian outfit that would go beyond, political, religious and geographic boundaries to help those in need, especially in conflict areas. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was created as a result of the call to provide humanitarian help by 300 volunteers who were made up of health practitioners: doctors, nurses and other employees who added value to the course (Suen, 2002). The founding principal of this organization is that; all people of whatever gender, race, religion or political inclination, have a right to medical care irrespective of their geographic location. MSF, as an organization is guided by the following principles contained in their charter: members of MSF have an understanding of risks involved in their missions and have no claims for compensation besides that offered by the association. MSF helps all members of the population in distress regardless of race, religion or political affiliations. It observes neutrality under universal medical ethics with the right to humanitarian assistance Finally, volunteer members of MSF remain true to their professional code of ethics in the execution of their humanitarian functions and are not inclined to any powers whatsoever, be they economic, political or religious. 2.0 Fundamental Doctrines of MSF According to Suen (2002), below are the fundamental doctrines that define this non-profit entity: Medical Ethics: The organization’s actions are fundamentally medical. In this regard, MSF works within the confines of ethical codes in medicine with the core purpose of providing care that does not harm individuals or victim groups. The members, therefore, respect patient autonomy, confidentiality and their right to enlightened consent. Despite their patients being in desperate need, these medical codes are always observed and patient dignity is always upheld. Their cultural and religious beliefs are respected as MSF strives towards the provision of superior quality medical care to all patients in need. Independence: MSF offers assistance to any country in need after an independent assessment of the population’s needs. The organization, therefore, works extremely hard to enjoy the power to freely move among the population to evaluate their medical needs and take full control of their aid. To achieve this power, MSF has a policy of receiving a small portion of their donor funding from governments and other intergovernmental institution. Involving governments make it easier for the organization to work freely even in areas of dangerous political conflicts. Impartiality and Neutrality: This covers MSF’s mandate to offer assistance to all people from all walks of life. Priority is however given to those in the most serious and pressing danger, so decisions made thereof, are not arrived at on the basis of political or economic interests. The organization makes no intervention to any demands of conflicting parties when operating in war zones. Standing up as a Witness: Being impartial does not mean that MSF, remains silent when acts of violence are committed in their presence. It’s a principle to speak out and bring public attention to acts of violence. Publicity is sought in cases when access to medical help is hindered in a conflict, medical facilities threatened and provision of aid not handled properly. Accountability: MSF regularly asses the aftermath of their activities and accounts for all their actions to both patients and donors. Their funds are also regularly audited for transparency. 3.0 The Four-Frame Model This model by Bolman and Deal (2013) is useful in better understanding issues within an organization with regards to diagnosis, development and change. It has four tenets, the structural frame, human resource frame, political frame and symbolic frame. Below is a deeper analysis of the frames: The structural Frame: This examined organizational architecture which covers areas of overall goals, technology at use, roles and coordination involved in achieved those goals. An organizational chart is one holistic look at the structural frame. Where there are structural misalignment, redesign of the chart is undertaken so that responsibilities are better realigned for better implementation of policies. The human resource frame: This tenet focuses on the appreciation of people and their relationships within an organization. Organizations are run by people who have needs beyond financial reward, as such, their fears, feelings and skills must be taken into account. Harmonizing personal development goals with those of the organization is useful in helping the objectives of the organization be met. This tenet is purely about making the people feel better about themselves for optimal output. The political frame: An organization is an arena of contest where people fight for power, resources and sheer competition. Given diversity in values, interests and skills within any organization, it is important to use political acumen to arrive at solutions. The political dynamics in an organization can either destroy or lead to greater innovations depending on how it’s managed. The symbolic Frame: This frame examines meaning and faith where rituals, culture and the organizations story has much deeper meaning than results. The people in the context of this frame are much more passionate about culture, symbols and spirits in an organization compared to rules and managerial authority. MSF, for example, has its sacrifice and ability to work in the most difficult of areas as more appealing than any other policies, under this frame. 4.0 MSF and the four Frames Relative to the four frames discussed above, the structural frame which is has huge significance to MSF, therefore, is explained below (Redfield, 2013): Planning as part of the structural frame: This is an important aspect of MSF’s operations given the dangerous nature of their work locations. In this phase, the following are done: Strategic Planning: Members of the MSF board have undertaken to come up with a strategic plan that gives the overall direction of the nonprofit. Because these m are mostly medical doctors under the leadership of Dr. Deane Marchbein, the organization’s president, coming up with such plans are founded on practical field experience (Fox, 2014). This phase gives priority to operational areas where most resources and the minimum benchmarks that must be met for MSF to respond. Planning for programs: MSF’s activities cover medical/humanitarian issues and research in the field of medicine, which are its core programs. The organization’s medical team provides services that cover immunization to the fight against neglected diseases all the way to complex surgical procedures. Some of these services are offered to poor people in areas that are not necessarily under either conflict or natural disaster. This means that proper plans must be adopted on how these can be done and which are given top priority. Humanitarian issues are the organizations core functions and plans must be in place to handle medical needs in conflict areas, during natural disasters, among neglected people and in refugee/IDP camps. Resource planning: All these programs must be funded and implemented by qualified human resource. Allocating funds for medical equipments, logistics and human resource is a pivotal segment of MSF’s operational success. The human resource frame: This is where the board sets direction for the growth of human resource and other resources like facilities, policies and procedures. Below is an explanation of the development areas: Revenue / fundraising development: At this stage, programs are planned for with projections on donor funding and matching expenses clearly outlined. In the event of budget deficits, MSF must come up with fund raising mechanisms that may include and not limited to running Adverts on all media platforms to appeal for contribution from the public. These roles are given to people with the drive and knowledge to competently get the tasks done. Board, staff and volunteer development: The board MSF is developed by matching the required expertise necessary in achieving MSF’s strategic plans. As such, board members are picked from diverse experiences in the medical field so that they not only bring their managerial abilities, but rich knowledge in medical challenges addressed by the nonprofit. This has the significance that human resource functions are matched with competence from the board level. Given that MSF depends on volunteers, it is important not to accept anyone who shows interest but evaluate the amount of value they add to the overall objectives. Development of other resources: To effectively render its mandate, MSF must have proper and state of the art equipments, good medical facilities and efficient procedures. Having proper policies and procedures are of great significance because they direct resources that are; money and human resource. These resources must be constantly developed through adequate allocation of funds and expertise so that MSF can continue to deliver on its medical and humanitarian mandates that are part of its core functions. The political Frame: This frame as earlier discussed; covers power contests with an organization which touches at the heart of the actual work of MSF. It covers the organization’s performance of its core functions across all the program areas from a political perspective. The following happens in this frame: Supervision and teamwork: For the organization to perform its duties, supervision and team work must exist. The process of supervision at MSF runs down the organization structure starting from the board, through to program directors all the way to volunteers. The organization has managed political contests by engaging professional volunteers who are not driven by financial gain alone, but also by making a difference. Competition within the organization is on the basis of lives saved, dangerous regions visited and the severity of need addressed. This is not the case in profit making entities where end year bonuses and departmental allocations are the major bone of contention. In this regard, therefore, MSF has developed a working matrix of healthy political atmosphere. The symbolic Frame: This is an important frame because it shows what it is MSF stands for beyond the complex policies and dangerous logistical procedures. The following areas of are central to the organization’s symbolic frame (Fox, 2014): Board composition: Board members at MSF are people who are not only capable of making a lot of financial gain in private practice if they choose to leave this organization, but have also worked in the most dangerous of regions. These are extremely competent professionals who gave it all up to help the vulnerable in the society; a powerful symbolic gesture. Staff and volunteers profiles: Volunteers and staff are people with an unusual drive to make a difference. Working at MSF for most staff and volunteers is a religious exercise and not employment. This symbolism is what motivates them to risk their lives in regions that ordinary people would not dare visit, let alone for reasons of helping strangers. The staff and volunteer consider their duties as doing ‘God’s work’, which a very powerful symbol. 5.0 conclusions MSF has not only helped millions around the world by coming to their aid in difficult times, but has also incorporated prudent internal managerial systems that ensure the delivery of these services are done within acceptable frameworks. From the organization’s guiding principles and fundamental doctrines as examined above, it has emerged that MSF is indeed anchored on the premise of professionalism and good governance. The four frameworks’ evaluation has revealed an organization that is cognizant of the significance of its structural well being but has an equally fluid human resource frame, political grounding and immense symbolism. It is safe to conclude that MSF has met the fundamentals of a solid organization with the means and capacity to execute its mandate for many years to come. References Bolman, Lee G. & Deal, Terrence E. (2013). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (5th Ed) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-1118573334/ Fox, R. C. (2014). Doctors without borders: Humanitarian quests, impossible dreams of Médecins sans frontières. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org Redfield, P. (2013). Life in crisis: The ethical journey of Doctors without Borders. Berkeley: University of California Press. Suen, A. (2002). Doctors without Borders. New York: PowerKids Press. Read More