StratSynth Group - Organizational Strategy and Cooperations Objective - Case Study Example

Research Proposal: StratSynth Name: Institution: Introduction The significance of this paper is to analyze the situation of the drought crisis in East Africa. This research proposal will focus on StratSynth Group which is an organization that will assist in the strategic delivery of mechanisms that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, needs in addressing the current and future food crisis in East Africa and Africa as a whole. This paper will outline the various requirements and directives that StratSynth needs to successfully implement its organizational strategy and effectively fulfill the cooperation’s objective. Aim The main objective of StratSynth is to establish long term strategies that will assist social, economic and political unstable areas with the necessary tools to overcome the challenges associated with hunger, floods, diseases and warfare. Mission The mission statement of this organization is to meet future requirements in flood and disease stricken areas, or areas that have been disadvantaged by decades of warfare or economic denial. Vision To establish long term recovery and rehabilitation programmes for affected nations. Background of the Situation The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that approximately 795 million people around the globe are hunger stricken. This population includes 233 million people from Africa who were faced with hunger and malnutrition during the period of 2014-2016. Sub-Saharan Africa was the second largest area with hungry people since Asia had an estimated population of 512 million of hunger stricken population. This is attributed to the large population in Asian as compared to Sub-Saharan Africa (Food and Agriculture Organization et al., 2015). Efforts aimed at reducing hunger issues in Africa have proven to be ineffective since the Sub-Saharan area registers the highest prevalence globally. For instance, at least 1 in every 4 people in Sub-Saharan Africa remain malnutrition. However, the rate of malnutrition population has slightly decreased from 33.2% in 1990-1991 to 23.2% in 2014-2016. Poverty is identified as one of the key factors that have contributed to the rise of hunger in Africa. Statistics revealed that 47% of the demographic in Sub-Saharan Africa lives below poverty levels and survives on 1.90% on a daily basis. (World Bank, 2011b) A study by the World Bank (2011a), poverty and hunger rates are much higher in countries that are affected by violence. For instance, poverty rates are 20% more in regions that have experienced conflicts in the past three decades. Individuals occupying war zone areas are at a higher risk of being undernourished compared to those in stable countries. World Bank (2011a), affirm that nations with high cases of human rights abuse and political instability, have weak laws, poor government control and high rates of corruption. Such factors place these nations at a 30-45% risk of a civil war outbreak. Pestle Analysis Political Forces The agency will be operating domestically, and thus its activities will be greatly influenced by the political operations of a country. The political state of most countries in East Africa is stable however; cases of corruption are on the increase which could directly impact StratSynth operations. The local governments within these regions are driven by acts of impunity and greed. As a result, the organization will encounter various challenges in securing proper documentations for the registration process which will enable it to start operating. Corruption in this region is characterized by the lack of transparency and increased cases of bribery in the public sector (The Guardian, 2011). This leads to costly delays in the application process to set up an NGO due to the inconsistency when it comes to the application of regulations. Economic Forces The high rate of economic growth in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is steady. Technology and business investments in this region are expected to drive the economy of the countries in East Africa. Governments in this region continue to invest in the agriculture sector, information and communication technology as well as medium and small enterprises as a means to empower women and young people. The region enjoys an increased population of well educated workforce as well as a strong financial position with international organizations investing in various business and technological set ups (Market Research Reports, 2017). Socio-cultural forces As an organization that seeks to offer social support to the environmental, economic and social issues faced by the people of East Africa, social-cultural factors are minimal. Countries in East Africa are developing nations that require the help of international donors to assist in social stability. However, the birth rate in this region continues to increase annually which could threaten the mission of the NGO. This is because, as the birth rate increases the number of individuals affected by hunger, floods and diseases will also increase. This means that the organization will have to prepare a well thought out strategy which will cater for the current population and the possibility of an increase. Technological Forces As a region that is developing and embracing various forms of technology, East Africa is familiar with up to date technology. A country such as Kenya in East Africa has adequate supply of electricity that covers all urban areas and most rural regions. Most parts of East Africa generate electricity from water sources including the lakes which are the main sources of hydroelectricity and power. Thus technological forces pose minimal threat to the success of the organization (Market Research Reports, 2017). Environmental forces The main environmental issues that the organization must prepare for are the challenges associated with the unpredictable weather changes that take place in this region. Global warming has impacted the weather pattern in East Africa, whereby, the region may experience long term dry seasons which were unexpected or prolonged long rains. As result various areas in this region will be affected by drought or floods depending on the seasons. Thus the organization must prepare in advance for such events. Legal Forces The East Africa Community, have passed legislatives that govern NGOs. These legislatives tend to vary from one country to another. As a result the organization will have to ensure that it adheres to all rules and regulations governing their operations accordingly depending on the region they are occupying. Porter’s Five Forces The power of Supplier and the Power of Customers Suppliers and customers in this case are donors who invest in the organization to ensure that it is able to fulfill its mission statement (Lindenberg, 2001). These donors invest in the organization by donating resources in form of funds. The main donor investor for StratSynth is the Giving Pledge Committee. By investing in the organization, the Giving Pledge Committee will share the credit with StratSynth once it has successfully achieved its social obligation. Thus in order to retain the funding from Giving Pledge Committee, the organization must have a strong NGO leadership which will attract the interests of the committee members. The Competitive Rivalry NGOs working in a given region in most occasions tend to sign an agreement that an organization should not venture where another organization is already having its operations (Fisher, 1998). StratSynth main competitors in this scenario include various UN organizations in the region, USAID and local NGOs. These organizations have operated in the area long before the inception of StratSynth which might make it a bit challenging for the organization to set up its project in East Africa. Threat of New Entrant The potential threat of new entrant is quite low considering the already existing IGOs and NGOs in the region. Threat of Substitute Products In the NGO sector, the threat of substitute products can be defined as the competing funding requirements (Lindenberg, 2001). According to Nelson (1995), the arising social and economic needs of a region may give rise to new related developments that forces the organization to focus its resources into it. Hence, StratSynth may be required to set aside funds for development programmes such as nutrition, psychosocial or family planning programmes. Resources and Capabilities Required for StratSynth Mission StratSynth requires an efficient pool of human resource and adequate financial aid. In order for the organization to successfully execute its project it must have sufficient funds to buy services and products as well as pay its employees. Additionally, a capable and efficient human resource team must be put in place to ensure the smooth running of the operations spearheaded by StratSynth. Strategic and efficient managers have to be employed by the organization in order to ensure that the organization is run by a responsible and reliable leadership. All human resources must be well informed of the organization’s aim and mission, whereas the managers will ensure that the employees work towards fulfilling StratSynth’s objectives. In order to achieve this, StratSynth will need to partner up with various organizations which will assist it in achieving its objectives. Some of the organizations that StratSynth can seek assistance from includes; WHO, World Bank, USAID, UNSD and WFP. WHO and USAID world enable the organization to have sufficient data and resources that StratSynth may require for it to prepare for unforeseen competing funding requirements related to health issues. The World Bank is a reliable partner in lending financial help, which StratSynth will require for the inception of the organization and the smooth running of its operations. The United Nations Sustainable Development having had a background in the issues surrounding hunger and food security can be an effective partner for StratSynth. UNSD and WFP can use their background knowledge in the sector to offer StratSynth helpful directives and guidelines on the most effective strategies to implement. StratSynth can form an equity alliance with these organizations. An equitable alliance will positively influence the structural and implementation process of the organization’s operational strategies (Princen and Finger, 1994). By forming an equity alliance, the organization is likely to from long term partnerships which will enable it to closely work with organizations that share the same vision. An equity alliance will open new opportunities for the organization to share its resources with other NGOs in fulfilling its main objectives and empower it to expand into other regions of Africa and the world. Additionally, Melinda Gate’s interest in the organization is viable and can be considered as a partner as well. Her firms can be considered as part of the cooperative strategic relationship. This is because, this partnership could potentially lead to the provision of solutions to future unexpected environmental catastrophes related to social and economic programmes that StratSynth may be involved in. Organizational Structure for StratSynth The president of StratSynth is the founder and CEO who will work with other chief investors to outline the organization’s main goal and mission. The vice president HR will be in charge of the administrative work and internal control of all human resource personnel of the organization. The vice president HR will ensure that the organization has sufficient supervisors and managers who will assist in the smooth running the NGOs activities and operations. Operations and recruitment include regional officers, managers and supervisors. These individuals are responsible for ensuring that the organization has enough resources to complete its operations in a given region. Staffing development, involve identifying the right individual with the right skills and knowledge for a given task. Thus this part of the organization is involved in hiring and retaining of workers. The vice president finance is in charge of identifying potential investors and donors and inviting them to fund the organization’s programmes and operations. The treasury on the other hand is a section of the organization that will be responsible for managing how money is allocated towards projects as well as managing how it is being spent by ensuring that all monies in the organization are accounted for (Pei-heng, 1981). Conclusion StratSynth aims at eradicating the social and economical issues associated with hunger, floods and disease. The organization main focus is in Africa, which registers a high risk of these related issues. Thus the organization aims at identifying the core problems affecting the people of East Africa in relation to hunger and bringing in the right resources that will assist it in solving the issues identified. In order for StratSynth to be successful, it must ensure that it has an effective capacity building team that will foresee the proper management of the organization’s resources and financial aid. References Fisher, J. 1998. Nongovernments. NGOs and the Political Development of the Third World, West Hartford: Kumarian Press. Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, World Food Program. 2015. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014. Strengthening the enabling environment for food security and nutrition. Rome: FAO. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/3/a4ef2d16-70a7-460a-a9ac-2a65a533269a/i4646e.pdf [Accessed on 16th May 2017] Lindenberg, M., 2001. Are we at the cutting edge or the blunt edge?: Improving NGO organizational performance with private and public sector strategic management frameworks. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 11(3), pp.247-270. Market Research Reports. 2017. PESTLE Analysis of Kenya. [Online]. Retrieved From: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/countries/kenya [Accessed on 17th May 2017]. Nelson, P. J. 1995. The World Bank and Non-Governmental Organizations. The Limits of Apolitical Development. New York: St. Martin's Press and Houndmills: Macmillan Press. Pei-heng, C. (1981), Non-Governmental Organizations at the United Nations. Identity, Role and Function. New York: Praeger. Princen, T and Finger, M. 1994. Environmental NGOs in World Politics. Linking the Local and the Global, London: Routledge. The Guardian. 2011. Global population growth fears put to the test in Africa’s expanding cities. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/22/global- population-growth-africa-cities [Accessed on 18th May 2017] World Bank. 2011a. World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDR S/0,,contentMDK:23252415~pagePK:478093~piPK:477627~theSitePK:477624,00.html [Accessed on 18th May 2017] World Bank. 2011b. WDR 2011 Facts and Figures. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01306/web/pdf/english_wdr2011_facts_figures %20no%20embargo.pdf [Accessed on 18th May 2017] Read More