A GLIMPSE AT THE
FUTURE
The Association for the Physically Disabled Greater Johannesburg
(APD) faces numerous challenges to ensure that it not
only survives but thrives in the coming years and continues
to serve its community.
In order to survive, organisations need to change and,
of course, you can’t change unless you survive.
Changes are happening within the Association but this
process requires resources. The implementation of change
results in additional demands on already inadequate income
streams and also places extra pressure on hard-working
staff.
But, the good news is that thanks to a dedicated and
able management team and staff, supportive donors and
an encouraging Executive Committee, the APD is equipped
to tackle the future.
Core Strategies
The APD has devoted considerable energies over the past
few years to an extensive transformation process. The
three core strategies we identified as being vital to
the realisation of our Mission and Vision are as follows:
Ø A
Public Profile Strategy focusing on improving
awareness of the Association
Ø A Human Resources
Strategy focusing on HR governance issues,
including transformation
Ø A Finance Strategy
focusing on financial governance issues and financial
sustainability.
The Core Strategies are due for review in the coming
year. In the meantime, good progress has been made with
their implementation. One area where we are particularly
pleased with progress made is the area of governance,
which in the words of our Chairman, Patrick Mabunda, is
the most important feature of a successful NPO.
Since undertaking an audit based on the Code of Corporate
Practices and Conduct contained in the King II report
of August 2004, progress includes:
· A Good Governance Workshop for
Executive Committee members and senior staff on the roles,
responsibilities and legal obligations of Board members.
· The development and adoption by the Executive
Committee of a Code of Ethics and also a Conflict of Interest
Policy and Statement. The Conflict of Interest Statement
has been signed by each member of the Executive Committee
and the Director.
· The formation of an Employment Equity Forum.
In consultation with staff, the Forum identified barriers
to employment equity and measures to address these barriers.
These have been included in an Employment Equity Plan
that has been adopted by the Executive Committee.
The demographics of the Association’s staff by
occupational level at October 2005 reflect that, of the
52 members of staff: 75% were women, 8% were Coloured,
78% were black, 4% were Asian, 10% were white and 17%
were people with disabilities.
Overall, the organisation’s demographics are largely
in line with those of the sector and the communities served.
However, change is still required at the Top and Senior
Management levels where, although five of the six managers
were female, only two were black, three were white, one
was Asian and none had a disability.
Self autonomy of CBOs
On the financial front, an important initiative was undertaken
this year which will impact positively on the long-term
sustainability of our organisation. This was a medium
term strategy to grow community-based organisations (CBO)
to take responsibility for programmes operating in their
areas that have historically been managed on an outreach
basis by the Association. Decentralisation of programmes
to CBOs will ensure that:
· Services remain relevant to the
local community and improved sustabinability arising from
government’s stated preference for funding CBO’s.
· A net reduction in the Association’s requirement
for funds and an opportunity to refocus efforts on meeting
the growing need for a variety of services within the
boundaries of Greater Johannesburg itself.
This three-year strategy deals with the Association’s
outreach projects in the communities of Soweto, Eldorado
Park, Lenasia, Orange Farm, Tembisa, Daveyton and Sebokeng.
Already, considerable progress towards autonomy has been
made by the St Raphael Workshop in Eldorado Park, thanks
to the formation of a new committee for the workshop under
the accomplished leadership of the Rev Jerry Hope.
The HIV/Aids pandemic
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is impacting, and will increasingly
impact, upon our organisation in two significant ways
– an increased demand on our services and the diminishing
access to funds.
Funding organisations recognise the obvious need to support
programmes that address the ravages of HIV/AIDS. The needs
of people with disabilities have been eclipsed by the
plight of AIDS sufferers.
In addition, the role that the Association plays in the
treatment of individuals disabled by AIDS is not understood
and therefore not supported. Funds are pouring into organisations
whose primary focus is HIV/AIDS to the detriment of others.
One of our key focuses going into the future therefore
is the education of potential funders about the important
role that our organisation plays in caring for those individuals
and their families whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS.
We are fortunate to have in our employ staff with the
expertise and commitment to rise to the additional challenges
posed by HIV/AIDS.
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. And there
are no shortcuts to achieving our Vision and Mission.
However, where there is passion and commitment, there
will always be progress.
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