By Fatou Sowe
The Child Protection Alliance (CPA) recently completed a three-day workshop for 30 leaders of its member organisations on leadership and management skills. The activity which is sponsored by Save the Children was held at the Baobab Holiday Resort and aimed at offering a safe space for directors and board members of CPA member organisations to critically reflect on challenges and dilemmas of leadership.
According to the organisers, the engagement will also help participants to develop effective management teams; develop good governance practice, build functional working relationships between board members and directors; and develop effective managerial and leadership skills and qualities.
“CPA as an organisation believes that there is talk of a leadership deficit, because of the shortage of talented leaders and the growth of the non-profit sector generally. As a result there is some urgency in attempts to develop a new generation of leaders, and to provide relevant support to existing and future leaders,” the organisers said.
This leadership workshop was meant to provide leaders, managers and Board members of CPA member organisations with the critical leadership qualities and skills needed to enhance success within their organisations and positively influencing their bottom-line results.
It also provided a safe space for CPA member organisations to have honest reflections on how to navigate the complex environment NGOs operate in. The discussions were particularly focused on how leadership and governance planning and development can contribute to gearing NGOs to address challenges of this changing aid context.
The workshop also discussed effective board Governance which meant to make boards more effective and productive in the way they manage their organizations and institutions and the objective was to enhance the ability of participants to effectively increase the functioning and performance of their boards.
To remain relevant and effective and be able to continue to play a pivotal role in the creation of a child-friendly environment for children in The Gambia, CPA and its member organisations must both create and build leaders for sustainability and the future, the Alliance said.
