Effective management is essential for the social sector, just as it is for public administration and businesses. Without it, organizations cannot efficiently achieve their goals. Social Purpose Organizations (SPOs) also rely on proper management to attain the scale necessary for making a significant impact and addressing social issues effectively.
Development Management is a distinctive approach tailored specifically for SPOs. It recognizes the unique needs of the social sector and sets it apart from traditional management practices. By emphasizing collaboration, participation, inclusiveness, and an open architecture, Development Management aligns management principles with the requirements of societal and developmental perspectives.
Development Management will be realized by integrating management principles from other fields like managing businesses and managing the state and public institutions with a comprehensive understanding of society and societal change.
By combining refined management principles with a deep comprehension of society and development, SPOs can amplify their impact and contribute to positive social change. Development Management empowers these organizations to address their unique challenges while staying true to their mission.
There is an urgent need to ‘professionalise’ the ‘management’ of social purpose organisations. We need an ecosystem for the development of professionals trained for Leadership and Management roles in the Social Sector. These individuals need to respond with understanding and empathy to the systemic and cultural issues of communities, while not losing sight of impact, scalability, and sustainability.
Development Management has the power to create unimaginable social impact and help millions and billions have access to their basic rights and provide each one of them an opportunity to lead a meaningful life. It has the power to provide them with the freedom of opportunities and develop agency in making decisions that affect their well-being. Development management can be instrumental in developing a cadre of professionals who are reflective and equipped to take on the uniquely non-linear, complex, and often inextricably interconnected societal issues, working towards equitable and sustainable impact.
Development Management is rooted in perspectives singular to development, focusing more on improving the lives of the underprivileged and marginalised, and solving complex societal issues, by finding relevant responses and designing interventions that have greater sustainable impact at scale. Even though there is a need to understand Marketing, Talent Management, Organizational Behavior, etc., the lens used needs to be deep-rooted in society with comprehensive and diverse perspectives on development.
Impact. Sustainability. Scalability. Focusing on these three areas, while continuing to respond to context-specific needs. Leaders and managers who are cognizant of the need for systems thinking, collaboration, equity, participative processes towards development of all beings and the planet, while being deeply embedded in universal human values.