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024. Organizational ethics, integrity, power and governance: Alex Cole-Hamilton

024. Organizational ethics, integrity, power and governance: Alex Cole-Hamilton

FromNGO Soul + Strategy


024. Organizational ethics, integrity, power and governance: Alex Cole-Hamilton

FromNGO Soul + Strategy

ratings:
Length:
41 minutes
Released:
May 13, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Summary What is wrong with the current approach to organizational ethics and integrity in NGOs?Why is using a lens of power analysis so helpful to bring INGO governance into focus?Only by looking at the very core of how organizations work,  we can begin to achieve the deep and effective change needed across the sector. In this episode, we discuss organizational ethics and integrity concerns in INGOs with Alex Cole-Hamilton, independent consultant.Alex’s BioIndependent consultant, advising boards and executives on ethics and integrity risks and related decision-making frameworksFormer head of Ethics and Compliance, Oxfam Great Britain (GB)Former head of Corporate Responsibility, Oxfam GBFormer Ethical Trade project manager, The Body Shop Quotes“At that time, it felt colonial to work in the NGO sector, so I went to work in the private sector instead”“The field of ethics and integrity is quite young in INGOs”“This approach feels big upfront, but will actually make this work more manageable in the medium term”  We discussed: Concrete examples of issues that are relevant for INGO’s ethics and integrity: environmental footprint; pay equity; anti-modern slavery practices; decolonizing aid; safeguarding, etc.The benefits of categorizing our work on organizational ethics and integrity into three categories: 1) organizational behavior; 2) individual behavior; 3) risk and assurance It is useful to distinguish between the issues relevant to integrity and ethics, and how they need to be operationalized in individual behavior, culture, leadership, the NGO’s supply chains, etc.How the steer needs to come from donors as well as those who govern the INGO to redirect some money from direct programming to organizational ethics and integrity practices – especially given the strengths of the ‘overhead myth’ How abuse of power is at the root of many violations of integrity, and how a power analysis therefore can be usefully applied by boards. Resources:Website: alexcolehamilton.com Alex’s LinkedIn profileRecent blog posts:https://www.alexcolehamilton.com/power-analysis-and-governance/https://www.alexcolehamilton.com/the-power-behind-organisational-integrity/ Click here to subscribe to be alerted when new podcast episodes come out or when Tosca produces other thought leadership pieces.Or email Tosca at tosca@5oaksconsulting.org if you want to talk about your social sector organization’s needs, challenges, and opportunities.You can find Tosca’s content by following her on her social media channels: Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Youtube 
Released:
May 13, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (74)

Welcome to my podcast NGO Soul + Strategy – a podcast for leaders of NGOs and other philanthropic organizations who are not satisfied with the status quo, are ready to look change right in the eye and who see themselves as leader-as-learner.