Striving towards excellence in delivering a quality humanitarian service in Sri Lanka
26/02/2014 – Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Way Forward Beyond Reengineering process that began in 2013 saw the development of many branches of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) towards a self-sustaining level. The entire exercises deemed to ensure self-reliability of branches has been initiated under the guidance of SLRCS President Jagath Abeysinghe.
Below is the letter sent by the President to all members of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society.
To All Branch Chairmen, Chairperson
At this climax and the ceremonial stage of the “Way Forward beyond Reengineering Review Process – of year 2013” I would like to pay my gratitude to all governance, management and volunteers at branches and headquarters (NHQ) that enthusiastically participated and dedicated to achieve the objectives of this unprecedented process.
One of the main objectives of the process was not promoting a competition but motivate branches towards excellence in governance and management. Changing mindsets of branch governance, membership, volunteers and management was another objective that was expected to be achieved. Third objective was to promote self-reliance in service delivery at branch level.
At the end of process evaluations, we found we have achieved an unexpected level of success. Member and volunteer involvement in service delivery sector has improved, management has identified their key areas of management to be improved. They must have learned the difficulties that they have to face when they are chasing against increased level of efficiency.
Averagely more or less 05 branches have always remained at “C “grade in general. The number of “A” grade branches gradually increased up to number 7. Little over 50% branches are in the Category “B”.
What do we have to do next? The responsibility of branches as well as NHQ management is to upgrade the capacity of five weaker branches while maintaining and further improve the performance of the rest. The “ Way forward Beyond Reengineering – Review Process stage 2- of year 2014” is one of the greater instrument that we can apply for this process. While branches are rectifying the gap of capacities identified through the process the NHQ management will identify the areas of needs of branches to be enhanced the support. In the NHQ OD plan and the Strategic plan of SLRCS 2014/16 these areas will be treated as the first priority areas of development.
Finally, I wish to pay my special gratitude to the Chairman WFBRE Review Unit and his team, the IFRC and other partners for supporting us to make this possible, The Director General and his team for the supporting evaluation process. I trust that all of them have done their best to uphold highest integrity in the evaluation process to make it transparent and acceptable to all. Further, I would like to place very special appreciation to PASS ASIA for the technical and professional assistance given in developing the WEB Site and other formats and Guidebooks at the very inception.
Also my special thanks are due to Mr. Baratha Jonnukkuhewa, Vice President for his enthusiastic effort and his valued inputs in the developments process of the concept and in disseminating and guiding the branch networks on WF BRE.
I take this opportunity to wish all branches reach to top levels and invite all others to follow them and learn from those branches and win next time. I hope the branches will take this process as a healthy competition not a game between hostile parties and keep the momentum and face the challenges in next round.
Jagath Abeysinghe
President
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society,
National Headquarters – Colombo, Sri Lanka
February 25, 2014
