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Consolidating structures in the long term
Good structures do not emerge overnight – and they certainly do not consolidate on their own. Anyone wishing to achieve a lasting impact in humanitarian work must be prepared to invest in structures that will stand the test of time. This means not only building them, but also continuously strengthening them, developing them further and fortifying them against the inevitable upheavals of day-to-day project work. Structures that only function as long as everything goes according to plan are not robust structures – they are fragile constructs that falter at the first sign of serious headwinds. Structures that are firmly established in the long term, on the other hand, remain resilient even when funding dries up, key personnel change or unforeseen crises put the work to the test.
What long-term structural stabilisation means
Consolidating structures in the long term means more than simply setting them up once and then hoping they will hold up. It is an active, ongoing process – a lasting investment in the resilience and adaptability of an organisation or community. Structures that are not maintained become outdated. Rules that are not put into practice lose their binding force. And systems that are not regularly reviewed eventually cease to adapt to reality – until they ultimately hinder rather than help.
There are three dimensions to long-term structural consolidation. Firstly, the substantive dimension: structures must be designed in such a way that they effectively support the actual tasks of an organisation or community. Secondly, the human dimension: people must understand, accept and live by the structures – otherwise they remain mere words on paper. And thirdly, the temporal dimension: structures must be designed in such a way that they can evolve in line with changing conditions without losing their fundamental function.
When working with local communities in the Philippines, for example, this means establishing structures that do not depend on individual people, but on roles and processes that continue to exist even as people come and go. Capacity-building is not a one-off exercise, but an ongoing part of the work.
The key approaches to long-term structural stabilisation
There are various ways of consolidating structures in the long term. Which of these are most suitable depends on the context, the type of structure and the resources available. However, certain basic principles apply in all cases.
Embedding structures within people
The surest way to ensure that structures endure in the long term is to embed them in people – in their knowledge, beliefs and habits. Structures that exist only on paper, but are not genuinely put into practice by anyone, are not robust. They are mere facades that crumble at the first serious test.
Embedding structures within an organisation means explaining them in such a way that everyone involved understands why they exist and what purpose they serve. It means turning them into habits through consistent application. And it means developing local leaders who champion these structures both internally and externally – not because they have to, but because they are convinced of their value.
Dealing with new arrivals is particularly important in this regard. If new staff or community members are not systematically introduced to existing structures, gaps will emerge over time – areas where structures may exist in name only but are no longer actively practised. Good induction processes are therefore an underestimated but important tool for consolidating structures in the long term.
Regular review and adjustment
Structures that are not regularly reviewed fail to adapt to changing circumstances. What made sense at a particular point in time may become an obstacle after a few years – because the tasks have changed, because the organisation has grown, or because new insights suggest different approaches.
Regular structural reviews are therefore not a sign of instability, but of maturity. They demonstrate that an organisation is prepared to take a critical look at itself and make adjustments before problems become entrenched. Such reviews should not only be carried out by senior management, but should involve everyone who works with the structures in question on a daily basis – as they are the ones who know the weaknesses best.
The following questions will help you to systematically review structures:
- Do the existing structures still serve their original purpose – or have the tasks changed in the meantime?
- Are the structures genuinely put into practice by everyone involved, or are there areas where there is a discrepancy between the formal rules and actual practice?
- Are there any bottlenecks or inefficiencies that point to structural weaknesses?
- What changes would make the structures more robust, efficient or fairer?
Using crises as stress tests for structures
Crises are unpleasant – but they are also the most honest tests of just how resilient structures really are. Organisations and communities that have weathered a crisis well are often able to identify very precisely afterwards where their structures held up and where they failed. This knowledge is valuable – if it is put to good use.
Anyone who fails to systematically analyse, in the wake of a crisis, what it has revealed about their own structures is missing out on an important opportunity to learn. Crisis reviews should therefore be an integral part of any serious organisational development process – not as a means of apportioning blame, but as an honest analysis of what needs to be strengthened.
Ultimately, structures that are firmly established over the long term emerge where organisations and communities are prepared to invest in them on an ongoing basis – in good times as well as in difficult ones. This willingness is the true expression of a sense of responsibility towards the people who are to benefit from the work.