A return and much change

As Ari Seirlis is welcomed back as contributor of Upfront, he reflects on the changes taking place in QASA that will see the organisation grow for the better

It’s a great privilege for me to be invited to write again for Upfront. In September 2019, I retired as the CEO of QASA and recently relocated to Sedgefield in the Western Cape, a quiet village with a friendly community, with a new purpose.

I presently serve as a co-opted member of the QASA board and have so enjoyed watching the debate and strategic discussions around change, the repurposing and pivoting of some QASA projects, and most importantly, looking at a more effective way of managing the organisation in order to have a more meaningful impact.

All organisations need to change all of the time. Slow change, well-planned change; change that is consultative and represents the voice of the sector you serve. I have no doubt that QASA will go through this process. It has already started and it looks exciting. The process will allow decentralisation of many of the QASA projects it seems.

Over the many years that I served as CEO, I saw the pros and cons of the QASA structure as it is at the moment. Now I see the management board taking note that things could be done differently and be more effective.

Money in the bank and solid assets does not mean sustainability of any non-profit organisation and certainly QASA has a very strong and well-defined Theory of Change. QASA also operates in the social enterprise space, which allows for unrestricted funding to be raised and deployed to employ good people, pay operational expenses and invest in future maintenance, staff and management development.

Sustainability can be declared when the beneficiaries of the projects and services are satisfied with the direction of the organisation and the deployment of the resources. I think QASA will achieve that very soon, once there is buy-in from the regional associations, good leadership at the helm, and staff willing to take the leap of faith and put in the hard yards.

Watch this space, Rolling Inspiration will also be under scrutiny and see some changes coming for the good in order to expand and diversify readership and improve quality. Good luck QASA, good thinking at the helm has started this process.