International Development Enterprises Senior Leadership FAQ

Pros

Okay benefits and donors, albeit with zero capacity for implementation.

Cons

iDE is a highly politicised organisation. The Overall executive and senior leadership at HQ actively make poor business decisions, forego project sustainability, ruin prospects for project profitability, actively suppress free thinkers and innovators, and elect to maintain staff that are negligent, incompetent, and dishonest. Executive (and senior) management at HQ are not interested in openness, honesty, and forthright communication - even though they preach this. Ego-driven interaction is the primary modality for engagement with the top levels of management at HQ. This creates an unfortunate and negative culture, that isn't conducive to the well-being of the company, nor its Country Directors or employees, whom iDE actually depend upon. Regrettably, the best people suffer under these conditions, while some of the most toxic attitudes thrive. The negative effects this has on the company, projects, employees, etc. can't be understated, nor the opportunity cost of doing so, quantified. Case in point: I was hired without them having the budget for my position. Moreover, when I discovered this and attempted to rectify it through changes within our project to improve our overall efficiency, this was met with resistance, because for visibility's sake, it's easier to maintain the status quo in the face of the donor than it is to admit mistakes and grow from them. This is nothing short of employee abuse and very much a reality of a disfunctional organisation. There was a mass exodus of employees in 2020 and 2021. This should tell anyone everything that they need to know about the top management at HQ that's still all there. The turnover/attrition rates are abysmal. Those that are there are exist because they're waiting for the next best thing, not because there's any faith left in anyone anymore. Finally, they lie about their true scope of operations. Oh and worst, their lack of honor, inability to search for truth and honesty and integrity will have caused numerous projects and hundreds of people to be closed and fired. This is the greatest tragedy.

Advice to Management

Be honest and encourage decisions to be made in an open forum so you can actually hold people accountable for their actions. If leaders make decisions behind closed doors they'll encourage exactly the type of culture that no one should ever be subjected to work in, and any organisation that does this will have no values and value.

Pros

Mission driven, high autonomy, creative/innovative environment, focus on 'substance' rather than 'show'

Cons

Primary reliance on project-based funding. A lot of work constantly on proposal writing and fundraising to keep field programs going.