Pros
Please note - there are may sides of CHAI, this mainly applies to country operation staff, and not volunteers or US based roles I when I joined CHAI, the organization prided itself on being different from other "NGO's" staffing mainly ex-consultants into developing country MOHs who are passionate about making a difference. CHAI had a good leadership structure, efficient spending, and strong sense of strategic direction. The work was challenging, impactful, and rewarding.
Cons
As I plan to leave CHAI, I've found the organization has changed dramatically over the last 4 years. CHAI no longer recruits international candidates, preferring for the most part to recruit locally. This is a strategic shift from the senior leadership team to create sustainability, but it has led to mediocrity. CHAI has ambitious staff and a high turnover rate. Rather than finding good talent, the organization promotes based on politics and sometimes gap-filling. Some of the managers and leaders today lack the right skill sets to be effective. CHAI no longer spends efficiently. Significant amounts are spent on travel to and from exotic locations. A recent conference in south east Asia for a Africa based team comes to mind. CHAI is becoming a reactive organization that has begun to chases donor funds and develops strategies on the fly.
