Improving processes for good in East Africa
Abstract
Purpose
This paper describes World Vision ' s motivation, context, experience, and learning in improving processes in East Africa. It demonstrates that Lean and Six Sigma TQM approaches apply to an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) operating in East Africa, and that they can deliver significant process improvements.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings come from initiating process improvement in World Vision in East Africa, observing and reflecting on this experience, and measuring improvements achieved through process improvement projects conducted by World Vision East African staff.
Findings
The INGO and East African contexts provide unique challenges to and demonstrate a strong need for process excellence. However, a standard process improvement approach can be used. A key segment of World Vision staff in East Africa has caught the vision of process excellence, understood and applied TQM concepts and tools, and significantly improved key processes, for example, reduced by 40-80 per cent the average time to procure items and recruit new staff. We have reduced annual expenses by nearly $1,000,000. Such improvements help World Vision to achieve better outcomes with existing funding, people, and other resources.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates that Lean and Six Sigma apply to and are vital for both NGOs and the East African context. It describes World Vision Process Excellence and improvements achieved. It presents challenges faced and lessons learned along the way. Finally, it calls on others to join the Lean Six Sigma TQM journey in NGOs and East Africa.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Green Belt Abebe Nigatu, People & Culture (HR) Director for World Vision Ethiopia, and Black Belt Tesfaye Bekele, Senior Manager, Organisational Effectiveness for World Vision South Sudan, for their effective leadership of process improvement in their national offices. The author also wants to thank the many World Vision Green Belts who are facilitating changes both big and small to improve our processes so we can better serve the vulnerable children, families and communities where we work. Their good work made this paper possible. Special thanks to Abebe Nigatu and Steve Bell (www.leanitstrategies.com) for the valuable ideas they contributed to this paper.
Citation
Parris, A. (2013), "Improving processes for good in East Africa", The TQM Journal, Vol. 25 No. 5, pp. 458-472. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-11-2012-0101
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited