Power lab learning
4Sector
In Power Lab 4, our focus was to identify steps at an individual, organisational and sector level to enable organisational integrity. In this reflective session we noted the support and collaboration needed to enable this action.
Sector dynamics and organisational integrity insights
Power lab 4
Aims and assumptions
The aim of Power Lab 4 was to look back over the labs to understand what had been useful and to look forward to discuss tangible steps that individuals, organisations and the sector can take to enable organisational integrity. As the learning overview summarises individual and organisational learning, this page will focus on new learning about the sector. This is a multifaceted issue, so we wanted to use the limited time available in the lab to determine areas for further exploration.
What is ‘the sector’?
For the Power Lab, we are specifically referring to the purpose-led sector. We apply a broad understanding of the sector, including, but not be limited to, membership, regulatory and donor organisations.
Activities
As with Power Lab 3, the activities in Power Lab 4 were not propositional. Through reflective practices, peer-assisted and group discussion activities, we relied on the skills and experience of participants to identify opportunities for individuals, organisations and the wider sector to enable organisational integrity.
For the activity focusing on the role of the sector, we revisited the evolving 3Ps model, this time exploring the external pressures and what the sector’s role could be. Our starting assumption was that cross-sector collaboration could facilitate a cohesive understanding and approach to organisational integrity, making wider, real change more possible.
Towards Integrity
What we learned
1 Sector dynamics can undermine organisational integrity
Participants noted a number of examples of how sector dynamics can risk undermining integrity. For example:
- Fundraising priorities, donor-specific expectations and reporting requirements, can add pressure and duplication of work.
- To complicate matters further, some donors work in silos with differing standards and reporting requirements. This fragmentation can lead to complex and sometimes contradictory processes within grantees.
- Sector-led initiatives and focus on emerging aspects of integrity can exacerbate fragmentation at an organisational level. Focused responses to urgent aspects of integrity can result in reactive, issue-led responses that fail to see the shared roots of inequalities. As our power lens findings show, a reactive approach can increase the risk of perpetuating harm because organisations do not have the time or resources to take a more sustainable intersectional approach informed by root cause analysis.
2 Wider collaboration to enable organisational integrity is needed
Many participants agreed that without the wider context aligning and supporting them, the steps they could take towards organisational integrity are limited.
For organisations to operate with integrity, some participants flagged the need for a collaborative approach to understand and address root causes (informed by the power lens), while not becoming fragmented or issue-driven.
We need to consider what and how we measure
3Shared language and understanding is a helpful first step
Across the sector, there is confusion about what exactly power and integrity mean. Creating common understanding is an important first step towards transformative understanding and action.
Post lab comments & survey
Participant views
66% strongly agree, 22% somewhat agree and 11% were not sure that donors, regulators and other sector level actors have a role in supporting organisations in working with integrity.
56% strongly agree, 33% somewhat agree, and 11% were not sure that there is a need for common language and understanding of organisational integrity and power at the sector level.
“We found the Power Lab to be incredibly helpful in starting a conversation within our organisation about power & integrity, questioning how power manifests and works – and what we can start considering to achieve a coherent approach to organisational integrity.”
Beyond the Lab
Developing our learning
Areas for PI to take forward:
- Consider how to support people to communicate the learning in a simple way
- Develop case studies and examples of organisations applying this approach
- Ensure we prioritise engagement of communicates served
- Engage donors and regulators with a focus on how they can work in a more power-sensitive manner
- Consider how to cultivate shared understanding and collaboration across the sector
Find out more about the PI initiative
Check out our media channels
We’re starting to explain more about PI at events and via blogs and other media channels. See what’s available on our news page.
Stay updated
If you want to know how our work is progressing, why not join the PI mailing list? We’ll let you know about news, upcoming events and other important information.
Get in touch
Do you want to know more about participating in the PI initiative? Perhaps you have a media enquiry or just a general enquiry about our work? If so, let us know.
