Creation and implementation of strategic alliances among Non Governmental organisations: a case study of Gedo health consortium

Abstract

Strategic alliances are often born out of the need of member organisations to position themselves better in terms of sourcing funds, and the need to share skills and resources that may be lacking in one organisation, if it were to stand alone. Such alliances give the organisation a better position in terms of image, shared experience and knowledge. Gedo Health Consortium was formed by an ailiance of three NGOs and has become the management wing of the three partners Trocaire, Cordaid and AMREF. This is a case study ofGedo Health Consortium carried out in July and August 2003. The objective of the study was to establish the nature of the strategic alliance and document the implementing experience of all three partners. The data was coilected though an open-ended questionnaire and then analysed through content analysis, by comparing the data from the data collection instruments. The study established that the three partners of Gedo Health Consortium had unsystematically undertaken certain steps towards the creation of the alliance. The partners had been collaborating in training and other areas of common interest for several years. The initiative was proposed by three programme managers working within the three organisations, who developed the idea from a concept into a proposal, which was acceptable to the three organisations. The study also established that the initial stages of implementation have been filled with many teething problems, of which the alliance is still putting in place strategies to deal with. It was established that there is an urgent need to finalise and sign a comprehensive document, which binds the relationship of the three partner organisations and gives direction to the way forward. Further there is a need for co-operation, co-ordination and communication of the different organisational cultures, which affect the direction and decisions of the alliance. It would be recommendable for the alliance members to have an external evaluation of the programme. This will address the management challenges, which affect attainment of the objectives of the alliance. The study found out that success of the working arrangement will depend heavily on strategically planning the overall management and direction of alliance. However, it was not established to what extent these deficiencies have affected the alliance. Therefore there is need for further study to be conducted on the long-term implementation process of the strategic alliance and its impact on the three partners. There is also need to study how the alliance management is influenced by the differences in organisational culture among the partners in the alliance.