Consultant Services

Consultant services offer focus on several distinct areas:

Strategy and Planning

Whether Strategic, Operational, Tactical or Contingency Plans, our services move through a user-friendly methodology for groups of all sizes. From mission and vision to goal setting to strategy to action, planning services result in clarity and direction for individuals and organizations. Inter-group or agency and neighborhood collaborations are areas of specialization, especially focused on children, youth, and vulnerable populations.

Organizational Management

Organizational management includes the structure of organization, the various roles and responsibilities within the structure that are celebrated to individuals and groups, and the controls (such as reporting and accountability) which support service delivery, performance, and the use of resources.

Management within an organization also describes how a specific issue or concern is addressed within an organization such as “Crisis Management” or Emergency Management Procedures. A consultancy in this area would support your organization to develop a comprehensive management plan with procedures for addressing the specific issue or challenge.

Assessment and Evaluation

The notion of “assessment” can elicit a variety of responses within human beings and their organizations. These responses can be seen in a wide range from apprehension to relief. Many organizations welcome the opportunity to understand the forces more comprehensively in the environment and the pressures from within the organization that affect its performance. Organizational assessment offers those within organizations a vehicle for appreciating those factors that exist to strengthen or limit its functioning. In this way, assessment is a valuable source of positive learning for an organization—a way for it to increase its capacity, and an essential dimension of development.

The approach taken to assessment builds on a fundamentally appreciative view of assessment. It utilizes as its starting point that organizations are grounded on essential, vital, and meaningful purposes with implicitly important social ramifications. Rather than search for deficits and diagnose –an unfortunate shadow side of assessment–the approach of this assessment is to discover the life-giving and positive forces within the organization.

Through suggested interventions, the organization can utilize certain identified mechanisms to strengthen performance. The tools utilized in assessment and evaluation are designed to support the positive core of nonprofits. The suggested interventions are identified individuals and groups are more able to do what they do–more efficiently, and more effectively.

There is an adage that states, “When the pain gets bad enough, you seek a doctor.” An organizational assessment facilitates those responsible for organizational vitality to address those issues that stand to improve or diminish effectiveness. It serves as both a preventive measure, and as a vehicle for addressing the “pain.” Assessment ensures that organizations remain healthy and self-renewing.

Organizational Development

My work in organizational development focuses on system-wide efforts to re-design structures, programs, and processes and programs. Typically, my services focus on specific efforts to improve or strengthen some aspects of the organization.

Development Ongoing development efforts support innovation, doing things in new ways to promote ensuring relevance and, vitality, and momentum forward within the organization. It supports overall effectiveness through alignment between mission, values, and organizational culture. By designing interventions, the system is supported to be responsive instead of reactive.

Organizational processes are the steps or series in which activities occur to accomplish a particular goal, task, or purpose. Processes describe the “manner” in which things occur or happen. They describe the methodology, the “way” of proceeding or of moving forward. Frequently, graphs and images are used to describe the process.

Processes in organizations are used to order activity around a particular function, for example, the decision-making processes, communication processes, or conflict resolution processes. Each of these processes requires a series of steps in an overall framework for accomplishing the objective or the work needed.

Organization processes create a powerful sense of clarity, transparency, trust and “flow” within groups and organizations.

Organizational programs are the result of good process design. Program design includes specific steps to ensure a high-quality expression of a strategic direction or goal. Programs facilitate growth within an organization, ensuring ongoing development and a strong nimble culture.

If you do not know what any of the above actually really means AND, still, you think that you still need help with it, then your next step would be to call me!

Professional Development

Leaders are impacted by the constantly changing needs of their employees for development and professional growth. PD supports administrative leaders with on-going professional support, resources, and tools they need during these challenging times. Services are offered in one-day or in a series. Training program(s) are designed to meet the special needs of groups and organizations.

Examples of what is “on the menu” of training opportunities includes

• Dialogue
• Energy
• Communication in Stress
• Conflict
• Resiliency
• Assessing your Personal Self-Care
• Power, Control, and Influence in Organization
• Banishing Burnout
• Leading in a Culture of Change

PAST CONSULTING CLIENTS

Louisiana Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO)

State of Louisiana-Department of Education and Office of Youth Development

State of Louisiana-Office of Public Health

Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance (MCRA)

The Pew Civic Entrepreneur Project

The Network of Sacred Heart Schools-Washington, D.C

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans

University of Louisiana-Southeastern

Gulf Coast Social Services

Common Cause Louisiana

Louisiana Housing Alliance

Schools of the Sacred Heart-United States and Canada

The Louisiana Foundation against Sexual Assault (LAFASA)