Helping a Non-Profit Senior Care Provider Plan and Manage Growth
A large, non-profit, senior care provider serving more than 100,000 people throughout the State of California sought out Brightwork Consulting to lead a major organizational development project. Based in Hayward, CA, Eden Housing manages 139 properties, and their primary mission is to develop affordable housing communities that meet the needs of lower income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
Experiencing rapid growth and market expansion, driven by an ever-increasing demand for affordable housing, Eden had doubled in five years, with continued high growth planned. However, there was consensus that the ability of the organization to maintain adequate levels of basic services had been stretched and the organization had outrun its services capabilities. In 2019, Eden hired Brightwork to perform a four-phase (discovery, people, processes, and technology) assessment with the stated objective of our team providing a set of recommendations and strategic roadmap that would allow the organization to optimize its services delivery, identify outstanding risks, and provide risk mitigation strategies.
We interviewed key stakeholders and staff over a two-day period and hosted several discovery sessions designed to objectively document how the organization operated, with a focus on service delivery and risk mitigation. Interviews were structured using a consistent set of standardized questions designed to gauge respondent views on various aspects of workflows and resources, and the ability of the current state organization to meet their department and the organization’s overall objective to actualize the client’s mission.
After the interview phase, we conducted a kick-off meeting to develop a project plan, clarified the scope and deliverables, and outlined the recommended strategic roadmap in one-year, three-year, and 10-year plans.
The next phase included an assessment of the people, which included review of staff roles, department functions, and organizational needs. After review and presenting information about the current state of the organization, we developed recommendations focused on organizational restructuring to bring departments together, enhance communications, set-up authority structures, and define responsibilities. We recommended new leadership roles and developing a skills inventory assessment for all staff that would be used to perform a gap analysis and a skills mitigation plan that included training and mentoring programs.
Brightwork surveyed existing protocols and procedures over several weeks, and provided recommendations detailing how to optimize investments, adopt industry best practices, and develop management and governance structures.
During the processes phase, Brightwork surveyed existing protocols and procedures over several weeks, and provided recommendations detailing how to optimize investments, adopt industry best practices, and develop management and governance structures. Using change management techniques, we helped Eden develop operational and strategic plans, communication systems, and executive sponsorship of initiatives programs.
In the end, our consultants developed structured, step-by-step recommendations for their people, processes, and technology to improve the entire organization, help them reach their short-term and long-term goals, and improve their staff and client experience.
If you are interested in learning more about Brightwork’s organizational development services, click here.