Organizations with a social mission need management arrangements that reflect their services and the different stakeholders involved in their work. Power Plus supported the Damascus Association for the Care of Prisoners and Their Families through a management study that combined organizational analysis with an examination of employee experience, leading to proposals for organizational and people development.
Case Snapshot
Client: Damascus Association for the Care of Prisoners and Their Families
Sector: Nonprofit and social services
Location: Damascus, Syria
Engagement period: October–November 2015
Services provided: Organizational assessment, business model analysis, employee experience assessment, and organizational and HR development proposals
Main deliverable: An advisory report on people management within the association.
Context and Challenge
During the period covered by the study, the association provided social and legal services and assistance to prisoners and their families. It also operated income-generating activities that contributed to funding its services. This required coordination across the board, executive management, administrative and field teams, lawyers, committees, and contractors.
The range of activities created a need to clarify the relationship between the association’s mission, daily operations, resources, and team responsibilities. It also called for an understanding of employees’ experiences and the conditions supporting their work and development.
The study examined how a clearer people management framework could be grounded in the association’s actual operations and needs.
Power Plus’s Role
1. Analyzing the Association’s Activities and Business Model
The study began by reviewing the association’s role, services, and operating environment, then developed a stakeholder map and a business model canvas.
This connected beneficiaries and the value provided to them with key activities, partners, resources, communication channels, revenue sources, and cost structure. It placed people management within the wider organizational context: what work was required to deliver services, and what capabilities and roles were needed?
2. Understanding Employee Experience
The engagement included a survey of a group of employees covering expectations, access to work tools, recognition, communication with supervisors, and opportunities for learning and development.
This brought employees’ perspectives into the assessment and informed recommendations concerning performance conversations, training, recognition, and work organization. The survey served as a diagnostic input reflecting its participants, and the report recommended extending the assessment in a later phase.
3. Clarifying Structure and Responsibilities
The proposals built on the existing organization, refining job titles and reporting relationships and identifying additional roles relevant to the association’s needs.
The report included organizational charts and a map of the main responsibilities of key positions, from the board and executive management to specialist departments. It also addressed needs relating to HR, training and development, financial analysis, and market research and pricing.
The purpose was to provide a reference for discussing the allocation of work and authority and identifying areas for further development.
4. Proposing Job Grades and Career Paths
The report proposed job grades, titles, and career paths connecting responsibilities, experience, qualifications, and organizational position.
It also clarified the relationship between line managers and the HR function in guiding and developing employees, linking people management to the employee journey from joining the organization to learning and career progression.
Outputs and Value
The advisory report brought together:
- A stakeholder map and business model canvas.
- An analysis of the surveyed employees’ experience.
- Proposed organizational structures and reporting relationships.
- A map of the main responsibilities of key positions.
- Proposed job grades and career paths.
- Recommendations and priorities for further people management development.
The contribution lay in connecting the association’s mission with the work required and the teams responsible for delivering it. The report provided a documented basis for discussing organizational decisions and identifying subsequent development steps.
This phase focused on assessment and proposals. The report recommended further work on detailed job and process analysis, wider employee participation, and appropriate training and development activities.
What This Case Illustrates
The case shows how business modeling and organizational analysis can support organizations with a social mission. Understanding beneficiaries, services, and resources helps define the roles required, while listening to employees helps direct development toward everyday operational needs.
Does Your Association Need a Clearer Management Framework?
Power Plus helps associations and organizations with a social mission analyze their business models, clarify team responsibilities, and identify priorities for developing their systems and people management practices.