Dame Mary Marsh, CEO, NSPCC

Recent economic uncertainty will almost certainly have an impact on the public and third sectors , including organisations like the NSPCC according to Dame Mary Marsh. “As the circumstances change for the people we serve, as well as the people we rely on to operate, so our approach to running the organisation must adapt” she says.

When the economic journey gets bumpy there is a clear need to adapt management and planning styles to cope with volatility. Organisations in the public and third sectors need leaders with sufficient strategic vision to identify the safe path through an increasingly risky landscape.

The issue of retaining and building on public trust in the NSPCC will also be a central theme for Marsh in 2008. “Similar to brand value for corporate firms, the voluntary sector has a reservoir of ‘goodwill’ from the public. As a charity it is often easier for us to build confidence in our work than it would be for a bank or software firm, but charitable organisations have to be ever vigilant not to jeopardise this trust.”

“Rather than rely only on a corporate marketing department to build a brand, it is also the responsibility of every person associated with our organisation to uphold our ideals and the trust placed in us. It is also up to our leaders to manage those safeguards that protect the people we serve, ensure our people are of the highest calibre and our reputation is safeguarded.”

When it comes to skills, the need for experienced programme managers who can manage complex change is a high priority for 2008. Marsh says “especially at the top of the organisation we need the right people who can manage rapid and extensive change, we have to prove our competence to the public we serve every day.”

For charities competing with big business to recruit the best talent Marsh recognises that pay can still be the biggest obstacle in attracting some leadership targets, but she states that the NSPCC has been extremely successful recruiting talent into its team. “Our mission taps into the personal drive of many experienced managers who are seeking to give something meaningful back to society. The rewards for working in our field are clear, but the roles can often be more complex than the corporate equivalent” she confirms.

Looking to the future, Dame Marsh believes the current generation of graduates are looking for a greater level of fulfilment from their career. Corporate recruiters are adapting, “we are seeing more and more private sector employers offering a range of socially responsible elements to their career package to attract the best people, but many graduates do not want to spend their whole career in the private sector, or in the public sector for that matter.”

With the NSPCC graduate scheme hugely over-subscribed the charity has the option to pick from many of the best and the brightest from this new generation, but as young workers pursue a more varied career and seek experience in both the public and private sector, it is likely that public sector demand for “bright young things” will continue for the foreseeable future.

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/