LEARNING THROUGH OBJECTIVES - A minor field study on knowledge and understanding of objectives related to learning processes in the organizations SOIR and Mandeya 2 Development in the rural area of Manicaland, Zimbabwe

Abstract: ABSTRACTNGOs today meet several challenges due to growing competition and shrinking aid budgets. These demands are something all NGOs need to find strategies to meet. Learning thereby becomes essential for the organizations survival, success and for sustainable development. To meet these demands organizations need to be able to learn and develop. This minor field study is carried out to promote learning by highlighting knowledge and understanding for goals and objectives. SOIR is a non- governmental organization that in their new strategy for development work is supporting the civil society in building their own community based organizations (CBO) in the rural area of Manicaland, Zimbabwe. The organization Mandeya 2 Development was through the support of SOIR registered as a community based organization (CBO) in the spring of 2012. Mandeya 2 development is in its initial stages implementing SOIRs goals, objectives and strategies for operational work. This study has been focusing on the objective: Reduce stigma and discrimination of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) whose parents passed on due to HIV related illness by December 2012.The purpose of the study was to analyze staff and volunteers’ knowledge, coherence and perception of the objective and the root causes the objective aim to address, in order to promote the building of a “learning organization”. The result showed that there was a lack of knowledge and understanding for the objective and that the objective was perceived in different ways by the informants. The result further showed that this has consequences for the organizations possibility to learn and also have impact on the motivation, participation and volunteers’ possibility to affect the operational work performed.Keywords: Coherence, Goals, Learning Organization, NGO, Objectives, sustainable development