NICRO Annual Report 2006-2007

This annual report highlights the fine accomplishments of NICRO’s offices around the country, despite the enormous challenge of securing the necessary funding to reach those most in need of the organisation’s interventions. NICRO is intent on achieving a far greater, more marked impact on reducing the levels of crime and violence in South Africa and, to this end, has refocused its efforts on its core business: offender reintegration and crime reduction. Accordingly, NICRO is set to enter an exciting new era and to implement far-reaching actions that will ensure the transformation of the organisation into a thriving Southern African and global ‘blue chip’ non-profit organisation by 2010.

A number of changes will be required to ensure that NICRO achieves the status of a global icon known for its macro impact in the criminal justice world. As part of this process NICRO will change its legal identity from Voluntary Association to that of Section 21 Company in the new financial year. This move, which will not affect the organisation’s non-profit status or service delivery in any way, is grounded in NICRO’s deep-seated commitment to good governance and to conducting its affairs in a highly professional, business-like manner. This initiative is in keeping with the global trend by leading nongovernmental organisations and their efforts to ensure that they are governed and managed more accountably and more professionally.

NICRO’s National Council will meet in November 2006 to ratify the decision of the National Executive, taken in February 2006, to become a Section 21 Company.

Another compelling reason for the change process is NICRO’s pledge to achieving greater efficiency of service delivery by reducing its overheads from 23% to between 9 and 10% - the internationally acceptable benchmark. To realise this aspiration, NICRO will be restructured into three regional clusters as of January 2007. This will also entail the centralising of the finance and administration function. Whilst the regions will focus primarily on service delivery, the shared service centre will concentrate on support services such as human resources, financial and administrative management. Income generation will also be centralised at national level, thus ensuring far greater opportunities for regions to focus on service delivery.

NICRO’s current programmes are in the process of being redesigned to meet the needs of communities and to deal more effectively with crime reduction. Many of these future plans and interventions, geared towards having a macro impact on reducing crime and violence in South Africa, are covered in the Deputy Executive Director’s report, which follows.

Like most non-governmental organisations, we are acutely aware that raising funds in a highly competitive and changing environment is becoming increasingly difficult and have recognised the need to explore other avenues to realise the required income. The restructuring process will therefore entail the establishment of a new department, Enterprise Development, which will assume responsibility for income generation, the marketing of the organisation and media affairs for NICRO as a whole.

This new department will direct its energy towards developing and implementing innovative strategies to generate the financial resources required to sustain the work of the organisation. This involves, amongst others, the creation of new partnerships with business, government and civil society in South Africa, the SADC region and internationally as well as the creation of social enterprises that will have a two-fold purpose: these entities will be charged with the responsibility of generating income in addition to achieving significant social impact.

NICRO has also developed a staff retention and talent development strategy to harness the talent of our staff through training and development. This entails the identification and placement of staff with unique talents in key positions to complement NICRO’s future requirements as well as the preparation of a focused career path for each staff member, all of which is geared towards developing the fundamental human capital asset.

The transformation of an organisation does not occur without pain and anxiety. For this reason I would like to thank staff for their commitment to the change process, and for dedicating themselves to following a path that, although challenging and sometimes difficult, will undoubtedly result in the heralding of the New NICRO.

I would also like to salute NICRO’s volunteers for their invaluable support and without whom we would not be celebrating all that we have achieved. To our Provincial Management Committees, the National Executive Committee and the National Council, I express my deep gratitude and appreciation for your commitment, energy and inspiration. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance.

NICRO, the communities we serve and our clients pay tribute to and thank the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund as well as each and every other funder for the generosity and the confidence they have shown in our organisation. We remain deeply and ever grateful for this invaluable support. With the help of our loyal donors and partners, we look forward to celebrating a proud one hundred years of impactful service delivery in 2010.

Copies of this Annual Report are available from the NICRO National Office info@nicro.co.za.