MDF Group: Annual Report 2010
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Developments in the Sector
MDFs environment remains dynamic and demands for continuous adjustments: more tailor-made products, huge flexibility and “more learning in less time”. Financial resources for development co-operation remain under heavy pressure and scrutiny. Competition, sometimes partly subsidised, remains severe and cooperation principles are constantly being reconsidered.
Within this environment, MDF has been quite successful in acquiring new assignments. The expected “less work for MDF Training & Consultancy”, considering the uncertain environment, fortunately did not materialise.
An effective and well-organised acquisition unit as well as impressive flexibility and hard work of all staff certainly contributed to this encouraging picture. In 2010 MDF further diversified its staff through attracting a number of young professionals. While some young professionals will continue to strengthen the MDF Head Office, others will move to MDF branch offices in 2011.
In its efforts to continuous improvement of MDF services and products in terms of quality and corporate social responsibility, MDF initiated the implementation of an ISO certified Quality Management System and became a member of the UN Global Compact. In 2011 MDF will further institutionalise these quality and CSR-components within the organisation.
Training and Course development
MDF has fully mainstreamed Aid Effectiveness principles in most of the courses and result-based management tools are part and parcel of the planning, monitoring and evaluation modules. The demand for these products is particularly a tailor-made demand, which enables direct application of concepts and tools in a specific organisational context.
More collaboration, new alliances and networks have pushed MDF to start working on a clear course package to respond to those new developments. This should become fully operational in the course of 2011. Outcome mapping, Change Management and Capacity WORKS have become part of the standard course package already in 2010. In spite of the worldwide financial crisis and the ash cloud in April 2010, MDF welcomed a higher number of participants in 2010. Worldwide, MDF registered a significant increase in number of participants (almost 50%).
At the same time MDF observes an increasing tendency of last minute subscriptions. In order not to cancel courses MDF is seeking for alternative solutions, such as offering shortened and more tailor-made courses to smaller groups. As courses are ever more being offered worldwide, it will also increasingly be possible to opt for a course at another location.
Consultancies, Coaching and Interim Management
Consultancies in MDFs tradition are often a hybrid form of workshops, organisation development advice, training and facilitation. In 2010 MDF has also been asked frequently for Interim and Change Management assignments as many (Dutch) NGOs started decentralising their work to field offices. MDF furthermore assisted a significant number of Dutch NGOs in their preparations for their application for a new multi year grant from the Dutch government.
Together with our global network of regional offices MDF managed to acquire a number of global monitoring and evaluation assignments. MDF enlarged its presence in Turkey by entering into an agreement with Regio, a consultancy firm from Ankara specialised in auditing and monitoring of EC funded projects and programmes.
MDF also further improved its abilities in the domain of competency based curriculum development and teaching for the sector of post secondary education and especially in Eastern Indonesia- where MDF collaborated with nine institutions for higher education.
Other substantial services MDF delivered in 2010 included facilitating the training of staff from Albanian ministries in all aspects of working with EC funding; managing the Technical Cooperation Facility in Nairobi, and providing services under the Aid Delivery Project for Commission Services in Brussels and Delegations around the world.
Education programmes
2010 was the start of the newly developed Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE) programme.
The NICHE programme is replacing the current NPT programme. MDF is and has been actively involved in the NPT programme and won 10 new NICHE projects in Colombia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and South Africa. MDF mainly focuses on strengthening management within both academic and TVET institutions.
Partnership and satellite consultants
The network of satellites, partners and branches enables MDF to offer the expertise that our clients require for their projects, assignments and (tailor-made) courses. MDF fosters collaborations with partners and especially satellite consultants who know MDFs client and result oriented approach. In 2010 MDF has again strengthened this network taking up common competitive assignments, forming consortia to respond to the complex demands of MDFs clients.
Highlights from the Branches
MDF continues spreading its wings through its branches all over the world. Herewith MDF enlarges its regional presence: being close to clients and being able to respond promptly to arising opportunities. These are the highlights of the MDF branch offices:
MDF South Asia
For MDF South Asia (SA) 2010 was the first ‘non-tsunami’ year since 2005 and the virtually guaranteed income was no longer underwriting the bottom line. MDF SA shifted its efforts outside of Sri Lanka and managed significantly more projects in the region (particularly Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal). MDF SA secured a contract with Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to develop a tailored Project Management Course and as a result successfully delivered courses in Indonesia and the Philippines.
MDF Brussels
MDF Brussels (BRX) started to focus again on medium and larger assignments and was able to start collecting the fruits. The branch for instance acquired the assignment to execute the evaluation of the Commission Women and Development of the Belgian Cooperation and acquired a Framework contract EC-lot Training. MDF BRX furthermore restructured and ‘standardised’ its training modules for EU actors and implemented them both in- and also outside of Europe (among others: Kenya, DRC, Netherlands Antilles, and DPRK Korea).
MDF Indochina
With Vietnam becoming a middle income country and uncertainty about future plans of donors and development organisations, MDF Indochina (IC) pursued expanding its activities in the region, specifically DR Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The office operates in a business model with a small team in Hanoi and in close collaboration with a team of satellites in Vietnam and surrounding countries. So far most activities are tailor made training and the open subscription training courses.
MDF Eastern & Southern Africa
In 2010 MDF Eastern & Southern Africa (ESA) has been refocusing. Content wise MDF ESA started utilising the Theory of Change as a basis for projects. MDF ESA has updated its course programmes and has been actively engaged in EDF10 work with their colleagues from Brussels. In terms of clients MDF ESA has been seeking long term relationships with larger international organisations ensuring long term sustainability.
MDF Afrique Centrale
After a rapid growth in the first three years of its existence, 2010 was a year of consolidation. MDF Afrique Centrale (AC) carried out a significant number of small and medium sized assignments, of which almost 30% were tailor made training courses. MDF AC attracted three new Congolese trainers to reinforce the Goma team. Its Kinshasa antenna, set up for visibility and marketing purposes, was revamped. With a growing number of consultancy firms in the region, 2011 will be a year of new challenges confidently taken on by a small yet enthusiastic team.
MDF Latin America
In 2010 MDF Latin America (LA) opened its second office in Santa Marta, Colombia. MDF LA also carried out its first local open entry course, a one week Spanish PCM version, in La Paz, Bolivia. In Colombia most assignments, both training and consulting, are Dutch (NUFFIC) based. As Dutch development aid is closing down in Latin America MDF LA is pursuing new opportunities in 2011.
MDF West Africa
In its second year of existence MDF West Africa (WA) rounded of the year of 2010 with a positive end result. MDF WA succeeded to achieve a good balance between consultancy and tailor made training projects throughout the region. It acquired an important long term contract, as partner of the Medical Credit Fund. In 2011 MDF WA aims for more medium to long term assignments.
MDF Pacific Indonesia
Judging by any parameter, 2010 has been a remarkably successful first year for MDF Pacific Indonesia (PI). MDF PI officially opened its doors on the 1st of January 2010, and by the end of December, it looked back in slight bewilderment… During its first year MDF PI already managed to conduct 15 open-entry training courses and attract 233 participants! MDF PI furthermore provided 10 tailor-made training programmes, exciting consulting assignments and managed four large (2 million Euro each) NUFFIC-funded education programmes.
MDF Nederland
Local government institutions in Amsterdam have embraced the MDF Netherlands (nl) version of the Logical Framework Approach as a useful tool for improving the quality of their policy cycle. MDFnl was challenged in 2010 with the declining demand from its biggest client (province of Gelderland). However it led to wider diversification and better prospects for 2011. With five senior advisers MDFnl continues to specialise in process facilitation for local government and not-forprofit institutions in The Netherlands.
Facts and Figures 2010
| Staff | Satellites | Course participants* | Estimate Turnover 2010 |
Definitive Turnover 2009 |
||||
| 2010 | 2009 | 2010 | 2009 | EUR | ||||
| MDF HO Netherlands |
52 | 51 | 18 | 381 | 372 | 7,741,000 | 7,809,287 | |
| MDF SA Sri Lanka |
12 | 12 | 3 | 70 | 37 | 401,751 | 298,687 | |
| MDF IC Vietnam |
4 | 5 | 6 | 60 | 70 | 222,996 | 203,968 | |
| MDF AC DR Congo |
15 | 15 | 13 | 195 | 214 | 790.245 | 779,389 | |
| MDF ESA Tanzania |
5 | 16 | 12 | 150 | 87 | 382,761 | 442,483 | |
| MDF BRX Belgium |
6 | 7 | 8 | 72 | 42 | 532,498 | 729,474 | |
| MDF WA Ghana |
5 | 3 | 10 | 37 | 23 | 306,120 | 168,290 | |
| MDF LA Colombia |
1 | 1 | - | 7 | Online: 150** |
23,000 | 17,500 | |
| MDF Nederland |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 315,000 | 370,000 | |
| MDF-PI Indonesia |
18 | - | 7 | 233 | - | 506,125 | - | |
| Total MDF Group | 115 | 113 | 78 | 1214 | 827 | |||
* Participants in Open Entry training courses
** Not included in the total
