Christian Aid is planning on cutting its staff by nearly half this year as part of what it is calling an international restructure.
The charity has downplayed the suggestion that the cuts are in response to a drop in government funding, instead saying they wish to be “more responsive and accountable to communities living in poverty”.
At present the international aid charity employs around 720 people. A report in Civil Society claimed that the planned restructure will leave Christian Aid with 400 staff members.
Christian Aid said it is consulting with its staff about their futures, with final decisions expected to be made in mid-June. Most of the job losses will be in the UK.
The stated aim of the cuts is to lower its fixed costs and so increase available funding for its international partner organisations. Rather than be run via country offices, Christian Aid will move to a model based on partnerships that will be supported in five international hubs.
The hubs will be in Bogota, Abuja, Nairobi, Amman and Dhaka, giving the organisation a strong global spread.
Christian Aid said it would continue to run its programmes in the 26 countries where it is currently operating, but that on-the-ground staff presence would be scaled back. The group added that this approach had already been shown to work in a number of locations, including the Middle East and Ukraine.
Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid, said, “We are committed to shifting power to people whose lives are scarred by poverty, so they can make their voices heard, and create their own opportunities for a better life.”
Watt added that work being done in Britain would no longer be the default response, with functions being taken on at the local level being the preferred option wherever possible.
He downplayed the idea that the staff cuts where a response to aid cuts from governments, but conceded that this had to be taken into account when planning for the future.
“The changes have been planned carefully over the last 12 months. While the proposals we are launching today are not driven by cuts to official aid, we believe that recent decisions by donor governments validate our choice to be a majority voluntary-funded organisation, which collaborates intentionally with institutional funders where we share a common agenda.
“It is clear that the role of INGOs is changing as the world around us changes. It needs to transform further if we’re to contribute more effectively to tackling poverty and marginalisation. Christian Aid is committed to that transformation, in a way that builds on our history of working alongside others for equality, dignity and justice.”
