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Organisation DNA

Organisation DNA is a set of fundamental principles that World Union Foundation, all organizations and projects it creates are following.

Organisational Principles
Evolutionary
We embrace open collaboration and actively seek participation, feedback, and advice from diverse stakeholders.
Self-organised
Self-organization is the cornerstone of our DNA. It empowers us and each organisation within our network to autonomously adapt and thrive, fostering a collaborative ecosystem where initiatives organically align, amplify, and drive positive change.
Fractal design
Our approach to project design draws inspiration from the resilience and sustainability seen in nature's intricate patterns. By encouraging the formation of sub-organizations and independent teams, all committed to the "Do one thing and do it well" philosophy, we shine a spotlight on the efficiency of small, focused units. These entities, each capped at 64 individuals, work diligently toward specific goals. Simultaneously, they contribute to the growth of a vast network of interconnected organizations. This strategy enhances our operational scope and efficiency, fostering a robust ecosystem built on close collaboration and sustainable practices.
Self-accountability
In alignment with progressive organizational models such as Teal Organizations and Holacracy, our principle of self-accountability is a response to the limitations of traditional command-and-control structures. We empower every team member with a voice and a distinct domain of self-accountability. This dynamic shift breaks down the silos, inefficiencies, and disengagement often associated with rigid hierarchies. By fostering a culture where individuals take ownership of their responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to the collective mission, we cultivate an environment of transparency, collaboration, and empowerment.
Synergies
Synergies are at the heart of our organizational philosophy. Drawing inspiration from the synergistic approach, we consistently seek collaboration with external entities, blurring the boundaries of traditional organizational structures. Through active partnerships and the exploration of shared efficiencies, we tap into each other's low-cost capabilities. This collaborative spirit allows us to amplify our impact exponentially, working in tandem with other organizations to further our shared mission and create a more profound and far-reaching effect for both parties involved.
Services architecture
Our organizations are structured to serve as valuable and distinctive resources for others within our network. This foundational principle emphasizes the importance of designing our entities to operate as useful and unique services, aligning with our broader mission of fostering collaboration, efficiency, and collective impact.
Evolutionary Governance
Evolutionary Governance encompasses a set of governance principles that emphasize adaptive decision-making, distributed authority, and dynamic processes. This approach shifts away from traditional top-down hierarchies, encouraging self-management, peer-to-peer accountability, and a continuous evolution of governance structures. By embracing Evolutionary Governance, our organizations become more agile, responsive, and better equipped to navigate the ever-changing landscape of social projects and philanthropy.
Integrative Design
We harmonize various elements to create cohesive and efficient solutions, ensuring that all parts work together seamlessly.
Mutualism
We build symbiotic relationships where all parties benefit, promoting cooperation and shared success.
Emergence Design
We allow solutions to naturally evolve from interactions within the system, adapting to new challenges and opportunities.
Openness
We maintain transparency, inclusiveness, and accessibility in all actions and decisions, fostering a culture of trust and participation.
Explore What’s Possible
We encourage innovation and creativity, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved.
Operational Principles
Systemic-First
We prioritise the development and understanding of systems as the foundation of every action we take. For each initiative, we create a systems map to communicate our approach and demonstrate its effectiveness. This systemic-first approach guides our decision-making and underscores our commitment to holistic and sustainable solutions.
Do more with less
We embrace limitations as the source of power and leverage. We solve global problems through comprehensive and integrative design. We are looking at the bigger picture, understanding the long-term impacts, and designing solutions that are not only effective but also sustainable and resource-efficient.
Leverage
Find the root cause and most impactful actions. Demonstrate the rationale behind your countermeasures and communicate clear leverage.
Change the Game
In situations where traditional methods have little prospects of success, our approach is to transform the paradigm itself. Instead of striving to "change the system" we seek to redefine the rules and create new possibilities.
Constitutional-led decision-making
We entrust decisions to a structured process outlined in each project's Constitution, ensuring clarity and fairness in our decision-making.
Create at least one service
We prioritise the creation of at least one unique service in each project, available for use by other organizations, fostering collaboration and resource sharing.
Do one thing and do it well
We focusing on excellence in one area, emphasizing quality and precision over spreading resources too thin.
Collect , store and structure data
We gather, organize, and leverage data as evidence of our actions, a tool for measurable impact, and the foundation for future initiatives. We also encourage the exchange of structured data with partner projects.
Worse is better
We embrace the philosophy of implementing simple and robust solutions with rapid iteration, where innovation thrives in the face of imperfection and uncertainty. We fail boldly, gather feedback, and refine products swiftly.
Share learning
We create reusable tools and frameworks, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing among projects.
Radical transparency
We prioritise openness and honesty in our operations, striving for transparency in all our interactions.
Collective intelligence
We promote dialogue and information sharing, both within and outside organizational boundaries, to harness the collective wisdom of our network.
Create learning opportunities
We prioritize learning, aiming to be a valuable educational experience for all participants while sharing knowledge with the broader community.
Give Back
We are committed to delivering tangible value to donors and supporters, ensuring their investment has a meaningful impact.
Relationships over result
We prioritize nurturing meaningful relationships over short-term gains, recognizing the long-term value of genuine connections.
Small is beautiful
We focus on creating small, elegant, and impactful work, as we believe in the beauty and effectiveness of such endeavours
Niche Pioneers
Rather than competing for a small piece of a large pie, we actively seek out niche markets where we can excel and expand our impact. By focusing on these specialized areas, we position ourselves to deliver unique, scalable value, fostering sustainable growth while addressing specific needs and opportunities within our mission.
Worse is better
Greatest successes comes from greatest failures. We fail big and early. We create products today. We are imperfect and we accept our limitations and flaws. Critique is best type of feedback. We value feedback and iterate iterate iterate until we succeed. We embrace and love failure. We're persistent and detached from outcomes and fear of failure.
Consider Unintended Consequences
Evaluate the broader impact of every action, prioritizing the preservation and respect of existing social systems. Embrace and work within the current system, recognizing its limitations. Always ask "What if?" and "So what?" to ensure changes promote independence and self-identification without undermining established structures.
Perspectivism
We value and incorporate diverse viewpoints and experiences to gain a comprehensive understanding and address complex challenges.
Building Capabilities
We enhance the skills, resources, and capacities of individuals and communities to empower them to achieve their goals. We build our capabilities, share them and use power of synergies to make change on scale.