Decline and revitalisation stage

Focus: review and evaluate

Native bush, like community groups, goes through periods of decline. Trees may age, face diseases or environmental challenges, and have reduced vitality. This parallels the decline stage in an organisation's life cycle where it may face challenges such as competing community priorities, shifts in public policy or internal problems, such as inefficiencies, funding shortages, poor leadership or lack of direction.

However, just as bush can renew through regeneration and rejuvenation, your group can revitalise itself by adapting to change, implementing innovative strategies, and embracing new opportunities.

This phase of the life cycle is also marked by the passing of older trees and continuation of the ecosystem through the dispersal of seeds and the emergence of new growth. Similarly, in your group’s life cycle, the legacy and succession stage involves planning for leadership transitions, preserving your group’s values and mission or where necessary revising these. This also ensures a smooth transfer of knowledge and expertise to the next generation of leaders.

Sometimes organisations need to dissolve. This can be a positive decision when it is absorbing all your energy to keep going and the focus is on organisational survival and not environmental and community change.  The need to close may emerge gradually or may be caused by a major change like the loss of a key person, or a crisis like funding drying up.  Making this decision can be difficult but remember that the people, finances and other resources can be refocused into another existing organisations or even a new group. Don't wait for a crisis - stay proactive and plan how you change or dissolve if needed. 

Characteristics of the Decline | Bush decay stage

Commonly, once decline becomes evident, groups review and evaluate their mission and strategies to remain relevant and effective. Rather than redesigning and reinvigorating their approach and operations, some will decide it is time to finish and move on.

Impact

• Your group is not the only one working in your area.
• Increased competition for resources and energy.
• The issue still exists, but your group may not still be the leader or partner of choice.

Identity and reputation 

• Decreased public interest in your group – it’s less well known.
• Issue/area not discussed in the media.
• Unable to attract media or public attention.
• Messaging does not resonate with public.

Revenue 

• Funders no longer supporting your group.
• Low cash reserves.
• Decreasing number of funding partnerships - insufficient cash reserves.

Operations and culture

• Decreased transparency.
• Staff dissatisfaction.

Staff and volunteers 

• Increasing turnover of staff and volunteers.
• Decreased ability to attract top talent.
• Inability to fill key roles.

Leadership

• Group leadership struggles to be effective.

Governance

• Board members are hard to recruit, retain and engage.
• Low focus on strategic issues.
• Board not carrying out its financial duties and responsibilities, leading to crisis.

Characteristics of the Revitilisation | Bush regeneration stage

Impact

• The group has a strategic shift, redefining its vision, mission, and core values. You may explore new market segments, diversify your offerings, or enter new geographic regions.

Identity and reputation 

• Transparent and effective communication is prioritised, keeping stakeholders informed about the revitalisation plans, progress, and expected outcomes. Feedback from your stakeholders is sought and valued.

Revenue 

• Short-term funding is secured to keep your group going.
• Return to high levels of voluntary input and donations.

Operations and culture

• Focus on restructuring your group, realigning functions and streamlining processes to improve efficiency, agility, and decision-making capabilities.
• Your group embraces innovation, invests in research and development, and adopts new technologies or ways of working to respond to environmental issues and to meet changing community needs.

Staff and volunteers 

• Efforts are made to engage and motivate employees, fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and empowerment.
• Training and development programmes are implemented to enhance skills and capabilities.

Leadership

• Key performance indicators may be established to monitor progress and measure the success of revitalisation initiatives.
• Regular evaluation and adjustments are made based on performance data and market feedback.

Governance

• Your board is likely to be in crisis mode and fully engaged in decision-making regarding operations and fundraising, along with developing strategy and practising good stewardship.
• A note on governance: It is common at this stage for the amount of work to increase for committees and boards and for them to be very hands-on with managing the group. Take care to manage everyone’s energy and ensure one person is not carrying all the load. Sometimes groups are hesitant to take on new committee or board members at this stage, however, consider bringing in people who enjoy the challenge of rebuilding and reenergising.
• Watch Life Stages of Committees and Boards by Garth Nowland-Foreman from LEAD Centre for Not-for-Profit Governance. This 11-minute video covers the cyclical patterns of groups and the critical elements that need nurturing at each stage.

Challenges

• Group members transitioning out due to changing interests or life circumstances
• Declining funding
• Other groups working in the same area or on the same issue and competing for resources
• Declining staff and volunteer morale and retention, with people moving off to new opportunities
• Outdated processes and infrastructure hindering agility, innovation and operational efficiency
• A loss of trust and credibility among stakeholders, making it difficult to regain confidence in the group
• Reduction in activities in response to a reduction in support from stakeholders and volunteers, leading to a downward spiral which ultimately means the group fades away.

Opportunities

• Re-evaluating your structure and streamline operations and eliminate inefficiencies
• Realigning resources, redefining core competencies, and exploring new ways of managing your group
• Encouraging creative thinking and exploring new ways of creating change
• Attracting fresh people with new skills and perspectives
• Increasing collaboration with other groups; including merging with a similar group, or being open to being umbrellaed or coming under another group or organisation
• Celebrating the end of the group and telling the whole story as an inspiration to others
• Revitalising your community-centric approach and strengthen relationships through engaging communities during review and evaluation
• Embracing new technologies and transforming ways of working
• Gathering new energy and attracting new group members.

Questions to ask

Group needs to ask themselves some difficult but necessary questions to explore their decline. Thinking deeply about these matters can expose potential weaknesses within your group but this is necessary to help understand what steps need to be taken for recovery and revitalisation.

Areas to look at include:

• impact
• stakeholders
• leadership
• staff and volunteers
• organisation
• resourcing.

Use Worksheet 4 - Decline and revitilisation stage to help you review the decline and revitalisation stage  and work through the questions in each of the areas above to help you focus your actions.

Activities to move your group forward

• Organisational restructuring and process improvement.
• Encouraging creativity and innovative thinking.
• Researching new ways of achieving the vision.
• Training and development opportunities to upskill employees and foster a learning culture.
• Increasing stakeholder engagement and communication.
• Building strategic partnerships and alliances.
• Regular evaluation and adjustment of the revitalisation plan based on key performance indicators and community feedback.
• Implementing effective change management strategies.
• Ensuring strong leadership with clear direction to inspire and motivate the group during the revitalisation process.
• Maintaining and expanding existing programmes and activities.
• Focus on fundraising and resource acquisition to survive this stage.

Useful links

https://predatorfreenz.org/toolkits/groups-toolkit/governance/strategic-planning-and-risk-management/

https://conservationoptimism.org/portfolio-items/positive-communication-toolkit/