A Summer Working for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa

During this summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa, supporting them in restructuring their organisational structure.  

WWF South Africa is a leading environmental organisation dedicated to conservation and sustainable development. They focus on protecting biodiversity, promoting sustainable resource use, and combating climate change within South Africa through research, advocacy, and community engagement.  

For several years, their teams in South Africa had been organised into thematic areas according to their fields of work (e.g., Marine, Freshwater, Wildlife, Climate, Agriculture, Communities, etc.). However, this structure presented challenges, including:  

1. Silo mentality: The thematic areas did not communicate or collaborate effectively to align with WWF South Africa's overarching strategy, leading to inefficiencies in their work.  

2. Leadership issues: Their career progression structure often pushed technical experts into management positions, even when they lacked the necessary skills or interest in leadership roles.  

    

My primary role was to work with the senior leadership team and provide insights into more horizontal, integrated, and agile organisational structures to inspire change. This involved researching the relevant literature and engaging in discussions with other WWF offices that had restructured their organisations (e.g., WWF Brazil, which implemented Holacracy, and WWF Madagascar, which adopted a more decentralised structure). 

As I integrated into the team, I also took on a secondary role in supporting their co-creation change process by preparing meetings and designing the dynamics for their co-design integration workshops. 

Overall, the experience of working with such an incredible NGO was enriching, particularly witnessing their tangible impact on South Africa's landscapes and biodiversity.

Although my role was office-based and focused on strategy and organisational matters, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in understanding their teams and their work across South Africa.

 One of the most striking aspects was the profound connection to the environmental cause that I observed in everyone at WWF South Africa.   Their motivation to work is deeply aligned with the mission of preserving the country's natural resources and species, which I found deeply inspiring.

This internship experience was supported by the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute Impact Internship Stipend and gifts from alumni.