In conversation with Anna Feuchtwang
Interview: April 2008
Seeing change happen is what motivates Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of EveryChild, to work with vulnerable children. Anna was elected as Chair of the Bond Board in November 2008.
What inspired you to work in the sector?
I trained as a journalist but I spent a lot of my spare time campaigning on international issues such as the anti-apartheid movement. It was a time when people were motivated to get involved in issues that concerned them. It seemed a natural progression to find a job in the sector and so I joined Oxfam as a press officer.
What is your role at EveryChild?
As Chief Executive, I need to lead the organisation with a vision. I enjoy strategic planning and seeing the bigger picture. When I joined EveryChild we were doing lots of things well, some not so well and some appallingly. We had to get better at what we do in order to change EveryChild into a specialist organisation protecting vulnerable children living without parental care.
What you are working on at the moment?
We are developing an advocacy strategy for children living without parental care. There is currently very little policy debate at UK, national, European or international level on how to ensure that children who are separated from their families and communities can be reached, kept safe and returned to an environment where they have the same opportunities to develop. We really want to push this up the political agenda.
What impact do you hope this work will have?
At the moment, the impact anticipated by governments achieving the Millennium Development Goals will not reach children living without parental care because no-one is counting them. If we can include these children in governments' policies it will have a major impact on the well being of millions of children living on the streets, living in state-run institutions, working as domestic labourers and the sex industry.
What are the main challenges in the job?
Working in a very noisy policy environment it is sometimes difficult to get your voice heard, it is particularly difficult for children that are outside stable communities, who live chaotic and volatile lives. As a specialist organisation, we can champion these children and speak on their behalf, but to do that we need to build our own profile and credibility so that people will listen to us.
On an organisational level, fundraising is always a challenge for us, and many other charities. EveryChild is all about innovation: we pilot new projects and roll them out across different countries. It is very difficult to find organisations that will support us because the models haven't been proven yet. Funders don't like to take risks.
Are there any specific skills you need to do your job well?
Communication is key. As Chief Executive, I must be excellent at communicating our vision, and at motivating people to achieve our goals. I need to be clear about what the organisation does and why it is important.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing real change happening. One example is the work EveryChild has been doing in Moldova over the last 20 years. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe with thousands of children in institutional care. EveryChild has helped make wholesale changes to the entire childcare system, working with the Moldovan Government so that poor and vulnerable families can stay together and children aren't placed in care.
If you could change one thing about the way you work, what would it be?
The ability to be in three places at once! I would love to have time to visit some of our projects in other countries. I spend almost all of my time in the UK because of the bureaucratic demands placed on a Chief Executive.
What lessons have you learnt from your career so far?
Trust your instincts and judgment, and don't delay - get on with it. It is OK to get things wrong as long as you learn from it.
What is the best bit of professional advice you've been given?
Ask all the difficult questions at the beginning, make no assumptions, and get evidence to support the answers to the questions.
Who is your mentor or inspiration?
Jon Snow, who I worked with on the joint-agency Millennium project On the Line. He has brilliant vision and energy, and the conviction to make it happen. He makes courageous moves, and is never afraid to take a stance. On a personal and professional level he is inspiring.
What is the key challenge for the sector in the coming year?
We have to decide how we can prove our standards and accountability. As a sector, we are hugely unaccountable. We have to seriously think about how we want to be measured otherwise systems will be imposed on us.
What is the main goal of
the Board in 2008-9?
Recruiting the new Chief Executive is of utmost importance. It is essential that the Board makes sure the Bond secretariat and members meet the challenges of the sector. We have to build on the success of Make Poverty History and continue to make international development relevant to all our stakeholders including governments and the general public.
Background
Anna has twenty years experience in international development, previously working for Oxfam and On The Line before joining EveryChild as Chief Executive in 2004.
