About the LiNGO (Local Salary Surveys for the NGO Community) initiative

Over recent years, the need for a quality, reasonably priced, consistent source of local salary surveys for the NGO community became apparent to Birches Group, InsideNGO, ORC Worldwide, and People in Aid as each of us individually pursued our respective organisational missions. During that period, we also collaborated with each other in various configurations on different issues and had informal discussions about our own perceptions of the need for local NGO surveys and how that need might be met. InsideNGO (at the time operating as Personnel Co-op) actually undertook an initiative of its own to conduct such surveys for its members. Several global NGOs were regular participants in Birches Group's ongoing multi-sector surveys.
 
In August/September of 2008, we agreed to collaborate on a pilot initiative to test the feasibility of working together to meet the need for local salary surveys for the NGO community. We designed the scope of the pilot with input from a steering committee made up of human resources and compensation professionals from leading INGOs including: CARE; Catholic Relief Services; Habitat for Humanity; IUCN; The International Rescue Committee; The Leprosy Mission; Oxfam; Plan International; Save the Children; and, World Vision. We named the initiative "LiNGO" for Local Salary Surveys for the NGO Community.
 
The pilot ran in over 20 countries looking at jobs, salaries, and benefits within the field. More than 90 organisations participated with a total of 285 registrations in the 21 countries. Survey results were disseminated during March 2009.
 
In February and March of 2009, the collaborators (Birches Group, InsideNGO, ORC Worldwide, and People In Aid) began discussions about assessing the results of the pilot, and deciding whether and how to proceed with further collaboration. At a partners’ meeting on 2 April 2009, we agreed to proceed with global implementation of local salary surveys for the NGO community. This Web site will become the online community for that survey expansion, where you can meet and talk with your peers, register to participate, get help interpreting your results, and discuss topical issues. Designated staff of the partner organisations will be available through this portal and will use it to facilitate communication, planning, collaboration, information-sharing, and knowledge management for the successful implementation of this complex, global initiative.