EWB Lingo

Impact and Dorothy are probably the two most frequently used EWB buzz words; so lets clear those up as soon as possible so we can all speak the same language! (please let me know if I refer to something that you do not understand, use an acronym, etc). :)

Having a commitment to impact is having a commitment to "Dorothy"; the rural poor and the ultimate changes they will see. Being addicted to impact is constantly searching for ways, new and challenging, to create impact.

So who is Dorothy anyway? Dorothy is our boss. She is the one to whom we ultimately report, and she is the one with whom we partner and work beside. Our commitment to her is enshrined in our charter: "Notwithstanding the various stakeholders – members, donors, management, board, the engineering profession, partners and others – there is one stakeholder who must always come first: the people in the developing communities with whom and for whom we work." The name ‘Dorothy’ personifies the “stakeholder who must always come first and is a reminder to us of those caught in a cycle of poverty.” Dorothy was a real woman, that one of the Co-CEO's/Founders met while overseas. She now represents for us someone we can keep in mind as we make decisions.

Okay, so what does creating impact really mean? "The difference is a shift from thinking about what we want to do, to thinking about what we want to achieve." Impact focused is being outcome driven. It also means being willing to be critical of yourself, of EWB’s, and other people’s, work. This is challenging, because everyone who is doing development work is trying to “do good,” and one naturally doesn’t want to criticize them. But focusing on impact means moving away from the feel-good story, and asking the difficult questions. In the end all of these questions return not to what you’ve done but what has changed (the impact). All of your planning should start with your goals (impact) and move backwards to your activities.

Still unclear? Feel free to email me and we can chat!

Cheers; to having impact for Dorothy! :)