A Management Cast Study on

International Nepal Fellowship (Nepal)

(A Pokhara-based NGO serving Nepali people since 1952)

Submitted by 
Anil Rai 
MMCS, 2077 Fall [Second Semester] 
NOU Registration No: 2020110048
 
 

 
 
A Management Case Study Submitted to 
Media Management, MMCS
Nepal Open University 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Submitted as a part of Internal Assessment for the subject of Media Management,
Master’s in Media and Communication Studies [MMCS] 
 
 
 
 
 

September 2022
A Brief Overview of the Organisation
International Nepal Fellowship (Nepal) is a Nepali non-government organisation serving Nepali
people through health and development work to improve the quality of life of individuals and the
community at large. Established in 1952, INF has been serving the poor and disadvantaged people of
Nepal, bringing life in all its fullness. It started in Pokhara, with the Shining Hospital and developed
into a major clinical and social organisation with its work in western part of the country.

INF Nepal has been working with the needy and disadvantaged people of Nepal for the past 70
years. It targets remote and poorly serviced areas through agreements with the Government of
Nepal.

The organisation aims to bring sustainable improvements in health and the quality of life of people
and communities. INF work to overcome poverty and exclusion by bringing people together to take
collective action in their communities.

INF Nepal is currently working in twelve districts of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim
provinces of Nepal community development works and hospitals. The organisation employs over
400 staff and ten expatriate volunteers.

Under community development programmes, INF runs projects related to community health and
development, community-based rehabilitation, women empowerment and gender inclusion,
livelihood, mother and child health, anti-human trafficking, climate change and disaster response.

Three of INF Nepal’s hospitals are Green Pastures Hospital Pokhara and Shining Hospitals in Banke
(SHIB) and Surkhet (SHIS). Through these three hospitals and a Fistula Centre in Surkhet, INF
provides quality care and affordable health services to the people of Nepal. INF Nepal also runs
general physical rehabilitation services and medical outreach camps in remote parts of the country.

Green Pasture Hospital (GPH) of Pokhara is a specialist 100-bed hospital that provides specialised
treatment and rehabilitation services in leprosy and non-tropical diseases, dermatology, spinal cord
injury, trauma, ear diseases, palliative care, children with special needs and counselling.

The organization is organizing seventy different events and activities throughout the year, marking
its 70th Anniversary this November.

Organisational Structure and Legal Framework

INF Nepal is registered in the Kaski district as a Nepali non-governmental organization. It is affiliated
with Social Welfare Council and has its Board and an Executive Director.

The Board developed INF Nepal’s identity comprising of mandate, vision, mission, values, characters
and strategy statement whereby INF Nepal will work toward.

Executive Director is responsible to the Board for ensuring that the programmes and hospitals are
managed efficiently and that a close relationship with the wider INF family is maintained.

The INF Nepal Central Office is based in Pokhara and provides leadership direction and technical
guidance to the organization. The Central Office comprises the Executive Director’s department,
Community Programmes Office, Finance Department, Human Resources Development Unit,
Partnership and Fundraising Unit, Communications Unit, IT Support and General Administration Unit.
INF Nepal works closely with federal, provincial and local entities of the Nepal Government, local
communities and community-based organisations, civil society organisations, and national and
international agencies working for health and development in Nepal.

INF Nepal is responsible for implementing and monitoring the work at a project level, networking as
needed and mobilise its human resources and assets to achieve the project goal. It executes the
projects through its Central, Provincial and District and Municipality Offices.

Board of Directors (BOD) or Management Committee Structure

Governance
INF Nepal is governed by the Board that oversees the organisation’s work as a steward. It provides
strategic direction, decision and guidance, ensuring organizational accountability and transparency.

1. Chairperson
2. Vice-Chairperson
3. Secretary
4. Treasurer
5. Member
6. Member
7. Member
8. Member
9. Member
10. Member Secretary
11. Advisor

Strategic Management Team

Strategic Management Team (SMT) reports to the Board through the ED. It is responsible for
monitoring and evaluating the smooth running and development of INF Nepal, making strategic
decisions on community development and hospital work and central functions, which include
Finance, Communications, Partnership, Liaison, IT, Administration and Quality Assurance.

SMT ensures the implementation of the projects and programmes through the local management
committees and makes necessary recommendations to the Board to achieve INF Nepal’s vision and
mission.

The SMT members include:

1. Executive Director
2. Health Services Director
3. Community Programmes Director
4. Finance Director
5. Quality Assurance Head
6. Fundraising Coordinator
7. HRD Manager
Chart of Organizational Structure with Description

The top body of the organization is the General Assembly which takes place annually in October,
where INF Nepal Board Members, General Members, and Lifetime Members meet up and reflect on
the organization’s overall performance, including financial and vote on any issues at hand including
the formation of a new Board.

Executive Director (ED) is the top official of the organization who directly reports to INF Nepal. SMT
is chaired by ED and comprises Directors and the Head of Quality Assurance, Fundraising and HRD.

Department and Unit Division Status and TOR

INF Nepal has three units – Hospital and Health Services, Community Development Programmes and
Central Support Functions.

Community Development
INF Nepal works across remote communities in western Nepal, supporting thousands of people
through Self-Help Groups who come together to learn, share resources, plan and advocate for
change that benefits everyone. INF Nepal uses the empowering approach, recognizing the significant
changes that the community themselves can bring. INF empowers and equips communities for their
further ownership and development.

INF Nepal is focusing through its community programmes on three sectors:

1. Livelihood and Resilience

2. Disability and Leprosy Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation
3. Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health
Health Services
INF Nepal runs three well-equipped hospitals in Pokhara, Banke and Surkhet and a Fistula Centre
inside Karnali Province Hospital in Surkhet. Through these hospitals, INF provides specialist services
in leprosy and skin, ear diseases, spinal cord injury, physical rehabilitation, obstetric fistula, and
palliative care. INF also runs medical surgical outreach camps in remote communities.

Central Function
INF Nepal’s central function is managed by the Central Office in Pokhara, Simpani. The central
function includes

 Finance
 Fundraising and Partnerships
 Communications and Marketing
 IT
 Administration
 Liaison and Support

Management Evaluation
INF Nepal has three settings—Hospital, Community side and Central Function. Hospitals are
managed by their respective Hospital Management Committees. There is a single Community
Management Committee that discusses any issues related to the community sides and a Central
Office Management Committee. The Management Committees sit for meetings on a monthly and
ad-hoc basis as the situation arises.

INF Nepal has Four tiers of staffing — Director, Manager, Officer and Assistant in Community
programmes and central function. In Health Services, there is a Medical Superintendent, Consultant
Specialists, Medical Officers, Nurses, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Lab Technologists, and helpers.

A Major Management Issue Found

The central management issue in INF Nepal is the partiality among the people with specific faith only
allowed to be a Director. In other positions, such as Managers and Officers, there are no such issues
found.

Another issue was that male members dominated the Strategic Management Team (SMT), with only
one member being female out of seven.

Sometimes a leader’s strong personality affects the functioning of the organization.

INF is also notoriously known to have many meetings. Managers seem to be rushing towards making
presentations for sharing with the INF Nepal Board during their monthly meetings.

Management Strength Discovered

One of INF’s strengths is in having a combination of both hospitals and community programmes. The
three hospitals (GPH, SHIB, SHIS) and a Fistula Centre and Community Development Programmes
employ an integrated approach to running their projects and services.

INF is a formal organization that follows the Nepal Government’s rules and regulations and the
standard international practice of having the right policies and procedures for its day-to-day work
and operation.
INF Nepal has the following policies, which are followed strictly:

 Speak Up policy against any kinds of corruption, misuse of organisation’s property and
authority
 Child and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy
 Financial Policy and Procedure
 INF Goes Green Policy for environment protection and sustainability
 Grievance Policy
 IT Policy
 Communication Guidelines
 Vehicle use policy and procedure

The team, including SMT, are young, especially the Manager, Coordinator and Officer level post
holders. Many of these staff have master’s degrees, with some having multiple degrees and having
sustained experience working in the organization.

INF Nepal follows a less paper policy, and staff leave, travel orders and TASA claims are all recorded
in an HR web application.

Staff development activities are in prioritized, such as in-service training, orientation, and exposure
visits. The provision of short training courses in India and participation in international conferences is
also endorsed, given the funds and budgets.

Another strong point of INF Nepal is the sustainability of its operation. It has its agriculture farm,
poultry, pig and buffalo farm. The produce from its farms is sold in the local market. It offers short-
term jobs for leprosy patients and their caretakers on these farms.

Conclusion 
INF Nepal is one of the longest-serving organizations in Nepal, which is practising a unique blend of
community and clinical aspects of services among the poor and disadvantaged people and
communities of Nepal.

This year, INF Nepal is celebrating its 70 th Anniversary, the no. It is unheard of as it is not common to
hear any organization celebrating this long year.

INF sure has its internal difficulties. Moreover, it survived and witnessed many political changes in
Nepal, yet it survives them all and thrives to what it has become now. This was possible due to the
leadership’s good managerial skills.

Lesson Learnt
Seven decades passed, and INF is still serving and thriving through its services in Nepal. I have seen
people retiring from INF after 43 years of service in INF. There are many people with over 30 years of
sustained work experience in INF. Having a good workforce and retaining them is always a challenge,
but with proper benefits and motivation, people can stay longer. Moreover, people need to have a
sense of doing something good for the community and the people. INF exactly does so, and that
could be one reason it has much loyal staff who has been serving for over many decades.
Recommendations
The challenges and difficulties are inevitable for any organization and time. Organizations could
make or break in such situations, and all that depends on the managerial skills, vision, and strategy
of the leadership.

The agility and always learning attitude are must-have attributes for any leader and manager. People
handling skills and good communication skills are also very important for the organization leader.

The leader needs to be strategic about choosing the area of work and hiring the right person in the
right position and at the right time to succeed and produce a sustainable impact.