October 2026

Hello everyone,

Earlier this month, we brought together our Foundation operations, finance and directors in Kigali. I have always disliked not being invited to an important meeting, so for your benefit I will lay out what was covered.

Day 1 we covered our organisational structure and how to collaborate effectively across our various countries, divisions and disciplines. We came together as directors to review, refine and critique our Leadership & Governance Handbook, which explains our structures, responsibilities, our ‘operating rhythm’ or cadence and the systems and policies that underpin accounting and governing of our resources, and importantly the standards and behaviours that should shape the way we work. It shows how Pharo applies private-sector discipline to our impact work: by investing carefully, managing our resources rigorously and using evidence to guide decisions. We work as one team, communicate candidly and expect people at every level to take initiative and ownership of their commitments. We know the role & responsibilities of the centre, the country offices and the operating units, be they a program, a school, or a venture. Hand in hand, our Global HR Manual is actively being built out across our countries and operating units, it enables clear processes for the full employee journey at Pharo and allows us to tackle a tailored, competitive & compliant approach by country, by sector and by operating unit.

Day 2 covered what I call the “so what?” question. We have made considerable progress in producing regular and more reliable financial & impact reports. But producing the report is only the beginning. The real value comes from how leaders interrogate and use the information. I.e. So What! When reviewing financial & impact performance, we should ask: What has changed, and why? Are we ahead of or behind on a plan? What does the current position tell us about the rest of the year? Which assumptions no longer hold? What decision or intervention is now required? A budget-versus-actual variance should lead to a conversation. It may reveal a delivery delay, an unrealistic assumption, an emerging risk or an opportunity to use resources more effectively. Leaders should understand the operational story behind the numbers rather than leaving financial interpretation solely to the finance team or impact data solely to our impact colleagues.

Day 3 we covered the McKinsey Organisational Health Index (OHI) Results & then, a check in on our progress against the Pharo 3.0 strategy.

The OHI survey is a highly anonymised survey that compares us to hundreds of non-profits around the world. Its purpose is to assess whether an organisation can align its people around a common direction, execute effectively and continue adapting as circumstances change. The framework examines areas including a) direction, b) leadership, c) accountability, d) coordination, e) capabilities, f) motivation and g) the working environment. The results show us that at Pharo Foundation, we are good on strategic clarity, we need to encourage honest discussion, make timely decisions and follow through on commitments, we need to be supportive when teams need help and challenging when performance falls short. We must remain curious, listen to people with direct knowledge of an issue and create an environment in which colleagues can raise concerns early & honestly. These expectations apply to everyone of us, regardless of title or location.

Our full day session on strategy was excellent; we asked the tough questions. When will we build the next school, are our programs growing or simply stalling in pilot mode, are our ideas fresh and innovative or are we pushing forward non-profit programs that have been repeated over decades. How much capital is available and what targets should be in place for students, litres of water, patients, tons of oil and fish, education results, and so on. We worked on defining and critiquing our definitions of sustainable impact. Then finally, are, our innovation pipelines, allowing employees a clear path to take an idea or early concept forward?

The value of our time in Kigali will depend on what changes afterwards. The Leadership and Governance Handbook as well as the soon to be launched Global HR manual give us a common framework. The OHI work helps us understand how our behaviours strengthen our organisation. Our financial & impact reporting gives us evidence. We now need to continue bring these elements together in the way we run meetings, review performance, make decisions & more importantly the day job of operating & growing our existing and future projects.

My assessment today is that Pharo Foundation is almost running at an 8/10 i.e. an A class score. Let’s keep listening, make sure our planning is on point, we are executing our tasks and putting our hand up if there is a barrier to getting something done. Let’s keep learning from one another.

Remember: being truly customer obsessed will help us do all four. Remember your colleague can also be your customer!

Onwards, Tom Mason CEO, Pharo Foundation