Services · Diagnostic

Assessment of Minimum Viable Structure of a National Society

MVS

Defines the minimum viable structure a National Society needs to operate legally and accountably at its current scale. That means governance bodies, mandatory management posts, functional coverage across finance and support, and the control conditions the structure has to make possible. It then assesses the current structure against that model, classifies every gap as critical, essential or desirable, costs the minimum core structure and sequences the route to it.

What changes

Every mandatory function carries a named accountable owner and oversight of the executive is independent. The National Society holds a costed, sequenced and board-approved route to the smallest structure that keeps it lawful, auditable and fundable.

What you get

Minimum viable structure assessment workplan and evidence request pack MVS001
Completed minimum viable structure diagnostic and scoring workbook, including the calibrated MVS model for the National Society MVS002
Minimum viable structure assessment report with the core-structure gap, costed minimum core structure and sequencing plan MVS003
Core structure gap closure tracker MVS004

What has to come first

Reliable staffing, payroll and budget data Required

The core-structure gap cannot be costed, and the organigram cannot be reconciled to reality, without it
PARPre-engagement Assessment Report Recommended

The pre-engagement assessment establishes context, feasibility, access and leadership commitment
NAHNeeds Assessment Report - National Head Quarters or NABNeeds Assessment Report - Branch/District Recommended

Needs assessment findings evidence where functions are unowned and where controls fail in practice
OCAC or BOCA results Recommended

Avoids duplicating capacity work already done and anchors the model in Movement terms

Who is involved

From the National Society's side. This is what the engagement asks of your people.

Your own staff work alongside the adviser throughout, so this is a commitment of their time as well as the Centre's. Ask in the request and you are given the day estimate per role before anything is signed.

Role	What they do
NS Governing Board / General Assembly	Mandates the assessment; adopts the minimum viable structure and the gap closure plan
NS Secretary General	Owns the assessment and the executive structure; validates factual accuracy
NS Finance Director / Head of Finance	Finance and support functions; validates the costing of the structure
NS HR and Administration lead	Provides the post list, job descriptions and staffing data
NS Audit and Risk Committee	Oversight of control conditions and of the independence of assurance, where constituted
NS branch / regional coordinators	Branch minimum structure and field verification of the sample
Partner National Society / IFRC NSD focal point	Alignment with NSD, OCAC and BOCA findings
External auditor	Observations on accountability and control weaknesses traceable to structure
GFDC delivery team	Conducts the assessment and advises; decisions on structure remain with the NS

How it is measured

Indicator	Target	Evidence
MVS assessment report and minimum viable structure model approved by the NS Governing Board within target time of kick-off	14 weeks	Board minutes or signed report (MVS003)
Functions in the MVS model mapped to a named accountable post, with evidence	100%	Function-to-post mapping in the diagnostic workbook (MVS002)
Critical gaps carrying a costed remedy, a named owner and a deadline in the sequencing plan	100%	Sequencing plan in MVS003
Minimum control conditions tested at post level across the core finance processes	100% of core processes	Control-condition test sheet in MVS002
Branches in the risk-weighted sample assessed against the branch minimum structure	At least 80% of the agreed sample	Branch assessment sheet in MVS002
Critical structural gaps closed or formally funded and scheduled at the first follow-up review	At least 70%	Core structure gap closure tracker (MVS004)

Tools

4 of 4 ready to download.

MVS001 Minimum viable structure assessment workplan and evidence request pack Template DOCX
MVS002 Minimum viable structure diagnostic and scoring workbook Tool XLSX
MVS003 Minimum viable structure assessment report with costed core structure and sequencing plan Template DOCX
MVS004 Core structure gap closure tracker Template XLSX

Standards

COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework
GFDC Operational Framework (intake, triage, service workflow)
IFRC National Society Development Framework
McKinsey 7S model
RACI responsibility assignment matrix
IFRC National Society Development (NSD) Policy
OCAC / BOCA capacity assessment frameworks
Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
National corporate governance laws and not-for-profit regulations
HNS statutes, bylaws and Board rules of procedure
National Red Cross / Red Crescent law and the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
IFRC policy on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), IFRC child safeguarding policy and the Movement Code of Conduct
IFRC policy on protection, gender and inclusion (PGI)

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You do not need to know which of the 124 to ask for.

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