Our collective experience spans decades and draws on years of international community development and public sector work.

Our 12000 KM history

Development Action Ltd. started in 2010 in Wellington, New Zealand when four friends founded an organization to service the local community and voluntary sector. The organization quickly made a name for itself as a fresh source of relevant training, funding guidance and specialized professional development.

Lee Sentes was the main coordinator, contractor and planner during this time.  Through the organization, Lee was able to work with a variety of clients from government ministries (Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs), the University of Victoria and local not-for-profits. 88 organizations took part in the first year of training.

In May 2012, Lee Sentes and Kathleen Manion moved back to their native Canada after sixteen years abroad and founded Development Action.ca, a Victoria based organization with a mission similar to its parent in New Zealand. It's their seventh country move and they are keen to put all that experience to work!

 

WHAT WE DO

Development Action is an ethically focused organization that enhances our client's ability to undertake effective work. 

Our services include professional development, strategic planning and event coordination.  Development Action also undertakes and assists with research across a range of topics.

We are committed to working within budgets and have a flexible approach to our rates.

 

WHO WE'VE WORKED WITH

Through Development Action in New Zealand, Lee Sentes was commissioned to work with a wide variety of public sector and community and voluntary sector organizations.

  • New Zealand Ministry of Social Development, Familiy and Community Services - High Trust Contract reflection day, with full workshop report and organization interviews.

  • New Zealand Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Wellington and Auckland offices - in partnership with Ann Braun, have helped both teams design and develop tailored monitoring and evaluation strategies for key project areas.

  • New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development – strategic planning with board and staff.

  • Change Makers Refugee Forum – strategic planning with board and staff.

  • University of Victoria, English Language Training for Officials – sessions discussing community development principles with visiting foreign government official students.

  • New Zealand Aids Foundation – strategic planning with Pacific Island network delegates.

  • Futures Trust Aotearoa – event planning for Richard Slaughter's forum, and Steven Ames' multi-city workshop, including video interview editing and uploading, as well as scheduling of meetings with key local government officials.

  • Kites Trust – strategic planning with mental health Consumer Coalition prior to meetings with District Health Boards.

  • Platform Charitable Trust – facilitation assistance at Hamilton meeting of service providers.

  • New Zealand National Refugee Network – strategic planning focusing on nation-wide message delivery of issues faced by the refugee community.

  • Engineers Without Borders – delivery of interactive community development session at EWB's first conference.

 

TRAINING WE HAVE OFFERED

From the Ministry of Social Development and the Office of the Auditor-General, through to organisations like World Vision and Oxfam, Development Action has attracted a range of participants to its events in New Zealand.

 

  • Reporting on outcomes - November 2010 (Facilitator: Lee Sentes)

  • Taking stock of your organisation's monitoring and evaluation - March 2011 (Trainer: Ann Braun)

  • Capturing outcomes: Results Based Accountability 101 - April 2011 (Trainer: Sharon Shea)

  • Sexuality and practise: increasing participation from a wider community - May 2011 (Facilitator: Simon Harger-Forde)

  • Beyond Management: how to get to grips with social complexity and the desire to control - June 2011 (Facilitators: Allan Kaplan and Sue Davidoff)

  • The Social Enterprise Journey: balancing social mission with making money - November 2011 (Facilitator: Bice Awan)

 

"BEST TEAM FOR THE JOB" APPROACH

Teamwork is at the heart of Development Action's approach. We believe this improves the solutions and helps boost your organization's ability to address similar challenges in the future. 

Part of our initial assessment will be deciding who within the Development Action team is best suited to help, and how we will partner with your employees or volunteers. We may also suggest using different people outside of our team for specialized assistance. 

Take a minute to meet the team and our skilled associates.

 

Organizations and people who impress us!