SUMMARY
Motivated by the desire to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems for disadvantaged and emerging communities, Ade Sawyerr, a management consultant uses his vast experience gained in working with (BAME) black and minority ethnic communities and his expertise as a competent business analyst to research and develop proposals for cohesive and integrated communities.
Ade Sawyerr has spent the last 40 years working as a management consultant in the UK, focusing on enterprise support, regeneration, community engagement and development, and employment development strategies. He has designed, developed, and delivered training programmes on business, community management and employment skills and undertaken policy research to inform decisions on the (BAME) Black Asian Minority Ethnic and other disadvantaged communities. He has consulted for many community organisations, implemented capacity building programmes and explored strategies for building community cohesiveness and integration.
He combines his work as a management consultant with a lot of activism in community and grassroots organisations. He is also involved in the cultural, political, social and economic advancement of the African heritage community in the UK.
His background qualifications are in management. He holds a B.Sc. Administration degree in Management from the University of Ghana (1971) and an MBA from Manchester Business School (1982)
Ade writes on a variety of cultural and diversity issues in the community and he is a powerful and insightful speaker at conferences and seminars.
EXPERIENCE
1983 – Date Partner, Equinox Consulting
Responsible for project development and proposal writing and supervision of tenders for this management consulting firm that focuses on enterprise and community development projects as they affect inner city and ethnic minority communities in Britain. I have led multi-disciplinary teams of associates to execute different types of projects. These include business skills training, management development programmes, studies for the setting up of enterprise agencies, counselling small businesspeople conducting research, looking at mechanisms to promote and develop entrepreneurs in local areas, providing advice and specialist assistance to growth organisations. I have worked with the statutory services at local, regional, and national levels as well as for trusts and charities promoting community development and enterprise.
1979 – 1980 GM, Cobdorf Ghana
General Manager directly responsible to the board. Successfully completed a restructuring and rationalisation, of this medium-sized highly diversified company involved in the production and marketing of food products, agriculture, property, and tyre re-treading, to ensure that the functions of production and service delivery, marketing, and finance were properly co-ordinated.
1976 – 1979 MD, Afro Asian Travel Centre
Managed the day-to-day affairs of this travel agency involved in charter flights and tours. Expanded the company’s client base to include special event flights, religious pilgrimages and initiated air brokerage services with integrated linkages with hotels to provide a complete package tour operation.
1972 – 1975 Systems Engineer, IBM Ghana
Computerisation of several organisations in the private and public sectors. Determining their computer needs, the design of appropriate operating systems environment, development of application programs, and the provision of on-going management support for the installations. Developed and implemented training programs for management, systems analysts, programmers, and operators in various computer installations.
1971 – 1972 Asst. Accountant, GCB, Ghana
Involved in various aspects of retail banking and appraisal of proposals for funding small businesses.
EXPERTISE
A clear thinker who is constantly working on issues that affect the communities around him. Trusted and valued colleague with clients who constantly tap into his ability to help find solutions to problems.
Business Planning
Collecting information, carrying out secondary and primary research to formulate strategic plan that provides a guide to further action on the governance and management, the services and goods, the markets and marketing, the production and service management, the capital and resource requirements and the equity and debt requirements of the project
Project Appraisal and Evaluation
Collecting information from proposers of the project, carrying out secondary and primary research formulating a strategic plan that provides a guide to further action on the governance and management, the services and goods, the markets and marketing, the production and service management, the capital and resource requirements and the equity and debt requirements of the project.
Policy Research
Designing robust methodologies for undertaking research on issues affecting black and minority ethnic communities who are normally referred to as ‘hard to reach’ but are traditionally excluded communities.
Community Consultations and Engagement
Devising innovative and appropriate methodologies to enable consultations with the black and minority ethnic communities. Eliciting views on their concerns and engaging them so that they can also participate and decision-making at the local, regional, and national level on issues that affect them.
Facilitation and Strategy Seminars
Assisting in the development of action plans using facilitation strategies that enable organisations to focus on their future direction and performance. Aims at finding answers to difficult questions to lead organisation to sustainability.
Capacity Building and Management Skills Training
Providing training programmes in business skills, community organisational management skills and seminars, soft employment skills and board and trustee seminars and training programmes across different sectors.
Bid and Proposal Writing
Development of proposals for the implementation of projects ensuring that the goals, objectives, inputs and targets and impact are clearly stated and that evaluative capacity is built into the proposals that are developed and a community delivery plan with costings is provided.
PROJECTS
Ade Sawyerr is grateful for the opportunity to work on several exciting projects that have added value to many of the issues that confront BAME, Black and minority ethnic people in Britain.
A selection of recent projects are described below
Working with two organisations:- 198 CAL Gallery and Carnival de Pueblo to provide them with hands on advice on business planning, trustee and board recruitment, social impact analysis and funding sources.
Lambeth Council
Development of a Voluntary and Community Sector Strategy for the Borough of Lambeth following consultations with a survey of the sector and key informant discussions with members of the sector constituted into a steering group. The project also involved the examination of models from other local authority areas and background research to investigate new and innovative models of making the voluntary sector work in partnership with the voluntary and private sector to tackle social need in the borough.
Gloucestershire County Council
Review of support services to carers from the black and minority ethnic communities to ensure that they receive appropriate support from the county to enable them to provide better care.
Insight research into the Caribbean community to find out why they are dissatisfied with the services delivered by the council and with recommendations as to how they can be better engaged with the council to codesign, co-develop and co-deliver services within a cooperative council.
Outreach into the community to determine emerging needs and emerging communities and how these can be addressed by a community organisation that needs to refocus its activities to become relevant to its younger members and newer communities coming into the area.
Research the views of Nigerian professionals in the UK to determine how they can be encouraged back home to assist with the development effort.
CLIENTS
At the start of the process is a need to listen and determine what the client’s objectives are and to design a methodology that ensures that the client is always at the centre of the process. This is how we work successfully with the supposedly ‘hard to reach’ communities.
“In looking at a way forward we commissioned Equinox Consultancy to conduct a community needs assessment on our behalf. The Trustees were presented with a draft report in March 2014 and the implications are being explored to inform a strategic plan for WACA. We are aware that key priorities identified by participants in the survey are: Education, Health and wellbeing and arts and culture. The way forward will be a key theme for our AGM. We would like to extend our thanks to Equinox for the work completed and to WBC for funding the work.”
Clive Saunders, Chairman, Watford African Caribbean Association
“A key feature of this research is that the Black Caribbean community was involved in developing the recommendations that are put forward in this report. I hope these will be used as a foundation upon which the council can take action and embed practices that build stronger relationships and a better understanding of the Black Caribbean community in Lambeth. This report does not mark the end of a process but the beginning of a new way forward. I hope that the recommendations put forward will help the council work cooperatively not only with our established communities, but with our new communities too.”
Cllr Lorna Campbell, Cabinet member for Equalities and Communities Lambeth Council
EDUCATION
Ade Sawyerr was educated at some of the best institutions in the world and a classmate of some of the best in the land.
Academic Qualification
- 1982 MBA Alliance Manchester Business School
- 1971 B.Sc. Administration, University of Ghana Business School
- 1968 A Levels Ghana Secondary School, Koforidua
- 1966 O Levels Achimota Secondary School
Professional Qualifications
- 2000 Approved Consultant, National Council for Voluntary Organisations
- 1997 Fellow, Certified Management Consultant
- 1992 Member, Institute of Management Consultancy
Advanced Computer Skills
- Proficient in the use of computers in building and generating networks and familiar with major software and productivity packages
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office 365 for business
- Proficient in the use of several statistical packages
Excellent Communication Skills
- Excellent skills in speaking, reading and writing in English
- Excellent skill in speaking reading and writing of Ga
INTERESTS
Black Issues Matter
Equality is the single most important issue in the world today. Whilst it must have been a minority issue in the past, it has become a majority issue with the changes in demographics of this country which has become a multicultural multiethnic place. It is only when BAME black and minority ethnic people are able to benefit socially, economically and politically that they can contribute their best to the continued development of Britain.
Ade Sawyerr has interests in a variety of issues outside his main consulting work. These include:
- Politics of Africa and the Caribbean
- Inter-generational activities amongst the young and old
- Culture of Africa especially Ghana and specifically Gadangme Culture
- He is a member of the London Gadangme Speaking URC Fellowship
He believes that community service is rewarding and that is one way of transforming deprived communities. He has been involved in:
- 2022 – Present, Vice Chair, GASCDO
- 2017 – Present Trustee, James Barnor Foundation
- 1998 – 2010 Trustee, The London Community Foundation
- 2002 – 2006 Advisor Board Member, Black Business Brokerage
- 2004 – 2006 Chair, GaDangme Nikasemo Asafo
- 1997 – 2001 Chairman, Ghana Union London
- 1992 – 1998 Executive Member, Brixton Business Forum
- 1994 – 1999 Governor, St Nicholas School, Purley
- 2001 – 2003 Council Member, London Civic Forum