OUR C A P I TA L T R A D E - O F F S
OUR CAPITAL TRADE-OFFS To achieve Sea Rescue’s vision, we are constantly required to review the use and allocation of the available resources and ensure maximum effectiveness. Below are a few of the primary trade-offs that we have made amongst capitals in the past, as well as the reasoning behind our decisions.
OUR CAPITALS IMPACTED
Financial
Human
Social and relationship
Intellectual
Natural
Manufactured
FULLY PAID VERSUS VOLUNTEER LIFEGUARDS INSIGHT INTO THE TRADE-OFF
HOW THIS WORKED FOR US IN 2020
MAIN OUTCOMES
All across South Africa, lifeguards have traditionally come from Lifesaving Clubs. More recently, municipalities have contracted annual/seasonal lifeguards to ensure a professional service is available when required, and in Durban’s case, all year round. The NSRI started rolling out lifeguard services through local authority contracts, providing an end-to-end lifeguarding service, rather than individual lifeguards. We believe that requiring lifeguards to do duty over a 12-hour day requires that lifeguards be paid and that you cannot expect, nor will you find, sufficient lifeguards to staff a beach for such long periods on a voluntary basis.
The NSRI prides itself on its volunteer model for boat-based rescue services, but in a lifeguarding context, where lifeguards are on the beach for long shifts, it is reasonable that they be compensated. NSRI members understand this context and accommodate a professional and a volunteer model side-by-side. The boat-based model acts as backup to the lifeguard model.
In 2020 we provided lifeguarding services to five municipalities on 21 beaches, with 44 lives saved, 1102 prevention activities executed and no fatal drownings.
INSIGHT INTO THE TRADE-OFF
HOW THIS WORKED FOR US IN 2020
MAIN OUTCOMES
The NSRI has almost 80 personnel in its call centre and, with the advent of severe lockdowns, had to take a fixed infrastructure call centre into a virtual environment within a week.
We were able to use a mobile application to allow call centre agents to work from home and, even when lockdowns were relaxed, many agents continued to work from home, achieving similar or better results than before. Working from home allowed vulnerable personnel to isolate themselves and prevent infections. Working from home also provided personal economic benefits in terms of travel costs, which particularly assisted in some cases where personal income declined.
Fundraising targets were achieved at levels 1.7% better than 2019 and only 7.7% less than budgeted. Under the circumstances, we believe this is a remarkable achievement.
VIRTUAL CALL CENTRE VERSUS OFFICE-BOUND, SEATED CALL CENTRE
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