Pact (Washington DC) Employee Reviews about "pact"

Pros

I was drawn to Pact by its mission and focus on community engagement. There are a lot of very bright, talented people at Pact around the world who care about the work we do. I really enjoy working together with others on designing and implementing projects that help people and planet and am proud to work at Pact. The SVP of Programs is open and accessible, really understands international development and supports teams to do their best work and helps trouble shoot when needed. The CFO also helps troubleshoot and find solutions and is available. Having executive team members like these care about our work to this level is really motivating. There are a lot of thought leaders as Pact. Our Impact Areas and regional and country project teams are really seeking to do development better. Pact also has communities of practice that we can join to deepen our knowledge in our own fields and learn more about other areas. I also like that we have a hybrid model -- 2 days in the office a week.

Pros

I would say that Pact is the best NGO I have worked for thus far. Pact has renewed my faith for the international development sphere by being so committed to helping it's beneficiaries and seeing change in the field. It's very decentralized meaning the hq to field staff ratio favors the field considerably. Pacts commitment to making sure funds are in the field means hq staff is a bit on the slim side- definitely keeping everyone at hq busy. But Pact doesn't waste money on excessive travel or flashy events. The board meeting held recently was simple and the board members were accessible to staff to meet and answer questions. Everyone at hq works hard but there is a great balance, where there is also time to socialize and Pact hq's small size makes it easy to bond with coworkers and also pick up projects outside your department if they interest you (which most supervisors encourage you to do). There's a real team feeling at Pact and the open office makes it very easy to ask anyone for assistance. Culture is strong at all levels and leadership is accessibke with their open offices. I was impressed that Mark Viso introduced himself to me on my first day and I am entry-level staff. Overall wonderful organization working effectively and dedicated to its mission.

Pros

Colleagues at Pact are committed and kind professionals that really want to make a positive impact in the world. It's a small organization and easy to feel at home.

Pros

Pact's field staff are excellent and there's a very high quality standard in implementation at the local level. We are lucky to have such talented people working in the country offices. At headquarters (HQ): there are great benefits (healthcare & good amt of vacation time). Great technical experts. Fortunately several major leadership transitions this year have meant that there's mostly new blood at the top. Case in point: the following positions (VP of Finance, VP of HR, COO, and VP of Biz Development) have all changed in 2014 alone. These people are slowly getting their footing. For example there had previously been major morale issues within the fundraising unit; this has improved dramatically, so congrats to the new leadership's accomplishments there.

Pros

Some recent posts with overly dramatic headlines were most likely written by disgruntled staff out to damage the org, so read them with a hefty grain of salt. I've been here for a while, through all the transition and things are MUCH better now than they ever were. The new exec team is very approachable and transparent about decisions and seem to want to make this a better place to work. Upper mgmt coordinates together more often to chip away at the silos. The work is rewarding and the pay is generally fair. I don't find the hours to be bad at all but I understand some people do work long hours. Then again, Pact has flexible work hours and policies, so you rarely see anyone here after 6 PM. Even Fridays are generally quiet, with most people working from home. All in all, there seems to be increased accountability and improved morale. Even when I have been low, the people with whom I work make the days go by fast, often with a lot of laughs. Like anything in life, an organization is what you make of it. If you are frustrated, speak up and get involved to make change (isn't that the whole point of working at an NGO?) There are ample opportunities! And if you aren't happy at Pact (or any job) then you might want to reevaluate your expectations. No place is perfect and life is too short to sit around complaining on glassdoor.

Pros

Its a robust team to work with high paced environment which yields measurable results, the work empowers the marginalized in society.

Pros

Pact has a strong core of highly competent and professional employees who move the organization forward in term of implementing/supporting strong projects. Despite going through a large shift in leadership in the Washington, DC office over the past few years, Pact has retained high caliber staff who are really the life force of the organization. Flexible hours and telework. Good professional development opportunities.

Pros

Pact is at a really good place now, having recently won a number of large and significant awards, and brought on some good new staff. There is (finally) a sense that we are all moving in the right direction. Some of the smartest and most committed people I have ever worked with are at Pact. Their governance and capacity development/localization staff are really cutting edge. And the benefits package is excellent!

Pros

Longtime CEO Mark Viso is finally out. Cheers across the organization and around the world were immediate. Lots of us who love this organization celebrated because Pact is a wonderful NGO but has had an egomaniac CEO for way too many years. The Board *finally* woke up and pushed him out. The interim “officers in charge” are leaning on the deep experience of the VPs and Executive Directors. Bravo. They are earning a lot of goodwill because of their transparency and openness. I’ve always said that Pact does amazing work worldwide and it has managed to succeed DESPITE the terrible human at the top. We’re growing as an NGO, this should help with morale, and I see a bright future ahead.