Within the INGO sector most organisations remunerate their national and international employees on different scales. The differences between the pay and benefits scales within this so-called dual salary system are often extreme, reflecting challenges of attracting skilled international workers to difficult contexts, whilst remunerating national employees appropriately within their local economy.

Project Fair

Project Fair builds upon a strong body of research into the psychological impact of these disparate salaries in the sector, in particular their impact on employees’ motivation, performance, and retention, and thereby their broader organisational activities. We aim to create a collaborative space for discussion of practical, evidence-based alternatives to the dual salary system that enable INGOs to maximise their contributions to decent work, sustainable livelihood, and poverty eradication.

Project Fair

This project was supported by the ESRC Impact Accelerator Account awarded to the University of Edinburgh (ES/M500380/1). It began in 2015 as a collaboration between researchers at the University of Edinburgh Business School, Massey University, CHS Alliance, and Birches Group. It has since evolved into an active collaboration between a network of over 150 international NGOs with an interest in fair reward. If you are interested in becoming part of the network please contact Project Fair Director Dr Ishbel McWha-Hermann or Project Manager Julia Porter.

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