Uit de Marge

The client

Uit De Marge works with and for young people facing social exclusion. The organisation has a dual role: it acts as a central point of contact, support provider and training partner for organisations working with young people, while also delivering frontline youth work itself in several locations. In some municipalities, Uit De Marge also runs locally rooted youth-work programmes of its own.

The question

Uit De Marge initially needed an interim operations coordinator who could also support the search for a new general coordinator. S&L temporarily took over the coordination role and worked alongside the board, which assumed greater responsibility during this period. Together, they gradually recruited and inducted new colleagues.

During an interim-management assignment, we address the questions that surface: Who are we? What do we do? What cultural values guide us? What is our DNA? And how do we work with one another? A shift in leadership and authority had created some tension within the organisation. We therefore focused first on shaping a future direction that could serve as an internal compass, rather than immediately developing an outward-facing strategy.

Once the new coordinator was in place, we turned our attention outwards and began defining the strategy. The process involved seven participatory sessions and regular dialogue with the wider team. One central question guided the work: What must we do to fulfil our mission as effectively as possible? The result was a strategy endorsed by the board and a strong foundation for the organisation’s next multi-year strategic plan. Led by its new coordinator, Uit De Marge then translated that strategy into the plan itself.

The collaboration

The collaboration worked extremely well at every level. The board was open and closely involved, and the organisation had a strong feedback culture. People were given the space and trust to take initiative and step fully into their roles. S&L also took part in the selection process for the new coordinator and had a clear mandate to contribute its perspective.

Trust matters in every process, including strategy work. You build rapport, have genuine conversations and listen to everyone—from team members to senior leaders—to understand their challenges. You also speak in terms that resonate with them. There is no room for the arrogance of an external consultant who assumes they know better. You have to stand alongside the organisation, with your feet in the mud. Only then can people speak honestly—and only then can an S&L consultant add genuine value.

Uit De Marge is the initiator of Youth work against racism .