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Organizational development : All Articles
Organizational assessment tool for social movements
21 May 2012
My Healthy Organization (MHO) Social Service Assessment Tool was developed by RoadMap, a
US-based consultancy network that provides capacity-building support to social justice
organizations and movements. The tool is designed to integrate social justice and movement-building
values into organizational effectiveness benchmarks. It also aims to promote learning opportunities
for the organizations (and thus increase organizational development capacity "on the ground")
through providing detailed process and next-steps guidelines.
Microscore: a new self-assessment tool for capacity building programmes
21 May 2012
MicroNed, a
network of Dutch organizations involved in microfinance, has introduced MicroScore, a tool intended
to help microfinance institutions (MFIs) and cooperatives assess themselves before, during, and
after conducting capacity building programmes. MicroScore measures the following four performance
ratios: governance, institutional, financial performance management, and services and social
performance management.
LenCD case stories database
24 March 2012
Case stories are an important and accessible way of
sharing experiences and learning lessons. Many organisations publish case stories on their
websites, but finding these stories has always required a good deal of research.
LenCD (Learning Network on Capacity Development), has been building up an index of case stories including material from the United Nations Development Programme, the Task Team on South–South Cooperation, SNV, the World Bank Institute, ECDPM, and other sources.
More than 500 case stories have now been catalogued and are searchable by country and by keyword on www.lencd.org/case-stories.
MoreDealing with complexity through Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation (Praxis Paper 26)
22 March 2012
Published
by INTRAC in February 2012, this paper shares initial findings from an ongoing action research
project, involving nine Dutch and one Belgian international development organisation, in
collaboration with their Southern partners. The objective of the project is to explore if and how
more ‘complexity oriented’ Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) approaches can help them to
deal with diverse challenges that they encounter in their day-to-day practice.
Capacity, complexity and consulting: lessons from managing capacity development projects
20 March 2012
In recent years, the Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme of the UK-based
Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has increasingly focused on managing large, multiyear
processes, aimed at building the capacity of local institutions in developing countries to change
the way they engage with policy. This paper draws on the observations of RAPID staff involved
in various projects as well as on primary documentation such as trip reports, after action reviews
and project reports. It also includes a ‘ light-touch’ review of some of the grey and academic
literature available on capacity development, complexity, managing social change and aid agency
behaviour.
Towards common standards in development evaluation
18 March 2012
Few development organizations have the capacity to effectively evaluate their programmes. While there is broad agreement on the need to strengthen evaluation capacity, there has been little consensus so far on how to go about this. With this in mind, the Evaluation Capacity Development Group (ECDG) and the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE) developed a proposal to create an International Workshop Agreement (IWA) on evaluation capacity development that has been approved by the International Standardization Organization (ISO). During a workshop in Geneva, Switzerland on 17-21 October 2011, ECDG brought together M&E practitioners and standards experts to create a voluntary, consensus-driven agreement towards this end. A report of the workshop, which was supported by IDRC, GIZ and the OECD/DAC Evaluation Network, is now available.
MoreRequest for tender: Aid advisory services standing offer
29 February 2012
Capacity Development is a critical factor in both aid
effectiveness and sustainable development. In order to ensure that AusAID remains a leader in both
theory and practice of Capacity Development, AusAID is establishing the Aid Advisory Services
Standing Offer, comprising multiple service categories, to support the effective delivery of the
Australian aid program. AusAID is seeking suitably qualified specialists to submit applications to
the Standing Offer panel, who are specialists with knowledge and experience in capacity development
theory and/or practice in international development, knowledge of international best practice, and
with experience in one or more of the following areas: organisational development and behaviour
change, human resource development, public policy and program management.
Building nonprofit capacity
15 January 2012
This
book uses the organisational lifecycle framework to help the nonprofit sector and its leaders
figure out how to effectively shepherd a change process in their organization. The book is based on
research by the
TCC Group, a New York based consultancy, in the
area of organizational effectiveness studies. It also includesd results from the core capacity
assessment tool (CCAT) - a 146-question online survey
that measures a nonprofit organization's effectiveness in relation to four core capacities -
leadership, adaptability, management, and technical capacities - as well as organizational
culture.
Resource mobilization: A practical guide for research and community-based organizations
15 January 2012
Donor scoping studies commissioned by IDRC in 2004 and 2008 showed that multilateral and
bilateral agencies are now more focused on large-scale, sector-wide funding, awarding bigger grants
to fewer organizations, with less money available for medium to small groups. The second edition of
this guidebook, co-pubished by IDRC’s Donor Partnership Division and the Philippines-based Venture
for Fundraising in 2010, pays specific attention to the resource mobilization needs of
community-based development research organizations, contained within their South and Southeast
Asian contexts.
Capacity building for local NGOs: A guidance manual for good practice
15 January 2012
In the early 1990s, as Somaliland emerged from civil war and conflict, indigenous
non-governmental and community-based organisations mushroomed. International organisations began
targeting reconstruction and development aid through local organisations and quickly came to
realise the need for institutional strengthening and capacity building. To coordinate these
efforts, a number of organisations came together to create an international NGO forum known as the
Capacity Building Caucus (CBC) in 1999. The aim of the CBC was to ensure learning from best
practice, coordinate, capacity-building activities, and eventually to promote sustainability
through a ‘training of trainers’ programme for Somali capacity- building officers.
This package of manuals was developed in part as a curriculum for the training of trainers programme, and in part for use by individual local organisations to assist them in the ongoing process of developing their own capacity.
MoreLearning to evaluate capacity development: The making of 'Facilitating resourcefulness'
30 November 2011
This article is a supplement to Issue 43 of
Capacity.org. It takes a look behind the scenes of an extensive evaluation of 26 case
studies covering the support to capacity development of seven Dutch Development Partners under the
coordination and partial responsibility of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of
the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign affairs. The evaluation aimed to draw lessons on how to improve
the effectiveness of future capacity development interventions.
Interview: A well respected voice
12 September 2011
Betty Maina, Executive director, Kenya
Association of Manufacturers
Fostering a beneficial business environment in Kenya
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers has tackled a very challenging political system to bring about a more favourable business environment.
MoreA practitioners guide to results-oriented capacity development
07 September 2011
Capacity development is usually marketed as a ‘process of change’. However, there is little point to change for the sake of change. Results-Oriented Capacity Development. A Practitioner's Guide for Leaders of Organizations and Development Managers, published in August 2010 by the Austral Foundation, offers a simple and practical approach to leaders, programme designers and managers, advisers and facilitators for implementing a results-based approach to capacity devleopment.
MoreFacilitating resourcefulness: Synthesis evaluation report of Dutch support for capacity development published
29 August 2011
A long-awaited evaluation report of Dutch support for capacity development carried out by the
Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been
published. The report synthesizes the findings of seven separate evaluations carried out since
2008, and covering 26 individual case studies. The evaluation is the result of collaboration
between IOB and six Dutch NGOs (Agriterra, Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment,
Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, Partos, PSO, SNV) and the Ghana Ministry of
Health.
Bare Foot Guide 2 now available
20 June 2011
Following the success of the original
Barefoot Guide to Working with Organisations and Social Change, a brand new
Barefoot Guide to Learning Practices in Organisations and Social Change (BFG 2) has been
launched. Like the first volume, it is meant to be a resource for leaders, facilitators and
practitioners wanting to improve and enrich their learning processes inside their organizations and
in the field. It is freely downloadable and includes a practical Companion Booklet for
facilitators.
Bringing African indigenous wisdom to organizational development and social learning processes
27 May 2011
Understanding Organizational Sustainability Through
African Proverbs: Insights for Leaders and Facilitators (Practical Action, forthcoming 2011),
authored by Chiku Malunga and Charles Banda, explores how the traditional wisdom that is contained
in African proverbs can be applied to organizational development and change. Rediscovering the
power of African proverbs opens up creative avenues to communicate organizational improvement
efforts in a language that touches peoples hearts and motivates them to personal and organizational
transformation. It also offers an entry point for much-needed cross cultural dialogue among
individuals, organizations and societies in an increasingly diversified world.
An innovative methodology for assessing multi-stakeholder networks
24 May 2011
In this informative blog post, Steve Waddell reflects on a recent study focusing on the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder relationships, which he describes as a notoriously under-developed field. The study was commissioned by the International Land Coalition, a multi-stakeholder network aiming to promote secure and equitable access to, and control over, land through advocacy, dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building. The blog explains the unique methodology developed by iScale (a global network that works to advance the effectiveness of social change efforts through process, methodological and technological innovations) for conducting such assessments.
MoreFree e-learning package on knowledge sharing for development
20 May 2011
IMARK [an
e-learning initiative in agricultural information management developed by FAO and partner
organizations] has developed a new module on "Knowledge Sharing for Development". The resource kit
comprises 36 lessons designed to equip organizations and communities with the necessary tools
and methodologies required to develop their knowledge capacities, and enable them to work more
effectively.
Rethinking governance and development in Africa
20 April 2011
Below the apex of the national political systems and behind the headlines, in most parts of
sub-Saharan Africa most of the time, governance is failing to work for development. The better-off
solve their livelihood problems privately, while for the majority life remains harsh, troubled and
short.
It is against this backdrop that a new research venture, the Africa Power and Politics Programme, is exploring more effective forms of delivering public goods, under the guiding hypothesis that "institutions function better when they 'work with the grain' of the society which hosts them."
MoreThe role of ICTs in empowering rural Indian women
05 April 2011
This paper reviews a range of initiatives to bridge the digital gap in India, exploring in
particular the role of ICTs in empowering Indian rural women. The paper concludes that, while most
of the ICT initiatives are disseminating useful new information and knowledge, many women are not
able to
make use of it due to lack of access to complementary sources of support and services.
Online discussion: Is capacity development on the brink of maturity?
21 March 2011
We are pleased to invite you to participate in an
online discussion on some of the issues tackled in "Capacity Development in Practice", the resource
volume for practitioners.
New process guide for facilitating organizational change processes
29 January 2011
The
Barefoot Collective's "Course Guide for Facilitators on Foundations in Organisation
Development" is a new resource from the South African-based Barefoot Collective. It is
designed to accompany their landmark
Barefoot Guide to Working with
Organisations and Social Change. The new guide is an adaptable resource for
facilitators wishing to run structured courses for practitioners who are not organizational
specialists, but find themselves supporting the development of local organizations.
About "Theory U": Resources from the Society of Organizational Learning
15 January 2011
In
Theory U: Leading from the future as it
emerges
(SoL, 2007), C. Otto Scharmer expounds on the theoretical foundations of what he calls "the
social technology of precensing". Presencing is a blend of the words "presence" and "sensing", and
is defined as "the ability to sense and bring into the present one's highest future potential—as an
individual and as a group".
Theory U is presented as a new territory of scientific research and personal leadership, one that is grounded in real life experience and shared practices. Otto Scharmer invites us to see the world in new ways by learning to become aware of our "blind spot", by sharing from his own personal and professional development. The final chapters lay out principles and practices that allow everyone to "participate fully in co-creating and bringing forth the desired future that is working to emerge through us".
MoreParadox or synergy?
13 December 2010
Multi-stakeholder
partnerships as a donor strategy
The Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO) is a Dutch donor agency engaged in facilitating and funding multi-stakeholder partnerships. Its unique approach has been adopted by five other organisations in the ICCO Alliance.
MoreTheory U - "leading from the future as it emerges"
29 November 2010
Presencing," a blend of the words "presence"
and "sensing," refers to the ability to sense and bring into the present one's highest future
potential—as an individual and as a group. This approach is promoted by the Presencing Institute
(PI) - a global awareness based action research community for profound societal innovation and
change.
The interactive Organizational Assessment (OA) website
19 November 2010
The Organizational Assessment (OA) website offers guidance for organizations to help them choose appropriate frameworks and models for self-evaluation and self-reflection.
MoreNo more consultants: we know more than we think
09 November 2010
We have all smiled at the apocryphal tale of the consultant who borrows your watch to tell you the time, and then walks off with your watch! This book by Geoff Parcell and Chris Collison aims to equip readers with the tools to tap into the capabilities of the organization that already exist but are as yet, inaccessible.
MoreNGO/Capacity Builder - Praxis Programme - INTRAC
08 November 2010
The Praxis programme of the UK-based organization INTRAC aims to enable civil society organizations to become more effective through the increased generation, access to, and exchange of innovative and contextually appropriate approaches to organizational capacity building.
MoreThe hard and soft sides of capacity
29 October 2010
A wide range of characteristics, both hard and soft, together make up effective capacity. Niels Keijzer describes a novel framework that organisations can use to assess their own capabilities, and if necessary refocus their efforts.
MoreLearning for organisational development
29 October 2010
Countless organisations have experimented with ways to improve their performance through learning since Peter Senge published his trailblazing book The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization in 1990.
MoreCapacity for conservation
29 October 2010
For IUCN – the World Conservation Union, building capacity for conservation is more important than simply building staff capacity for itself. Jeffrey McNeely traces the development of the regional programme IUCN in Asia.
MoreStrengthening entrepreneurship capacity in rural communities
05 November 2009
An article published in the Journal of Extension, describes a potential model for programmes that are looking for effective strategies to support and enhance community-based entrepreneurship
MoreRethinking capacity building
29 October 2009
Capacity building projects are often seen as a means of providing NGOs with the tools they need to effectively deliver programmes or services, and of ensuring the ability of recipients to demonstrate accountability for the financial aid received. However, insights from over fifty years of experience suggest that conventional types of capacity building have often failed to bring about improvements in organisational effectiveness, performance, and accountability.
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