Organizational development

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.

Learning 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.

A 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.