Capacity development

“This guide provides an overview of financial management and the practical tools that can help build the financial capacity of non-profit organisations. Using case studies to demonstrate good practice, it offers practical advice in how to work with a partner organisation to build financial capacity. Intended for managers and trustees of non-profit organisations, the guide provides tools and techniques for using financial skills to improve organisational and programme management. enabling them to build their own financial systems. It is also of use to those assessing another organisation's financial capacity”

"This paper explores the use of organisational development (OD) for capacity building of community-based organisations (CBOs) in South Africa. The author works for Community Connections, a South African non-profit support organisation which predominantly provides support to CBOs and community workers. In 2004, the organisation initiated an OD pilot programme, which has been accompanied by research for a doctoral thesis from this year. The aims of the pilot programme and the research are to examine in what ways OD facilitation can support the capacity building of CBOs, and hence contribute to community development and civil society strengthening. This paper presents initial reflections"

Praxis Note No. 18

This report presents a series of narratives aims to capture the national and local institutional transformations, led and driven by the institutions themselves, that UNDP has supported over the years at the country level. These stories have been collated and synthesised by the UNDP Capacity Development Group, drawing on data and narratives provided mainly by UNDP Country Offices in each region. Each narrative clearly outlines the situation, response and results

Series 1

A user-friendly and practical guide on how to build and run a small non-governmental organisation (NGO). This manual aims to build good practice into NGOs, and to help recognise, address and solve a range of problems. The manual covers all key aspects of running a small organisation, including identifying mission and purpose, planning, getting legal status, building sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, financial management and fundraising. Each section includes exercises and useful examples. This publication is intended for those starting an NGO and also for small organisations seeking to improve their performance and effectiveness

This report draws on the author’s practical experience in the field suggesting some pragmatic ways to deal with the dilemmas often faced by organisations when monitoring and evaluating capacity building.  The author suggests starting simple, focusing on what is feasible and doing it [capacity building] in such a way as to reinforce NGO ownership of that capacity building

Praxis Note n°49

This paper is based on a literature review and interviews with a range of capacity building providers based in the North and South examining both theory and current practice of capacity development, and discusses some of the key barriers to progress. “Primarily concerned with capacity building within civil society organisations (CSOs), although many of the lessons apply equally to organisations in the commercial or state sectors... it begins by looking at some key concepts in both capacity building and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It examines different ways of thinking about M&E, and describes a variety of different tools and approaches used to plan, monitor and evaluate capacity building work. It goes on to discuss M&E in relation to donors and provides an outline of current practice, based on the interviews. Finally, it highlights key areas for further discussion, and presents some conclusions based on the research”

Praxis Paper No. 23

This directory presents management tools and information for nonprofits worldwide in the following categories: general resources, organisational development, performance management, managing finances, developing human resources, communication and marketing

This paper explores the importance of organisational learning in NGOs drawing on examples gathered from interviews mainly with Northern NGO staff and from an extensive review of the literature. It examines NGOs' need to provide the motive, means and opportunity for organisational learning, introduces practical examples of how pioneering NGOs are doing this and suggests ways to combine these elements in planned and emergent organisational strategies for learning. The paper concludes that, although much has been written on the conceptual frameworks for organisational learning and knowledge management, learning and knowledge management are understood differently across cultures and contexts and that most current models are based on a Western understanding, presenting concerns about how to translate these theories into practice. There is therefore a need to engage with capacity building practitioners to explore innovative approaches which are relevant, appropriate and accessible across a wide range of cultures and contexts

Praxis Paper No. 3

This database offers materials for development practitioners both out in the field and engaged in policy making and research.  It covers a broad range of topics in the areas of strengthening, and development of civil society as well as well as materials designed to inform and stimulate debate on aid and development policy and practice.  In addition to Intrac’s own material, the website acts as a hub that brings together useful material from other organisations. Users can comment on resources, and  read  reviews from other users

The Rural Finance and Investment Learning Centre (RFILC) is a web platform dedicated to the dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge for the promotion of rural and agricultural finance and investment in developing countries. It provides access to related materials for capacity development and policy design, in addition to the dissemination of news, events and multimedia

Target clients include all public and private organisations working towards greater financial inclusion and rural and agricultural development, such as financial institutions, governments, civil society organisations, development agencies and academia, among others. Materials such as training manuals, policy guides, and on-line training sessions are disseminated through the RFILC with the purpose of further developing clients’ capacity to deliver improved financial services that meet the needs of rural enterprises and households

“This cross national analysis is based on national studies made by research teams in India, Kenya, Romania and South Africa. It aims to draw out the lessons learnt from successful social development processes in these countries. In each country, studies have been made of projects identified as interesting, successful and/or outstanding in the way they have improved the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. This comparative report briefly describes the national studies, from which the respective teams made their own national conclusions and continues with across national analysis attempting to identify circumstances or factors that are common to these successful projects. Finally, the report summarises the conclusions and their implications”

This paper reviews what makes for good practice in governance and operations, and what determines "partnership effectiveness… what factors determine the extent to which the partnership objectives are achieved; and, what makes some partnerships work better and deliver more added value than others. The paper summarizes two literature reviews that were commissioned, aiming to: a) synthesise the evidence for the determinants of effective partnership from the existing evaluation literature for the major GHPs; and b) from the wider business and political science field and finds good (and less good) practices that results in more (or less) effective partnerships"

Study paper No. 6 of the 2004 DFID Study: Global Health Partnerships [GHP]: Assessing the Impact

The resource provides the introductory chapter of a "manual for the use of trainers of facilitators who want to manage a four-day course in ‘Resource Mobilization for Civil Society Organizations in the South’. This Manual provides the core text of the handbook, plus suggestions for how each section of the course can be presented. It contains the hard copy to be made into overheads to assist the facilitator in his/her work. It also contains copies of all the handouts ready for photocopying. Finally, it provides suggestions for the exercises to be used in the course”

This document is based on the experiences and lessons learned by Handicap International teams and partner organisations in relation to capacity development and developing partnerships between 2001 and 2007, following the creation of the partnership tools. It is the result of reading key documents and of communication between professionals between 2001 and 2007. It has been written as a guide for Handicap International staff

Created and managed by EuropeAid in 2009, capacity4dev.eu is the European Commission’s primary online knowledge sharing platform on development, external cooperation and policy, the aim of which is to improve capacity development through knowledge sharing. The interactive platform supports the European Commission's efforts to make technical cooperation more effective provides an open forum where EC staff at country level and in headquarters, development practitioners, partner countries, other donors, academics and civil society representatives can share ideas and knowledge

This website provides information about Making it Work (MIW), a global multi-stakeholder initiative to promote effective implementation of the Convention for the Right of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The initiative aims to collect and exchange examples of good practice and to use this to influence policy development in line with the CRPD. The MIW website highlights general information about the initiative and specific information about exisitng MIW projects and reports. It provides access to a series of user-friendly tools and resources to support practitioners working in the field of disability and development. The MIW Guidelines are available in downloadable pdf format in English, French and Spanish. A resource library is provided with links to CRPD-related information, disability and development topics and a news archive. This website is a useful tool for anyone working on disability rights issues