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This paper investigates the issue of capacity building, drawing on the experiences shared by capacity building practitioners through the INTRAC Praxis Programme over the past four years. “This DGIS-supported programme encouraged capacity building practitioners to reflect on, learn from and disseminate their experiences in the field, in attempt to discover what works and what does not in building capacity. Written by practitioners from diverse contexts on a wide variety of themes…this paper syntheses the learning -  that “to build capacity effectively, stakeholders need to articulate more clearly and negotiate a shared understanding of capacity building. This understanding should be rooted in the specific context and culture in which it takes place. We have to mitigate the inherent obstacles to capacity building in the aid system as far as possible. We also need to appreciate the degree of difficulty entailed in building capacity”

Praxis Paper series No. 18

This is a toolkit to help NGOs and community-based organisations working to mobilise communities to improve their awareness of HIV counselling and testing and to improve the up-take of HIV counselling and testing; advocating for increased access to quality HIV counselling, testing, care, treatment and prevention; or interested in providing HIV counselling and testing services. It is divided into eight sections: What is HIV and what is AIDS?; what is involved in HIV counselling and testing; who is providing these services in the community and who they are for; the advantages and barriers of counselling and testing; stigma, discrimination and confidentiality; the needs of people after being tested and ideas for community activities. Each section has an accompanying information sheet

This PraxisNote supports the notion that effective leadership development strategies in Africa should be rooted in the rich cultural heritage and indigenous social practices. Crucially, the paper adopts an 'ubuntu' perspective, a world-view built around five interrelated principles: sharing and collective ownership of opportunities, responsibilities and challenges; the importance of people and relationships over things; participatory decision making and leadership; patriotism; and reconciliation as a goal of conflict management. The Note looks in some detail at the implications for leadership development of these principles and briefly discusses lessons learned

This briefing paper draws on a report by Julius Court and others entitled 'Policy engagement: how can civil society be more effective', also published by ODI. It examines the role of civil society organisations in poverty reduction strategies and looks at ways to enhance their influence on the policy making process. Inadequate knowledge about the policy making process, lack of resources, insufficient capacity and policy makers' mistrust of CSOs are the main obstacles to their full engagement in policy making. Effective approaches should entail: campaigning and implementation of pilot projects aimed at improving adverse political contexts; rigorous mapping and assessment of political contexts; identify critical policy stages; provide relevant and objective evidence; use effective communication methods and strategies; apply network approaches; engage in systematic capacity building

This is a report of work in developing the capacity of adults to create an enabling environment for "children's participation with the long-term aim of raising awareness of children’s potential for political participation, not only in Viet Nam but regionally and internationally. In order to build the basis for planning future programmes to further children’s participation in Viet Nam and elsewhere, Save the Children Sweden commissioned the research assessment described in this report, which combined three simultaneous research processes using a single research protocol to assess:
Children-friendly activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnamese national forums for children
The impact of the capacity-building programme in Viet Nam, the Southeast Asia and Pacific region, and globally"

This paper discusses how coaching and mentoring practices are increasingly used as tools within the civil society sector. This is in line with the trend towards ongoing capacity-building processes rather than one-off events, informed by an increasingly people-centred and ‘holistic’ approach to capacity building. The paper examines a range of practitioners’ experiences of using mentoring and coaching with leaders of CSOs in a range of contexts, including Kenya, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Uganda, Bosnia, South Africa, Malawi and the UK

Praxis Paper series No. 4

"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 manual is a tool to assist with the initial analysis and then the choice of method and procedure in capacity development projects. It provides definitions and concepts, approaches and principles, and sets up a framework for the analysis and describes Sida’s various methods and ways of working