Tag Archives: Capacity Building

10 tips for donors (from someone working on the ground)

I work at the bottom of the development food chain, on the ground where people benefit from the money that donors give. Some days I feel sorry for the donors because I see their money being wasted, stolen or misused. On other days I am frustrated by donor policies which make it very difficult to run …

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Does your program align with the national strategy?

Ever since the Paris Declaration in 2005 “aligning with the national strategy” has become an important focus of international development / aid. There are many benefits to supporting the national strategy – it means that everyone is working towards the same goal (endorsed by the government), using similar activities, and avoiding duplication …

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How to hire a consultant in development / aid

Two people at desk

Consultants are often used for short term projects in international development / aid. Typical projects include needs assessments, evaluations, and report writing. A good consultant can be extremely valuable to your program. However, if a consultant is not hired and managed well the results can be equally disappointing (and very expensive!). …

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How to do oral reporting with grassroots organisations

This article was originally posted on How Matters. Reposted here with permission. Many international small grantmakers try to make the application and reporting process practical and accessible to grassroots organisations. This decreases the reporting burden on applicants and grantee-partners. Yet grantmaking staff also recognise that often they do not receive …

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How to organise exchange visits among local organisations

Exchange Visit

This article was originally posted on How Matters. Reposted here with permission. Stronger, more sustainable community-based organisations can contribute to a more effective response to the needs of vulnerable people. Different types of capacity building activities such as exchange visits and mentoring relationships can provide relevant technical assistance through sharing …

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Three questions to ask before organising a capacity building workshop

In my opinion, capacity building workshops are one of the most overused activities in international development / aid programs today. Normally involving the words “strengthening”, “sustainable” or “empowerment”, these events have the potential to waste large amounts of money and achieve relatively little. That’s not to say workshops are completely useless, …

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Participatory Workshops – Book Review

As a follow-up to our previous book review of the Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, I decided to review a facilitation book that was written specifically for an international development audience. Participatory Workshops: A Sourcebook of 21 Sets of Ideas & Activities, by Robert Chambers, is a collection of workshop activities …

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