Knowledge
Capacity Building
Capacity building is about systematically investing in developing an organisation‘s internal systems (for example its people, processes and infrastructure) and its external relationships (for example with funders, partners and volunteers) so that it can realise its mission and achieve greater impact.
Capacity building is not about building bureaucracy — it is about creating the organisational ability to achieve demanding objectives.
The keys to successful capacity building are:
- making explicit choices about which elements of organisation capacity most need attention
- building a coalition of managers and board members who support those priorities
- developing a strategy for building that element of capacity
- marshalling sufficient resources to ensure the changes are significant and sustainable
- appointing a champion with sufficient power and authority to oversee the change.
The term capacity building is much more prevalent in the US than in the UK — and the US has much more literature about it than the UK. However, the capacity building that organisations have been doing on both sides of the Atlantic is very similar, so the material transfers well across the Atlantic.
More on Capacity Building
Elements of Capacity Building.
Good Practice Advice.
Capacity Building Framework.
Books on Capacity Building
Sustaining Nonprofit Performance
Paul C Light
Brookings Institution Press 2004
ISBN: 0 81 575 2253
This is the third of a series of books that provide evidence to support the case for much greater investment in organisation capacity.
Based on a major research project at the American Brookings Institution, it links capacity building to organisation performance and public trust in nonprofit organisations.
Effective Capacity Building in Nonprofit Organisations
McKinsey and Company, Venture Philanthropy Partners, 2001
This first-rate report sets out the seven elements of nonprofit capacity,
based on 13 case studies. It reports on why capacity building is important and
why nonprofit organisations tend to ignore it.
The authors develop a capacity framework and the report includes a self
assessment tool for organisations to rate their own capacity.
Download as PDF from vppartners...
High Performance Nonprofit Organisations
Christine Letts, William Ryan and Allen Grossman, Wiley, 1999
This ground-breaking book makes a powerful case for capacity building.
Through comparisons with private sector organisations it suggests areas where
nonprofits could make the greatest improvements to their performance; quality
processes, product development, benchmarking and human resources.
Written by three of the leading thinkers from Harvard University, it is an
inspirational read.
.
Investing in Capacity Building
Barbara Blumenthal, The Foundation Center, 2003.
ISBN 1-931923-65-5
This valuable book offers guidance to grant makers and others involved in
capacity building, based on over 100 interviews and 30 evaluations of capacity
building programmes.
Pathways to Nonprofit Excellence
The Brookings Institution, 2002
ISBN: 0 8157 0625 1
This book reports on a pioneering project to seek the views of 250 leading
thinkers and 250 Executive Directors of leading nonprofits on the
characteristics of effective organisations.
Paul Light heads Brookings‘ Pathways to Nonprofit Excellence Project and
is driving new thinking in this field. The book includes the full answers to
the original questionnaires and his lively commentary on the results.
Articles on Capacity Building
Organizational Lessons for Nonprofits
Jerry Hauser, The McKinsey Quarterly, No 2, 2003
A case study of capacity building at Teach for America illustrating
what goes wrong when an organisation with a great mission does not invest in
building capacity.
The case goes on to demonstrate the effect capacity building had on the
organisation’s subsequent growth into a significant nonprofit organisation.
.
Evaluating Capacity Building Efforts For Nonprofit Organisations
Paul Connolly and Peter York , TCC Group, 2002
Common sense advice on how nonprofit organisations, consultants and funders can
evaluate capacity building activities.
Building Adaptive Capacity: The Quest for Improved Organizational Performance
Carl Sussman, Feb 2004 Sussman Associates
http://www.SussmanAssociates.com
US consultant argues convincingly that organisation capacity alone is not
sufficient. What organisations need is the capacity to adapt their capacity to
changing circumstances.
.
Download from Management Consulting Associates
Chapters on Capacity Building
Managing at the Leading Edge
Mike Hudson, Directory of Social Change, 2003
Chapter 2 Building Organisation Capacity
Reports on latest developments in capacity building in the US.
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Last updated: February 2009