Capacity Building case studies
Capacity building is defined as an approach to programming which emphasises enabling and strengthening individuals, groups, organisations, networks and institutions to increase their ability to cope with crises and to contribute long-term to the elimination of poverty. (Concern Worldwide definition, 2001)
The case studies in this section reflect the state of Concern programmes at the end of the 1990s and the start of the new century. Since these case studies have been compiled and by mid-2004, Concern has continued to change rapidly and take on more strategic vision in its programme work. Currently, Concern is moving quickly to becoming an organisation which is much more working in a partnership approach and is engaging much more with human rights as a normative basis for our work. Our capacity building work is also beginning at last to move away from being purely ‘service delivery' in nature and is also now looking at supporting local institutions to supply capacity building services wherever possible.
Change management is usually a slow and painful process and it takes time to change attitudes and behaviour internally, not to mention in our relationships with people we have worked with for years. This is an ongoing process of change.
These Case Studies were begun in the summer of 2001 but remained unfinished. As time went by, reviews and evaluations of the programmes took place at different times and the case studies required updating.
It is acknowledged that some of these Case Studies have now become 'older practice' in the light of new developments and strategies. An example of this is in nutrition where Concern, in partnership with Valid International, has become a leader in the new Community Therapeutic Care (CTC) initiatives which are an exciting step on from the traditional nutritional responses. Another example is Concern's newly developing strategy in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) which moves interventions on from those basic but very effective ones outlined in the Bangladesh Development Strategies for Disaster Prevention case study.
The Capacity Building Case Studies Series includes:
