The Philantrepreneur Journal Vol2 Spring2016 | Page 8

Pulling the Pieces Together

C

apacity Building has become a major initiative within
the nonprofit sector, as well as being identified within
the corporate and government arena as an area of focus for support. However are we on the same page when we talk
about building capacity?
The term "community capacity building" evolved from past
terms such as institutional building and organizational development. In the 1950s and 1960s these terms referred to community development that focused on enhancing the technological
and self-help capacities of individuals in rural areas. Then, in the
1990s a new emphasis was placed on the idea of sustainable development and still holds true to today.
However to fully understand the realm of capacity building
let’s first explore what are considered the
different levels and how each component
or strategy fits in the overall scope of the
process as we pull it all together.
1. Individual level Building capacity on an individual level requires
the development of conditions
that allow individual participants
to build and enhance knowledge
and skills. It also calls for the establishment of conditions that will
allow individuals to engage in the
"process of learning and adapting
to change”.
2. Institutional level Building capacity on an institutional level should involve aiding existing institutions in
developing countries. It should not involve creating new
institutions, rather modernizing existing institutions
and supporting them in forming sound policies, organizational structur es, and effective methods of management and revenue control.
3. Societal/Community level Building capacity at
the societal level should support the establishment of
a more "interactive public administration that learns
equally from its actions and from feedback it receives
from the population at large." Community capacity
building must be used to develop public administrators
that are responsive and accountable.
4. Operational Level Building capacity involves gaining
insight into what makes businesses flow, understanding
the dynamics internally and externally, in the field and
out on the road, and gain perspective on how to lead,
organize and plan for operations.
8

The Philantrepreneur Journal

So what does all this really mean for nonprofits? Each of the
levels listed above are also components in developing nonprofit capacity. Too often the notion of ‘we’re a nonprofit so we do
things different’ is used as the foundation for not using sound
practices. Some of these capacities are gained through experience, while others are learned through educational avenues.
For our purposes, we are focusing on strategies that support
organizational capacity building to impact their long-term sustainability.
Allan Kaplan, a leading NGO scholar argues that to be effective a nonprofit’s must participate in organizational capacity
building first, and building their tangible and intangible assets
as imperative and of utmost importance. Kaplan’s strategies
cover qualities such as skills, training and
material resources and further outlines
the steps to build organizational capacity
to include:
• Conceptual framework An organization's understanding of the world, "This
is a coherent frame of reference, a set of
concepts which allows the organization to
make sense of the world around it, to locate itself within that world, and to make
decisions in relation to it."
• Organizational attitude This focuses on the way an organization views itself. Kaplan asserts that an organization must view itself
not as a victim of the slights of the world, rather as an
active player that has the ability to effect change and
progress.
• Vision and strategy This refers to the organization's
understanding of its vision and mission and what it is
looking to accomplish and the program it wishes to follow to do so
• Organizational structure A clear method of operating wherein communication flow is not hindered, each
actor understands their role and responsibility.
• Acquiring skills and resources
Building capacity is not an option or choice of will we or
won’t we. It is imperative to survive. It would be advantageous
to start today the process and often the most difficult steps are
to reassess, reexamine and change according to what is most
needed and what will be the most effective. Be honest, open
and ready to watch your organization reach its full potential.
The Philantrepreneur Foundation employs a training process of
implementing capacity building strategies utilizing 8 Essential