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OVERVIEW

What is it?

Tool 2 builds upon Tool 1, offering a more structured and in-depth menu of areas linked to organisational capacity: organisational outputs, inputs, leadership, motivation and incentives, balance between functional and political dimensions, formal/informal spheres and networking capacity.


What can it be used for?

The tool helps in selecting organisational areas to be covered by a formal capacity assessment. If such an assessment has already been conducted, the tool helps to identify missing areas or topics. As such, it can be used as a basis in drafting specific terms of reference See the Appendix to the Toolkit for capacity development for guidance in preparing terms of reference..


When can it be used?

The tool is particularly relevant when the counterpart is interested in carrying out a more formal assessment or self-assessment of its organisational capacity. Early collaboration facilitates dialogue between actors.


Who can use it?

  • Relevant partners' managers and staff, alone or in collaboration with EU staff


What are its strengths?

  • Helps focus and limit the scope of a capacity assessment of capacity, which is then more closely linked to the context and the specific counterpart.


What are its limitations?

  • Lack of interest on the part of the relevant actors will result in a superficial and unproductive exercise.
  • Key issues for assessment are identified, but no guidance is provided on what that assessment should be.


PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Key elements

The tool is framed as a checklist covering the main aspects shaping organisational capacity and grouped by assessment areas; these are then sub-divided into specific assessment criteria. The analysis allows users to identify which criteria need to be covered by the organisational assessment.


REQUIREMENTS

Data/information. Preliminary knowledge on the context is very useful. Stakeholder knowledge and experience are critical for this assessment. Information collected in Tool 1 can help identify the critical areas to be supported.

Time. The tool is conceived as a preparatory instrument in an organisational capacity assessment. It should be primarily used by partners after some exchange and strategic thinking on what needs to be assessed. Thus, once the priorities have been identified (see Tool 1), the checklist can be easily and quickly filled in.

Skills. N/A

Facilities and materials. N/A
Financial costs and sources. This is a primary internal tool, with no extra resources needed. If it is used as a first output of a formal capacity assessment, the necessary resources should be integrated into the planning and budget of the broader assignment.

Tips and tricks

  • The tool lets partners express their perceived capacity development needs at an early stage; to give enough time and attention to counterpart in this phase, both in formal and informal setting, contribute to increasing ownership by counterpart(s), and our understanding of different perspectives on intervention.
  • This tool feeds into Tool 3and the toolkit's Appendix, which provides guidance on how to prepare the terms of reference for a capacity assessment.


RESOURCES

Where to find it

The European Commission (EC), 2010. EuropeAid. Tools and Methods Series. Reference Document N. 6 Toolkit for Capacity Development


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