Capacity Building
We measure the success of our work not only in terms of whether a problem has been solved, but also whether the solution is sustainable. To ensure sustainability we tend to adopt an approach which incorporates a strong capacity building component. We believe that our emphasis on capacity-building provides good value for money and the provision of solutions that are cost-effective for clients in the medium to long term.
We see capacity-building as spanning beyond initial training, to include institutional development and on the job coaching and mentoring.
Our training programmes are normally tailored to client needs and will cover not only state of the art methodology, but also the intricacies and challenges of implementation. We firmly believe in “learning by doing” and will often combine training with field-level work.
Our institutional development work is normally preceded by an institutional assessment that informs how capacity is to be built (taking into account policy, practice, procedure, and resources). Findings are discussed with clients before an institutional development strategy is developed and implemented.
Once the basic work is done, we put in place coaching and mentoring mechanisms for follow-up and support - either at top management level or for field staff. This can be done either from a distance (using the latest communications technology), through regular on-site presence, or with a mixture of intermittent presence and tele-commuting.