To ensure that the Institute for Capacity Strengthening (ICS) is rooted in a solid, evidence-based framework, CRS embarked on a process to define the areas of knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs) needed for successful partnership and capacity strengthening (P/CS). To begin, the team identified and interviewed experts in the fields of organizational development, capacity strengthening, and partnership, both internal to CRS and external; surveyed organizational development academic programs and literature, as well as peer agency approaches; and, identified common themes around KSAs and their impact on capacity strengthening outcomes. With these results, the Partnership and Capacity Strengthening team developed a framework with KSA areas, as well as detailed behavior indicators across increasing levels of mastery. At the KSA level, the framework defines the following areas as critical for effective P/CS work. Together they build to a P/CS competency.
Doing Partnership and Capacity Strengthening well requires:
Knowledge: Something that is learned or discovered
- Partnership Approaches
- Capacity Strengthening Approaches
- Organizational Development
- Adult Learning
Skills: the ability to use and apply specific knowledge
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Organizational Capacity Assessment
- Organizational Analysis and Action Planning
- Facilitation and Group Dynamics
- Mentoring, Coaching and Accompanying
- Institution Strengthening
Attitudes: a settled way of thinking or feeling, informed by knowledge and skills, typically reflected in a person’s behavior
- Humility and Mutuality
- Patience and Flexibility
- Trust-building
- Appropriateness
- Empowering and Optimistic
The team believes that developing this learning framework will help CRS, and partner and peer agencies to: articulate what pcs competency looks like; identify and define learning outcomes across levels and KSAs; and identify learning content gaps and needs tp support performance.