Capacity Assessment:
At RMC, we use Result-based
Capacity Assessment Framework (RCAF) which has been developed by us based on years of experience of working with NGOs and
international development agencies in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Middle
East. It is an easy-to-use capacity assessment tool for use in social
organisations, and has been developed drawing on nearly a decade of research,
adaptation and application of the framework in both large and small
organisations.
It focuses on
seven core dimensions of organisational capacity which are critical for
delivery of services and outcomes for an organisation’s primary customers or
stakeholders. The use of the framework requires gathering evidence-based data
through a participatory process involving key leaders, senior managers and
staff of the organisation, with facilitation by an RMC consultant trained in
the use of the Framework.
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If your organisation is interested in a free demonstration of the Capacity Assessment tool and method, and see how it can help your organisation or partners, we will be happy to visit your office to give you a free orientation.
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RCAF process:
The data-gathering
process involves three inter-related steps and methods:
1.Self-assessment
of critical capacity factors: Carefully selected internal stakeholders fill
in a rapid self-assessment questionnaire which is then collated and analysed by
the facilitator. The questionnaire gathers data on seven key areas of capacity
of an organisation, namely:
·
Governance and strategic leadership
· Structure
· Systems
and processes
· Human
resources
· Financial
management and accountability
· Programme
planning and implementation
·
External relations and partnerships.
2. Focus group discussions (FGD): Once
the data gathered from self-assessment exercise are collated and analysed by the
facilitator, focus group discussions are held with different stakeholders
groups. The stakeholders are categorised into different groups depending on
their leadership and functional roles within the organisation: so for example,
there could be one FGD with key board members; one FGD with senior management;
a number of FGDs with middle management, project managers, and so on.
3. Documentary evidence: In
the next stage, the facilitator will carry out desk research and gather
documentary evidence to triangulate and validate the data that emerged from the
self-assessment and FGDs. Once this is completed, the facilitator will
synthesize the findings into a report which depicts the status of the
organisation’s capacity at a point in time.
