The same applies to public sector organisations and NGOs. Developing capacities for institutes and their staff is considered to be crucial for sustainable development. Capacity development, however, is often associated with training only. The consortium takes a wider view since capacities can be supported at three different levels: individual, organisational and institutional. It is this dynamic 3-layer interlinked process (reflected in the figure on the top right), which is a basic principle in our approach.
Institutional development is about the positioning of an institute in its external environment, about the way it relates to other important actors in society and about important networks, in which it operates. Institutional development is about the question: how can we become more relevant in the field or the sector, in which we are active?
Strategic planning and communication are important aspects to look into in this context. In our consultancy services, we help to initiate and facilitate a process of future/scenario planning, a SWOT analysis, a social network analysis, a force field analysis, conflict mapping – or a combination of such techniques. Consequently, the implications of a future strategy in terms of an implementation plan and in terms of (new/additional) organisational capacity requirements and staff development will have to be defined. Eventually, this boils down to creating and strengthening knowledge and competences at the team unit level and individual level.
We address a wide range of topics related to institutional development, such as:
- Governance
- Strategy development
- Implementation of policy changes
- Leadership & management
- Centralisation versus decentralisation
- Change management
- Executive coaching
- Organisational learning
- Monitoring and evaluation
