JSI Team Contributes to Capacity Development Network Paper

We are pleased to have contributed to a new paper, Capacity Development with Local Partners: An Organizational Development Process to Support USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance. Developed by the Capacity Development Network, of which JSI and World Education are both members, the document shares a synopsis of the capacity development framework and provides strategies and lessons learned on engaging local partners and systems to enhance capacity. It goes over common challenges through all stages of the CD frameworks and provides a range of guidance, best practices, tools, and lessons learned.

This builds upon USAID’s recent Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR) framework and the New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) which has stimulated a refocus on fostering local systems, leadership, and resilience to build the ability of people to manage their own organizations efficiently and successfully. Included in the document are our Organizational Capacity Tool, which helps organizations develop their own capacity development plan, and our Technical Capacity Assessment Tools, which allows them to identify their strengths and gaps. 

Many thanks to Barbara Durr, Becky Furth, Mounia Msefer, and Matthew Osborne-Smith who reviewed and contributed to this paper. Our Capacity Development Center tailors CD support to promote innovative solutions and strengthens local systems and partners.  

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The Capacity Development Network (CD Network) is a membership-based working group comprised of over 90 development organizations working in health, community development, governance, environment, and livelihoods. The Network provides an informal platform for CD implementers and practitioners to gather, disseminate, and exchange information, ideas, and best practices that empower local actors to bring about sustainable development outcomes.