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Capacity building: who builds whose capacity?

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  • Deborah Eade

Abstract

This article focuses on the role that development NGOs play in capacity building, arguing that many conventional NGO practices are ultimately about retaining power, rather than empowering their partners. This leads to tunnel vision and to upward rather than downward or horizontal accountability, based on the assumption that the transfer of resources is a one-way process. At worst, this undermines rather than strengthens the capacities of the organisations that NGOs are attempting to assist. Sharing responsibilities and risks, mutual accountability, and committing to the long term rather than to short-term projects are more likely to create partnerships that can withstand vicissitudes and contribute to lasting change.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah Eade, 2007. "Capacity building: who builds whose capacity?," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4-5), pages 630-639.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cdipxx:v:17:y:2007:i:4-5:p:630-639
    DOI: 10.1080/09614520701469807
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    Cited by:

    1. Torabi, Zabih-Allah & Rezvani, Mohammad Reza & Hall, C. Michael & Allam, Zaheer, 2023. "On the post-pandemic travel boom: How capacity building and smart tourism technologies in rural areas can help - evidence from Iran," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    2. Weber Peter & Krawczyk Kelly & Ezeonu Brian Ikechukwu & Tuggle Felicia, 2024. "How to Leverage Action Research to Develop Context-specific Capacity Building for Civil Society Organizations," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 15(1), pages 49-69, January.
    3. Bößner, Stefan & Xylia, Maria & Bilbao, Bibiana & Indriani, Siti N. & Laub, Moritz & Rahn, Eric & Virla, Luis D. & Johnson, Francis X., 2023. "Capacity gaps in land-based mitigation technologies and practices: A first stock take," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    4. Kablan P. Kacou & Lavagnon A. Ika & Lauchlan T. Munro, 2022. "Fifty years of capacity building: Taking stock and moving research forward," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(4), pages 215-232, October.

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