Training as a strategic tool for capacity development

For a long time, capacity development was synonymous with training in the development cooperation sector. During the 1990s, the emphasis was increasingly shifted from training to organisational change and the resulting institutional development. In line with this trend PSO only uses training as part of a wide strategy. PSO is having the conditions in which the tool of training provides an effective contribution to sustainable capacity development studied. In cooperation with INTRAC (an English capacity building organisation) a project group has described and analysed cases concerning the use of training. Initial results (Training as a strategy for capacity development) have revealed that the successful use of the tool of training in the relationship between NGO and southern partner is closely connected to three factors:

• the quality of the partner relationship (trust);

• the absence of hierarchy (balance of power);

• focus on learning from one another (reciprocality).

The importance of thee results is that these insights have arisen from the member organisations' work and are therefore convincing in the discussions on the quality of training. Over the course of 2008, the lessons learned will be tested in practice with a number of other southern partner organisations.