About PSO

PSO is an association that consists of sixty Dutch development organisations. The association focuses on capacity development at civil society organisations in developing countries. 

Capacity development is a process whereby organisations improve their own performance and increase their options by investing in their staff, members and volunteers. They thereby influence their environment either directly or through their network; in particular the institutional context they work in.

PSO works for Dutch civil society organisations. Its core issues are knowledge development and the funding of activities in the field of capacity building. Furthermore, PSO provides services in the field of staff cooperation. All PSO's activities focus on reinforcing the capacity of civil society organisations in developing countries.

PSO contributes to the quality of the cooperations between Dutch development organisations and their partners, and reinforces the contribution of an independent social civil society to community development and poverty alleviation.
PSO's relationship with developing countries runs via Dutch civil society organisations.

Fifty organisations are members of PSO. The office in The Hague employs some 40 staff. Every year, in some way or another, PSO supports the work of 600 development workers in the field.

Vereniging PSO receives 27 million Euros annually for its activities from the Dutch government. These funds are subject to a number of conditions recorded in the subsidy framework.