Five Core Capabilities Development

The capacity of the 5 core capabilities development is seen as a process where people, organizations and business draws, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity overtime. Capacity development must be well designed and executed to produce sustainable effects. The literature shows that this is a process that is only successful when built on a clear vision, a broad-based commitment and active stakeholder participation (OECD/DAC, 2006). Capacity development takes place in three levels as follows

1. individual (professional development of individuals)

2. organizational (strengthening the capabilities of organizations)

3. Institutional (development of rules and conditions which allow organizations to function properly).

The three levels

Morgan (2006) suggests the following definitions for commonly used terms: Competencies: the energies, skills and abilities of individuals. Capabilities: the collective ability of a group or a system to do something either inside or outside the system. Capacity: the overall ability of an organization or system to create value for others. It is those capabilities that enable an organization to fulfil a function (”to do things”) and at the same time to sustain itself. He identifies “five core capabilities” in organizations and systems: the capability to act, the capability to generate development results, the capability to relate, the capability to adapt and the capability to achieve coherence (Morgan, 2006, p. 8-19). The five core capabilities the five core capabilities provide a basis for assessing the capacity of an organization or system at a given point in time. This enables the organization to define a baseline for evaluating changes in capacity and performance over time. The 5C framework1 distinguishes ‘five core capabilities’ in organizations and in systems: 1. The capability to act and commit; 2. The capability to deliver on development objectives; 3. The capability to adapt and self-renew; 4. The capability to relate to external stakeholders; 5. The capability to achieve

A critical mass of staff members should be involved, and their active participation should be encouraged by top management.

Reference

De Lange, P. & Feddes, R. (2008). General Terms of References. Evaluation of Dutch support to capacity development. Retrieved on March 10, 2018 from The Hague: IOB. https://www.nuffic.nl/en/publications/find-a-publication/the-five-capabilities-approach-in-capacity-building-of-organisations.pdf

Morgan (2006). Retrieved on March 10, 2018 from, this framework was developed by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM)