ABSTRACT
There are almost as many ways of describing organisations as there are writers about them. The model applied here, shown in Figure 3.1, has evolved from the concerns of NGDOs themselves. While not pretending to be ‘the’ model, the framework reflects NGDOs' key characteristics: it concentrates on areas which are critical to their work and their role in society. To do development well, NGDOs must have adequate capacity in five areas; each must be consistent with the other. The first two relate to an organisational design and systems which link vision to action through appropriate development strategies, programmes and projects; these are carried out by competent and well-managed people. The next three capacities link the NGDO to the outside world by mobilising necessary resources; maintaining a variety of external relationships; and producing results consistent with the mission. This chapter looks at the first type of capacity, which is the ability to define activities and create the right organisational set-up to do them effectively. To begin, both capacity and effectiveness require a short explanation.
