Jacqueline Stavros

CAPACITY BUILDING An Appreciative Approach
A Relational Process of Building Your Organization’s Future: Your Organization’s Driving Force is People

by Jacqueline Stavros
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY,
Cleveland, Ohio, May 1998

This study proposes a relational process of building an organization’s future using Appreciative Inquiry. It supports a greater appreciation and awareness of the importance of building multiorganizational and global capacities. The relational capacity building framework introduces definitions, insights and guidelines that help the organization create capacity at different levels as well as define core capabilities. This framework allows organizations to see where they are today and establish a vision for tomorrow. It helps them to clearly understand their directions, views, values and capabilities to create a learning environment for capacity building at the same time they are actively involved in creating their future. In so doing, it offers both utility and value for NGOs, donor organizations, governmental agencies, researchers and policy makers.