Assessing Institutional Capacity

The Consortium developed a tool, which was then adapted and applied by each organisation in the Consortium. The tool provides guidance as to key questions that need to be asked in order to better understand institutional capacity for conflict sensitivity.

These questions are divided into 7 sections:

 
1. Policies and Strategies
     A. Conflict Sensitivity Policy
     B. Mainstreaming into Internal Policies and Strategies
     C. Ensuring Consistency with External Policies and Strategies

2. Institutional Commitment
     A. Management, Commitment and Leadership
     B  Enabling Effective Conflict Sensitive Approaches (CSA)
     C. Responsibility and Accountability Mechanisms

3. Learning and Knowledge Management
     A. Learning and Reflective Practice
     B. Encouraging CSA Best Practice

4. Integration into Programming
     A. Integration into PCM
     B. Integration into Programme Design/Start up
     C. Integration into Programme Monitoring and Evaluation

5. Institution-Wide CSA Mainstreaming
     A. Commitment to Institution-Wide Mainstreaming
     B. Mainstreaming into Advocacy, Communications, Campaigning
     C. Mainstreaming CSA into Support Services

6. CSA Competencies, Capacity, Skills and Understanding of Conflict Sensitivity
     A. Staff CSA Expectations
     B. Staff CSA Awareness, Attitude and Behaviours

7. External Relations
     A. Donors / Funding
     B. Partners
 

When completing their self-assessment, agencies consolidated their findings and on that basis made their own decisions about which areas were most relevant for their organisation to focus on.