Capacity Building

Increasing local capacity is a central focus of Advancing Partners & Communities (APC). Through targeted assistance, APC prepares organizations to receive USAID funds and implement successful programs. APC’s capacity-building approach includes strengthening organizations’ ability to comply with USAID regulations, identifying issues and challenges to determine innovative solutions, strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, and supporting learning for community-based family planning and other health approaches. This level of capacity building will help ensure the sustainability and scalability of community-based approaches.

Photo credit: Arne Hoel/World Bank

Below you will find links to resources created by APC and other organizations.

APC Resources

Outil d’évaluation de la capacité organisationnelle
July 2018 | Assessment Tool

L'Évaluation de la Capacité Organisationnelle (OCA) est un outil dont le but est d’évaluer la capacité d’une organisation. Il mesure les capabilités dans cinq domaines clés: gouvernance, gestion organisationnelle, gestion du programme, gestion des ressources humaines, et gestion financière.  Le résultat est un plan d’action accordé par tous qui planifie les domaines prioritaires et les actions que l’organisation doit prendre pour adresser les problèmes et les écarts.

Facility Management Committee Training Manual and Tools
June 2018 | Training Guide

Developed by the Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s Directorate of Primary Health Care with support from Advancing Partners & Communities, the Facility Management Committee (FMC) Training Manual and Tools promotes the resources needed to empower and support functional, sustainable FMCs. It is a companion document to the FMC Operational Guidelines (PDF, 947 KB).

Facility Management Committee Operational Guidelines
June 2018 | Guide

Developed by the Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s Directorate of Primary Health Care with support from Advancing Partners & Communities, the Facility Management Committee (FMC) Operational Guidelines define stakeholder roles and responsibilities in promoting FMC functionality and sustainability, and recommend implementation approaches and tools.

Women Survivors Leading Post-Ebola Recovery in West Africa
March 2018 | Success Story

Women leaders of survivor organizations in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are stepping up across the region to address challenges for Ebola survivors, while promoting gender equality in their countries.

Mental Health Nurses and Disaster Response in Sierra Leone
January 2018 | Journal Article

Advancing Partners & Communities has supported mental health nurses in responding to the mudslide disaster in Sierra Leone.

Ebola Transmission and Prevention Services Program Overview: Liberia
January 2018 | Project Highlight

In Liberia, the ETP&SS program works to ensure the effective delivery of health care and psychosocial support services in response to survivor needs.

Building Capacity within the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors
January 2018 | Brief

This brief includes background, interventions, and results of APC’s support to the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors (SLAES). Based on a needs and capacity assessment conducted jointly by APC and PIH in December 2016, the project identified six priority areas for organizational capacity building.

Strengthening Access to Mental Health Services in Sierra Leone
December 2017 | Brief

Background, interventions, and results of APC's work in mental health in Sierra Leone, including the community healing dialogues and training in psychological first aid at Peripheral Health Units (PHUs).

Program Overview: Capacity Building and Results-Based Financing in Haiti
November 2017 | Summary

In Haiti, APC is responsible for building organizational and staff capacity of Haitian organizations to ensure that grantees implement operational and technical programs in alignment with their USAID award and deliver high-quality services.

Endline Infographic: Improving Community Health Services in the Post-Ebola Context
June 2017 | Infographic

This infographic summarizes APC's work in strengthening critical health services in local communities in Sierra Leone, with focus on reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health.

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Below is a list of key issues within capacity building that APC focuses on. Within each key area you will find resources related to capacity building that have been pulled from multiple sources. 

Organizational Development

Through organizational development, or building organizational capacity, an organization can become more effective, efficient, and sustainable, and ensure they are complying will all applicable USAID rules and regulations. Organizational development activities can focus on one specific aspect of an organization, or a wide range of areas such as financial management, human resources, program management, sub-grant management, and monitoring and evaluation.

Local Capacity Initiative Final Report
May 2019 | Report

In 2013, the U.S. Government, with funding from PEPFAR, established the Local Capacity Initiative (LCI) to strengthen sustainability of national HIV and AIDS responses through increased advocacy capacity of local NGOs. Read the final report which talks about the work done from 2014 -2018, where USAID and CDC made awards to local organizations through APC in 14 countries/regions which focused on designing and implementing local solutions to policy barriers that impede key populations’access to HIV and other health services.

Enhancing Organizational Performance and Impact
October 2013 | Webinar

Watch a recent series of webinars where JSI shared experiences in the growing and diverse field of capacity development. These webinars cover topics such as connecting organizational and technical capacity, developing capacity through grants, and responding to shifting demands in capacity development.

The Essential NGO Guide to Managing Your USAID Award
September 2012 | Publication

This publication is designed to assist NGOs to more effectively administer resources from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The guide aims to help USAID awardees (also referred to as grantees or recipients) clarify specific requirements, regulations, and compliance issues mandated by their agreements.

Organizational Development Toolkit
July 2012 | Toolkit

This toolkit from NPI-Connect is a compilation of sample manuals, forms, policies, and guidelines that were distributed amongst partners as guidance documents during the NPI program. The resources and tools included in this toolkit serve as examples for organizations to reference when creating organizational or project documents. These are not official templates. Organizations should adapt them according to the needs of their organization.

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance through trainings, workshops, guidance documents, and other means allow organizations to build their technical capacity in a specific technical area or areas. They also allow staff to remain up-to-date on the most recent changes to policies, service delivery guidelines, state-of-the-art practices, etc.

Improving Health Care Quality
November 2015 | E-Learning

The USAID ASSIST Project has launched an eLearning course on Improving Health Care Quality through USAID's Global Health eLearning Center. Free and open to learners from around the world, this course is the first of its kind to focus on quality improvement approaches and methodologies for low-resource settings. It is designed for anyone looking to understand how to improve health care, including health care workers and managers, government officials, donors, and implementing partners. It will help learners to demystify health care improvement, describe its underlying principles, and explain how proven interventions can be incorporated into practice for every patient. The course focuses on process improvement which has a large body of evidence in USAID-supported countries.

Peace Corps Maternal and Newborn Health Training Package
January 2015 | Training Guide

This training package, developed in partnership with Advancing Partners & Communities (APC), introduces Peace Corps Volunteers to the fundamentals of maternal and newborn health and exposes them to key concepts and global trends.  The training package highlights the latest evidence-based practices that can be implemented by Volunteers and their counterparts at the community level to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. 

Developing Capacities of Community Health Workers in Sexual and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health: A Mapping and Review of Training Resources
April 2014 | Journal Article

This paper aims to identify, organize and provide a synthesis of existing training resource materials for community health workers in different components of sexual and reproductive health and maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health as well as to determine gaps and opportunities and inform efforts to avoid duplication and harmonize approaches to training.

Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Family Planning Program: A Facilitator's Guide
October 2009 | Training Guide

This course provides mid- and senior-level country managers with the skills to develop project designs using a results framework. When these skills are used in the design process, project activities are more reliably linked to desired outcomes, and the elements necessary for success are more likely to be addressed.

Sustainability

In many cases the goal of building an organization’s technical or organizational capacity is sustainability of an organization or a project. Through organizational development and technical assistance, local organizations are able to increase the likelihood that their organization can adapt to a changing environment and have a long-term impact on their community.

Family Planning Sustainability Checklist
September 2012 | Toolkit

This resource is a project assessment tool for designing and monitoring sustainability of community-based family planning services. This document is designed to assist community-based family planning project planners and implementers to identify key elements to incorporate in a community family planning project to increase the likelihood of family planning services continuing beyond the project’s end.

Going the Distance: A Step-by-Step Strategy to Foster NGO Sustainability
September 2012 | Training Guide

This training guide offers practical strategies to help nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) plan and effectively navigate the ever-changing environments within which they operate.

Community Health Worker Motivation

In the face of global health worker shortages, the use of community health workers (CHWs) is an important health care delivery strategy for underserved populations. In Uganda, community-based programs often use volunteer CHWs to extend services, including family planning, in rural areas. This study examined factors related to CHW motivation and level of activity in three family planning programs in Uganda.

Support to the Policy and Regulatory Framework for Improving Community Health Systems in Sierra Leone
October 2016 | Summary

Advancing Partners & Communities has been an active partner in the Community Health Workers (CHWs) policy revision process, offering ongoing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) of Sierra Leone.

Expanding global impact through Community Health Workers: progress and challenges in counting CHWs
March 2016 | Webinar

On March 2, 2016, World Vision, Frontline Health Workers Coalition & One Million CHWs Campaign hosted a webinar: Expanding global impact through Community Health Workers: progress and challenges in counting CHWs. The webinar presented key findings and discussed the relevance of the journey “from fragmentation to harmonization” for the CHW community at large.

CHSS

Photo Journal - Community Engagement, Stories Of Change: Sustaining Health Facility Improvements Program
July 2019 | Photo Gallery

APC's Sustaining Health Facility Improvements (SHFI) program in Sierra Leone aims to engage communities, health service providers, and district authorities in building better systems, structures, and processes for conducting maintenance and preventive maintenance of health facilities by mobilizing community and government resources to fund it. This booklet provides stories of the work the FMCs and their communities have done, as they devote their time, resources, and energy to maintaining and improving their community PHUs.

Women Survivors Leading Post-Ebola Recovery in West Africa
March 2018 | Success Story

Women leaders of survivor organizations in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are stepping up across the region to address challenges for Ebola survivors, while promoting gender equality in their countries.

Mental Health Nurses and Disaster Response in Sierra Leone
January 2018 | Journal Article

Advancing Partners & Communities has supported mental health nurses in responding to the mudslide disaster in Sierra Leone.

Building Capacity within the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors
January 2018 | Brief

The Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services program objective is to help the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors become an effective, autonomous institution that can serve and advocate for Ebola survivors.

Endline Infographic: Improving Community Health Services in the Post-Ebola Context
June 2017 | Infographic

This infographic summarizes APC's work in strengthening critical health services in local communities in Sierra Leone, with focus on reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health.

Technical Brief: Strengthening the Health Workforce in Sierra Leone
June 2017 | Brief

This Technical Brief provides detailed information on the capacity building work done by APC under the Post-Ebola Rebuilding Health Services project in Sierra Leone.

Controle De La Qualite Des Donnes De Planification Familiale A L'aide De L'outil RDQA Dans Les Regions Medicales De Dakar, Thies, Et St. Louis
April 2017 | Study

La présente étude se situe dans ce cadre et a pour objectif d’évaluer la qualité des données de routine dela planification familiale dans les régions médicales de Dakar, Saint Louis et Thiès au Sénégal.

Strengthening Health Services as Part of the Post-Ebola Transition in Sierra Leone: Community Engagement Implementation Toolkit
April 2017 | Toolkit

The purpose of this toolkit is to guide the community engagement process for improved community ownership of peripheral health unit quality and catchment area health outcomes in support of the project’s Community Engagement Implementation Strategy.

Life After Ebola: Mothers Return to Health Facilities in Sierra Leone
April 2017 | Photo Gallery

After the Ebola epidemic, a community health center in Sierra Leone is now able to provide improved quality health care services, including family planning.

Revue de Performance des Données de Planification Familiale au Sénégal
December 2016 | Brochure

Le projet Advancing Partners & Communities a apporté une assistance technique à la Direction de la Santé Reproductive et de la Survie de l’Enfant (DSRSE) dans le domaine du suivi-évaluation notamment dans le programme de planification familiale.

Revue de Performance des Données de Planification Familiale au Sénégal
December 2016 | Report

Pour repositionner la Planification Familiale, le Sénégal a rédigé un Plan d’Action National 2012-2015 (PANPF). Le principal objectif de ce plan est d’offrir les services de la planification familiale à 350 000 femmes additionnelles en union et d’atteindre un taux de prévalence contraceptive de 27% en 2015. 

Local People of Various Ages and Professions Trained to Promote Family Planning in Senegal
December 2016 | Summary

In Senegal, Advancing Partners and Communities designed an approach to convince non-traditional sectors and civil society organizations in regions with low contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR) and high unmet need for family planning (FP) services to support the Ministry's National Family Planning Action Plan (NFPAP).   

How Data is Strengthening Community Health Systems in Zimbabwe
December 2016 | Publication

In Zimbabwe, district health executive (DHE) teams are using community scorecard data to understand major health challenges facing local communities and taking action to reduce barriers to care. 

Understanding the Challenges of Delivering Community Maternal and Child Health Services in a Post-Ebola Context
October 2016 | Infographic

Following the Ebola epidemic, Sierra Leone faces challenges to rebuilding its community health system. This infographic helps explain the challenges of delivering community maternal and child health services in a post-Ebola context.

Program Overview: Sierra Leone, Liberia & Guinea
October 2016 | Publication

The Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services Program (ETP & SS) launched in July 2016 and is operating under the umbrella of priorities set by USAID’s Global Health Ebola Team. The program works with ministries of health and nongovernmental organizations in regions of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea that are most affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Sierra Leone: Community Engagement Implementation Strategy & Toolkit
April 2016 | Strategy

Advancing Partners & Communities has drafted a community engagement strategy for adoption and use by all implementing partners in the project’s five districts. In line with the project’s goal of strengthening health services, the strategy focuses on district- and facility-level interventions and emphasizes the role of community health workers (CHWs). The strategy complements other community-based interventions.

Advancing Partners & Communities, Sierra Leone: Program Overview and Accomplishments
March 2016 | Summary

Advancing Partners & Communities received a grant from USAID’s “Ebola Response and Preparedness” funds authorized by the United States Congress to strengthen critical non-Ebola health services, in Sierra Leone. 

REDOVIH+ defends the rights of people living with or affected by HIV. The organization offers community and home-based care, secondary prevention, and advocacy through peer counselors and home visit specialists. REDOVIH+ provides HIV services for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender individuals, integrated HIV services for sex workers, and other support services.

The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) supports and strengthens The Salvation Army’s efforts to work hand in hand with communities to improve the health, economic, and spiritual conditions of vulnerable populations worldwide. SAWSO provides HIV/AIDS and community health services, disaster relief, and economic strengthening activities. They also offer seminars to raise awareness and train community members to eliminate human trafficking.

Save the Children Federation, Inc. invests in children’s education, health, and protection from harm. The non-governmental organization works globally to advocate for children’s rights in order to provide economic stability, better health, and emergency aid in times of crisis.

Seva Foundation is an international non-profit organization that supports community outreach and education programs to spread awareness of available eye care services. Seva Foundation’s eye health education programs focus on nutrition, eye injury prevention, and personal hygiene. The foundation has a network of local eye care providers, fieldworkers, female community health volunteers, savings groups, teachers, and others who help spread the word about eye disease prevention and services.

Sonke Gender Justice Network works with government, civil society, and citizen groups in Africa to prevent domestic and sexual violence, reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS, enhance sexual and reproductive health, and promote gender equality and human rights. Sonke specializes in working with men and boys to address the spread and impact of HIV and to prevent gender-based violence (GBV).

The Institut Bioforce Développement (Bioforce) is a non-profit organization that offers training and career advice. Bioforce offers a range of courses that teach essential skills and attitudes for individuals planning to join international aid organizations. The organization aims to maximize the impact of HIV/AIDs programs and increase the effectiveness of public health sector missions. They accomplish this through awareness, career advice, and skill development trainings. The institute also provides training for development professionals interested in advancing their skills. 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides care to Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees. Through the provision of essentials like food and water, medical care, and sanitation, the IRC assists approximately 140,000 Myanmar refugees as well. The organization also provides protection, legal assistance, and resettlement processing for abused women and children.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a U.S.-based, non-profit organization whose members serve as advisors to the nation on issues related to science, technology, engineering, and medicine. The society is comprised of peer-elected scientists regarded for their distinguished contributions to research. NAS members actively contribute to the scientific community domestically and abroad. Over 500 NAS members have won Nobel Prices, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal is internationally recognized.

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. During the past 100 years, the Foundation has spent $3 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. Our 35,000 clubs carry out sustainable service projects that support our six causes. With donations like yours, we’ve wiped out 99.9 percent of all polio cases. Your donation also trains future peacemakers, supports clean water, and strengthens local economies.

Founded in 1996, UCP Wheels for Humanity increases access to mobility for children, teens and adults with physical disabilities in developing countries. Their goal is to make strategic investments in communities that leverage existing capacities and empower local stakeholders.

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March 09, 2017 | General News

The Advancing Partners & Communities project applied a human-centered design approach to help ensure the success and sustainability of community facility management committees in Sierra Leone.

February 21, 2017 to February 23, 2017 | Announcement

Join Advancing Partners & Communities (APC) at the first International Symposium on Community Health Workers in Kampala, Uganda from February 21st to February 23rd, 2017.

January 25, 2017 | Press Release

Advancing Partners & Communities launched the USAID-funded Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services program on Tuesday, January 24th, 2017 in Monrovia, Liberia.

November 14, 2016 to November 18, 2016 | Announcement

Join APC at the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research from November 14th - 18th, 2016.

October 20, 2016 | General News

On August 4 and 5, 2016, Asia Development with Disabled Persons (ADDP) Japan organized a wheelchair basketball training and demonstration match under the USAID-funded World Education Laos (WEL) TEAM project.

October 06, 2016 | Announcement

The Advancing Partners & Communities project welcomed a delegation of Ebola survivors to Washington, D.C. on Monday, October 3, 2016. Led by the Honorable Dr. Sylvia Blyden, Minister of Social Welfare, Gender & Children’s Affairs, Republic of Sierra Leone, the delegation will meet with representatives from JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), the White House, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Institute of Health, and more to tell their stories and bring awareness to issues in the aftermath of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

October 04, 2016 | Announcement

The Faculty of Medical Technology (FMT) in Laos conducted a 4-week medical rehabilitation training under the USAID and Advancing Partners & Communities funded World Education Laos (WEL) TEAM project. On August 9, 2016, the FMT held a ceremony to officially kick off the training. The ceremony was attended by the WEL-TEAM Technical Director, Mr. Bernard Franck, as well as FMT officials and the 10 medical doctors from central and provincial hospitals who took part in the 4-week training.

August 30, 2016 | Event

Join High Impact Practices in Family Planning for a webinar on August 30, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET for Mobile Outreach Services: Addressing Inequities in Access to Family Planning Services and Commodities, the fifth installment in the High Impact Practices webinar series.

April 18, 2016 | Announcement

The Local Capacity Initiative (LCI) project officially launched the Policy Advocacy Strategic Plan in Bamenda, Cameroon on April 14, 2016.

March 31, 2016 | Article

Through the Advancing Partners &Communities (APC) project, USAID has given the Dominican Republic’s Institute of Virological Studies (IDEV) the equipment to provide anal pap smear services, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, HPV, and anal dysplasia, as part of the HIV/STIs package of services.

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Check back again for related photo galleries or videos.

Amadu Konneh and Joseph Diggs stand in the newly renovated office.

Short story of how APC helped organize the leadership of the National Ebola Survivor Network of Liberia.

Nam Ne is a 38 year old male living in Beung Run Village, Sombok Commune, Chet Borey District, Kratie Province, Cambodia. In October 2010, Ne had severe low back pain for unknown reasons.

Dora Dumbuya

A Survivor Advocate helped Ebola survivor Dora Dumbuya access appropriate health services—and ultimately surgery that saved her life.

Regional Health Service personnel going over the satisfaction survey with a patient in the Hospital Doctor Antonio Musa, in San Pedro de Macoris.

Key populations in the Dominican Republic have HIV prevalence rates that are six to twelve times higher than the national average of 0.8 percent. Although there are multiple players committed to tackling the concentrated HIV epidemic, large gaps in coverage and access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services remain.

Sorie Samura

Sorie Samura is a referral coordinator in charge of referrals from peripheral health units and district hospitals across Sierra Leone for all Ebola survivors requiring tertiary care.

In the Dominican Republic (DR), transgender (trans) persons experience stigma and discrimination in many different ways and are denied the same opportunities as other Dominicans. In recent years, more efforts have been directed at improving the quality of life for the trans community. However, these initiatives focus mainly on HIV prevention and treatment, ignoring the multiple socioeconomic and health needs of these marginalized individuals.

Isatu Bangura

Isatu Bangura was illiterate when she joined Advancing Partners & Communities' adult literacy program for Ebola survivors in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Now, she can read and write simple sentences and is on the path to self-reliance.

Photo of Vanessa

Nine-year-old Vanessa was diagnosed with viral meningitis after suffering from a very high fever and convulsions. Her aunt heard about the TEAM project and immediately registered her. The TEAM project is implemented through a grant awarded under APC, by World Vision, who will enable more than 1,900 people with disabilities including victims of war, especially women and girls, to attain and maintain maximum independence.

Kadiatu

When 11-year-old Kadiatu lost her hearing after surviving Ebola, a survivor advocate helped ensure she received appropriate treatment.

Photo of Christine in a wheelchair

Christine was a normal, developing 14-year-old child until 2013 when she developed sudden weakness in her legs. She spent a month at Kenyatta National Hospital and was diagnosed with a rare medical condition known as Guillen Barre Syndrome.

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