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I never participated, but would like to be able to learn in the area of capacity building on the area of organizing tasks and developing them weekly as it goes. Be able to develop different skills and programs .

What I would look for in a capacity building training is engagements that provide continual support over an extended period of time so that there will be an assurance of sustainability, learning, adoption, corrections and eventually ensure effectiveness on gradual implementation towards success.

My previous organization hired a Consultant to facilitate the Staff and Board Retreat. the ideas and goals, felt very forced and planned out from our Executive Director and the Consultant. Which made staff and some Board members uncomfortable to really share input, thoughts, and ideas to improve mission, vision and develop goals.

I never participated, but would like to be able to learn in the area of capacity building on the area of organizing tasks and developing them weekly as it goes. Be able to develop different skills and programs

I've never participated in a training program. Most of my experience has been trial and error in capacity building. So far, I've realized that I have a gift or an eye for it started to seek professional development opportunities.

In a training program I participated in, the consultant or trainer after the training sessions also left resources with the organization for further consultations to guide the organization to implement the capacity building project steadily.

I have never participated in a training program before. What i look for in a capacity building training is using quality resources and engagements that provide continual support over an extended period of time so that there will be an assurance of sustainability, learning, adoption, corrections and eventually ensure effectiveness.

My name is Jimmy, I have an organization called find your voice in innovation. We have been doing well in discussions and symposiums but still facing a challenge in resoucing our organization for better performance. That's why I think we're still in the initiate phase.

Identify the necessary resources for your priority area.

In a training program I participated in, the consultant or trainer after the training sessions also left resources with the organization for further consultations to guide the organization to implement the capacity building project steadily.

What I would look for in a capacity building training session is tools that can help my organization provide enhanced service provision to vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19 and that can also help us develop more grassroots solutions to challenges encountered.

What I would look out for in a capacity building training session is using quality resources such as

1. Hiring consultants
2. Participating in mentorship programs
3. Undergoing training programs.

The capacity building program that i recently partook in was on leadership and talent. It consisted of extensive discussions on key areas, opportunities to network and extended opportunities for support. this was very impactful in my life and role in the organization.

Well said

The capacity building program I attended was very impactful. It was very hands on, with lots of practical simulations. It also involved scenario based learning which drove home the key concepts.

“Be a discriminating consumer when it comes to capacity building, and resist the urge to engage in it just because someone makes it available to you."

GOOD RESOURCES
In order to avoid situations like this, you can screen potential resources by considering the following criteria below.

Peer-Centered—Some of the best capacity building efforts include some element of sharing information, skills, or resources between peers. Not only do peer mentorship or coaching strategies help transfer skills but they can also motivate mentees to achieve more (Claussen, 2011). Peer-centered engagements are especially useful for developing leadership talent as it exposes nonprofit leaders to others in their industry. This allows them to share insights, make connections, and learn best practices.
Tailored—The best capacity building support comes from organizations that tailor their message to meet the needs of your organization’s context. When hiring consults or facilitators to train your team, you want to ensure they are proposing strategies that are applicable to the context of your organization. A facilitator can lead a great session, but if their suggestions do not apply to your organization, no change will take place after they leave.
Actionable—When hiring a consultant or third-party group to help your organization, make sure they have a plan that will be actionable once they leave. Do they have resources you can look into to continue your learning? “Capacity building engagements are most impactful when there are resources available to effectively implement practices and procedures that can be sustained once the engagement has ended" (Learning for Action, 2017).

If you’re going to spend money calling in a facilitator, you’ll want to make sure the service they are providing is of high quality. High-quality service can (but does not necessarily) include providing coaching or peer-to-peer support, a long-term form of support, and on-going check-ins and assistance to make sure the changes are being implemented successfully (Claussen, 2011).
Extended Duration—Capacity building engagements that provide continual support over an extended period of time are typically more effective. This is because it allows learning to take place gradually. It also allows the nonprofit to act on what they’ve learned and share their results and feedback with the hired consultant. Additionally, capacity building engagements should not be attempted all at once. It is best to develop a plan that is slowly implemented. This will help execute your plan properly and allow for time to focus on learnings from the process. It will also allow your team to course correct in case things do not go as planned.

What's most important to me is that a actionable plan tailored to my specific need is properly introduced and started, so I have all templates at hand and comprehended before the consultant leaves.

My colleagues and I recently took a training on Risk Management for Nonprofits. This is training was very beneficial because laws impacting directly on nonprofits in Nigeria were discussed. We were quite shocked to learn that there were certain training programs and reports were required by law to undertake and turn in which we had not been adhering to and which we to take seriously. We also looked at each of our units and programs and tried to analyze to identify risks and develop avenues to mitigate them.

I've never been in a training program before but these are some of the features that are most important to me:

1. Certified and credible trainers who are able to customise their training according to my needs
2. Training that is not one off since it will take time to implement the changes
3. Trainings that allow for honesty and transparency.

I expect that training sessions or other capacity building platforms must be applicable to the context of an organization. I have experienced situations where capacity building services offered cannot be applied to the realities of an organization, rendering the sessions irrelevant. Also, providing extended duration of services is great for ensuring that insights from training sessions are implemented and feedback provided for guidance.

The previous training I was a part of, there are a few things I wished it had:

1- Pre-work that is correlated with the content was supposed to be discussed during training so that we had some context beforehand what all will be covered and discussed and pre-work and learning materials helps in getting you ready for the role

2- A good blend of theory and practical aspects of concepts and frameworks so that teams can not only learn the theory but also implement it in a real world scenario

3- Pre and post assessment were missing so I could not gauge how much I have understood the concepts.

4- Lack of round table discussions and one-on-one interaction with different trainees to get varies perspectives

Participated in a training on M&E, facilitator delivered contents which were not relevant to our organization mission and vision, and left me wondering how did they come about that particular training and how did they get to convince the funders.
A failed capacity building initiative i witnessed.

Another capacity building i attended was very well planned, relevant to our organization mission and vision.
Facilitator had a lot of tools to share which made it more practical and easy to implement and it is currently sustained.

It is better not to initiate a capacity building process if you dont have the right facilitator i can say. it will be a waste of time and resources.

My previous experience with training programs has been very variable.
At one end - there are those training courses that focus on the presentation, lots of flash PPT, animations, ice-breakers, warm ups and small group discussions but actually deliver very little practical content.
And at the other end - there those training courses, like this one, which are well structured, assume we are adults and don't need to play a lot of games to get comfortable with learning, have a lot of useful content and base that content on real or realistic case studies provide knowledge and skills that I can actually use in my work.

What I would look for in a capacity building training is whether what is being delivered is something sustainable and whether it will bring a positive impact within the organization. One other thing is whether its something that people being trained can be able to easily grasp and implement without major challenges or setbacks.

One other thing to look at is whether there are right resources available for implementation.

Ideal line of action

I would definitely go for slow and gradual learning and implementation of our plan. We would be looking to go for short term as well as long term strategies.

truthfully this is my first type of training for my organization. I found this extremely helpful in identifying what we need to do in order to grow and secure future funding.

100% agree!

Correct. Not only extended time, the continuous efforts to multiply knowledge among staff are also important.

I will share both. the Most beneficial capacity building i held at my organization was specifically for the fundraising, My team members had no knowledge of good fundraising, had no knowledge of international connection in fundraising, I attended the Global giving workshop on fundraising and used the knowledge i got to train my staff, in one year we have at least some donors and program supporters. That worked our way,

The most burden some was the training in advocacy and capacity building where we hired a group in east Africa that everyone was inspiring about the training programs in capacity building, but because we already had the knowledge we acquired from global giving, they spent our time for nothing and our resources were wasted because they taught we we alreday know and was already imlimenting. E.g they wanted to tough each and everything instead of focusing on the matter.

People do say, practice make perfect. Capacity building is a continuous process that should be supported and implemented in any organization that want to be proactive.

Practical examples are always very helpful to better understand the training

i have never participated in a capacity building training but i would look for a training that a lots time and provides other resources to aid us.

I've never participated in a training before, but would look for the area of organizing tasks and developing them daily . Be able to develop different skills and talents, these features seem more important to me

What I will prefer in a capacity building training is one that can offer resources for continual learning and also being able to offer a plan that can be executed immediately after leaving

My previous organisation hired a consultant to train us on how to use a software called SAP. The purpose of this was to enable us input Data more effectively.

For me, the best important item in the capacity building training is the facilitator. He should has a good experince, know-how about the area and using the facilitation skills to engage all the participants.

During a capacity building training we got to write down on sticky notes our SWOT analysis of the project we working on developing. It was a good way to get feedback and buy in because staff felt a part of the process but could still remain anonymous.

Honestly, what I look for are YouTube tutorials. If I can't find videos on YT or Coursera, LinkedIn Learning or otherwise, then I become suspicious of the material we are training on.

very interesting and great course.
words are simple and easy to understand.
assignments are great and makes you think like a leader .

What I look forward in trainings are tools are resources that supports the growth of the organization in the context we are operating in terms of vision over an extended period and gives room for learning, adaptability and sustainability. Most of the trainings I participated provided all these.

Helpful to think about all resources, not just receiving grant dollars

Helpful to think about all resources, not just receiving grant dollars

I have participated in minimal training programs as most of my experience comes from trial and error in capacity since I am the first AmeriCorps VISTA member at my site. However, what I look for in a capacity building training is using resources and engagements that will help with sustainable success.

A toolbox talk , sharing and hiring and expert was the method which my organization adopted

I have never participated in this type of training.

I would look for several important features such as:

Relevance: The training content should be relevant to my role and responsibilities, addressing the specific skills and knowledge I need to develop.

Interactive Learning: The session should include interactive activities, discussions, and practical exercises to engage participants and facilitate active learning.

Expert Facilitation: The presence of knowledgeable and experienced facilitators who can effectively deliver the content and provide valuable insights.

These features are important to ensure that the capacity building training session is effective and valuable for participants.