Here are some of the tools we use when working with organisations, and some reports of our work. Feel free to use them, share them and modify for non-commercial purposes. A credit would be appreciated!
TOOLS
Capacity Building & Organisational Development
Capacity building methods overview
Capacity building programme matrix
Monitoring & evaluating capacity building: A practical tool
Self assessment tool for capacity building
Impact grid exercises to explore organisational change
Monitoring and evaluation of organisational development: Conceptual Framework
Monitoring and evaluating organisational development – design
Partnership working
Monitoring and evaluating partner capacity building
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and evaluating partner capacity building
Monitoring and evaluation of organisational development: Conceptual Framework
Monitoring and evaluating organisational development – design
Monitoring & evaluating capacity building: A practical tool
Organisational learning
Jazz, innovation and organisational learning
Seeking answers to learning questions
The motive, means and opportunity (MMO) for learning
REPORTS
We like to write but don’t always find enough time for it! Here are some of the things we have written that explain our thinking on issues that matter to us.
Organisational Effectiveness
Lipson, B. (2015) Implications of organisational culture in developing, planning and undertaking organisational development processes: A “think piece” commissioned by WWF UK
Bruce Britton (2013) Learning from Evaluation Training Module Facilitator’s Guide and Participant’s Workbook, ADB
Brenda Lipson & Martina Hunt (2008) Capacity Building Framework: A values-based programming guide Oxford, INTRAC
Bruce Britton (2005) Organisational Learning in NGOs: Creating the Motive, Means and Opportunity, Oxford: INTRAC
Bruce Britton (2002) Learning for Change, Stockholm: Swedish Mission Council
Bruce Britton (1998) The Learning NGO, Oxford: INTRAC
Bruce Britton and Mike Aiken (1997) “The Learning Organisation and the Voluntary Sector”, in Cook, Janice, Derek Staniforth and Jack Stewart (eds.) ‘The Learning Organisation in the Public Services’, Aldershot: Gower.
Advocacy
Lipson, B. (2011). Seven action points for effective activism: Lessons from the impact assessment of Amnesty International’s activism.
Working Collaboratively
Bruce Britton (2013), Learning in Partnerships Training Module Facilitator’s Guide and Participant’s Workbook, ADB
Bruce Britton, Rod Sterne and Debbie Heaney (undated) WWF Partnership Toolbox
Bruce Britton and Liz Goold (2001) Strengthening Organisations: North and South, Stockholm: Swedish Mission Council.
Brenda Lipson (2012) Participating in a Consortium , Farm Africa-Self Help Africa
People and Relationships
Bruce Britton (2013) Reflective Practice Training Module Facilitator’s Guide and Participant’s Workbook, ADB
Bruce Britton (2013) Learning in Teams Training Module Facilitator’s Guide and Participant’s Workbook, ADB
Bruce Britton (2010) Self-Reflection in Ubels, Jan, Naa-Aku Acquaye-Badoo and Alan Fowler (eds) Capacity Development in Practice, London: Earthscan and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
Monitoring and evaluation
Britton, B., Lipson, B. & Cronin, O. (2015). Exploring qualitative approaches to assessing change in Organisational Development Programmes: A “think piece” commissioned by WWF UK
Britton, B., Lipson, B. & Cronin, O. (2015). Compendium of qualitative methods for monitoring and evaluating Organisational Development. (For WWF)
Cronin, O. and IDS Training toolkit: Monitoring and evaluation for information literacy training initiatives in Africa: a journey approach
Cronin, O Mapping the research on the impact of Sport and Development interventions (for Comic Relief)
Capacity building
Howard, J., Grimshaw, L., Lipson, B., Taylor, M. and Wilson, M. (2009) Alternative approaches to capacity building emerging practices abroad. Project Report. Cities Research Centre, University of the West of England. Commissioned by Capacity Builders.
Governance
Lipson, B. (undated) Common Ground Initiative and Intrac. Effective Governance: A Guide for Small and Diaspora NGOs
Sport for development
Cronin, O. (2011). Mapping the research on the impact of Sport and Development interventions. Report prepared for Comic Relief
We Recommend
Sometimes we come across outstandingly useful resources that have influenced our thinking or that we use regularly in our consultancy practice. Here are some of them:
Barry Johnson (1996) Polarity Management: Identifying and Managing Unsolvable Problems, Amherst, Ma: HRD Press. Sometimes an idea comes along that is so deceptively simple you ask yourself ‘Why didn’t I think of that?” Johnson’s book is based on one simple idea for exploring complex problems as dilemmas but its power is in how he helps us to do this in a practical yet profound way. You can find out more at Johnson’s website.
Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo (2010) Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers and Changemakers, Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Full of practical activities this book is an essential part of every facilitator’s toolkit. The iPhone app is really useful too!
The Barefoot Collective (2009) The Barefoot Guide to Working with Organizations and Social Change” A great free (downloadable) resource for stories, pictures, strategies and some deep thinking on the values and practice of OD.
The Barefoot Collective (2011) The Barefoot Guide to Learning Practices in Organisations and Social Change More excellent free resources from the Barefoot Guide Collective, with lots of additional materials, exercises etc. available on the website.
Adam Kahane, (2004), Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening and Creating New Realities, Berrett Koehler. A personal account of Kahane’s involvement in negotiations such as South Africa’s transition from apartheid. Inspiring stories (and lessons learnt from) profound personal and systemic change.
Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur (2010) Business Model Generation, Wiley – a brilliant graphical guide to designing enterprises and rethinking outdated business models.
Adrian Cho (2010) The Jazz Process: Collaboration, Innovation and Agility, Addison Wesley – “What can our organisations learn from jazz musicians?” is a question that Bruce often asks himself. There are lots of answers in this fascinating book.
Sam Kaner et al (2007) Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, Wiley – a classic that provides not just hundred of tools but a thoughtful and detailed approach for building a lasting consensus in a group.
Robert Chambers (2002) Participatory Workshops, Earthscan. A laugh out loud guide to ideas and activities for workshops including the classic chapter “21 Horrors in Participatory Workshops”.
