How to Leverage Action Research to Develop Context-specific Capacity Building for Civil Society Organizations

Weber Peter (), Krawczyk Kelly (), Ezeonu Brian Ikechukwu () and Tuggle Felicia ()
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Weber Peter: Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies Program, Department of Consumer and Design Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849-5412, USA
Krawczyk Kelly: Department of Political Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36832, USA
Ezeonu Brian Ikechukwu: Social Impact: Advancing Development Effectiveness, 2300 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA, 22201, USA
Tuggle Felicia: Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36832, USA

Nonprofit Policy Forum, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 49-69

Abstract: In recent decades, increased attention has been given to the hierarchical nature and intrinsic power dynamics of CSO capacity building programs. In a global context, international donors tend to design and implement capacity building programs, which then prioritize donors’ objectives and employ Western concepts in the Global South. This research note aims to reframe capacity building around inclusive and equal partnerships centered on civil society leaders who participate in designing and delivering capacity building programs. We propose action research as a process for co-creating contextually appropriate models that enable local ownership for capacity building and thus equip civil society to improve the lives of people in communities. We apply this approach to the Liberian case to develop a process to engage local civil society organizations in developing participatory capacity building programs that address place-based needs in non-Western contexts.

Keywords: action research; capacity building; civil society; decolonization; Liberia; nonprofit management education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1515/npf-2022-0041

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