How to Build Capacity Within your Organisation

What is capacity building?

In general terms, the main principle of capacity means having the resources necessary to implement your strategy and achieve your overall vision. You can also think of it at an individual level as any activity that aims to increase the skills or knowledge of an individual or group and is a key driver for creating impact.

Engaging in capacity building activities within your organisation that help at an individual level build and develop skills of employees is beneficial for not only their personal development but also employee resilience, retention and your business overall. At an organisational level capacity building helps with organisational and functional capabilities and developing your business’ ability to adapt.

For a more in depth look at the definition of Capacity building and why is it important, check out our dedicated blog post.

How to start building capacity

Once you feel that you understand the principles of capacity building, you can then start to think about the ways in which you can build it within your business.

Understand where your business is

Firstly, you have to know where your organisation is to know what areas need resources. It’s worth considering which areas are stronger or weaker than others to help you decide.  

It can be helpful to work with an external partner on identifying key areas, as they are able to look at your organisation objectively and identify potential pain points. This can be then used as a foundation for updating or curating new content and resources.

Document key processes

It is common for organisations to neglect having clear, well documented processes for key areas of their organisation such as product development or pricing.

By taking a detailed look at your key processes and making sure that they are fully documented within your organisation, you will be able to support your current capacity and also your long-term sustainability as an organisation.

Use technology to its full effect

Learning technology is a great tool to help build capacity at both an individual level and at an organisational level. While it is not a secret that eLearning can be used to help develop new skills, it is also important to consider using technology to sustain learning, which can then achieve a much greater impact.

Additionally, digital capacity building activities, such as learning technologies, can be used to support your decision making around current and future learning and development that your organisation will need. Using this approach will enable you to develop or enhance your strategy for best results.

If you’d like to further explore how using digital learning technology for capacity building activities could work for you, please do get in touch.