Lessons learnt on Organizational Development

Addis Ababa, 2/2002  -  Dieter Gagel, project adviser - MSE promotion programme 

• Each organization already has at its disposal an existing management system consisting of simple planning, documentation, reporting, staff meetings.

• This system, even in a insufficient manner, already presents some organizational know-how.

• Sustainability in organizational development will only be achieved if we take up the existing know-how of an organization and try to improve it from inside thus bottom-up, instead of imposing an external system.

• Project management systems of international cooperation projects will rarely be suited to national, regional or local partner organizations. Organization and management of an international project are characterized by a high input of external know-how and expertise with high financial inputs, which may not be the case in a national local structure.

• With this mind, we suggest a strategy of institution development to improve step by step the existing structures and management systems through a tailor made medium-size system that ensures at the long run sustainability even after the external project intervention.

For further information see capacity building
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